Listening to Zeihan is a bit of a guilty pleasure. The guys talks about very serious topics with the affection and language of a contender in a reality dating show. I get how casually listening to him, you may get the impression of a balanced thoughtful opinion, but Zeihan is anything but that.

Obligatory “username checks out”! You’re welcome.

So you really think this was only brought on by Ukraine and the west, Russia did not have any choice but to attack? Give me a fucking break.

No one in the west was looking for a confrontation with Russia. I don’t want to rehash the entire story, it is well known outside your imaginary world: it was Putin’s choice to attack and Russian complacency that made it real and lasting.

Yes, the US are critical for pushing back on the Russians, but the Europeans slowly got their act together. You can’t imagine what a shock this has been for Europeans (Germans in particular), so their reluctance to act is understandable yet regrettable. So no, I don’t think we’ll lose interest, but also I don’t know how things will turn out. I just know what needs to be done now.

BTW, I’m sorry but I cannot keep from being quite disgusted with people like you, who try to excuse and explain Russia’s behaviour as having been pressured on the West. After the countless war crimes, Bucha, Irpin, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and all their nameless victims, it just makes me sick to hear how people try to rationalise Russian crimes.

Jeez you’re a gleeful fellow. Assuming you are right and the Ukrainians are actually failing in their counteroffensive, what the hell are they supposed to do? Throw their hands up and go, okay ruskis, I guess we can’t throw you out of the country, how about we give up some more territory and call it peace? If they fail and they are up for resisting and going another round, we should give them everything we can spare. Even ignoring the moral aspect, we can’t let Russia gain anything from this war.

May I ask, why you think Ukraine should return to the 2014 border and not to the 1991 border? I’m not taking about the feasibility of reaching this, rather if this were possible, why shouldn’t Ukraine return to its internationally recognized border?