The Russian General who will bring the war in Ukraine to a close!

It is likely now that Vladimir Putin has finally put the right man in place to bring his Ukraine War to a close, and it is more likely now to be a successful one for Russia. Link: https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...er-gerasimov-why-was-he-appointed-2023-01-12/

The new Russian general running the Ukraine War is Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, and he is a remarkably different kind of military strategist than Russia has had in charge of a major military engagement in a very long time.

He 'thinks outside the box' of old Russian military doctrine which held that you must smash your enemy with direct, headlong assaults, and then use encirclement to finish him off, or drive him back. Hey -- it worked in World War II... right?

But Gerasimov is FAR more complex and multi-faceted than that! His official 'bio' doesn't really provide a great deal of information about what he will, or will not do. And although he's been credited with what one author called, "The Gerasimov Doctrine", he's likely to have developed his über-complex approach to modern warfare a great deal more since its inception almost ten years ago. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerasimov_doctrine#:~:text=The doctrine redefines the modern,and other non-military activities.

Watch this Russian General closely -- if Putin has one 'silver bullet' left in his pistol, it is almost certainly Valery Gerasimov! My prediction: If anyone in Russia can 'win' this war, it will be this man.

 

But according to Girkin.....Gerasimov and Shoigu must be removed by whatever means necessary.

 

"The doctrine calls for a 4:1 ratio of non-military to military action.[citation needed] Gerasimov emphasizes "the importance of controlling the information space and the real-time coordination of all aspects of a campaign, in addition to the use of targeted strikes deep in enemy territory and the destruction of critical civilian as well as military infrastructure." Also he proposes to cloak regular military units in "the disguise of peacekeeper or crisis-management forces."

"Non-military actions

• Formation of coalitions and alliances.
• Political and diplomatic pressure.
• Economic sanctions
• Economic blockade
• Breakdown of diplomatic relations.
• Formation of political opposition.
• Action of opposition forces.
• Conversion of the economy of the country confronting Russia to the military rails.[Clarification needed]
• Finding ways to resolve the conflict.
• Changing the political leadership of the country confronting Russia.
• Implementation of a set of measures to reduce tensions in relations after the change of political leadership.

In addition, the doctrine assumes "information confrontation," without specifying whether these activities are military or non-military.[11]"

This is how the US has been conducting 'warfare' for some decades. I think the Russians are going to find it difficult, given that most of these 'nonmilitary' operations are just a really convulated way of saying 'print money and give it to your enemies until they do what you want.'

 

Another military career about to end in failure.

 

It would be interesting to know what conversations are going on in hidden places among those perched high in the Russian governmental structure. Caveat Putin.

Regards, stay safe 'n well.

 

Sure he'll bring the war to a close - in opposite way intended

 

That checklist is almost to a tee what the West is doing to Russia.

 

'Win' maybe ... If he pulls all the Paruskis out of Ukraine

 

I would agree with you, Pro, if this Russian 'new guy' on the scene was just some old apparatchik toad from 'back in the day', who shows up at May Day parades. No... Gerasimov is different -- although, yes, he, too, may fail.

One German friend of mine who is frequently 'in the know' would agree with you on this. He feels that although Gerasimov has more, uh, mental agility and 'elasticity' than most others in the Russian military, he will fail because, simply put, the Russians don't make enough 'stuff', and the 'stuff' they make isn't good enough -- plus, it isn't transported intelligently or maintained properly. But he does agree with me that the Russians do have one commanding advantage -- that of logistics. Still, Russia had that advantage a year ago, too, and so far it hasn't done them any real or lasting good.

Igor Girkin may be quite correct! He should be! And, indeed, unless Gerasimov is 'in-real-tight' with the Director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, he'll be on very shaky ground anyway. But, if (?) Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, and Bortnikov are 'on the same page', they can make all their problems with recalcitrant Russian military factions "go away" overnight....

 

It doesn't matter who they appoint, because they will lose no matter what. Westmoreland was supposed to be some kind of genius too, but look how it ended with him in Vietnam. Being in charge of an unwinnable war is a career killer.

 

Gerasimov was in Ukraine earlier in the war?? wasn't he?......after a close call with artillery or however....he was outta there quick.

Same with this Dvornikov earlier....where's he at now?

 

You make an interesting point in bringing up Westmoreland. Like a lot of guys of his generation, he may have been some kind of "wunderkind" when it came to understanding how to fight World War II battles, but, as you and I both know, he was an abysmal failure at understanding how to win a war in a part of the world with a history and ethnic composition like that of Southeast Asia.

And, never forget, even though during the Vietnam debacle we were "the mightiest nation on Earth", etc., etc., the North Vietnamese, primitive though they were, still had one commanding advantage -- that of LOGISTICS! And if we take the increasingly-accurate view that this Ukraine war is actually a 'proxy war' between the U. S. and Russia, the Russians -- as comparatively "primitive" as they are, hold an insurmountable advantage in logistics!

It's ~500 miles from Moscow to Kiev.
It's ~5,000 miles from Washington D. C. to Kiev.

 

You make it sound like Ukraine is 100% supplied by US. It's not. They are aided buy 30 countries and they also have their own capabilities. Poland and Checks gave them 230 tanks, and UK is sending more. Germany and Finland are considering sending Leopard tanks.

 

I don't know if he was there, but he was involved in planning the invasion and as we know, it didn't go well.

 

As the Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Valery has been in charge all along. Kind of like firing Kamalah as Border czar and putting Biden in charge instead.

 

In describing the 'proxy war's' leaders, I didn't mean to exclude any of the smaller, less-significant countries, but it would interesting if we could know how many of them would participate in aid to Ukraine, and to what extent, if the United States were not THE most-prominent 'player' in this game. Nevertheless, whether Ukraine's allies number three, or thirty, it does not change the logistics reality of this theater of war.

One suggestion: NOBODY should 'count Putin down and out' until or unless 'Putin is down and GONE!" We in 'the West' have been consistently underestimating this man ever since he came to power well over twenty years ago.

 

As a percentage of GDP, US aid to Ukraine ranks #9 (with 0.23%), but since US economy is so large we are #1 in total dollars.

Why? Poland and many other nations helping them has a border with Ukraine.

 

Well, yeah, that's sort of what I was saying -- that "we (the U. S.) are #1 in total dollars", as you suggest. An army may march on its belly, as the old saying goes, but a nation wages war with its bank account... and there's no doubt that we are Ukraine's "daddy". Remember -- Zelensky didn't go to Berlin and address a joint session of the Bundestag, but he did travel all the way over to the U. S. and address the United States Congress! A bee knows where the flowers are....

 

Yes, he did meet European leaders. Why do you say he didn't?

 

Yeah, he met them... in Kiev. But, Zelensky flew to the United States and addressed a combined assembly of both houses of the Congress last month. He thanked us for SIXTY-FIVE BILLION DOLLARS IN AID (which seems to be largely unaccounted for), and he told Congress that Ukraine expects much more from us, too! I don't know why you're being so 'coy' about this.

I don't care if Zelensky talks Biden into cleaning out our cupboard to the last crumb -- as long as it doesn't affect me personally; besides, I have no love at all for Vladimir Putin, so -- 'brighter minds than mine make these decisions'! Besides, better a 'proxy war' with Russia that's fought in Ukraine than a red-hot fight to the death between us 'big boys'... right?

 

Ah so its about the meeting place. Ok. I don't see the point, but ok.

 

A rat leaving the sinking ship.

Ukraine war: Russia's Wagner Group commander requests Norway asylum

 

I'd be wary....who knows.

 

Yeah, you're right. Zelensky having occasional one-off walkabouts in Kiev with a European premier, chancellor, or president now and again has all the impact and significance as him flying to Washington D. C., appearing with President Biden in a press conference, and later addressing both chambers of the United States Congress. No big deal....

 

Is this guy going to be able to find some socks for the conscripts to wear?

If not, i don't think his great strategic mind is going to do much good.

It doesn't matter how good you are at chess, when you don't have all the pieces.