How many Western coordinated and sourced troops would it take to defeat Russia in Ukraine et al., if Putin responded by fully mobilizing? Serious question. I’m guessing we’d take out their oil fields and ability to transport or sell any, and their refineries, train lines,bridges, power plants, ruin their food crops, destroy their factories, and impose a complete naval blockade and no fly zone over them.
They could threaten to nuke us, yes. So?
Getting towards put up or shut up time.
We are ALL in harms way here over this war and our chosen allegiances. For whatever reasons, NATO has decided to take a stand here. They won’t let Ukraine lose without dragging us all down. With them.
How many Western coordinated and sourced troops would it take to defeat Russia in Ukraine et al., if Putin responded by fully mobilizing? Serious question.
If Russia activates its ready reserves, they have 2M trained troops. Dunno how many troops would be sent by other nations. If U.S. does not go in, nobody else goes in. If U.S. does go in, I am not that optimistic about the level of Euro participation. If they go in, their country gets bombed. We have a very large buffer zone.
Also to be considered is if China comes in, or just overwhelms Taiwan.
I should think over a million men are needed for ground warfare. We would need a massive draft, or enormous Euro participation.
Also to be considered is the logistics. Supply ships would be targeted by submarines and missiles. Anything we supply has to travel thousands of miles to get there.
I’m guessing we’d take out their oil fields and ability to transport or sell any, and their refineries, train lines,bridges, power plants, ruin their food crops, destroy their factories, and impose a complete naval blockade and no fly zone over them.
I view a naval blockade or no fly zone as non-starters. The navy would just be sunk by missiles. They can't even stop the Houthis by the Suez canal.
Air ops need a place to land. Any country which volunteers automatically becomes a party to the war. I doubt any leader has political leader has popular support for that. Aircraft carriers are now targets for missiles or drone swarms. Airial drones won't sink a carrier, but a few hit the flight deck and takeoffs and landings cease for while. Ukraine has proved that the Russian air defense systems are no joke. There will be no flying the friendly skies.
They could threaten to nuke us, yes.
They have already stated that if a NATO nation comes in, they will consider it an existential threat. That politely says they could legally initiate use of nukes in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict. I expect they would start with tactical nukes.
I think it is too late to save the Ukrainian military. The Russians are on a roll and I doubt the Ukrainians can stop them. The Russians are bringing overwhelming force against outmanned, outgunned, exhausted troops.
I do not see national support anywhere to FAFO. There is so much firepower that nobody really wins if it goes nuclear. The game of Chicken with Zelensky announcing that Ukraine had been approved for entry into NATO went so well, someone thinks it is a good idea to up the stakes to nuclear war and try it again.
If we did all that to Russia... Then we would have to go rebuild it. Let’s just stay home.