Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Regarding Putin's Invasion of Ukraine (Long)
Date:	3/15/2022 11:54:59 AM (updated 3/15/2022 11:56:03 AM)

The following email from a native Ukranian working for a DoD contractor provides fascinating insight into the Russia-Ukraine situation.  It is fairly long but provides a lot of insight.  

"Hello friends,

The war in Ukraine has been going on for 18 days.

Many of you know that I am from Ukraine.

I will try to explain to you the essence of this conflict, its causes.

I will try not to be biased, although it is very difficult.

You should also understand that this is my purely personal, subjective opinion.

Russia and Ukraine are different states, but culturally we are very close.

We read the same books, watched the same movies, listened to the same music.

I myself am a Russian-speaking and Russian-cultural Ukrainian.

So, for me, this war is essentially a civil war.

In the early days of this war, I wished the Russian soldiers death.

I was seized with just wild fury when I saw the destroyed Kharkov, my hometown.

I was just out of my mind with hatred.

I kept waiting for this to pass, because I knew that in such a state a person cannot think rationally and be objective.

Everything changed when I saw the corpses of Russian soldiers.

The Ukrainian government has set up a website that posts photos of dead Russian soldiers, their documents, and invites mothers to pick up their dead children.

I feel the pain of Russian mothers when I see dead Russian soldiers.

They are so much like us.

Do not think that I do not mourn the Ukrainian people.

In Kharkov, my wife and I have friends who are now very scared, who do not know what they will eat in a couple of weeks.

But Ukrainians today fight and die for their country and freedom, for them this is a holy war.

For the Russians, this war is an eternal disgrace.

I wrote all this so that you can better understand my condition.

A few words about the Ukrainian nation.

Ukrainians, as a nation with their own language and culture, have existed for more than a thousand years.

Initially, we were called Rusyns.

Then the state of Kievan Rus was formed with the capital Kiev.

Kyiv is also called - the mother of Russian cities.

A later, the Kyiv prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded the city of Moscow.

All this was called in one word Rus.

Then there was the Mongol-Tatar invasion and Rus was divided for three hundred years.

More precisely, the part that is now called Russia was under the horde for three hundred years, and the part that is now called Ukraine is only about seventy years.

In the end, the Mongol-Tatars became part of the Russian state.

Ukraine was part of the Commonwealth and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and Western culture had a certain influence on Ukraine, especially on its western part.

About three hundred years ago, Ukraine became part of the Russian kingdom, which later became the Russian empire.

After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine finally gained independence and a national state.

What is the main difference between these two nations?

It's not about language or culture, it's about attitude to power.

Most of Russians believe that power is sacred and infallible.

They especially respect their kings, who, in their opinion, are given to them by God.

The communists abrogated God, but this did not affect their attitude to power in any way, and the Russians still revered their atheist leaders.

This has not changed even now.

The Russian pseudo-tsar Putin is an example of this.

Ukrainians have never had their own kings.

They chose their leaders for a while and could re-elect them if they didn't like them.

After gaining independence, this tradition began to slowly but surely revive.

Eventually, in 2014, they ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and elected a pro-Western leader.

Most Ukrainians had nothing against the Russians, but wanted to go their own way.

Ukrainians liked to kick the government, laugh at it, and see that the government may be a little, but still afraid of the people.

During the action against President Yanukovych, Ukrainian nationalists showed themselves especially brightly.

For these people, Russia has always been an enemy and therefore they were quite aggressively opposed to it.

There were about two percent of such people in Ukraine and they did not receive any power.

However, this served as a pretext for Putin to annex Crimea, and start a war in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Why did he do it?

There are two reasons for this, in my opinion.

1. Putin believes that all the territories of the former USSR should be under his control. Sooner or later, they must return to the former Russian empire. It is absolutely unacceptable that NATO troops would be in these territories.

2. Ukraine should not become a successful country in any form. Because it will be a very bad example for the citizens of Russia. They, too, may want to become part of Western civilization, want to change presidents every four years.

Therefore, he needs a victory over Ukraine.

He needs Zelensky's capitulation, his humiliation, the humiliation of the Ukrainian people, who, roughly speaking, dared to show him their ass.

And that's why he shouldn't win.

If Putin does not achieve anything, his power is likely to end.

If his soldiers are thrown out of Ukraine, he will cease to be an idol for the Russians.

That's all we need, there is no need to capture Moscow.

But I am afraid that the Ukrainians will not have the strength to cope with this on their own.

If Putin starts bombing Ukrainian cities, Ukraine will fall.

Therefore, Zelensky asks to close the sky over Ukraine.

One does not ask for soldiers, Ukrainians will fight and die, but they cannot cope with Russian aviation.

If NATO cannot help Ukraine, then Ukraine must accept Putin's conditions in order to save people and infrastructure.

Here is my opinion.

I tried to be extremely honest.

My English is far from perfect, but I hope you understand me.

This is a greeting of Ukrainian warriors from the past, but very popular now in Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!

Heroes Glory!"

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Regarding Putin's Invasion of Ukraine (Long)
Date:	3/15/2022 8:59:54 PM

This is very good information.  I'm really torn on the no-fly zone.  I keep wondering if we, as civilized people who embrace our principles, are we just as bad as Putin to sit by and watch what is happening without doing something.  At the same time the last thing I want is to give Putin a reason to attack the West - but I feel like we are already at war with Putin.  He's daring us to do something decisive.  

I stopped watching the news on Ukraine.  One because I know what Russia is doing to Ukraine and then to hear the refugees - it's not hard to imagine that they are heartbroken, scared, and don't know where they go from here.  I think we have all been touched by their bravery and their willingness to fight for their country. It makes me wonder if we were under attack like they are, if we would take up arms and fight to the death for our country.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Regarding Putin's Invasion of Ukraine (Long)
Date:	3/15/2022 9:12:55 PM

According to recent polling only 55% woud  stay and fight but only 40% democrats.  But don't worry 65% of Republicans would stay and fight.  Coincedentally, we also have the guns.  DEmocrats might have their 9mm but we have sniper and assault weapons.  Not to mention experience hunting.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Regarding Putin's Invasion of Ukraine (Long)
Date:	3/15/2022 9:13:14 PM (updated 3/15/2022 9:20:47 PM)

I wish we had done more for the good people of Ukraine.   With Russian armies at border you tell them we will prevent the destruction of Ukraine.  Now we have waited two weeks, watched innocent folks die and billions of destruction.  

We should have called the bluff.  If it led to all out then so be.  To Ukraine it is all out already.

Weakness and talk of a minor incursion is all we showed.

Unfortunately I dont know of any person in the current power team who could get it done.

Miley??? Ha.  Austin?? Woke.  Blinker. Harris.  Biden.  Sullivan

We are weak

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	The Thing That I Can't Understand
Date:	3/15/2022 10:09:53 PM (updated 3/15/2022 10:13:51 PM)

If Putin wants Ukraine as part of his glorious reincarnation of the USSR, why is he doing his best to totally destroy it?  He wouldn't inherit a country, he would inherit a wasteland that would require billions if not trillions in reconstruction costs to make it inhabitable once again.  Is he so diabolical as to want to achieve his goal, no matter how worthless the "reward"?  Does he really want to go into the history books right next to Hitler?  The whole thing is totally nonsensical.  Maybe Goofy can explain it since he has an explanation for just about everything, no matter how obtuse and/or cockamamy that explanation might be. 

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Regarding Putin's Invasion of Ukraine (Long)
Date:	3/15/2022 10:12:37 PM

It is said that the US, because of gun ownership, is the largest Army in the world and reason for nobody to even consider armed invasion (the unarmed invasion on our southern border being an exception).

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Here's my theory
Date:	3/16/2022 9:08:26 AM

I think Putin overestimated his military and underestimated Ukraine and they were not alone in that mistaken belief.  Conventional wisdom, which I shared, was that Russia would take Ukraine like Germany took France.  When that didn't happen he ratcheted up the pressure on his military advisors as he suddenly realized there was only one thing worse than taking over a decimated Ukraine......losing.....again, like they did in Afghanistan.  I believe that when this started he had no intention of wreaking the havoc that is being wreaked but in his desperation not to lose he is willing to win a pyrrhic victory regardless of the long-term cost.  Amoral megalomaniacs gotta megalomaniac amorally. 

I just heard on the news that Ukraine has launched some counterattacks in Kiev which is pretty amazing.  And Russia is having to move resources from far away to replace lost troops and equipment.  Watch the markets for the inside scoop.  Given the greater than expected resistance and Russian losses, the worldwide pressure on their economy, the punishment of the oligarchs Russia may be forced to seek a face-saving out for the mess they have created.  If the wealthy investors with access to inside information see the light at the end of the tunnel they will start to buy back into the markets.  We can only hope and pray this is so.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Here's my theory
Date:	3/16/2022 9:25:31 AM

I think you are spot on.