What should we be doing to help Ukraine?

”...should we send troops over in Ukraine and fight or what?”

Fuck no. We don’t need to have the ICBMs start flying. There are millions of Ukrainians who have more than demonstrated their willingness to fight for their country. Getting them the arms and resources they need, while crippling Russia’s ability to build/finance/sustain their war machine and creating domestic discontent seems about as far as Putin can be pushed without provoking the end of the world.

I heard Putin was several days behind his plan because of the Ukrainian army.

@gorillapaws crippling Russia’s ability to build/finance/sustain their war machine and creating domestic discontent

Does this work? Because I heard that Russia is working on a workaround with China. I’m afraid sanctions won’t work because of that.

I would give them fast track to join NATO or do the opposite in exchange for calling off Russian aggression.

The first diplomat who suggested that the Ukraine to join NATO should be fired, because it started the war.

Things where fine before that.

I thought that after 1986 that this cold war shit would be over.

I bet that NORAD will ask for a ballistic missile defense system would be installed in the artic again. Which will piss off the Russians even more.

@Mimishu1995 The Ruble is crashing today. Even if they are able to keep their economy on life support via China, it’s still going to be brutal. This makes it much harder to replace all of that equipment being blown up by brave Ukrainian men and women. Remember too that Putin can’t commit 100% of his forces because he’s still going to need the lion’s share for defending Russia’s massive borders, not to mention resources to quell any potential rebellions or domestic unrest.

Send them arms.
Send them food and money.
Care for their refugees.

As an individual, you can donate to humanitarian organizations that are aiding Ukrainians.

Sending them materials to fight with is enough since they are not a NATO country.

Putin is playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded pistol. He has backed himself in to a corner and has placed himself in a all or nothing situation. He will die trying, one way or another. He has no choice.

@filmfann I agree that we need to care for the refugees and send them food, money, and arms to protect and help them. I do plan to send refugees a care pack.

It’s too late. What we SHOULD have done is LISTENED when Russia drew the line on the advancement of NATO East to Ukraine and Georgia. They told us that they would not tolerate it and left it up to us to believe them or not. They are counting on the fact that we won’t destroy the world over Ukraine, and my guess is that most of us here hope they are right.

@HP We didn’t add Ukraine to NATO… This has nothing to do with NATO and everything to do with Putin’s wet dream of making Russia great again.

@HP I have to say that you are coming across in all your posts as an apologist for Putin. And no – I won’t argue the point back and forth with you.

Imagine for a moment that I am not Putin’s apologist. Think about this. Should we encourage Ukraine and Georgia to join the EU and NATO if Putin states openly that he will not tolerate it? What I am asking is weren’t these consequences fully obvious and foreseeable? Do you recall that the Russians took US seriously about Cuba in 58?

@HP Again, Ukraine wasn’t added to NATO. It’s a cover story pretext for Russian Imperialism. Do you really think playing along with Russian appeasement will EVER end? What if he wants Poland back? East Germany?

Listen. Russia is presently a joke in comparison with the United States. It’s a bad joke capable of destroying the world. The place is so down on its heels that unlike us, it can no longer project its power and must maintain dictatorial grip on what’s left. Putin is no fool. This adventure in Ukraine is an expense that Russia can in no way afford and might well end up with the disintegration of Russia into chaos, a scenario that terrifies me more than I can emphasize. Putin has no dreams of restoring the Soviet Union. The republics all drool just as the Russians do for the luxuries and good living in the West and Putin not only knows it, but is hiding his loot here like everyone else in Russia who can get away with it. The point is that Russia may be wheezing, but it still possesses the muscle to suppress the Westernization of the 2 key former Republics essential to Russia’s integrity—Georgia and Ukraine. He let the others do their thing and sure enough, NATO moved East. He told us he would not permit these 2 countries to join the procession and we would have done well to ask ourselves how to avoid him making good on his threat to overrun Ukraine. Was there nothing we might have done short of initiating the end of the world? Should we be in the business world wide of promising people liberty and democracy when there isn’t a chance in hell they will ever see it?

@HP I know this is in social, but you have hijacked this thread that was a question about how to help The Ukraine into a rant of your choosing.
I’m going to flag all of your answers on this question.

@HP “Putin has no dreams of restoring the Soviet Union.”

You must have missed his speech.

@chyna Flag them. I could care less. And hijacked is neither accurate nor sensible. Here’s how we help Ukraine and everyone the world over. Stop promising them things we lack the means and ability to deliver. THEY don’t realize that we cannot fulfill their dreams. By now, WE should recognize the truth of it.

@gorillappaws thank you for assuring me the effort isn’t in vain. It would be devastating if Putin could get out of this scott free.

@Mimishu1995 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but ultimately I’m just a schmuck on the internet with an opinion. I not an expert in geopolitics, Russian history, psychology of despotic leaders, or military strategy and tactics. I’ve been wrong in the past and I could be wrong about this. Certainly many people much smarter than myself have been wrong about Putin recently.

That said, I do think Putin has put himself in a very tough spot. This likely won’t end well for him.

Yup @gorillapaws most people and all the Russian Mafia can’t cash from their banks !

So the Russian people are inconvenienced, as the Ukranian people (those who survive) abandon their homes and flee West to beg for asylum.

Someone needs to get into the fight and take charge to put an end to it.

@Sam4One “Someone needs to get into the fight and take charge to put an end to it.”

Winner: None

@HP It’s a hell-of-a-lot more severe than being “inconvenienced.” Russia’s economy is fucked… royally. Imagine waking up to half you wealth being gone, and the wealth you did have was in a currency that’s garbage and the interest rates are 20% which means you and your wife just lost your jobs and nobody is hiring…

It’s gone, and Russians will suffer. Answer me this: what’s new about Russians suffering ?

@HP The internet and being exposed to the broader world both come to mind.

So the question is suffering enough to revolt? That’s a lot to hope for in an autocratic state where rule ALWAYS hangs on suppression and intimidation. Besides the Russians are (if nothing else) patriots to an extent our gun toting flag wavers could never believe. When Putin tells them the world is against them, where’s the evidence refuting that?

. . . and your point is when you live in Russia Putin is GOD !

Where in Russia do you live ?

Believe me, were I living there, I would not risk any opinion HERE. Unlike the Russians, I am not inured to suffering. I devoutly believe that the road to its avoidance is in recognizing those inflicting it and their motives. Crazy or not, is rarely the point. What do they want? Those who suffer are the ones in the way.

Russia is a communist country that are trying to take over the world. Why would anyone want to live there?

Good question. Too bad you have no choice as to where you are born.