Do you think Zelenskyy will still want to have closer ties to the EU and NATO...

[Silent3]

...if he and his country just barely survive this war, but with tens of thousands of deaths, maybe even hundreds of thousands, and Ukrainian cities turned to rubble?

Will he feel betrayed, or will he understand that we're holding back on a more direct defense of Ukraine because we have no other reasonable choice? Does Zelenskyy understand that we can't risk a broader and too likely nuclear war?

It's heartbreaking not to be able to help Ukraine more directly. Emotionally, I want the Russian invaders crushed, and for Putin to only live long enough to understand how much he fucked up before he dies.

The hard, cold reality of what can be done to help Ukraine without risking much, much worse for Ukraine and the rest of the world sucks.

Lindsay Graham was an ass for saying out loud what he did about hoping for Putin's assassination. As a representative of the US government, that was reckless and stupid.

As a private citizen, however, I feel exactly the same way. It's the only thing I can think of that will stop the carnage and destruction quickly.

[elleng]

1. He'll understand, tho with difficulty.

[at140]

2. Putin is well protected

I heard he has dozens of food tasters before he eats the food.

[Brainfodder]

3. He already is aware, something about trying to get into NATO immediately just recently?

[Silent3]

4. I'm pretty sure that suddenly declaring Ukraine an immediate member of NATO...

...and then jumping into direct assault on Russian troops by NATO forces would run exactly the same risks as direct assault on Russian troops without Ukraine being in NATO.

[Brainfodder]

5. Sounds about right and was turned down?

[Sogo]

17. I believe it was that he requested immediate membership in the EU,

not NATO.

[RockRaven]

6. I think it is overly optimistic to assume Zelenskyy will be thinking or deciding anything when

this is over, whatever "over" means. He's going to be killed unless someone kills Putin first. And even then, maybe still.

Putin will spare nothing to get him. He cannot afford to be defied thusly.

[JanMichael]

8. Sadly I think you are probably right. If he stays during the eventual assault...

...the likelihood of him making it out in one piece is low.

[Sur Zobra]

7. We are a shit country for hanging Ukraine

out to dry. Like a poster said above, Zelenskyy will be dead and Ukraine will be a pile of rubble, but we will be the ones who will feel disillusioned with our own government. This is not a proud moment for us. We are the cowards who wouldn’t put everything on the line to stop a modern day Hitler

[Silent3]

9. You think we should be risking nuclear war?

Ukraine would be struck by nukes first, and it would be far worse for Ukraine that it is even now.

It's not cowardice to choose the least terrible of two terrible options.

[Sur Zobra]

10. What happens when Putin invades the next non

NATO country in Europe? Is that when we fight back? If not then, what about the one after that? We need to stop Putin now; we can’t let hundreds of thousands of people die until we do something

[Silent3]

13. Actually, yes, we even have to let that happen, if the alternative is millions of deaths

I understand that this is painful to accept, that the need feel we're doing something to stop this madness and cruelty is strong, but direct intervention in Ukraine will make things worse, even worse than letting Putin keep going like this.

At least take some consolation the Putin can't do what he's doing in Ukraine now to some other country anytime soon. This war in Ukraine has already been far more costly than Putin apparently understood it would be. He won't be able to hold Ukraine without keeping a hugely expensive and draining occupying force there, and the economic shambles he's putting Russia into will cripple his ability to replenish his forces.

[Texaswitchy]

11. This is called being between a rock and a hard place.

I understand both views.

But I think we are already in WW3.

The beginning.

Putin is lost in the past and nobody will stop him.

He will go after some NATO country over there.

One of the small ones.

Daring NATO to do something.

He will call up some more cannon fodder and whatever equipment he has left.

He is sick old man with nothing to loose.

I do not envy President Biden on this.

[Silent3]

15. I don't think Putin will have the military or economic strength...

..to go after another country, even a small one, anytime soon.

Ukraine might have seemed a temptingly easy target to Putin before, but he has turned out to be very wrong. Putin has shown the world that his military (although still fearsome and terribly destructive) is weaker than we'd all imagined, and it will be more over-stretched by any effort to hold onto Ukraine by occupying it.

[Texaswitchy]

19. I hope so.

The problem with Putin is his mind .


My Mother lost her mind with Parkinson's.

I spent 9 months dealing with her until we had to put her in a home.

The medication worked for a while and then stopped.

I wouldn't wish those 9 months on anybody.

Everybody is afraid of Putin.

Look up Parkinson's and dementia.

[Quixote1818]

12. Nuclear war has to be at the back of his mind as well. I would assume he gets it. nt

[Texaswitchy]

14. Maybe.

If Putin has Parkinson's like my Mother he might not.

My Mother was on another planet.

[Silent3]

20. I think the poster you just responded to was saying Zelenskyy also has nuclear war...

...on his mind as something that could go wrong, and wasn't talking about Putin (who has become unfathomable now).

[Texaswitchy]

22. This whole thing has me upset.

You can look at Putin and see he is not there ànymore.

He has that blank look.

I fear for Ukraine and the area around it.

[AntiFascist]

16. The sad truth is...

the more buildings and infrastructure that Putin is allowed to destroy, the more expensive it will be for EU/NATO to help rebuild. If Russia is allowed to occupy the nation, then it becomes Putin's problem. Ultimately, Europe will need to decide how to deal with this, and quickly.

[herding cats]

18. Zelenskyy had put a slow roll on relations with both to try to avoid this situation

He, or the next leader of free Ukraine, will not be worried about such diplomatic discretion in the future. Russia made sure of that.

[Gore1FL]

21. The west is bending over backwards to supply him.

I suspect there is a lot more going on covertly.

He wants EU membership because EU membership will help Ukraine. I don't know what Ukraine's future is concerning NATO. I didn't pre-war, either.

[Texaswitchy]

23. I think their maybe Special Forces in Ukraine.

In the news they said we had advisors over there before the attack.

[PortTack]

25. I have seen posts on other sites saying the same. Eluded to the weapons Ukraines have

That they take training and skill to operate

[Kablooie]

24. When will DARPA have the mosquito drone...

That can fly into a palace and inject poison into someone?

The insect drone is in the works but it only has a camera.

[Deminpenn]

26. Ukraine applied for and was accepted to membership

in the EU just this past week.