The war in with Russia in the Ukraine comes down to basically a stalemate of attrition and who wants to win badly enough. Much as Russia found out in Afghanistan that their brutal occupational tactics still did not deter the guerilla faction who was also supplied by American provided weapons, you can’t just waltz into a country who does not want to be taken over! The inhabitants will kill you! With 75% of his forces committed to a country that he cannot seem to pound into submission, Ukrainians have dug in, are fighting tenaciously, and they are exacting heavy losses on Russian troops, many of whom did not ask to be there and felt like this was not their fight. That kind of psychology will lose a war for you, Vladimir.

A Warning to Putin

Among all of the horrific ground propaganda and vivid videos, many from cell phone footage, comes the shocking, but not at all atypical statement made by a Russian soldier prisoner of the Ukrainians, who apparently is voicing the opinion of many of his comrades who did not anticipate such vicious resistance, “We are coming after you!” He is talking about Vladimir Putin! He may well be joined by the anger of thousands of Russian soldiers who wanted no part in this bloody quagmire.

A successor?

Among the incredible array of historic facts and atrocities committed by the Russians, the US, and NATO over the previous decades there are rumors that have been leaked by spies that already the Russian military or Politburo have chosen a replacement for Putin and plan on poisoning him one way or another. Why? The Russian economy has been crushed, all ties with the West have been disrupted, and the people who had enjoyed a relatively prosperous economy are now stressed out over their bank accounts being frozen and the prospect of a needless nuclear war. They are anxious to restore things as they were. Apparently, Putin, who thought he could bully his way into the Ukraine and other Balkan and Eastern Bloc countries who don’t want any more Soviet style rule, overestimated himself and his cruel ambitions! Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Former general assesses the situation

General Petraeus has been making the rounds giving his analysis of the faltering Russian campaign and his appraisal of a clumsy and poorly trained Russian military when it comes to certain types of maneuvers, seems justified in his estimations. That a bloody and costly stalemate with Russians digging in their tanks due to heavy losses tells the gruesome story. Vladimir Putin who called for a surrender of Mariupol may have been stunned at the Ukrainian refusal to give up the city and instead getting the equivalent of the raised middle finger. Let us hope that sanity returns to mankind and that this ill-advised campaign of Putin’s comes to a grinding halt and he gets the justice he deserves! This as Kiev has become a stalemate as well with both sides dug in and taking severe casualties. The size of New York City, the Russians have ventured into a nightmarish house to house stand off.