Ukraine is making massive headway against Russia right now. Putin’s forces are crumbling all over the front line. So my question is this.
Should Ukraine keep hammering Russia even after they have regained all of their territory?
Because all Putin will do is lick his wounds and rebuild. (if his own people haven’t taken him out that is)
I’m not saying stepping onto Russian soil, but simply continue to destroy Russia’s military until they’re so broken they will never recover quickly. If at all.
What do you think?
Ah, then we miscommunicated. My words “death alone” was meant to imply that power did not change substantially. If Zelenskyy dies, and power does not change substantially, the war will continue. If power changes substantially after he dies, which can happen for the coalition reasons you stated, but also other reasons, then that’s not death alone.
For Putin, I don’t think the coalition in Russia is held together solely by Putin. I could be wrong about that. I’m not willing to bet on that particular thing. I am fairly confident that significant portions of the coalition drove the war in the first place and that Putin is not the only person who created the case for the decision, and this if the power structure primarily holds after his death, the war will continue. But if the power structure doesn’t hold, then we have to do a faction analysis of the country. Certainly the oil sanctions create the conditions for a comprador faction to make a lot of money by becoming junior partners of the US, but that’s what I mean by death alone is not enough. It would also require a comprador faction to make a deal with the US and take power, which, given that the Russian military is not likely 100% aligned with the comprador oligarchs, would likely require some significant internal violence, and therefore again, death alone is not going to end the war.
Now you see why I would be willing to bet for a 3 month period - because if in those three months the power struggle played out and compradors changed course, that wouldn’t meet the meanings of my words “death alone”.
Maybe we’re a little closer in our opinion on this than we thought
If possible I’d like to maintain the bet? I stand by the assertion that, I think if either Zelenskyy or Putin die, the war ends in a month, and its will be clear that it ended within that time period by 3 months out. And I think I like your argument, that its about coalitions operating power through individuals, rather than individuals holding together those coalitions, even if I a don’t abide by or agree with that argument.