This is a heated debate between one of the biggest names on X, and one of the largest YouTube war commentators. On one side: @jacksonhinkle argues Ukraine has no eternal right to exist as a state and the territories should follow the will of the people who voted to join Russia. On the other: Artem, known as “The Russian Dude,” insist the referendums were a sham, Putin wants to take more land, and Ukraine needs guarantees or Russia will invade again. They clashed over: * Whether Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were “liberated” or taken at gunpoint * If the 2014 Maidan revolution was a Western-backed coup or a legitimate uprising * Why Putin rejected Trump’s 28-point peace plan and insists Zelensky isn’t even legally president * Whether Ukraine should have 600,000 troops, 800,000 troops, or zero troops, as Jackson argues * How both Russia and Ukraine are dragging civilians off the streets and into trenches * Whether Russia’s war machine is running out of money or quietly expanding * And if a deal is even possible when Russia is advancing and Ukraine’s support is fading At one point Jackson declared Ukraine should have no army at all. Artem fired back that Putin would roll straight to Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, even Lviv if nothing stops him. 01:16 – Trump’s peace plan introduced with Donetsk and Lugansk as the sticking point 02:38 – Jackson says Putin rejected the deal and Zelensky’s term is unconstitutional 03:49 – Russia’s legal claim on territory and seizing $100B in assets 05:56 – Artem warns full integration opens the door for China–Taiwan parallels 08:28 – Jackson says people chose their future and referendums were legitimate 11:19 – Artem says recent referendums were a joke under military intimidation 13:44 – Debate over troop caps, security guarantees, and demilitarization 16:12 – Jackson says Ukraine should have zero troops and calls SBU a criminal state 21:20 – Artem says Ukraine needs an army to avoid a future invasion 24:13 – Tragic accounts of conscripted Ukrainian civilians sent to fight 25:47 – Jackson says Ukraine’s conscription is worse and Russia has 40–50k volunteers 33:04 – Artem says Russia’s economy is struggling while contractors get rich 38:53 – Jackson says US-backed paramilitaries pressured Zelensky and peace has zero chance 42:11 – Western support fading and Mariupol the only city being rebuilt 54:33 – Artem says war widows buying homes with death benefits are driving prices up 56:03 – Conclusion
