Comments by "MarcosElMalo2" (@MarcosElMalo2) on "Ukraine's paradox about peace negotiations" video.

There are several other things that must be negotiated. The most important thing is the return of Ukrainians that Russia has kidnapped. The second is Russia handing over war criminals. It’s worth mentioning that once Russia is forcibly ejected from all of Ukraine, that Ukraine doesn’t have a lot of leverage to negotiate reparations, return of Ukrainian hostages, or turning over war criminals. The parties with leverage are those countries that have been waging the economic war against Russia. Russia wants sanctions and embargoes lifted. It will want to resume trade and normal economic relations. What is Putin willing to trade for such concessions? Will he allow extradition of field commanders and lower level generals? Many would think never, but they forget that Putin is a greedy villain. He wants his yacht back.
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Agreed. But Russia’s ability to set any terms is being reduced every single day. And the goals they have set are either unattainable or meaningless. I think it’s clear that the Ukrainian will to fight will outlast Russia’s will to fight. Once Russia is ejected from Ukrainian territory, it will have decide if it wants to continue. At that point it will have gained nothing and lost much. Will Russia want to stop bleeding? We can only hope so. I am assuming that Ukraine won’t try to march on Moscow once the Russians are pushed out of their company. Once hostilities have ceased, it won’t just be Ukraine and Russia in the negotiations. Russia will want sanctions lifted, it will want to resume trade, etc. This means that EU and NATO countries will participate in negotiating an agreement. They control something Russia wants (normal economic relations). They also control something that Ukraine wants, namely continued support. Now, if Russia would just leave, we could get to the negotiations sooner.
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@mariaf.6601 He’s going to say that the USSR retreated from the Nazis and won the war, completely ignoring that in the current war, the Russians are playing the role the Nazis and Ukraine, in defending its own soil, plays the role of the Soviets. In short, he’s delusional and ignorant. He really believes that Zelensky is a Nazi. He used to claim it anyway. When someone is that ridiculous, it’s hard to tell what they actually believe.
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👍 100%.
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I appreciate it. I want your analysis but sometimes I have an hour or more and sometimes I don’t. And no offense, but there are only two to whom I guarantee an hour: Perun and Tim Snyder’s Ukrainian history course at Yale. I promise you that if your presentations are 30 minutes or less, I will 100% watch ASAP. Longer than that, I might watch or I might keep putting it off. All that might sound like a back-handed compliment, so let me be clear: I value your thinking, your work, and your knowledge. I respect and appreciate you.
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Yes, but how do you get Russia to surrender unconditionally? I don’t think it’s possible while Russia has nuclear weapons. When Germany surrendered unconditionally, Berlin was already overrun. Japan surrendered because the two atomic bombs demonstrated that they could be annihilated. What actual leverage do you think could be applied to force Russia’s unconditional surrender. I agree that unconditional surrender by Russia is desirable, but it’s not a realistic goal.
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In your hypothetical, your neighbor is disputing your right to live and your ability to protect yourself. If a mugger tries to rob you, he is disputing your ownership of whatever money or valuables he wants to take with you. The mugger is disputing your ability to protect yourself and your valuables. In both of these cases, the dispute has two components. The aggressors are disputing your rights (right to live or right of ownership), and they are disputing your ability to protect your rights. Now it might be that your neighbor is just insane and kills you due to some hallucination or delusion or for the thrill of it. That might not be a dispute.
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Control of the U.S. House of Representatives changed hands. The GOP now controls one of the two legislative chambers. And unfortunately, the GOP is riddled with lily-livered peaceniks, isolationists, and Putin-lovers. Currently there is a struggle between these delusional Republicans and the traditional conservative Republicans. Which is to say, those parts of “the West” that are soft on Russia is as much in the U.S. as any country in Europe. The constituents of these weaklings are the delusional people that have been eating up Russian propaganda for 6 or 7 years.
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