Why not call for a full Russian withdrawl instead? Why should the defenders of their homeland be the ones to surrender?
The fact that a former Superpower was not able to roll Ukraine in the first 10 days, 100 days, what is it now? 745 days... yeah. It's time for Russia to get out.
I think that's not how war works.
Usually, the winning side doesn't leave when they're winning.
It's up to the losing side to surrender.
Things would be different if Ukraine had a chance at winning, but that's not likely to happen.
Edit: I just want you all to think about how you feel now and compare it to when Ukraine loses. Do you remember when Ukraine's counteroffensive was starting? How confident you were that they could win?
This is what I mean by you people being victims of propaganda without even realizing. Average just keeps getting lower as time goes on.
People said Ukraine would be flattened in a month like... Two years ago now. If you think Ukraine doesn't have a chance of winning, you're not paying the slightest amount of attention.
If Russia could win, they'd have done it by now. This is Afghanistan 2.0 for Russia.
This is way, way worse than Afghanistan. They lost 20k troops in Afghanistan, and a small fraction of the equipment they've lost in Ukraine. How many A-50s and flagships did they lose back then? They're getting literally decimated or worse when you look at lost troops, jets, armor, and ships.
Afghanistan helped destabilize the USSR. Hopefully Ukraine destabilizes Russians current Mafia government and gives the Russians another shot at democracy.
Whoa... maybe not brightest for this, but i hadn't even considered the Afghan war comparisons. Its incredible how so much fewer troops perished then, and we still look at the war as critically destabilizing the USSR.
Heres hoping for much worse of the same this time.
Yes, it's also sad. Back than Russian mothers who lost sons in the war were able to organize and push back. These days they can't even wave a blank flag.
Either that or they like shilling for papa Putin or something. Who knows.
we going by numbers? because there are A LOT of dead russians littering the fields in Ukraine.
Can you please close Putin's cock-sheath?
Everyone expected Ukraine to be steamrolled virtually instantly.
Instead they have held on for 745 days, killed innumerable Russians and destroyed god knows how many tanks, planes, and ships.
You can never under-estimate the will of people fighting for their home country.
How do you figure ukraine won't win?
You my friend have been propagandised yourself ukraine without funding will lose. Ukraine with funding will win. Russia is doing eveeything in its power to stop funding. The narative that ukraine has already won/lost is russian propaganda to stop funding.
Grow up learn how a friggin war works and stop being a shill for russian propaganda.
Ukraine with funding will win.
Just like with their counteroffensive?
At what point do you people admit you were wrong about something?
They went for a significant push to try get behind the lines it didnt work cos funding was delayed and they didnt have the reasources earlyer (at that point they where still missing many of the resources they have now). They switched tacktics after that point its called adaptation tends to be needed in war its russias akillies heel. Then with the new stratedgy they where making significant ground on the offensive far greater than what russia has been latly ukrain also managed this with a truly impressive kd ratio.
I know im not wrong ive looked at the map ive plotted respurces on a graph russias resources have a y intercept as long as ukraine is being funded they do not thus they can sustain the war for longer.
You my friend are clearly a russian shill even if ukraine is gonna lose its still a more efficient way to fight them than doing it ourselves they will fuck with nato that will cost the western world deerly instead we give ukraine old shit they fight for us and save shitonnes of money since that must be all u care about cos human life clearly doesnt matter to u.
At what point do you people admit you were wrong about something?
I guess not today...
Either give me a counter to my points.
Admit that you were wrong about something.
Or shut the fuck up and admit you have no clue what your talking about.
Pick one!!!
Snarky comments is simply u deflecting from your incapability to engage with someone in a civil discussion about a topic you clearly feel very strongly about.
The state of the war is about a hell of a lot more than the location of the front lines. How much progress has Afghanistan made in pushing back the American invasion before the Taliban effectively won? Ditto that for the previous Russian invasion.
The fact that Russia's entire Black Sea fleet is afraid to leave port is pretty important, especially when it allows Ukraine to continue shipping grain. The ability of Ukraine to strike accurately deep into Russian territory, and the inability of Russia to defend it's critical infrastructure is also relevant. Corruption drains far more of Russia's resources than it does Ukraine's, and authoritarian leadership means frontline units are unable to respond quickly to changing conditions. That's a small part of why Russian moral is so low that troops must be deployed to shoot frontline troops as they try to escape. That's not happening on the Ukrainian side.
It seems to me that Ukraine is still very much in this fight. It's not like Russian advances have been all that effective.
It's crazy people like you think you have a point with comments like these.
Just another reason why I don't take the masses seriously at this point.
Well fuck russia 2x, then.
Because if you did take other people seriously you'd have to admit you're wrong?
You need to see a doctor to get your humanity checked. It seems not to be working.
Russia isn't winning. Ukraine isn't losing.
Right now, it's a stalemate. The longer it goes on, the more likely Ukraine will lose. Russia has more people, and Ukraine can't strike deep into Russia.
What surprised me was that Russia seemed to have solved its ammunition problem. It would appear Russia is out-producing the West in artillery rounds.
I am pro-Ukrainian, but I don't want Americans on the ground in Ukraine. They must fight their own battle, but I support sending weapons. I wish we had some more weapons earlier before the Russians could entrench like they did. That is why the counter-offensive failed.
Russia will lose if its people get tired of this war. At some point, mothers will not want to send their children to die in a war they didn't want. People like to paint Russians as monsters, but most Russian people are decent people. Their government has fed them lies, and they thought they were the good guys. Most of the kids fighting over there think they are removing Nazis. Most of them are drafted and most likely don't even want to be there.
One thing that drives me nuts is how people think everything is so black and white. The world is very grey. Good kids on both sides are dying because Putin wants Ukraine.
If you have never read or watched All is Quiet on the Western Front, I think it accurately describes what is happening.
They must fight their own battle...
To what end? Is this stance worth losing a free nation to Russia if only supporting via arms isn't enough anymore?
I'm honestly curious why you feel this way.
For me, generally, I don't really enjoy the idea of sending our military into places like the Middle East; at best we're teetering on the line of actually being the aggressors in those conflicts, and at worst actually are just clearly at fault. But I kind of think, for once, the issue at hand in Ukraine is pretty cut and dry at this point. If push came to shove and they really desperately needed support from allies, I can't think of a more righteous use of our military than to defend Ukraine.
You shouldn't bother talking to Wintermute. They're a mod of lemm.ee's conservative community, and they never argue in good faith. Ever.
Duly noted, thanks.
I’m honestly curious why you feel this way
It’s not our battle to fight. If you want to die for Ukraine, sign up. I have no desire to die for Ukraine. Most Americans don’t want to die for Ukraine. I’d resign my commission if called up for Ukraine.
Give them weapons and let them win their own fight.
Europe has an interest in defending Ukraine as they may be next but it’s of no interest of ours.
It's not just about Ukraine, that was clear two years ago. It's about European stability and alliances with other democracies. If Europe falls to authoritarians the US will be isolated and vulnerable.
Americans should support Ukraine out of self interest if nothing else.
Europe isn't going to fall. If Russia attacks a NATO nation, then we have an obligation to get involved.
That's presumably true now, although certainly a lot of uncertainty surrounds it. What about in 20 years after another couple decades or Kremlin propaganda on social media?
By then, Putin will be dead. Fingers crossed, Russia will get someone better in the next round.
Putin doesn't have twenty years if the rumors are true. Five at the most.
There are others just as bad and worse ready to replace Putin.
Would you expect that when a mob boss dies they replace him with a benevolent leader?
Interesting stance.
So, not to throw around too many hypotheticals, but it sounds like by your logic you also would have been opposed to our participation in World War II as well?
I'm just trying to parse your train of thought here.
We were attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. We had no choice but to enter the war. Germany declared war on America after the attack.
People keep saying that the longer it goes on the more it favors Russia, but the Kremlin is the one with questionable support and disarray. Ukrainians are united, they want to defend themselves. Morale is in Ukraine's side.
Also, France is putting together a coalition to send troops. Who's going to go back the Kremlin up? Nobody... they have no friends, no good will, just rough agreements with other authoritarian governments.
It is a numbers game. Russia has more cannon fodder. The Russians didn't defeat germany by being better, they defeated Germany by throwing more people at the problem.
Who will back Russia? North Korea, Iran, and possibly China.
If we are distracted in Ukraine, North Korea can invade South Korea, Iran can stir the pot, and China will take Taiwan. All places where we have treaties to prevent just that from happening. Our military is not designed to fight on that many fronts at once.
Just because Russia has a larger population doesn't mean they can use it how they want. Ukrainians want to fight and defend their home and families, there's nothing like that in the Russian military.
The US could commit some forces to Ukraine without weakening their ability to defend Taiwan.
I agree that's the big picture though. Those authoritarian governments, with some support from BRICS and other dictatorships like Venezuela, are challenging the US-Euro hegemony.
They’ve been doing it for years how they want. Putin doesn’t like when people disagree. I’ve never seen so many people accidentally fall out of windows.
Until you see units refusing to go to war, my point stands.
Russia was literally forcing poorly equipped and even more poorly trained prisoners to rush at the enemy and absorb bullets.
As for units refusing to fight, we have seen second line Russians mowing down front line Russians trying to escape the battlefield. There have also been recent reports of Russian pilots sabotaging their own aircraft to keep themselves from flying dangerous missions. Of course there were also the Wagner troops that started marching on Moscow.
There have been many people refusing to fight for the Kremlin. They have a blocking line that kills their soldiers if they turn around... that's their level or morale.
That is Russia being Russia. They did that in ww2.
Not sure how “historical” everything is but they showed that in enemy at the gates. That really was a shocking scene.
Yeah, I feel bad for the young men forced into the trenches.
We learned from WWII that appeasement doesn't work, and that democracies need to stand together to defend our freedom.
We also learned in ww2 that most countries are not thankful for us helping them in their wars.
We have a large ocean between us and everyone else. I’m fine letting Europe solve European problems.
WWII propelled the US to it's current position as the only real superpower. The US benefited tremendously in some critical ways.
Also, the bigger of the oceans between the countries didn't stop Japan from destroying a huge portion of the US Navy. If they weren't proactive in responding, it could have been much, much worse. Japan could have solidified it's initial gains and used the territory and resources to grow even stronger, and the Nazis weren't far from having the bomb.
Isolationism is a nice ideal in some ways, but it's not viable anymore.
NK invading SK would be roundly crushed in an afternoon by the carrier group posted there SPECIFICALLY to prevent that from happening, not to mention SK forces themselves.
Taiwan is in the middle of building up their forces again, we have forces in the region ready and able to assist (posted there, again, specifically to deter Chinese aggression), and we have ally forces across southeast Asia, including Vietnam, New Zealand, and Australia, who are willing and able to come help if needed.
Iran? Seriously? They're still having trouble keeping a lid on their own populace last I checked. And if they "stir the pot" by aiding Palestine or Yemen...well, Israel has been looking for a good reason to simply wipe Iran from the map for the last several decades.
NK invading SK would be roundly crushed in an afternoon by the carrier group posted there SPECIFICALLY to prevent that from happening, not to mention SK forces themselves.
I would like to see which military war game has ever shown that. I have never seen that at all. Can you please show the citation for that since it contradicts everything I have ever read on the topic.
aiwan is in the middle of building up their forces again, we have forces in the region ready and able to assist (posted there, again, specifically to deter Chinese aggression), and we have ally forces across southeast Asia, including Vietnam, New Zealand, and Australia, who are willing and able to come help if needed.
We do not have a force large enough to fight China in the region while we are tied up in Ukraine. Vietnam is not going to war with China. New Zealand and Australia do not have a capable enough force to add much value. That is why they are asking the United States to build bases.
I agree that the world is not black and white, but I struggle with the "good kids on both sides".
"Good" is a tricky word just generally. I think you might have said there were "previously innocent" kids on both sides, but they're no longer so.
Yet another shade of grey, but I suspect that a lot of the kids doing the fighting have become depraved sadists.
If you are forced to do something, do you lose your innocence? It's why so many Russians have surrendered. It isn't a war they want to be in.
I have noticed that Russia used many people from the Far East during the war. These people don't have the same ties to Ukraine, and I think that was done on purpose. They seem more willing to fight since they don't have that shared culture or history with the Ukrainians.
If you are being told, you are going to fight Nazis and all the horrible things they have done, wouldn't you think you are the hero? I think they don't know the truth until they get to the front or surrender.
They may be innocent, but have lost their innocence.
The institutionalised torture on the part of the Russians is designed to change the cognitive behaviour of their troops. Devaluing human life, trivialising violence, and establishing corporal punishment as an appropriate response to ideological differences.
In summary, Russian troops may have had some kind of childish innocence when they left home, but as a result of being forced to participate in depraved acts of violence, are probably no longer good boys.
I will never paint any group with a large brush. It’s dehumanizing to people. It’s how we justify killing others.
Mate, this conversation started by you saying "they're mostly good kids", which sounds fairly "large brush" to me.
The attrocities of war run much deeper than people dying. There are people that will carry psychological wounds for the rest of their lives. I think it's very important to acknowledge that, lest we forget.
Russia will struggle to adapt to the increased capability Western tanks will bring to Ukraine. But the tanks currently on offer—thirty-one US Abrams, fourteen UK Challengers, and fourteen German Leopards—will not turn the tide of the war. There are reports that France, Poland, and Canada will also provide tanks to Ukraine, although how many and when is unknown. For Western assistance to enable a Ukrainian military victory, four things must happen. First, Western countries would need to provide enough tanks to give Ukraine a devastating offensive punch. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has put this number at 300–500 tanks, far more than the fifty-eight currently on offer. Tanks are most effective when formed into battalions (thirty to forty tanks as Ukraine structures them) and brigades (ninety to 120 tanks). Zelensky’s number, which he certainly got from his military commanders, seems designed to allow Ukraine to form four new brigades of Western tanks, each composed of three battalions. Used properly, four new tank brigades would represent a ground offensive capability that could be decisive.
They never got the tanks in the numbers laid out above. Not even close. This was all predicted ahead of time.
Ukraine won't lose outright at this point. Russia is not capable of mounting a large offensive anymore. There is no chance they get fully absorbed into Russia. However, there are ranges of winning and losing that are on the table; without more support, they're not going to be able to retake land to the east and south, nor retake Crimea.
That's right. Keep pivoting and moving goalpoasts instead of admitting you were wrong.
Anything to avoid admitting you may be a victim of propaganda and indoctrination.
Remember, if they're not a Ukraine shill, then they're a Russian shill. Lol.
What goalposts? That was stated ahead of time. The goalposts are right there where they always were.
Ukraine's counteroffensive was a failure, but you're still trying to paint it as a win while saying if they received more aid then it would be successful.
You are incapable of admitting when you're wrong or a victim of propaganda.
No, I didn't. I said it would fail if they didn't get the tanks. They never got the tanks, and it failed.
"I'm not a Russian propagandist. Let me prove it by completely misrepresenting you."
but you’re still trying to paint it as a win while saying if they received more aid then it would be successful.
You are incapable of admitting when you’re wrong or a victim of propaganda.
I rest my case.
Hold on, maybe I'm making some bad assumptions here. Do you realize that Feb 2023 was a little over a year ago? If not, I apologize for assuming you know what year it is.
You are incapable of admitting when you’re wrong or a victim of propaganda.
Pretty sure anyone with half a brain and not straight up owned by Putin realizes that surrender is not an option- it just lets them regroup for another push in 5-10 years.
So. The pope either has the intellectual capacity of a petrified vegetable or is now shilling for Putin.
On everything. He's an antiquated old bigot who was an idiot long before he was made the head of the church PR phase. All his platitudes and nice talking points are all manufactured
Idiot... and total asshole, also. Someone posted the Wikipedia link and I read up. Yuck.
With modern society, yeah.
But no one hates every other Abrhamic religion more than the leader of one them.
And Islam is the biggest one. Judaism isn't a threat to replace any form of Christianity, they don't have the numbers.
But there's about the same amount of Christians and Muslims in the world. For about 1300 years Christian leaders have been trying to stop Islam from becoming the majority.
That's the most important thing in Abrhamic religions: doing what it takes to be the majority.
The Bible even says if a family member ever doubts Jesus, you're to kill them immediately to prevent them from convincing others.
Which is a throw back to a schizophrenic guy named Abraham killing his family because they doubted the voices Abraham heard in his head.
All this shit traces back to some random crazy guy that demanded his family do exactly what he says without question. It's like the one part that never changes
The Bible even says if a family member ever doubts Jesus, you're to kill them immediately to prevent them from convincing others.
Which is a throw back to a schizophrenic guy named Abraham killing his family because they doubted the voices Abraham heard in his head.
I'm gonna request citations on these two.
Talk about being confidently incorrect.
Wow, I'm usually criticizing people for saying they read the Bible when they clearly didn't, but this is the most blatantly, absurdly untrue one that I can remember.
And like, it's not like there isn't some weird shit in the Bible, or valid critiques of Abrahamic religions, but did this bro go for any of that? Nah, better to just make stuff up. Which is kinda ironic....
Indood. You'll always do a better job of criticizing something if you don't lie about it.
But no one hates every other Abrhamic religion more than the leader of one them.
Wow. I'm an atheist and even I know that religious leaders tend to be extremely respectful of other faiths. They respect the holding of faith, even if it's not the one that they personally hold. They've spent their lives studying their religion and often find the history and relationships between different faiths fascinating.
Personally I think they're just studying myths, and it's no more productive than somebody studying Milton.
Wrong about what, even if they succeed they sicceed in being the villain and theirnsuccess is tainted by their huge losses.
They have lost so much of their navy and airforce, not to mention ground force. They have shown themselves to be completely inept at the highest levels and have cost their population dearly.
They are winning so wel they won't allow thei citizens the right to free travel or protest. They have had to pivot their entire economy and have suffered a complete brain drain.
They are a super power who tried to take candy from a baby and ended with a black eye and bloody nose. Even if they succeed in land grabbing, their inability to act effectively won't be forgotten.
So, how do Putin's balls taste? Never mind, I don't actually want to know...
Are they winning?
Yes. Putin's gambit of waiting out the West is paying off in spades.
Just another example of him being smarter than the average reddit/lemmyer. You guys legitimately believe whatever is upvoted is correct, and that's sad.
Has it been two weeks since the war started already?
They sure aren't winning in 3 days like they said they would 🥴
Pope Francis really all over the board with political beliefs, the dude went from liberal ally gay marriage officiator to conservative facebooker in record time.
Someone called it a precise combination of statements designed to piss off everyone while not actually helping anything and I've got to agree.
So fucking naive. Dude really thinks the Ruskis will stop committing atrocities when the Ukrainians surrender.
A surrender would be invitation for the atrocities to truly begin.
Knowing what the Russian government truly are, the best outcome for Ukrainians in that case is a cultural genocide, with Ukrainian being banned and they'll be forced to learn Russian. This is already the case of territories currently or formerly under occupation.
Let's not forget the last time Ukraine surrendered to Russia, they had 10% of their population genocided in return.
That fucktard believes the earth is 5000 years old.
That's a Protestant thing, not a Catholic thing.
I kick in your front door and kill two of your kids. I then plant mines at the entrances to your living room and kitchen, eat all the food from the refrigerator and shoot at you if you try to come downstairs. You need to end this aggression, it's unseemly and it's getting people hurt. Just cede the living room and the kitchen, you wouldn't want to escalate things. Also I can't help but notice that your basement and upstairs bathroom are looking pretty liberateable.
That's what Israel is demanding from Palestinians since one century
Tell you what popeman, how about you get rid of all the kid rapists in your organization before you give anyone else advice on anything... Ever.
And the hat. The hat's gotta go.
“Leader of a child sex abuse cult says stupid shit.”
had used the term white flag “to indicate a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation”. He repeated the pontiff’s call for a “diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace”
That's kinda hard when Russia bombs humanitary corridors, ceasefire equals rearm and regroup and nothing else, and the last diplomatic solution was used as toilet paper to start the current war.
Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov berated Pope Francis for "sticking his nose where it does not belong" and suggesting negotiations. Solovyov said that Russia has no interest in negotiations and does not recognize the Pope as a spiritual leader....so I guess the pope should wave the white flag...
In the meantime, his family is enjoying views from their villa at Como Lake
When the Pope allows all sexual abusers in the Faith be prosecuted and held accountable for their disgusting and morally evil crimes then maybe I'll give a fuck what he has to say about anything. Out of touch old man doesn't get to protect kiddy fiddlers and then try and preach to others.
Fuck the pope. Glad that I already exited the Catholic Church a few years ago...
Exited? Or were you just a youngin at the time?
Most little boys seen to excite the Catholic Church
woops...of course I meant that I exited the church. Here in germany we have to pay something called "church tax" unless you formerly adress that you exit the church. You have to fill out a form, have to go to the town hall, have a little talk with some guy about it and then you are finally good to go.
This, is a real thing? Church,, Tax.
That YOU pay?
Yep, it's automatically collected by the state from your paycheck and given to the church that's on your file.
If you want them not to do that, you have to go to the registry office and have them update your file to "Konfessionslos" which often comes with fee.
The information that you've left is also given to the pastor in your region for some reason who will try to convince you to come back...
Isn’t religion suffering from people leaving and no new blood entering for growth? Maybe the Catholic Church can wave the white flag?
Latin America and Sub Sahara Africa and Southeast Asia have seen big upticks in Catholic conversion and Catholic family growth, while in the US and Europe they've been flat or shrinking.
I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that these countries are opposed to the conflict, as continued war in the Ukraine has denied them access to the agricultural production of the region (during a climate-change induced famine, no less). The war itself isn't exactly doing favors to climate metrics, either.
Add in that the primary advocates of the war (the US, the UK, and Germany) have an absolute shit reputation in these regions (West Germany famously continued to send arms to Apartheid South Africa well into the 1980s, the US has completely fucked its relationship with Pakistan in the latest rigged election against a wildly popular prime minister Imran Khan, the UK keeps trying to send all its Ukraine refugees to Rwanda), they aren't overly sympathetic to the Western-backed side in the conflict.
So now enter the Pope, a guy who is forever "anti-war" in the most basic sense of the word and will advocate for a ceasefire in virtually every conflict. Image how much of his constituency is howling at the absolute waste and destruction, partially at their expense, that's driving up food and energy prices globally when they can least afford it.
Is it any surprise he just wants this shit to end already?
Russia waving the white flag would end the war equally as fast
Would it? I've heard more than a few bellicose westerners insist the war can't end until Ukrainians are in Moscow.
Fuck the pope, I mean, pedophile pimp.
Maybe his ring would get a lot of Ukrainian kids human trafficked to them in case of a Russian victory.
What an arsehole .
I didn’t know that the Pope was a tankie!
"Could you please stop defending yourself. And let it happen." - Some guy who likes to cover up child abuse
The Ukrainians should capitulate like the Franks at Poitiers or the Venetians at the Battle of Lepanto, or the Austrians at the Battle of Vienna. Perhaps if the Ukranians were Catholic, the Pope might support their resistance more.
Fuck that pope.
First scaremongering people about "gender ideology", and now shilling for Russia. Is Pope doing some sort of mask off?
Son of a bitch is getting cocky after taking over the US Supreme Court
Let's just take that white flag, add a blue stripe in the middle, and give it to the Russians to raise.
Oh wait, they would go to jail. Well let's help them make the upcoming elections actually fair for once.
Oh wait, that would be the 2020 Belarusian protests all over again. Well let's just simply wait until we get a new Pope. Surely it can't take too long.
So brave
I would have expected Patriarch Kirill to say something like this. But the Pope? Not so much.
Why? The Pope is a PR figurehead and an his words are manufactured by a PR department. If you ever fell for his good guy act, I feel bad for you
There is the historical precedent of the pope supporting the nazis. So this par for course for the Catholic church.
Pope doesn't like Ukrainian autocephaly any more than Kirill.
Pax vobiscum.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Pope Francis has been criticised after saying Ukraine should have the courage of the “white flag” and negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
Some politicians and commentators in Europe reacted with anger after the pontiff appeared to stay silent on Russia’s crimes as aggressor in the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands, and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace.
Dennis Radtke, a German Christian Democrat MEP, said the word “shameful” could be used to describe the pope’s comments.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday by Swiss television, but which the Vatican said was conducted in February, the pontiff urged parties in the Ukraine war to “have the courage to negotiate”, and do so “before things get worse”.
The Vatican’s director of communications, Matteo Bruni, issued a statement seeking to clarify the pope’s words.
He said Francis had used the term white flag “to indicate a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation”.
The original article contains 451 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 64%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Pope doesn't recognize the Autocephaly of the Ukrainian church as much as the Moscow Patriarch doesn't. There isn't a great amount of support coming from the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in Ukraine.
I mean I don't agree with him but he is sticking to his beliefs here. Something something turn the other cheek.
If Putin could he would sack Vatican and abolish catholic church.
Big words for a guy who works for a chair.
I don't like it, but this might be the most actual Christian approach. Jesus preached a lot of pacifism...
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
what's so fun about the bible is that you can find a quote saying just about anything you like, assuming there even was a jesus, he's also quoted in matthew as:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
Hosea 13:16 - Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Deuteronomy 2:34 - And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
Deuteronomy 20:16-17 - But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth
Isaiah 14:21 - Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
I'm not trying to say Jesus was a pacifist, but all of those quotes are Old Testament, written centuries before Jesus supposedly existed...
I never said the Bible was consistent... It is actually one of the things I find fascinating about the whole thing. How does turn the other cheek square with old testament violence?
I know the easy answer, that it is all just made up, but even so these passages are two thousand years or so old and have been a major part of societies and cultures, which included many great thinkers and theologens more knowledgeable than me or any random person online.
Even if this is all a two thousand year old, self perpetuating delusion, that itself would be fascinating...
That would honestly be the smart thing to do if they want to stop losing lives.
Nobody expects Ukraine to win except useful idiots on these forums. Every military strategist has said Ukraine is a good investment for the West. They mean it's better for Ukrainians to die fighting Russia than it is for NATO soldiers.
And they're right. The only sad part are those who are duped into believing they have a chance at winning and end up losing their lives in the process.
Why not call for a full Russian withdrawl instead? Why should the defenders of their homeland be the ones to surrender?
The fact that a former Superpower was not able to roll Ukraine in the first 10 days, 100 days, what is it now? 745 days... yeah. It's time for Russia to get out.
I think that's not how war works.
Usually, the winning side doesn't leave when they're winning.
It's up to the losing side to surrender.
Things would be different if Ukraine had a chance at winning, but that's not likely to happen.
Edit: I just want you all to think about how you feel now and compare it to when Ukraine loses. Do you remember when Ukraine's counteroffensive was starting? How confident you were that they could win?
This is what I mean by you people being victims of propaganda without even realizing. Average just keeps getting lower as time goes on.
People said Ukraine would be flattened in a month like... Two years ago now. If you think Ukraine doesn't have a chance of winning, you're not paying the slightest amount of attention.
If Russia could win, they'd have done it by now. This is Afghanistan 2.0 for Russia.
This is way, way worse than Afghanistan. They lost 20k troops in Afghanistan, and a small fraction of the equipment they've lost in Ukraine. How many A-50s and flagships did they lose back then? They're getting literally decimated or worse when you look at lost troops, jets, armor, and ships.
Afghanistan helped destabilize the USSR. Hopefully Ukraine destabilizes Russians current Mafia government and gives the Russians another shot at democracy.
Whoa... maybe not brightest for this, but i hadn't even considered the Afghan war comparisons. Its incredible how so much fewer troops perished then, and we still look at the war as critically destabilizing the USSR.
Heres hoping for much worse of the same this time.
Yes, it's also sad. Back than Russian mothers who lost sons in the war were able to organize and push back. These days they can't even wave a blank flag.
Either that or they like shilling for papa Putin or something. Who knows.
we going by numbers? because there are A LOT of dead russians littering the fields in Ukraine.
Can you please close Putin's cock-sheath?
Everyone expected Ukraine to be steamrolled virtually instantly.
Instead they have held on for 745 days, killed innumerable Russians and destroyed god knows how many tanks, planes, and ships.
You can never under-estimate the will of people fighting for their home country.
How do you figure ukraine won't win?
You my friend have been propagandised yourself ukraine without funding will lose. Ukraine with funding will win. Russia is doing eveeything in its power to stop funding. The narative that ukraine has already won/lost is russian propaganda to stop funding.
Grow up learn how a friggin war works and stop being a shill for russian propaganda.
Just like with their counteroffensive?
At what point do you people admit you were wrong about something?
They went for a significant push to try get behind the lines it didnt work cos funding was delayed and they didnt have the reasources earlyer (at that point they where still missing many of the resources they have now). They switched tacktics after that point its called adaptation tends to be needed in war its russias akillies heel. Then with the new stratedgy they where making significant ground on the offensive far greater than what russia has been latly ukrain also managed this with a truly impressive kd ratio.
I know im not wrong ive looked at the map ive plotted respurces on a graph russias resources have a y intercept as long as ukraine is being funded they do not thus they can sustain the war for longer.
You my friend are clearly a russian shill even if ukraine is gonna lose its still a more efficient way to fight them than doing it ourselves they will fuck with nato that will cost the western world deerly instead we give ukraine old shit they fight for us and save shitonnes of money since that must be all u care about cos human life clearly doesnt matter to u.
I guess not today...
Either give me a counter to my points.
Admit that you were wrong about something.
Or shut the fuck up and admit you have no clue what your talking about.
Pick one!!!
Snarky comments is simply u deflecting from your incapability to engage with someone in a civil discussion about a topic you clearly feel very strongly about.
The state of the war is about a hell of a lot more than the location of the front lines. How much progress has Afghanistan made in pushing back the American invasion before the Taliban effectively won? Ditto that for the previous Russian invasion.
The fact that Russia's entire Black Sea fleet is afraid to leave port is pretty important, especially when it allows Ukraine to continue shipping grain. The ability of Ukraine to strike accurately deep into Russian territory, and the inability of Russia to defend it's critical infrastructure is also relevant. Corruption drains far more of Russia's resources than it does Ukraine's, and authoritarian leadership means frontline units are unable to respond quickly to changing conditions. That's a small part of why Russian moral is so low that troops must be deployed to shoot frontline troops as they try to escape. That's not happening on the Ukrainian side.
It seems to me that Ukraine is still very much in this fight. It's not like Russian advances have been all that effective.
LoL! Fuck Russia.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Russian_generals_killed_during_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
It's crazy people like you think you have a point with comments like these.
Just another reason why I don't take the masses seriously at this point.
Well fuck russia 2x, then.
Because if you did take other people seriously you'd have to admit you're wrong?
You need to see a doctor to get your humanity checked. It seems not to be working.
Russia isn't winning. Ukraine isn't losing.
Right now, it's a stalemate. The longer it goes on, the more likely Ukraine will lose. Russia has more people, and Ukraine can't strike deep into Russia.
What surprised me was that Russia seemed to have solved its ammunition problem. It would appear Russia is out-producing the West in artillery rounds.
I am pro-Ukrainian, but I don't want Americans on the ground in Ukraine. They must fight their own battle, but I support sending weapons. I wish we had some more weapons earlier before the Russians could entrench like they did. That is why the counter-offensive failed.
Russia will lose if its people get tired of this war. At some point, mothers will not want to send their children to die in a war they didn't want. People like to paint Russians as monsters, but most Russian people are decent people. Their government has fed them lies, and they thought they were the good guys. Most of the kids fighting over there think they are removing Nazis. Most of them are drafted and most likely don't even want to be there.
One thing that drives me nuts is how people think everything is so black and white. The world is very grey. Good kids on both sides are dying because Putin wants Ukraine.
If you have never read or watched All is Quiet on the Western Front, I think it accurately describes what is happening.
To what end? Is this stance worth losing a free nation to Russia if only supporting via arms isn't enough anymore?
I'm honestly curious why you feel this way.
For me, generally, I don't really enjoy the idea of sending our military into places like the Middle East; at best we're teetering on the line of actually being the aggressors in those conflicts, and at worst actually are just clearly at fault. But I kind of think, for once, the issue at hand in Ukraine is pretty cut and dry at this point. If push came to shove and they really desperately needed support from allies, I can't think of a more righteous use of our military than to defend Ukraine.
You shouldn't bother talking to Wintermute. They're a mod of lemm.ee's conservative community, and they never argue in good faith. Ever.
Duly noted, thanks.
It’s not our battle to fight. If you want to die for Ukraine, sign up. I have no desire to die for Ukraine. Most Americans don’t want to die for Ukraine. I’d resign my commission if called up for Ukraine.
Give them weapons and let them win their own fight.
Europe has an interest in defending Ukraine as they may be next but it’s of no interest of ours.
It's not just about Ukraine, that was clear two years ago. It's about European stability and alliances with other democracies. If Europe falls to authoritarians the US will be isolated and vulnerable.
Americans should support Ukraine out of self interest if nothing else.
Europe isn't going to fall. If Russia attacks a NATO nation, then we have an obligation to get involved.
That's presumably true now, although certainly a lot of uncertainty surrounds it. What about in 20 years after another couple decades or Kremlin propaganda on social media?
By then, Putin will be dead. Fingers crossed, Russia will get someone better in the next round.
Putin doesn't have twenty years if the rumors are true. Five at the most.
There are others just as bad and worse ready to replace Putin.
Would you expect that when a mob boss dies they replace him with a benevolent leader?
Interesting stance.
So, not to throw around too many hypotheticals, but it sounds like by your logic you also would have been opposed to our participation in World War II as well?
I'm just trying to parse your train of thought here.
We were attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. We had no choice but to enter the war. Germany declared war on America after the attack.
People keep saying that the longer it goes on the more it favors Russia, but the Kremlin is the one with questionable support and disarray. Ukrainians are united, they want to defend themselves. Morale is in Ukraine's side.
Also, France is putting together a coalition to send troops. Who's going to go back the Kremlin up? Nobody... they have no friends, no good will, just rough agreements with other authoritarian governments.
It is a numbers game. Russia has more cannon fodder. The Russians didn't defeat germany by being better, they defeated Germany by throwing more people at the problem.
Who will back Russia? North Korea, Iran, and possibly China.
If we are distracted in Ukraine, North Korea can invade South Korea, Iran can stir the pot, and China will take Taiwan. All places where we have treaties to prevent just that from happening. Our military is not designed to fight on that many fronts at once.
Just because Russia has a larger population doesn't mean they can use it how they want. Ukrainians want to fight and defend their home and families, there's nothing like that in the Russian military.
The US could commit some forces to Ukraine without weakening their ability to defend Taiwan.
I agree that's the big picture though. Those authoritarian governments, with some support from BRICS and other dictatorships like Venezuela, are challenging the US-Euro hegemony.
They’ve been doing it for years how they want. Putin doesn’t like when people disagree. I’ve never seen so many people accidentally fall out of windows.
Until you see units refusing to go to war, my point stands.
Russia was literally forcing poorly equipped and even more poorly trained prisoners to rush at the enemy and absorb bullets.
As for units refusing to fight, we have seen second line Russians mowing down front line Russians trying to escape the battlefield. There have also been recent reports of Russian pilots sabotaging their own aircraft to keep themselves from flying dangerous missions. Of course there were also the Wagner troops that started marching on Moscow.
There have been many people refusing to fight for the Kremlin. They have a blocking line that kills their soldiers if they turn around... that's their level or morale.
That is Russia being Russia. They did that in ww2.
Not sure how “historical” everything is but they showed that in enemy at the gates. That really was a shocking scene.
Yeah, I feel bad for the young men forced into the trenches.
We learned from WWII that appeasement doesn't work, and that democracies need to stand together to defend our freedom.
We also learned in ww2 that most countries are not thankful for us helping them in their wars. We have a large ocean between us and everyone else. I’m fine letting Europe solve European problems.
WWII propelled the US to it's current position as the only real superpower. The US benefited tremendously in some critical ways.
Also, the bigger of the oceans between the countries didn't stop Japan from destroying a huge portion of the US Navy. If they weren't proactive in responding, it could have been much, much worse. Japan could have solidified it's initial gains and used the territory and resources to grow even stronger, and the Nazis weren't far from having the bomb.
Isolationism is a nice ideal in some ways, but it's not viable anymore.
NK invading SK would be roundly crushed in an afternoon by the carrier group posted there SPECIFICALLY to prevent that from happening, not to mention SK forces themselves.
Taiwan is in the middle of building up their forces again, we have forces in the region ready and able to assist (posted there, again, specifically to deter Chinese aggression), and we have ally forces across southeast Asia, including Vietnam, New Zealand, and Australia, who are willing and able to come help if needed.
Iran? Seriously? They're still having trouble keeping a lid on their own populace last I checked. And if they "stir the pot" by aiding Palestine or Yemen...well, Israel has been looking for a good reason to simply wipe Iran from the map for the last several decades.
I would like to see which military war game has ever shown that. I have never seen that at all. Can you please show the citation for that since it contradicts everything I have ever read on the topic.
We do not have a force large enough to fight China in the region while we are tied up in Ukraine. Vietnam is not going to war with China. New Zealand and Australia do not have a capable enough force to add much value. That is why they are asking the United States to build bases.
I agree that the world is not black and white, but I struggle with the "good kids on both sides".
"Good" is a tricky word just generally. I think you might have said there were "previously innocent" kids on both sides, but they're no longer so.
Yet another shade of grey, but I suspect that a lot of the kids doing the fighting have become depraved sadists.
If you are forced to do something, do you lose your innocence? It's why so many Russians have surrendered. It isn't a war they want to be in.
I have noticed that Russia used many people from the Far East during the war. These people don't have the same ties to Ukraine, and I think that was done on purpose. They seem more willing to fight since they don't have that shared culture or history with the Ukrainians.
If you are being told, you are going to fight Nazis and all the horrible things they have done, wouldn't you think you are the hero? I think they don't know the truth until they get to the front or surrender.
They may be innocent, but have lost their innocence.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/innocence
The institutionalised torture on the part of the Russians is designed to change the cognitive behaviour of their troops. Devaluing human life, trivialising violence, and establishing corporal punishment as an appropriate response to ideological differences.
In summary, Russian troops may have had some kind of childish innocence when they left home, but as a result of being forced to participate in depraved acts of violence, are probably no longer good boys.
I will never paint any group with a large brush. It’s dehumanizing to people. It’s how we justify killing others.
Mate, this conversation started by you saying "they're mostly good kids", which sounds fairly "large brush" to me.
The attrocities of war run much deeper than people dying. There are people that will carry psychological wounds for the rest of their lives. I think it's very important to acknowledge that, lest we forget.
Not particularly high. This was stated in Feb 2023, before the counteroffensive started:
They never got the tanks in the numbers laid out above. Not even close. This was all predicted ahead of time.
Ukraine won't lose outright at this point. Russia is not capable of mounting a large offensive anymore. There is no chance they get fully absorbed into Russia. However, there are ranges of winning and losing that are on the table; without more support, they're not going to be able to retake land to the east and south, nor retake Crimea.
That's right. Keep pivoting and moving goalpoasts instead of admitting you were wrong.
Anything to avoid admitting you may be a victim of propaganda and indoctrination.
Remember, if they're not a Ukraine shill, then they're a Russian shill. Lol.
What goalposts? That was stated ahead of time. The goalposts are right there where they always were.
Ukraine's counteroffensive was a failure, but you're still trying to paint it as a win while saying if they received more aid then it would be successful.
You are incapable of admitting when you're wrong or a victim of propaganda.
No, I didn't. I said it would fail if they didn't get the tanks. They never got the tanks, and it failed.
"I'm not a Russian propagandist. Let me prove it by completely misrepresenting you."
I rest my case.
Hold on, maybe I'm making some bad assumptions here. Do you realize that Feb 2023 was a little over a year ago? If not, I apologize for assuming you know what year it is.
Oh brother. 🙄
Americans... ☕
Yep.
Pope is really out of touch on this.
That’s the polite way of putting it.
Pretty sure anyone with half a brain and not straight up owned by Putin realizes that surrender is not an option- it just lets them regroup for another push in 5-10 years.
So. The pope either has the intellectual capacity of a petrified vegetable or is now shilling for Putin.
On everything. He's an antiquated old bigot who was an idiot long before he was made the head of the church PR phase. All his platitudes and nice talking points are all manufactured
Idiot... and total asshole, also. Someone posted the Wikipedia link and I read up. Yuck.
With modern society, yeah.
But no one hates every other Abrhamic religion more than the leader of one them.
And Islam is the biggest one. Judaism isn't a threat to replace any form of Christianity, they don't have the numbers.
But there's about the same amount of Christians and Muslims in the world. For about 1300 years Christian leaders have been trying to stop Islam from becoming the majority.
That's the most important thing in Abrhamic religions: doing what it takes to be the majority.
The Bible even says if a family member ever doubts Jesus, you're to kill them immediately to prevent them from convincing others.
Which is a throw back to a schizophrenic guy named Abraham killing his family because they doubted the voices Abraham heard in his head.
All this shit traces back to some random crazy guy that demanded his family do exactly what he says without question. It's like the one part that never changes
I'm gonna request citations on these two.
Talk about being confidently incorrect.
Wow, I'm usually criticizing people for saying they read the Bible when they clearly didn't, but this is the most blatantly, absurdly untrue one that I can remember.
And like, it's not like there isn't some weird shit in the Bible, or valid critiques of Abrahamic religions, but did this bro go for any of that? Nah, better to just make stuff up. Which is kinda ironic....
Indood. You'll always do a better job of criticizing something if you don't lie about it.
Wow. I'm an atheist and even I know that religious leaders tend to be extremely respectful of other faiths. They respect the holding of faith, even if it's not the one that they personally hold. They've spent their lives studying their religion and often find the history and relationships between different faiths fascinating.
Personally I think they're just studying myths, and it's no more productive than somebody studying Milton.
Dear Pope: Direct your fucking comments to the guy who is invading Ukraine. Thanks.
Is Russia losing?
Yeah, they have failed to take hold of much of Ukraine in 10 years of invading. Even less in the last 2 amd change.
They did manage to lose 300,000+ directly in the war and more that fled their shithole country.
Russia is a loser country.
You are a victim of propaganda without even realizing it.
Have you heard of mirrors? You should look into them.
Will you admit you're wrong when Ukraine loses?
I don't think so.
Will you admit you're wrong when Russia does?
I don't think so.
If Russia loses I would 100% be proud to admit I was wrong. That's what makes me different than you.
The problem is that I'm right and Ukraine doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning without foreign troops on the ground.
Doubt
Well, Russia has to lose for that to happen.
But ya'll are delusional enough to legitimately believe "Russia has already lost."
This is why I don't take the masses seriously.
Losing is the only thing Russia has lots of practice with.
Just a couple weeks ago they lost the greatest politician they ever had.
bummer 👉👈
RIP Navalny.
That doesn't change the situation in Ukraine, though.
Heh, "doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell" is a double negative.
Wrong about what, even if they succeed they sicceed in being the villain and theirnsuccess is tainted by their huge losses.
They have lost so much of their navy and airforce, not to mention ground force. They have shown themselves to be completely inept at the highest levels and have cost their population dearly.
They are winning so wel they won't allow thei citizens the right to free travel or protest. They have had to pivot their entire economy and have suffered a complete brain drain.
They are a super power who tried to take candy from a baby and ended with a black eye and bloody nose. Even if they succeed in land grabbing, their inability to act effectively won't be forgotten.
So, how do Putin's balls taste? Never mind, I don't actually want to know...
Are they winning?
Yes. Putin's gambit of waiting out the West is paying off in spades.
Just another example of him being smarter than the average reddit/lemmyer. You guys legitimately believe whatever is upvoted is correct, and that's sad.
Has it been two weeks since the war started already?
They sure aren't winning in 3 days like they said they would 🥴
Pope Francis really all over the board with political beliefs, the dude went from liberal ally gay marriage officiator to conservative facebooker in record time.
Someone called it a precise combination of statements designed to piss off everyone while not actually helping anything and I've got to agree.
So fucking naive. Dude really thinks the Ruskis will stop committing atrocities when the Ukrainians surrender.
A surrender would be invitation for the atrocities to truly begin.
Knowing what the Russian government truly are, the best outcome for Ukrainians in that case is a cultural genocide, with Ukrainian being banned and they'll be forced to learn Russian. This is already the case of territories currently or formerly under occupation.
Let's not forget the last time Ukraine surrendered to Russia, they had 10% of their population genocided in return.
That fucktard believes the earth is 5000 years old.
That's a Protestant thing, not a Catholic thing.
I kick in your front door and kill two of your kids. I then plant mines at the entrances to your living room and kitchen, eat all the food from the refrigerator and shoot at you if you try to come downstairs. You need to end this aggression, it's unseemly and it's getting people hurt. Just cede the living room and the kitchen, you wouldn't want to escalate things. Also I can't help but notice that your basement and upstairs bathroom are looking pretty liberateable.
That's what Israel is demanding from Palestinians since one century
Tell you what popeman, how about you get rid of all the kid rapists in your organization before you give anyone else advice on anything... Ever.
And the hat. The hat's gotta go.
“Leader of a child sex abuse cult says stupid shit.”
That's kinda hard when Russia bombs humanitary corridors, ceasefire equals rearm and regroup and nothing else, and the last diplomatic solution was used as toilet paper to start the current war.
Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov berated Pope Francis for "sticking his nose where it does not belong" and suggesting negotiations. Solovyov said that Russia has no interest in negotiations and does not recognize the Pope as a spiritual leader....so I guess the pope should wave the white flag...
In the meantime, his family is enjoying views from their villa at Como Lake
When the Pope allows all sexual abusers in the Faith be prosecuted and held accountable for their disgusting and morally evil crimes then maybe I'll give a fuck what he has to say about anything. Out of touch old man doesn't get to protect kiddy fiddlers and then try and preach to others.
Fuck the pope. Glad that I already exited the Catholic Church a few years ago...
Exited? Or were you just a youngin at the time?
Most little boys seen to excite the Catholic Church
woops...of course I meant that I exited the church. Here in germany we have to pay something called "church tax" unless you formerly adress that you exit the church. You have to fill out a form, have to go to the town hall, have a little talk with some guy about it and then you are finally good to go.
This, is a real thing? Church,, Tax.
That YOU pay?
Yep, it's automatically collected by the state from your paycheck and given to the church that's on your file.
If you want them not to do that, you have to go to the registry office and have them update your file to "Konfessionslos" which often comes with fee.
The information that you've left is also given to the pastor in your region for some reason who will try to convince you to come back...
Yep
https://youtu.be/JkOHDoEkPW0
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https://piped.video/JkOHDoEkPW0
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
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Isn’t religion suffering from people leaving and no new blood entering for growth? Maybe the Catholic Church can wave the white flag?
Latin America and Sub Sahara Africa and Southeast Asia have seen big upticks in Catholic conversion and Catholic family growth, while in the US and Europe they've been flat or shrinking.
I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that these countries are opposed to the conflict, as continued war in the Ukraine has denied them access to the agricultural production of the region (during a climate-change induced famine, no less). The war itself isn't exactly doing favors to climate metrics, either.
Add in that the primary advocates of the war (the US, the UK, and Germany) have an absolute shit reputation in these regions (West Germany famously continued to send arms to Apartheid South Africa well into the 1980s, the US has completely fucked its relationship with Pakistan in the latest rigged election against a wildly popular prime minister Imran Khan, the UK keeps trying to send all its Ukraine refugees to Rwanda), they aren't overly sympathetic to the Western-backed side in the conflict.
So now enter the Pope, a guy who is forever "anti-war" in the most basic sense of the word and will advocate for a ceasefire in virtually every conflict. Image how much of his constituency is howling at the absolute waste and destruction, partially at their expense, that's driving up food and energy prices globally when they can least afford it.
Is it any surprise he just wants this shit to end already?
Russia waving the white flag would end the war equally as fast
Would it? I've heard more than a few bellicose westerners insist the war can't end until Ukrainians are in Moscow.
Fuck the pope, I mean, pedophile pimp.
Maybe his ring would get a lot of Ukrainian kids human trafficked to them in case of a Russian victory.
What an arsehole .
I didn’t know that the Pope was a tankie!
"Could you please stop defending yourself. And let it happen." - Some guy who likes to cover up child abuse
The Ukrainians should capitulate like the Franks at Poitiers or the Venetians at the Battle of Lepanto, or the Austrians at the Battle of Vienna. Perhaps if the Ukranians were Catholic, the Pope might support their resistance more.
Fuck that pope.
First scaremongering people about "gender ideology", and now shilling for Russia. Is Pope doing some sort of mask off?
Son of a bitch is getting cocky after taking over the US Supreme Court
Let's just take that white flag, add a blue stripe in the middle, and give it to the Russians to raise.
Oh wait, they would go to jail. Well let's help them make the upcoming elections actually fair for once.
Oh wait, that would be the 2020 Belarusian protests all over again. Well let's just simply wait until we get a new Pope. Surely it can't take too long.
So brave
I would have expected Patriarch Kirill to say something like this. But the Pope? Not so much.
Why? The Pope is a PR figurehead and an his words are manufactured by a PR department. If you ever fell for his good guy act, I feel bad for you
There is the historical precedent of the pope supporting the nazis. So this par for course for the Catholic church.
Pope doesn't like Ukrainian autocephaly any more than Kirill.
Pax vobiscum.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Pope Francis has been criticised after saying Ukraine should have the courage of the “white flag” and negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
Some politicians and commentators in Europe reacted with anger after the pontiff appeared to stay silent on Russia’s crimes as aggressor in the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands, and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace.
Dennis Radtke, a German Christian Democrat MEP, said the word “shameful” could be used to describe the pope’s comments.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday by Swiss television, but which the Vatican said was conducted in February, the pontiff urged parties in the Ukraine war to “have the courage to negotiate”, and do so “before things get worse”.
The Vatican’s director of communications, Matteo Bruni, issued a statement seeking to clarify the pope’s words.
He said Francis had used the term white flag “to indicate a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation”.
The original article contains 451 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 64%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Pope doesn't recognize the Autocephaly of the Ukrainian church as much as the Moscow Patriarch doesn't. There isn't a great amount of support coming from the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in Ukraine.
I mean I don't agree with him but he is sticking to his beliefs here. Something something turn the other cheek.
If Putin could he would sack Vatican and abolish catholic church.
Big words for a guy who works for a chair.
I don't like it, but this might be the most actual Christian approach. Jesus preached a lot of pacifism...
what's so fun about the bible is that you can find a quote saying just about anything you like, assuming there even was a jesus, he's also quoted in matthew as:
Jesus the pacifist everybody:
I'm not trying to say Jesus was a pacifist, but all of those quotes are Old Testament, written centuries before Jesus supposedly existed...
I never said the Bible was consistent... It is actually one of the things I find fascinating about the whole thing. How does turn the other cheek square with old testament violence?
I know the easy answer, that it is all just made up, but even so these passages are two thousand years or so old and have been a major part of societies and cultures, which included many great thinkers and theologens more knowledgeable than me or any random person online.
Even if this is all a two thousand year old, self perpetuating delusion, that itself would be fascinating...
People don’t understand how truly humbling that is.
People use different hands to slap different sides of the face, which meant getting smacked with someone’s left hand.
The one they used to wipe themselves
That would honestly be the smart thing to do if they want to stop losing lives.
Nobody expects Ukraine to win except useful idiots on these forums. Every military strategist has said Ukraine is a good investment for the West. They mean it's better for Ukrainians to die fighting Russia than it is for NATO soldiers.
And they're right. The only sad part are those who are duped into believing they have a chance at winning and end up losing their lives in the process.