Guitargeorge wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:20 pm
I’ve just finished reading a piece on the Cuban Missile Crisis and didn’t know that, in an instruction to his commanders in Cuba, Kruschev actually issued a directive to “defend the island by whatever means”, basically giving them leave to use the missiles stationed there against the US. When he realised how his instruction could be interpreted, he immediately backed down and the world, on the brink of nuclear war, breathed again. Seems Kruschev, despite his hard exterior, was a human being after all. I wonder if Putin will ever show that trait?
He doesn't want to die so yeah, he won't do anything more than threaten and everyone knows that is all it is
Thats why NATO are now supply ammo and artillery that *could* hit deep into Russia, and authorising more and more arms, money and equipment
Worth remembering for all the talk about Russian military success in Luthansk Oblast, since the war started we have seen the following
- Finland and Sweden are joining NATO
- Russia hasn't achieved its aims at all, and to get what can best be described as their "secondary objectives" they have gutted their army
- The sanctions are hitting the Russians that matter (ie the wealthy ones) and the industries that matter
- Russia huge oil and gas reserves are getting phased out of Western Europe, and the cost to Russia for that (medium and long term) are in the trillions
In short, this remains a complete Russian strategic disaster, and all the good work that Putin has done in stabilising Russia and its role on the world stage has been severely compromised (course, he's got away with a lot of terrible stuff in that time, but the aim of the West was to bring them into the fold using the economy, and that would have worked if Putin hadn't completely misread the room and invaded)