Rob

What sort of weapons can you use to defend territory?

Are we talking like landmines or things that prevent vehicles from traveling?

That's right.

So as I understand it, over the last three years, four years, despite a lot of fighting, there's been relatively little territory exchanged given the amount that's been going on.

In a sense, the technological equilibrium or the military equilibrium is quite advantageous for someone who's defending territory.

I don't know the specific details.

But if that is generally the case...

Could it be the case that during the ceasefire, if we do supply an enormous amount of defensive equipment to Ukraine, that they could bolster whatever frontiers they end up on such that it just would become like... I mean, I heard that one reason why it was difficult for Ukraine to reclaim territory was that basically Russia put up landmines everywhere.

They just made it incredibly difficult to reclaim space.

It's just like you lose so many staff, it takes so long.

Can Ukraine basically use that strategy to their advantage, making the ceasefire?

They would worry about Russia rearming, but they could defensively arm even more effectively.

Effectively.

Yeah.

I mean, some, including Ukraine, I guess they would like a security guarantee that is a security guarantee of the form that NATO will come to its defense with its own troops and things if Russia invades again.

Of course, that's extremely precarious.

commitment to make i guess obviously is like potentially not very credible to russia because like do we are we actually committed to doing that would we be willing to accept the cost of of war with russia and because of that i guess it's very risky because like they will potentially pull our bluff and then maybe maybe you know in the 3 a.m phone call we will join and we'll end up with world war three as a result do you think there is like any room for this kind of security guarantee or do we just kind of have to give up on that approach

So what's the motive on each side to accept a ceasefire?

I guess you're saying, you know, on the Russian side, they feel like time is on their side.

I mean, I guess above and beyond the fact that they've like been gradually reclaiming territory and rate their prospects to gain more territory this year.