That one headline (if it is somehow brought to most Russians' attention) will be quite harmful to the regime. Whenever Russians think of how crappy their country is, there are always two rejoinders: "but ballet" and "but cosmos (space)".
Hey Tree.... "Lost puppy" checkin' in here.... Hey so Biden called Putin a war criminal today?! Ya know, that's a pretty big deal. The generals can do it, various cabinet members can do it... but from the mouth of the U.S. President... yikes. This is no way to instrument a peace plan. It's like "lets paint him in a corner... and then lets REALLY f with him." I mean even if Biden thinks that, which is totally 100% understandable and true... but he f'd up huge by saying it for all the world to hear. From his lips. ....He just committed America to a path. If you didn't realize it before, can any of you not see it now?! >>>>We have just crossed the proverbial Rubicon. Our President just committed us to a future action against the leader of a nuclear armed super-power. >>>For all the world to hear. Words matter. Isn't that what we heard for four years? Whatever. He could have let a dozen other people say that... now Putin has even less to lose. Stupid, stupid, move. ALWAYS hold your cards close to your chest. Wtf!?
After Vietnam war, it was left as a wrecked wasteland. Same with Afghanistan. Russia next, then China.
He is a war criminal. People give the kneejerk answer that it is almost impossible to apprehend him and prosecute him anywhere. And that may be true. But to designate him and his regime as such provides a basis and a rationale for maintaining sanctions against him and Russia even after the fighting ends. Some sanctions probably should be lifted if they are hurting the west more than Russia - on a case by case basis. But Russia should still be designated as shit-hole genocidal country with a war criminal regime to keep their economy in the shiiter. And in regard to that pushing him closer to China, sorry. Just do it. And come back when you have gotten rid of Putin. The notion that that fucker can exterminate, dislocate people, and terrorize the world and then just get back to square one by going home with his consolation prizes and then get sanctions lifted is bullshit. That's a no-go zone in my mind. If the Russian people get hurt I am not unsympathetic to that but Putin just dislocated an entire country. Let them load up their shopping bags and walk a couple hundred miles to another country with their elderly parents and small children in tow. Long term, believe it or not. I want the best for the Ruskies. Just come back when Putin is gone or act forcefully that you are working for him to be gone. Putin always gonna be the victim, always, always, always. There are a couple Russia experts on this forum thread which is good and I yield to many of their views. However, you do not need to know much to know that becoming a fucking colony vassal state of China is not going to restore the glory of Russia for those who are on that trip. Putin is not Peter the Great. He is either Ivan the Terrible or just the village idiot. And China sure as hell has ZERO interest in restoring Russia's glory or all these obtuse discussions that Putin lives for- about Kieve in Ukraine being 700 years older than Moscow and the ancestral home of the ancient Rus. Yeh. Will not be a big concern in Bejing's Russia Colony. Extremely rough period we are going to have cross over with the Russians. But long term, surprising possibilities as Vlad fades and the younger Russians get real about how the EU loves all this multicultural stuff so they are a better bet for preserving Russian identity than getting swallowed up by all that Chinese shiite. The Russian people/younger ones especially owe a great debt of gratitude to Ukraine or will. Because it is the slaughter in Ukraine and upon their corpses that the Putin bullshiite will have formed a top. Not saying that fucker will go any time soon. But people will know that he and all that restoration of the former glory bullshiite is revealed as scam where the entire country is locked into a drama to fill in holes in Putin's psyche. Right now. As ugly as it is. Millions of people in Russia and Ukraine are channeling Rodney King: "Can't we all just get along." The answer is, we most definitely can. We have to war with the Brits three times, if you count the Aroostook War. And we are great friends with them. Ditto for Germany, ugly wars. Now great friends. Ditto for Japan. Had to get rid of the tyrants in all of those countries first though. Lookin at you Putin.
I 1000% totally agree... but you missed my point. Millions of Russians and 100's of millions of others don't matter when one man has the ultimate power and the most powerful man in the world just basically said, for lack of a better analogy, "You're going to the gallows Vlad". Like I said, always hold your cards close to your chest. There was no need for Biden to say that today. It was a HUGE blunder. This is a game of chess. Let things chill a bit, let diplomacy work, and then, when Putin thinks he's got out with skin in tact, that's when you nail the f'r and send him to the gallows via the Hague. You don't give him a fucking warning when he still has the upper hand!!!! Yes, he knows the world knows he's a war criminal... but there's a difference when the U.S. president says it. That's when it becomes THE path going forward. And one the world holds us to. How stupid can ya get?! Way ta go Joe. Now what do we think Putin will do now? Hmmm? ...Turn himself in? Right.
No. I got your point - but because I have seen so many people do the kneejerk response that "you can never apprehend or prosecute him" I offered up my reasons why he should still be labeled for what he is even if their argument has merit- which it does to some extent. People seeing Putin for what he is- worldwide- in the civilized nations- and within Russia is Very important in the course of history. The fact that he not going anywhere soon is noted but taking the luster off of him and designating Russia as a pariah nation are very important in the long term scheme of things and also, just to repeat, provide a basis for punishing their economy beyond the settlement of the current conflict. Putin is in a bad spot. He can threaten us and the world all he wants with his efforts to cozy up to China but he knows he is the junior partner in that relationship and everything is fine until they want somethinghe does not want. The he is going to think "shit, Biden and Trump were easier to deal with." In other words he may have stumbled but I can use it.
If going down that track we lose again because Putin never keeps his word. For too long the West has shown Putin respect and the West keep being fooled. Forget diplomacy, thumbscrew is all Putin recognises and thats all he should get.