https://archive.li/Z0m5m

The Russian commander of the “Vostok” Battalion fighting in southern Ukraine said on Thursday that Ukraine will not be defeated and suggested that Russia freeze the war along current frontlines.

Alexander Khodakovsky made the candid concession yesterday on his Telegram channel after Russian forces, including his own troops, were devastatingly defeated by Ukrainian marines earlier this week at Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk regional border area.

“Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no,” Khodakovsky, a former official of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said yesterday.

“When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the [Ukrainians], turning everything into [destroyed] Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities,” he said.

  • barsoap@lemm.ee
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    3 years ago

    because not only have there been many off ramps for Ukraine to end this conflict

    How many of those involve not giving in to the aggressor?

    Is this one of these “pacifism is when I kick you and you don’t defend yourself” bits?

    • 420blazeit69 [he/him]@hexbear.netBanned
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      3 years ago

      Ukraine has lost. They are not getting their separatist regions back.

      Their choices are to keep fighting, which will not change this outcome, or negotiate an end to the war so they can stop dying and start rebuilding. Their negotiating position will only weaken as the war continues absent some one-in-a-million stroke of luck.

      This isn’t “I kick you and you don’t defend yourself.” It’s “I kick you, you defend yourself, lose, and choose to either walk away or keep getting beaten up.” And that’s not even digging into the actual causes of the war, which are nowhere near as clear cut as Russia one day waking up and deciding to attack out of the blue.

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
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        3 years ago

        Ukraine has lost. They are not getting their separatist regions back.

        [citation needed].

        In any case Ukrainians disagree with you and keep on fighting. Heck even if Russia occupied all of Ukraine they’d keep on fighting. It’s not in your hands whether they fight or not, and their motive is just, so why not help them? Because you’re a defeatist? Come on.

        • ShimmeringKoi [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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          3 years ago

          In any case Ukrainians disagree with you and keep on fighting

          Yeah, that’s why they’ve been kidnapping people to the front lines, because the Ukranian people want to fight so much. That’s why they conscripted prison inmates and forbid any man undder 60 from leaving when the war broke out, right. Because of all that popular will to fight.

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            3 years ago

            There’s been plenty of court cases and firings over improperly handled conscriptions. Prison inmates IIRC weren’t conscripted but given a choice. Plenty of Ukrainians – also men – returned from other European countries to fight, left countries where they had a free welfare ride and working permits. Plenty of women fight in the army. It surely must be terrible over there /s.

            Meanwhile Russia is force-conscripting pretty much any man they can get their hands on and sending them, without equipment, into meat grinders. Have a look at Storm Z units.

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            3 years ago

            You know what would be even more senseless than dying in a trench? Dying in an FSB torture cellar while your family gets raped.

        • Ukraine has lost. They are not getting their separatist regions back.

          [citation needed].

          Points at the utter failure of the joke of a counteroffensive to even breach Russia’s first line of defense after months of hype about retaking Crimea

          In any case Ukrainians disagree with you and keep on fighting.

          You mean the ones forced to fight because they were kidnapped off the street and will be shot if they try to leave? Or the fascists that are in charge?

          Heck even if Russia occupied all of Ukraine they’d keep on fighting.

          Part of the reason why Russia does not want to occupy all of Ukraine.

          It’s not in your hands whether they fight or not,

          Nor yours, but it is in the hands of NATO leadership who have stymied peace negotiations at every opportunity.

          and their motive is just

          [citation needed]

          so why not help them?

          Why would we want to help people get forced into a meat grinder?

              • 420blazeit69 [he/him]@hexbear.netBanned
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                3 years ago

                I don’t know, we really have to look at defederating from some of these hostile communities. That rude user just told me to kill myself, whereas my polite Hexbear comrades would only send me an emoji of pig shit if we had a serious disagreemt.

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
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        3 years ago

        It does: It dissuades the aggressor.

        Germanic tribes, and this continues over to Ukraine culturally (because Rus), had the battle cry “better dead than slave”. A village would fight down to the last woman, elderly, and child. Because even if the aggressor overcame them they’d be left with nothing but their own losses. Thus, they wouldn’t even try.

        If Russia is allowed to get away with this, Taiwan will be next. A gazillion of small-scale empires in unstable regions all around the world will say “well, seeing that noone cares our time to get away with it”.

        Millions if not billions of people more will be dead.

        • brain_in_a_box [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          3 years ago

          If Russia is allowed to get away with this, Taiwan will be next. A gazillion of small-scale empires in unstable regions all around the world will say “well, seeing that noone cares our time to get away with it”. Millions if not billions of people more will be dead.

          Holy shit mate, stop watching Marvel movies and get some perspective; this isn’t the first time one nation has invaded another. The world didn’t end when America invaded Iraq.

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            3 years ago

            The Iraq war was wrong for a multitude of reasons, and many countries (including mine) wanted to do nothing to do with it, but one thing sets it apart very clearly from the current situation:

            Iraq wasn’t a war of conquest. Russia’s war against Ukraine is. The US hasn’t waged a war of conquest IIRC since Hawaii, it’s always been foreign meddling instead but never out-right imposition of rule and they’ve gotten less and less bad at how they’re doing it over time. I mean compare the Iraqi or Afghani government during occupation with the likes of Batista.

            Then, and this (as well as that Marvel reference I couldn’t give less of a fuck) makes me think you’re American: It’s the first war by a major power in Europe since WWII. We thought we had that shit behind us, that Yugoslavia was a regrettable exceptions caused by small-minded autocrats exploiting ethnic tensions for their own benefit. But, nope, actual full-scale war has come back to Europe because unlike the rest of Europe Russia hasn’t gotten the memo that imperialism is soooo 18hundreds. As a yank you wouldn’t understand.

            • Ram_The_Manparts [he/him]@hexbear.net
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              3 years ago

              Ah yes, the US murdering millions of people in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq and so on was just “foreign meddling”.

              You are fucking disgusting.

            • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.net
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              3 years ago

              Iraq wasn’t a war of conquest.

              Please, for god’s sake log off before you strain something.

              less and less bad at how they’re doing it over time.

              This is actually disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself. The Americans murdered a million Iraqis, and in the last few years at least 400,000 Yemenis, plus god knows who else and in what numbers.

            • MoreAmphibians [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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              3 years ago

              It’s the first war by a major power in Europe since WWII.

              Are you a child, an american, or did you only start paying attention to history in February 2022?

              1. The Troubles (UK vs occupied Ireland)
              2. Cyprus War of Independence(UK vs occupied Cyprus)
              3. Bombing of Yugoslavia (Nato vs Yugoslavia)
              4. Russo-Georgian War (Russia vs Georgia)
              • barsoap@lemm.ee
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                3 years ago

                The troubles were not an inter-state conflict.

                Cyprus is a vastly complicated situation as Turkish Cypriots were in favour of British rule and Greek Cypriots wanted unification with Greece while it was a dictatorship.

                I mentioned Yugoslavia. Do you read comments before replying.

                Georgia is basically the same shit as Ukraine just in a bit less worse. While we’re at it we can also mention Transnistria: Again, Russia. As said, it’s Russia which didn’t get the memo.

                • MoreAmphibians [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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                  3 years ago

                  The troubles were not an inter-state conflict.

                  Only because the Irish didn’t manage to win.

                  Cyprus is a vastly complicated situation as Turkish Cypriots were in favour of British rule and Greek Cypriots wanted unification with Greece while it was a dictatorship.

                  Now this definitely was an inter-state conflict, because Cyprus managed to break free from the British empire. And if we excluded complicated situation then we would have to exclude all wars, including the Ukraine war.

                  I mentioned Yugoslavia. Do you read comments before replying.

                  You mentioned it and then said it didn’t count because of reasons. I’m saying it does count because it was a war and it was in Europe. Although under your criteria this should also be excluded because it wasn’t an inter-state conflict. One of the ways that NATO justified its bombing was by saying it wasn’t a state but a supranational organization and thus wasn’t beholden to the UN charter.

                  Georgia is basically the same shit as Ukraine just in a bit less worse

                  It was another situation where a western-backed revanchist government attacks a separatist area and then Russia moves in to stop the shelling.

                  Transnistria

                  “The first fatalities in the emerging conflict took place on 2 November 1990, two months after the PMR’s 2 September 1990 declaration of independence. Moldovan forces entered Dubăsari in order to separate Transnistria into two halves, but were stopped by the city’s inhabitants, who had blocked the bridge over the Dniester, at Lunga. In an attempt to break through the roadblock, Moldovan forces then opened fire.[47] In the course of the confrontation, three Dubăsari locals, Oleg Geletiuk, Vladimir Gotkas and Valerie Mitsuls, were killed by the Moldovan forces and sixteen people wounded.[30]”

                  According to a Human Rights Center “Memorial” report, local Bender eyewitnesses on 19 June 1992 saw Moldovan troops in armored vehicles deliberately firing at houses, courtyards and cars with heavy machine guns.[39] The next day, Moldovan troops allegedly shot at civilians that were hiding in houses, trying to escape the city, or helping wounded PMR guardsmen. Other local eyewitnesses testified that in the same day, unarmed men that gathered in the Bender downtown square in request of the PMR Executive Committee, were fired at from machine guns.[39] HRC observers were told by doctors in Bender that as a result of heavy fire from Moldovan positions between 19 and 20 June, they were unable to attend the wounded.[39] -Wikipedia

                  Hmm

                  The economic situation in Moldova was not bright. The Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova was having, along with the Unity-Edinstvo formation – belonging to the people with nostalgia for the former Soviet Union, a comfortable majority; yet, deep concepts and programmes on reforms and the country’s development were absent.

                  Nevertheless, the western countries were helping Moldova make progress on the way of liberalization of the political and economic spheres. In particular, a substantial assistance was coming on behalf of the USA. The Americans repeatedly declared their unconditional support for Moldova’s territorial integrity, acting to this end in diverse international institutions. And the economic agenda of the Moldovan-American relations was rich at that time. In 1993, 35 Moldovan-U.S. enterprises were working and the trade between the two countries was in a continuous growth. In 1992, this commerce stood at 11.5 million dollars, in 1993 - 15.1 million dollars and in 1994 – 22.4 million dollars. Moldova was benefitting from full support in the relations with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. -https://news.gov.md/en/news/2021/01/01/21000333

                  Hmm. It’s weird how in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine a western-backed revanchist government started attacking civilians in a separatist region all of a sudden. And how all three countries had “market liberalizations” against the will of their people. I guess it’s just one of those coincidences that seem to happen whenever the US has an interest in a place.

        • Ram_The_Manparts [he/him]@hexbear.net
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          3 years ago

          Germanic tribes, and this continues over to Ukraine culturally (because Rus), had the battle cry “better dead than slave”. A village would fight down to the last woman, elderly, and child.

          So when are you going to Ukraine to sign up for the frontline?

          You’re definitely gonna do that right?

          • barsoap@lemm.ee
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            3 years ago

            I’ll have to inform you that I’m a conscious objector (spent my time in catastrophe relief) and by now too old.

            But yes there’s plenty of German reservists in Ukraine. Also what does that have to do with anything I said, I was glossing Ukrainian sentiment. Did you merely wanted to be right on the internet (in your own mind).

              • barsoap@lemm.ee
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                3 years ago

                Dude I’m two countries away. If Russia gets through Poland and half of Germany, sure, I’ll be in the trenches. Probably wouldn’t do much good but if I can’t be of more use somewhere else, that’s where I’ll be.

                • trompete [he/him]@hexbear.net
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                  3 years ago

                  Well that’s better! Someone so interested in tales of Germanic valor should be ready for another Volkssturm. What I don’t get is why you wouldn’t sacrifice yourself in Ukraine, what with the blood relation and all. Maybe Ukrainians aren’t quite as Germanic in your mind after all?

        • Sinonatrix [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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          3 years ago

          I’m sorry but this is definitely shit you only say when you’re very far from the action. Would you want your grandpa drafted and sent into a minefield to “dissuade the aggressor”? Grandma and the children too apparently, better dead than governed by another neighboring authoritarian shithole?

          I think I’d rather just flee with my family to a country right next door that has a nuclear deterrent and NATO membership. Literally why would “they need to all fight to the death instead” be your first thought? I can’t imagine it coming from a position where you think Ukrainians are as human as you are.

    • ShimmeringKoi [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      3 years ago

      If the Kiev coup regime was concerned about aggression, they could have simply not done eight years of ethnic cleansing in the Donbas and ignored a ceasefire🤷‍♂️

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
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        3 years ago

        Ah, the old myth about the poor disenfranchised Russian minority. Who, pray tell, might have an interest in propagating such narratives? A neighbouring belligerent empire, perhaps?

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
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        3 years ago

        Minsk I a treaty they’ve signed that was about greater autonomy for the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts like them being allowed to speak russian a treaty that was very quickly broken.

        Minsk II a treaty that did the same thing which again was broken.

        …broken by the separatists. Also Russian was never outlawed.

        Ukraines position was a restoration of the 2014 borders aka they want Crimea back which sorry is just not reasonable,

        It’s unreasonable to not give in to a conqueror? It’s that “Pacifism is when I kick you and you don’t defend yourself” thing, again.

        I DON’T CARE ABOUT SOME IMAGINARY LINES.

        You may not. The people living in those areas (fled or not) do, though. They do care whether there’s rule of law, whether they have a say in how things are run, whether there’s a criminal installed at the top of things by the occupying force. After Ukraine got its independence many Tatars returned to Crimea that should tell you something.

        Ukrainians, no matter the ethnicity, don’t want to be ruled by Moscow. It’s as simple as that. Before the war, some still had hopes that good relations with Moscow are possible, but not any more. Do you want to be ruled by Moscow? See neighbours disappear in torture cellars?

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.net
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      3 years ago

      How many of those involve not giving in to the aggressor?

      How can it be hammered in to your skull that this is not a story book where good guys win by virtue of their righteousness?

      This is geopolitics. An empire wants to conquer an outlying resource rich region it has not been able to bring under it’s control. It has provoked a small outlying nation to act as a proxy to weaken it’s enemy. Ukraine isn’t making decisions. They’re just ammunition in someone else’s war and the best thing for them would be to mutiny against Kiev and end the slaughter. Status quo antebellum is not on the menu.