>>17141679Here's some insight for you from someone behind the iron curtain:
You 'fought' Taliban for 20 years because Taliban wanted you to stay.
They had no interest in decisive victory, they loved being the center of attention of American military, especially their leaders. All the white men in tacticool military uniform patroling their country? Sending billions of dollars to their land? They liked that.
When Biden, as newly elected POTUS, got briefed as to why the US troops had stayed in the Afghanistan all these years, he became furious. He ordered the immediate withdrawal.
Same thing with Russia. America supplied Ukraine with it's own equipment, and now Ukrainians look not like post-soviet hobos, but like real men. Fighting almost-NATO country, but without actual NATO intervention? That was Russian militaries dream.
Especially close combat warfare in Bakhmut.
Thousands of Russian men sign up as volunteers just to have a chance of seeing western volunteer fully dressed into NATO gear.
