The Russian commander of the “Vostok” Battalion fighting in southern Ukraine said on Thursday that Ukraine will not be defeated and suggested that Russia freeze the war along current frontlines.

Alexander Khodakovsky made the candid concession yesterday on his Telegram channel after Russian forces, including his own troops, were devastatingly defeated by Ukrainian marines earlier this week at Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk regional border area.

“Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no,” Khodakovsky, a former official of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said yesterday.

“When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the [Ukrainians], turning everything into [destroyed] Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities,” he said.

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

More territory is good, if the opportunity would present itself this would make China stronger. They also don't want another Xinjiang they have to genocide, though, so I imagine they wouldn't actually annex much. Maybe just take back the old Qing cities and puppet the rest.

[–] GaveUp@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Like actual material evidence that China would want to do it and not just fantasy theory crafting in your mind

This is pure projection on what you'd do if you ran a country

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They fight over territory with India all the time. And some of their other neighbors too, I think.

If I ran China, I'd make nice with the West, accept immigrants, put in a low wealth cap and expand the size and scope of their basic income. I would get executed by a coup early in the processes. The guys that do run China are allowed to do so because they feed nationalist, protectionist ideas that actually appeal to both the masses and the elite. So yeah, if it advances China's position with low risks, they'll probably do it.

PS before anyone comes at me for being dictator of China, that was specified in the scenario.

[–] GaveUp@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yea cause colonial era borders drawn by the British are dumb and only colonizers would respect those

Did China used to own all of the Russia empire?

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

All borders are made up.

Northern borders were not defined in ancient times, but Vladivostok at least was theirs.