Russian Federation is RSFSR left intact with its borders and regional partition.

Crushing parliament with tanks in 1993 left the country without any checks to presidential power.

Yeltsin constitution gave enormous power to president. For example he can introduce general attorney (the only one who can open investigation on president). Or judges of supreme and costitutional courts (that can introduce changes to constitution itself). Once you've got a puppet parliament, you're free to go, unchecked power.

All regions besides Moscow (or hyper loyal enclaves like Chechnya) are ruled by capital as colonies.

It's evident not only in Russian regions but also occupied territories of Ukraine and Crimea. The assets are quickly divided between Moscow, Chechen and local gangs. Dissent is crushed and voices are forever silenced.

The USSR should've been broken up until a number of sustainably small republics left. Let Islamic regions go that themselves wanted out (and Russians wanted and still want them out as well) and which resulted in bloody wars on Caucausus.

What actually happened is a quiet takeover by party apparatchiks. The "dissolution" of USSR was performed by three major communist party members so that most important asset Russia (de facto RSFSR left intact) was not broken up.

The power was still centralized in Kremlin as well. The first and last actually elected parliament (elected back under Gorbachev) was crushed in 1993 by Kremlin.

KGB was allowed to regroup as FSB, hide a lot of crimes and then run for power in 1999.

They don’t need sophisticated weaponry or artillery. Just a slow push until the opponent is exhausted.

Losses are irrelevant: they can always be hidden or denied because you control media.

“No sparing soldiers, women will give birth to more of them!”

They then retreated to the House of Unions where pro-Russian opposition was based. Basically taking them as hostages.

The house was set on fire and multiple people died a horrific death.

While immensely tragic, don’t “both sides” this and spread Russian propaganda. The skirmishes were all captured on long live streams.

Afterwards Russian TV used it to further spread anti-Ukrainian hatred.

Feels like Europeans (namely Germany and France) will provide as little weapons as possible to exhaust Ukrainians so they get tired and surrender themselves.

Once Ukrainian public is ready, Biden will pressure Zelinsky. Biden has already said “we told him but he didn’t want to listen” hinting that he can throw Zelinsky under the bus if he doesn’t behave.

Surrender (“peace”) would be an awful option for Ukraine because Putin will regroup and in a couple of years launch a new assault on the remaining part of the country.

There won’t be mercy from him, judging by executions on occupied territory.

Besides that soldiers send a lot of stolen goods back home. There was an infamous video from the office of a transport company with dozens of soldiers sending loot like washing machines.

A year of slow territorial gains? Two? More? Not a problem as long as economy is propped by European money, Germans don’t bother sending enough weapons and Western media is tired of war and looks elsewhere.

People routinely disappear, being put in the basement (na podval), tortured for smallest reasons.

Drafts when people are being used a cannon fodder.

It’s a disgrace what Putin’s people turned this place into over 8 years.

Same or worse fate awaits newly occupied territories too.

Save for Netflix not working anymore, life in Moscow is even better than pre-war.

Europeans drag their feet on arming Ukraine and pressure it to surrender (“peace”).

The reason is gas and fear of refugee influx to Europe from hunger in Africa.

Plus Germans paying Russia billions for gas beats any arms supplies possible. And they will not stop doing it.

Germans finance his war efforts with billions of euros and drag their feet on arming Ukraine.

Europeans generally pressure Ukraine to surrender.

Why risk it? Just wait, time is on his side.

Putin has too many points to cause pain for European politicians.

For example grain shortage caused by his naval operations will cause hunger in North Africa. Revolts and refugee influx to Europe will follow.

It’s enough for Europeans to put pressure on Ukraine to surrender. If it doesn’t they will spoon-feed it arms so it will surrender by fall.