- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
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- Russia’s demands similar to earlier terms presented to US, say sources
- Demands include no NATO membership for Kyiv, no foreign troops in Ukraine
- Unclear if Putin will engage seriously in peace talks
- Biden administration discussed demands prior to Ukraine invasion
Are you always this gullible or only when it comes to what Putin says?
Adding to that: How long is Russia’s border with Finland, is Finland a NATO member, and are there even border guards stationed there right now. Bonus: How long would it take for Finland to advance to the one road that connects the Murmansk military complex, including plenty of strategic nuclear facilities, and cut it off from the rest of Russia.
That must have been accounted for since the situation was the same during the time of the SU. Finland was neutral, but the SU would have learned from Belgium and France.
Before Russia withdrew troops towards Ukraine the border to Finland was well-staffed. Actually capturing Murmansk is countered by Russia’s nuclear doctrine (first strike on attack of Russia’s nuclear capability), though I’m not sure taking out only Murmansk would be enough to trigger that, and of course strategic ambiguity is desirable there from Russia’s POV.
But it’s a wide-open flank even if Finland were to immediately turn south, not towards Murmansk. All of Russia’s flanks are wide open, right now, towards NATO, towards the Stans, towards China. If Russia truly feared an attack from NATO it would keep the NATO borders manned, not put those forces into Ukraine, and if it was worried about China well there’s no helping it if China wants to take a bite out of Manchuria there really isn’t anything Russia can do because going nuclear isn’t worth it. Maybe nuke Vladivostok out of spite or something but they’re not going to risk the imperial core.
Leave it to the Kremlin to be dealt an excellent deck and squander every opportunity of greatness on pointless cruelty for “surely that will make them respect us now” sake. Pathetic.
I am always this gullible.
Good argument. Is it strategically the same to defend? My impression is that the border to the Baltics is much smaller and without looking it up, could it be that historically, armies didn’t take that route for some reasons?
In any case, the additional length of the border could be the problem.
Look things up before replying?