Comments by "Dale Crocker" (@dalecrocker3213) on "Ukrainian soldiers: Russia can’t win even without US support" video.

In many ways, Russia has already won.
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@masterbeethoven8209 Putin's plan all along has been to annexe Eastern Ukraine and retain Crimea. This he has done and the "idea" now is to rebuild these areas and to prevent them falling to the West. In this sense he has won and it is difficult to imagine any scenario which might viably alter this state of affairs. The tragedy is that this situation is broadly similar to that proposed by Russia in 2016. Half a million people have died to little purpose and Ukraine is ruined. Other Western countries are not far behind.
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@steveprocter6241 1)Illegal in whose book? America's? Crimea has a roughly 70% ethnic Russian population and was only stuck onto the Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine in 1954 as a matter of administrative convenience. Russia has now conquered more than three-quarters of Donbass and is already spending billions on redeveloping it. The rest seems very likely to fall within a few months. 2) Russia can afford it. It is a very old-fashioned country which, unlike the West, doesn't much bother about losses as long as they are inexperienced troops and ancient armour and artillery.. The cream is held back for the real action which is happening now. 3)Russian citizens do not appear to be suffering to any great extent, whatever Western economists say. I subscribe to several blog channels from both Russians and Westerners living there which clearly show lifestyles at least as good as enjoyed by us in the West. Try Anna from Russia's YouTube channel, to name but one. A significant long-term gain will probably be the emergence of the BRICS group as a viable alternative to American hegemony.
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Why? It is now in possession of the majority of Ukraine's mineral resources and seems unlikely to be forced to give them up. This is all Putin ever wanted. @boink800
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As far as I can see it has achieved all of its objectives - namely continued possession of the mineral-rich and largely Russian areas of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea - plus the destruction of the Ukrainian army which now needs vast amounts of foreign capital and troops from other countries to keep going. @Defiant1940
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@thany3 He holds mineral-rich Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, which was the whole object of the exercise. And the Ukrainian army is in tatters. That's two for starters.
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@masterbeethoven8209 Easrerb Ukraine and Crimea - which is all Putin ever wanted.
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@masterbeethoven8209 Depends what you mean by winning. The occupied territories are now majority Russian in many cases and this once wealthy area is being rebuilt after almost ten years of war. Ukraine is running out of options. A lengthy stalemate is probably the best they can hope for.
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@steveprocter6241 1) Retaining Crimea and much of Donbass. 2)Severely depleting the Ukrainian army. 3) Overcoming sanctions and now forcing the West to reduce arms supplies to Ukraine.
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You're way off beam. Behind the front line Russia is spending billions on regenerating the areas it holds. And much expert opinion suggests that its armed forces are in far, far better shape than Ukraine's. Ukraine's current failures suggest this to be true. @thany3
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