No no. If you read between the lines, they didn't explicitly say no. They only insinuated he hasn't met the criteria under international law yet... But they do acknowledge the assholery.
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Ukraine displaying the moral high ground.

“I’m condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else’s future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see.”
"I'm not going to live there. There's no place for me there, any more than there is for you. Malcolm, I'm a monster. What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done."
My anger, my ego, my unwillingness to yield, my eagerness to fight, they’ve set me on a path from which there is no escape. I yearned to be a savior against injustice without contemplating the cost and by the time I looked down there was no longer any ground beneath my feet. What is my sacrifice?
I’m a a terrible example of what humanity could be. I live what I have to in the reality of what “humanity” is right now while recognizing what we could be. We’re an exceptional byproduct of the pressure our environment pushed us to.
Remind me again how many random civilians have been killed in Ukraine by Russian missiles? How many Palestinian children have been shot in the face by the IDF? How many people in the US are either rounded up and disappeared or just gunned down by the cops daily? Your moral high ground and promises to “hold those responsible accountable” in some future trial that will lead to a sense of “justice” doesn’t mean shit to the people who are dead at the hands of aggressors who give no fucks about morality in the here and now. Every one of us that lets this go on daily because we follow the “rules” our enemy disregards is as steeped in the blood of their victims as they are. They don’t require justification for their actions, they just take advantage of our hesitation and debates over whether we should meet them with equal force.
As an American, I know that every day someone around me is having their life ruined or ended by people I could have stopped. Not broadly, but one on one I have the capacity to end their intent to harm before they harm someone else. Big picture that’s not going to change much, I’d likely be ended or removed from society for my efforts and there’s no guarantee the harm to the person I tried to protect keeps them from harm by those same forces indefinitely. Ending state sanctioned brutality requires state level mobilization of forces willing to oppose that. And then, yeah, it’s a meat grinder of attrition, destruction, and innocent lives in the crossfire until, hopefully, the aggressor capitulates. Then whoever is left does their best to rebuild and learn from the lesson.
You live in a country that has long lived on the border of a ferociously aggressive neighbor and bled to maintain its independence. I live in one that was once the underdog, tore itself apart over the debate about human rights, and has gone on to be both anti-fascist and fascist af. Diplomacy and trying to limit the fallout of full scale war is great, but eventually there’s opponents who have the power, have the resources, and have the support that will only be stopped when enough people lace up their boots, accept their terms, and say “no”.
I read what I thought was a pretty solid review on the current situation. European leaders seem to be holding off on hard lines because, like many Americans, they keep hoping the next election cycle will put a comfortable, familiar ally back in command of the US’ resources. Nobody wants to fight Russia in a full out war, their oligarchs are willing to bleed their nation dry through attrition and worst case they go scorched earth.
But I’m telling you as an American, whatever we were to Europe in the 20th century, whatever right side of history we were on, whatever armies we could muster or nuclear holocaust we could stave off because of mutually assured destruction; we are not that nation anymore and we are not an ally that any European should think will be anytime soon. We are either going to continue to collapse until we’re our own version of Russia, a cabal of oligarchs propping up a strongman and sowing misery internally and abroad that no one stands up to, or we’re going to rip ourselves apart again in a bloody spectacle that the rest of the world sits back and watches in horror. We ain’t voting our way out of this, no outside force is going to aid us, and we’re either going to abide our decline or die trying to stop it.
Ukraine is getting pummeled regardless, and it’s not going to stop until Russia either gets checked or turns on itself, and I don’t think the latter is going to happen. You guys need to be planning for what to do when Trumpism drops cosplay fascism and the US openly embraces what we all know it already is. China knows, why do you think they’re so quiet and patient while the western powers flex where they can and dilly-dallies on how they respond to each others disregard for established etiquette?
It’s pretty shitty over here because it’s a slow boil. It feels like Trump has cranked up the speed but we’ve been heading this way a while, and it’s been so normalized that every escalation isn’t a surprise, we as individuals who are disgusted by it are really powerless to do anything about it because our institutions are corrupt and between the cops, the courts, and our hateful neighbors, a one person stand against the injustice isn’t going to achieve anything. It like you pointed out with Russia, unless it starts breaking at a state to state level, there’s not much that can be done to break the federal power. We’re far too big, far too populous, far too resource rich, far too isolated, far too powerful and important to the current global economy to ignore, and the people in power know that so they just keep doing as they please.
I’m hopeful that our midterms this fall will be the breaking point, the final straw that removes all doubt for both foreign and domestic leaders to recognize America is cooked because they’re going to rig this election as a trial run to ensure they’ve got it sealed to rig the next presidential election. Boycotting our products and encouraging your leaders to withdraw from trade with us is working, the cost of living and the quality of life most of us working class folks enjoyed is skyrocketing and hurting us. But that’s what it takes. Make our privileges suffer and hopefully it’ll turn into enough discontent that eventually manifests as a revolt. I have a slight hope for us. For all our acceptance of populist tyranny our self-mythos of rugged individuality, self-determination, glorification of violence, and personal gun collections is bound to come to a climax at some point. That’s the difference between us and Russia, I really hope for our sake and the world’s sake we don’t end up like that.
Can't we make just this one exception? It would be a net good for humanity!
Ahh come on guys. Cant we just drone strike them a little bit.
What if he was just standing near someone who was a legitimate target. You know like the training officer. Or a particularly offensive piece of foliage. Something like that.
That definitely looks like an invasive species of flora he's standing near...
Would be doing them a favor, really.
My classmate got killed by Ukraine like this. My colleague was killed by a Russian drone. I know that people like to laugh and this is a soulless trashcan of the internet but you should know that you've touched something in me and I hate you.
I don't see how it's supposed to be my fault that Russia started a war.
It's not your fault. Your fault is ignorance that is cured with experiencing a war at close.
I have no idea what your problem is. I didn't start the war (obviously), I don't think it should be continuing, I don't revel in anyone's death on either side, and I have nothing to do with your friends death.
What exactly is it that you're upset with me about?
"People I know were involved in an illegal war, supported by no one, and chose to engage in it and I'm upset they were killed as a result of participation in a illegal war"
I'm sure the innocent people in Ukraine murdered by your country are just as upset. Except they didn't do anything but get bombed by you.
People I know were involved in an illegal war, supported by no one, and chose to engage in it and I'm upset they were killed as a result of participation in a illegal war
That's a strange way to put it. The person I was talking about was a civilian and you're turning it as if he was a soldier.
No, he tried to profit from the war, like everyone else. Does it make him a bad person? Probably. Does it make his murder justified? Barely
What a shitty fucking anti-human stance you believe in. In the USA (Where I am not from) they don't have healthcare. So when an 8 year old boy is diagnosed with cancer people make Go Fund Me accounts, sell their belonings, and try and go into massive debt to fund the cancer treatment. And this is heavily leaned into a "Feel good story". "Neighbours come together to raise $30,000 for 8 year old with cancer" is such a dystopian headline when that cancer coverage should be fucking free.
But you show up here, on Lemmy of all places, and think civilians trying to not get killed my unmanned drones are a feel good story because they're making the best of a bad situation, when they shouldn't be in that bad situation in the first place if you and people like you weren't stoking off Russia and being okay with civilians being killed.
I'm gonna just straight up say it.
You're a piece of shit human being.
I'm sure the innocent people in Ukraine
TBH I get along with Ukrainians much better than with so called "Ukraine supporters".
Like really, I remember having a job interview with a person in Kiev and him joking about "mopeds" (drones in 2023) have been interrupting the whole interview process.
Almost like life in war becomes accustomed. I believe no one should have to get used to war.
Maybe that's the difference between us. You're fine with innocent people getting killed in illegal wars. I'm not. Innocent people shouldn't be killed in ANY war. According to you innocent people dying is A-Okay.
That's probably why you don't get along with Anti-War activists... They don't agree with you that innocent people dying in war is okay.
My classmate got killed by Ukraine like this. My colleague was killed by a Russian drone. I know that people like to laugh and this is a soulless trashcan of the internet but you should know that you’ve touched something in me and I hate you.
Wait, you have a classmate that was in the russian invasion and killed by Ukraine? And then another colleague killed by russia? Assuming that they where fighting russia at the time, or where they just collateral?
No one here (that I know of) is belittling the loss of life this stupid conflict has caused, but other then be angry at russia for invading another nation what are you expecting? Silence over the deaths?
you have a classmate that was in the russian invasion and killed by Ukraine?
He's a civilian doctor who went to work in the "new territories" (occupied ones) . Not the best decisions of his, but still he wasn't a combatant. Propaganda loves to paint people in colors, I don't expect you to understand.
Assuming that they where fighting russia at the time, or where they just collateral?
The colleague was a girl I started to work with just after I left Russia. She went to Lvov (Lviv) to visit parents but then decided to Kiev. Again, not the best decision of her, but this one I expect you to understand.
I'm not trying to change things here. I know this is a shithole, but then I just have an urge to show that this kind of jokes (haha collateral damage) feel different when you are Russian even 4 years into the conflict, worse with Ukrainians.
War sucks, and I don't know where you're from, but ideally it should stop so fewer people have to die like this. However, if your classmate was that close to a legitimate target, I'm assuming they're aiding Russia too, even if that's just working at an oil port or something.
They didn't need to die, but everyone in Russia who's not pushing back against this invasion is culpable in the death. If this is you, I hope you're making noise at least to make them stop invading another country.
At this point, I just want to say two things
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"legitimate target" is a dog whistle for commiting a war crime. You are describing one.
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Please wake up. You're filled with propaganda just as my folks who initially supported the war. Assuming you are not from Ukraine, I want to just recommend you stop watching war related content in social media. This thing poisons how you think and feel the world.
"legitimate target" is a dog whistle for commiting a war crime. You are describing one.
What? Do you live in a world where there aren't legitimate targets? A legitimate target is, for example, and piece of military hardware. Something that isn't is, for example, a water treatment facility.
Please wake up. You're filled with propaganda just as my folks who initially supported the war. Assuming you are not from Ukraine, I want to just recommend you stop watching war related content in social media. This thing poisons how you think and feel the world.
So should Russia just be allowed to have it? No. Fuck off. I don't vibe with appeasement. It didn't work with Nazi Germany before WWII and it won't work for Russia. If they get Ukraine then they'll keep going. They've already threatened other nearby countries.
If you don't like the war, tell the invader to stop fucking invading. Don't tell the defender to stop defending their home. Your friend died because people like you exist. It's your fault and their blood is on your hands, as is every other Russian who has died just to sate Putin's appitate for building a legacy. He doesn't give a shit about you, and this invasion only hurts you. Grow up.
Hey bud,
I only hope that one day you'll stop justifying war crimes. I understand that it is easy for you to say, sitting somewhere in the US and chanting things like that, but man it is sick. You act like a football fan.
Again, what do you want them to do? Should Russia be allowed to just have it? Russia is literally bombing civilian housing, which Ukraine isn't doing. They're the invader. Letting them have their way supports war crimes because it shows they are beneficial.
If Nazi Germany was stopped when they first started invading other nations, we probably wouldn't have had WWII. The same can be said here. Hell, they should have been stopped after the first invasion of Crimea, or even Chechnya, or maybe Georgia, especially after the genocide.
I'm against war crimes. That's why I'm against nations invading other sovereign states. I hope one day you'll stop justyfing them by siding with invaders while your countrymen are slaughtered. Ukraine stopping fighting back doesn't stop war crimes. It only gives Russia what they want and then they'll continue to commit war crimes somewhere else (assuming they don't commit another genocide right there too). If you're against war crimes, you stand against invaders.
Again, what do you want them to do? Should Russia be allowed to just have it?
That's absolutely his stance. He feels like Russia should own and occupy Ukraine.
And he says we're filled with propaganda.
That's absolutely his stance
No, it is not
Then what do you think should happen?! What is the best possible outcome, in your opinion?
We had a pretty good experience exiting WWI. Something like that, but without the civil war
I don't think the exit of WWI happens the same way without a revolution. Just like today, the war was pushed by a few elites; one in particular. They thought they could bring the people together by making them fight a war, but mounting losses, and increasingly bad situations for the common people (not the ruler) led to the people standing up and removing them. This then allowed them to exit the war (notably, in relation to this event, giving up Ukraine too).
If you want an exit like WWI, you have to stop telling people not to support Ukraine. You need to tell Putin to fuck off and stop him. Things only get worse for the common people as long as he continues to want to make a legacy.
The people need to decide that they've suffered enough, while he shelters in his palaces and lives the life of royalty. Ukraine is on your side on this. You just need to figure out that the Putin regime is not doing what's best for the people. He's an emperor who wants to make a legacy, just as the emperors before did. He needs to be removed, as the emperors before were.
Should Russia be allowed to just have it?
You are not in the position of deciding it. You're just arguing on the internet.
If you're against war crimes, you stand against invaders.
If you are against war crimes, you don't argue about when they are justified, but most importantly you do not commit them. Simple as that.
You are not in the position of deciding it. You're just arguing on the internet.
No shit dude. You're telling me not to do this. Give me your reason. Do you just not want to tell me what you want for some reason? You're saying that I must stop voicing my support for the defenders of an invasion, and you must have a reason for that.
If you are against war crimes, you don't argue about when they are justified, but most importantly you do not commit them. Simple as that.
Yeah, and Ukraine isn't really committing many, if any. It's inevitable that some war crime adjacent things happen in any war, but most of what makes it a crime is intent. For example, if a drone is shot down or jammed and crashes into civilian infrastructure, that's not a war crime because it wasn't intentional. Russia is literally sending drones to bomb apartments in Ukraine. That's a war crime.
I want Ukraine to defeat Russia to show that committing war crimes and invading other nations is not beneficial. I want pieces of shit like you, who use their friends deaths as a cudgel to argue against Ukraine support to suffer. Your friends probably didn't intend to die, assuming they're real, so you can argue in favor of supporting daddy Putin's legacy building. They probably didn't want to be fodder for some dying weak old man's prestige. This is what you make of them though. That's how much you value them. If you really cared about them you'd try to stop the invaders so people can stop dying for the sake of a man who doesn't care if you exist.
I want Ukraine to defeat Russia
the war for you is really a football match. Think about it
You keep saying that because you can't justify your stance, because it's fucked up. It's as much a football match for me as the outcome of WWII is. The Nazis were disgusting and evil, and them winning would have been a horrible outcome for the entire world. Russia has already proven they'll continue to attack other nations if they can, and they've also proven they're willing to commit genocides. Putin needs to be stopped.
I'm sorry on their behalf. Thank you for providing a viewpoint of someone who's affected by this; we all need to keep in mind that war is not a good thing.
Wait, since when does international law matter with regard to drone strikes? I could cite dozens of drone strikes by the Trump administration that clearly violated international law and they didn't even make a ripple in any court system anywhere?
Ukraine's support from other countries relies heavily on them having and maintaining the moral high ground.
Which makes them winning (sadly slowly, but still doing it) so much more impressive. They're fighting an invasion of their country where the enemy has no moral obligations but they themselves need to be real fucking careful about what they do, even for stuff within their country. As far as I know they have only attacked Russian infrastructure and military sites with reason within Russian borders. Meanwhile Russia have bombed and shot at hospitals, apartment buildings, kindergartens, shopping malls with people standing in line to get the little produce available etc. But they're still beating them. It's slow and it fucking sucks so much how much they have lost, but they're still doing it.
Well Ukraine ain't the US
"Less blatantly unethical than the US" is not that high a bar, to be fair.
The Trump administration, the Biden administration, the Obama administration, the Bush administration.. You get the picture.
It's more like guidelines than laws. Ukraine breaks them at times when they double tap soldiers for example, but drone warfare makes it difficult to take pows. I'm on team Ukraine and it's not the Tate brothers that would get an outcry from me in any case.
First Geneva Convention says you can't kill soldiers who are out of battle due to injuries or sickness, that much is true. I haven't heard of these "double taps" before so I don't know the circumstances but I wanted to point out that killing an injured soldier who have not yet decided to stop fighting is seemingly allowed.
I've seen a few video where they drop a grenade on someone that's clearly been knocked unconscious, as well as some where the person has given up. I've seen one where they let the person walk to the front line and give himself up as well.
I think most drone squads operate close or behind enemy lines and from a fair distance from the actual drone. You can't really take prisoners in those kinds of situation in most cases.
we see all your tags and we get it
Ooooh this is how you die from robot bees
Being a child trafficker should be punishable by death
America would lose half the presidential administration.
Which is fine by me, BTW.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been convicted yet
I don’t know anything about the account but linking the original post https://x.com/usf_army/status/2064682581057011886
Will those idiots actually enter combat? Will they get sent there against their will? Is there some chance they'll just become more meat for the grinder?
Here's to hoping.
That hasn't stopped the united States for some time now


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