Feel cringed out by Russia's military debacle

[Vrubel]

Let me start by saying that I fully support Ukraine in this war. (Mainly because they were a peaceful nation that was just brutally invaded). And my heart goes first and foremost out to the people suffering. 
I am for Ukraine and I am rooting for them to give the Russians a proper kicking. 

But I also have Russian roots and I do have some kind of love for Russia. Like I do feel sorry for them, and I strangely feel sorry for Putin that he was so delusional/misinformed about the reality and strength of Ukraine (and the West). I am sure he calculated it to be a conflict of a few days whereafter the world would have quickly forgotten about the whole thing. To be honest that's what I thought too, like c'mon we're talking RUSSIA vs little corrupt Ukraine. I guess it's a dictator's fate to be slapped by reality, after getting so far removed from it by your own ceaseless propaganda.

The reason I say I feel cringed out is because of what it has done to Russia's reputation. It is after all the country that defeated Hitler. Russia's military strength was always its main pillar for pride and identity. Because when all else sucked they could at least say that we are strong. But now they are not even that.
Like their dogged strategy of overrunning the enemy with mass without placing value on the lives of their soldiers had some merit during ww2, But now? after the billions of investment and modernizing? Also, the rape and massacres were somewhat excusable/understandable during ww2 given how much the Russians have suffered. But man... still the same shit? C'mon man. Russia is making me cringe.  

Edited May 6, 2022 by Vrubel

[BlueOak]

I've been through phases. I've feared what would happen at the start. I've hated Russia for what I saw. Now I'm at an acceptance. This is how Russia operates its military. We just have to accept this is the reality. Bring those to account when we capture them and give Ukraine every possible way to push the invaders as far out of the country as possible.

The main problem is if Russia take any significant territory, Ukraine doesn't join NATO (or possibly the EU), Russia don't withdraw and Ukraine doesn't surrender, then this could well happen again 5 or 10 years from now for the third time. I don't see many ways out now from having a constant simmering war.

One I see possibly working is Ukraine joining the EU, and getting defense treaties from Europe, that only happens if they are in a strong enough position to tell Russia that is what they are doing. If the main powers in Europe accept and pledge to defend Ukraine at the end of this war, then we might have a peace everyone can accept.

[Vrubel]

2 hours ago, Knowledge Hoarder said:

To be honest, I was one of the Ukrainian doubters, I thought Russians were light years more advanced than they used to be decades ago, with a lot better technology. 

This was basically everyone at the beginning of the war.

Everybody thought they would catch Zelensky, and when the first footage/information appeared of Russian soldiers being incompetent. Most people including myself just took that for temporary or distorted Ukrainian propaganda. Like only after a full month I could say with full certainty that they are making a mess of it. Even though this became already clear in the first few weeks.

[Gesundheit2]

https://english.alarabiya.net/business/banking-and-finance/2022/05/05/Russian-ruble-hits-highest-level-since-March-2020