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Ukraine war: The men who don't want to fight
BBC News ^ | August 22, 2023 | James Waterhouse

Posted on 09/05/2023 2:28:56 PM PDT by Trump20162020

Ukraine is struggling to meet its demand for soldiers.

Volunteers aren't enough. The country constantly needs to replace the tens of thousands who've been killed or injured. Many more are just exhausted, after 18 months fighting off Russia's full-scale invasion.

Some men though don't want to fight. Thousands have left the country, sometimes after bribing officials, and others are finding ways of dodging recruitment officers, who in turn have been accused of increasingly heavy-handed tactics.

"The system is very outdated," says Yehor. He watched his father suffer from mental health issues after fighting with the Soviet Army in Afghanistan.

It's why he doesn't want to fight. He's asked that we don't use his real name to protect his identity.

Typically, before Russia's invasion, men who didn't want to do military service because of their religious beliefs would be offered an alternative - like working in farming or social services.

That choice disappeared with the start of martial law last year, but Yehor thinks it should still be available, regardless of peoples' reasons.

"Each situation is individual," argues Yehor. "The fact it is written in the constitution that all male citizens must fight is, in my opinion, not in line with today's values."

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: jameswaterhouse; russia; ukraine

1 posted on 09/05/2023 2:28:56 PM PDT by Trump20162020
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To: Trump20162020

Only a fraction of the countries that have ever existed would have been worth dying for. Ukraine isn’t one of them.


2 posted on 09/05/2023 2:33:09 PM PDT by rigelkentaurus
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To: Trump20162020

Maybe Zel needs to divert some of the payola to purchase a merchant army.


3 posted on 09/05/2023 2:37:27 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: rigelkentaurus

At this point, what difference does it matter?


4 posted on 09/05/2023 2:38:20 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: rigelkentaurus

At this point, what difference does it matter?


5 posted on 09/05/2023 2:38:20 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Trump20162020

Weird mixed messaging coming from Regime official news sources like the BBC.

This was from two days ago.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66702244

I guess it reflects internal divisions about how to deal with defeat in Ukraine.


6 posted on 09/05/2023 2:43:18 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Paladin2

As the first Challenger (they have been in hiding) lost it’s first challenge, destroyed, it highlights the western wonder weapons are just like any other piece of hardware, very expensive losses, Bradleys, Strykers, M113, MRAPS ….in huge numbers.

The world is watching, hopefully those countries shopping around for equipment opt against high priced western arms thus slowing down our defense industries profits.

That said, the Brits “ undefeated” Challenger II has now been defeated- by Russians. The world is watching.


7 posted on 09/05/2023 3:17:12 PM PDT by delta7
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To: delta7

Next up, US M1’s….followed by western F-16’s. Vlad continues to successfully hunt down and destroy all western welfare weapons….with a vengeance.


8 posted on 09/05/2023 3:23:56 PM PDT by delta7
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To: delta7

“Into the guns, dear Ukies! Into the guns once more, For Vlod and his newest real estate acquisition!!”


9 posted on 09/05/2023 3:47:17 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Trump20162020

500,000 casualties. A generation lost!


10 posted on 09/05/2023 3:57:13 PM PDT by Parmy
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To: Trump20162020

Not every man wants to fight.....

Ray Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3rAPb3EMUk


11 posted on 09/05/2023 4:06:00 PM PDT by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: Trump20162020

A million men left the country. And Ukraine has been forcing conscription since the war began. And there are not tens of thousands dead. There are hundreds of thousands dead. The only real truth to this article is that Ukraine has run out of men. They have conscripted all they can. Now they are going after whatever is left.


12 posted on 09/05/2023 4:09:18 PM PDT by poinq
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To: Trump20162020

If Joe Biden cared about Ukraine, he would immediately conscript the Children, Grand Children. Nieces and Nephews between the age of 17-35 of EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN AMERICA and send them to the Front Lines in Ukraine. It would be over in hours.


13 posted on 09/05/2023 4:34:14 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Trump20162020

Reasonable to resist forced suicide.

NATO should stop sending Ukrainians into battle when there is no path to victory.

Discover a path to victory then resume fighting. If there is no path to victory by force then initiate a ceasefire and start peace talks.


14 posted on 09/05/2023 4:40:21 PM PDT by 13foxtrot
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To: Trump20162020

I’m shocked that Tapioca Joe isn’t pressuring them to send their women into combat in the guise of equal rights.


15 posted on 09/05/2023 4:51:47 PM PDT by rfreedom4u ("You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas")
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To: Trump20162020

Wouldn’t it have been easier to let Donbas secede without killing them?


16 posted on 09/05/2023 5:10:56 PM PDT by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: Jan_Sobieski

Ya think?


17 posted on 09/05/2023 5:15:02 PM PDT by MarMema (Eat your bananas, enjoy the decline)
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To: 13foxtrot

Discover a path to victory then resume fighting. If there is no path to victory by force then initiate a ceasefire and start peace talks.

Ukraine has secured its independence. All that is left now is settling where the border shall be.


18 posted on 09/05/2023 5:59:18 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: Trump20162020

You’d have to be insane to fight for Zelensky’s dictatorship.


19 posted on 09/05/2023 9:44:02 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (America Owes Anita Bryant An Enormous Apology)
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To: rigelkentaurus
Re: Only a fraction of the countries that have ever existed would have been worth dying for. Ukraine isn’t one of them.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Nevertheless, three years after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia signed an agreement with Ukraine known as The Budapst Memorandum on Security Assurances. China and France gave somewhat weaker individual assurances in separate documents.

According to this agreement, Ukraine's security and soveriegnty were to be guaranteed if Ukraine gave up her nuclear weapons. Until Ukraine gave up the Soviet nuclear weapons stationed on its soil, it had the world's third-largest nuclear weapons stockpile,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum

20 posted on 09/17/2023 8:30:41 PM PDT by Sons of Union Vets (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory!)
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