War

That would be great. What do you think are the chances? 🤞

I’d love for it to be at least odds on. I’m hoping that the USA is putting pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire, then sanity can prevail.

It would be marvellous though.

I hope you realise that Putin wants to keep the disputed territories and will not encroach further into Ukraine. I thought that this has always been his stance and the war has persisted because Ukraine is unwilling to cede territory.

I’m no fan of war, but I don’t think letting Putin say he’s won is exactly the best move…

No I agree, but at the very least it is a move in the right direction, and it can be a start for negotiation of the cessation of war in Ukraine.

I realise I am probably being overly optimistic, but hope springs eternal.

Exactly, Whitewavemark2.

Imagine the cost of rebuilding the territory that has been destroyed in Ukraine.

Whitewavemark2

NYT reporting that Putin had indicated that he is open to ending the war, if he is allowed to declare victory.

Hopefully that will end in peace.

We just now to see a hopeful signal from Israel and 2024 can be greeted with much more optimism.

Sounds childish doesn’t it? Oh go on, let me say I won!
Putin says all sorts of things, often just to distract while he does something else.

It sounds as if someone will get to wave a piece of paper once again and talk about "Peace in our time", once again. My guess would be about as useful as Chamberlain and Hitler's pact turned out to be.

There will never be peace in our time, unfortunately.

I doubt very much there will ever be peace.

Yemen is in the grip of awful war but it doesn't attract much attention. Approximately 377 thousand people killed. 150 thousand civilians. Many of them children.

But the silence about this is deafening

I think Putin needs to feel that he's not losing face, so if some sort of agreement can be reached in that context then maybe there is a glimmer of hope.

I was knocked for six today my GC told me they heard on TV about countries at war now. They asked me if war would happen here they are only seven. I explained no it won't but admit I was shocked they even asked.

Wow. I not sure that I would have said "no it won't" Redhead56. How can you know? A little chat about how we all need to get on with each other even when we don't agree wouldn't have gone amiss though.

I wouldn't have said a flat "no" either.... unfortunately.

Ukraine continuing the war depends entirely on NATO, the US in particular supporting them with arms, European countries do not have large enough munition industries to support Ukraine without depleting their own defence capability.
It’s a low tech war largely fought with obselete Cold War weapons that were being phased out anyway, Russia has been given time to ramp up its weapon production and installed deep defensive barriers.

If NATO had armed Ukraine properly a year ago they may have been able to regain territory, any advantage has now been lost.

This war was all about joining NATO, maybe that will be achieve but only at a loss of 1/3 of the land area

I wouldn't trust Putin any further than I could throw him. If he keeps the territory he's gained then he might pause for a little before attacking again, after having used the lull to build up his forces.

DaisyAnneReturns

It sounds as if someone will get to wave a piece of paper once again and talk about "Peace in our time", once again. My guess would be about as useful as Chamberlain and Hitler's pact turned out to be.

Think I agree with this.
It’s sad, but true.

Perhaps Iran and Qatar could possibly put pressure on Hamas and get them to release the hostages and stop firing rockets into Israel. Then we might have peace.

Whitewavemark2

NYT reporting that Putin had indicated that he is open to ending the war, if he is allowed to declare victory.

Hopefully that will end in peace.

We just now to see a hopeful signal from Israel and 2024 can be greeted with much more optimism.

Yes, but Putin has also said he will end the war when Ukraine is again part of Russia.

Nothing that man says will result in peace.

All this blethering on his part about ending the war is solely because he is running out of conscripts and getting nowehere fast on the Ukrainian front.

I know Ukraine isn't moving fast either, but that is partly our fault for being so blooming dilitory in sending them fighter planes and everything else they need to win.

If Putin ends up with anything he can call a victory, he will just start a new war somewhere else. Like Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great he wants all of the Baltic.

Chamberlain's pact gave Britain a year to start preparing for war; Chamberlain was much maligned.

maddyone

Perhaps Iran and Qatar could possibly put pressure on Hamas and get them to release the hostages and stop firing rockets into Israel. Then we might have peace.

Iran in particular is the main cause of all the fighting in the Middle East and Africa, they support any Islamic group that will fight the West.
They even provide Russia with a lot of weaponry in Ukraine and the Houthis harassing shipping in the area.

Surely Hamas need to want peace as well?

Keeper1

Surely Hamas need to want peace as well?

Its stated aim is to drive all the Jews out of Palestine, they will fight to the last man, woman or child. Israel has vowed to fight and destroy Hamas, both are ignoring global opinion, if it continues Israel will win, the only uncertainty is how many innocents die in the meantime

eazybee

Chamberlain's pact gave Britain a year to start preparing for war; Chamberlain was much maligned.

It did, but such a pact would give Russia that time too.