Russia - Ukraine

[SithZedi]

I offer you this to read from the top to the bottom. Don't skim it but take it all in:

Republicans Inflate Cost of Taliban-Seized U.S. Military Equipment - FactCheck.org

Thanks for that. Will do so...

 

[Trell]

Russia has invaded Ukraine:

>>>
Missiles struck across Ukraine, including the capital of Kyiv, early Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the most dangerous phase of his eight-year war.

Witnesses and reporters heard blasts from Kharkiv in the east to Kyiv in the north to Odessa in the south, signaling Russian’s sights are set far beyond the Donbas region. CNN quoted a Ukrainian government official who said the attack has already led to hundreds of casualties, a figure POLITICO could not immediately verify.

The actions followed Putin’s announcement of a “special military operation” against Ukraine, during which he falsely claimed that two Moscow-backed breakaway regions inside Ukraine were under attack by Kyiv’s forces.

Putin declared: “I have declared a special military operation” for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.”
<<<

Russia attacks Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Missile strikes followed.

www.politico.com

 

[haraldo]

 

[TLS Guy]

I have been watching these events unfold since the Russian mobilization with great trepidation. The events are so similar to 1914 and 1939. I fear the first skirmishes of WW III may have begun.

If the Russians make short work of Ukraine, which I fear they will, Putin will be emboldened.

If Russia then attacks any NATO country, which I fear is more than possible and probably likely, then the western powers will be forced to inform the Russians, that a state of war exists between us. Those were the fateful words uttered by Neville Chamberlain, after Hitler did not retreat from Poland, his voracious apatite not having been assuaged by his annexation of Czechoslovakia. I fear Putin is hungry for the Baltic states, and just may be Poland.

The time for mobilization is NOW. We need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. History tells us there is not a moment to loose.

The other danger in all this is a Russo/Chinese alliance or detent. The Chinese have been salivating to swallow Taiwan for some time now. If the Russians are not resisted, then China will be emboldened. We can not in any way tolerate the annexation of Taiwan.

Getting back to audio matters, look after your gear with great care. Sanctions against China could happen with swiftness. That would certainly upset a lot of supply chains.

History tells us that in times like these a lot of cards can fall in quick succession.

I fear these are dark times.

 

[Dude#1279435]

MSN

• Trump has continued to laud Vladimir Putin, even as an impending invasion of Ukraine looms.
• Trump released a statement on Twitter, saying Putin was "playing Biden like a drum."
• The former president was also filmed at a Mar-a-Lago event calling Putin "pretty smart" for taking over Ukraine for "$2 worth of sanctions."

Former President Donald Trump has continued to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as a full-scale attack on Ukraine looms.

"Putin is playing Biden like a drum. It is not a pretty thing to watch!" said Trump in a statement released on Wednesday over Twitter via his spokeswoman Liz Harrington.

Video of the former president at an event at Mar-a-Lago surfaced Wednesday night, where he appeared to complain about how he was criticized for his comments on Putin. Trump on Tuesday lauded Putin's justification for invading Ukraine as "savvy" and "genius."

"'Trump said Putin's smart.' I mean, he's taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I'd say that's pretty smart," Trump said. "He's taking over a country, literally, a vast, vast, location, a great piece of land with a lot of people, and just walking right in."

It is unclear when the video at Mar-a-Lago was taken, and representatives for the former president did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Russia is now poised to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, per Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken told NBC Nightly News that he could not put a date or time on when it would happen, but said that Russian troops are now ready to move into Ukraine from positions along the country's borders to the north, east, and south.
Ukraine has also declared a state of emergency in response to Russia's troop movement, and the country's parliament has passed a law allowing its citizens to carry firearms.

Read the original article on Business Insider

 

[John Parks]

Video: Reporter Asks “What Happened?” After Pointing Out Biden Promised To Stop Putin’s Threats 2 YEARS AGO

Asks “Why do you guys think that sanctions are going to stop Putin?

summit.news

 

[Trell]

Video: Reporter Asks “What Happened?” After Pointing Out Biden Promised To Stop Putin’s Threats 2 YEARS AGO

Asks “Why do you guys think that sanctions are going to stop Putin?

summit.news

Found the stooge for Russian aggression.

 

[GO-NAD!]

You are right the previous administration made a deal with the Taliban. The Taliban deal was part of their strategy to lower the US footprint in the region as much as possible and as orderly as possible. It was done in multiple parts in coordination with the Abraham Accords to ratchet down tension in the region. Israel of course is arguably central to all the problems in the region.

The BA overturned many of Trumps policies or deals immediately after taking office, others later on. If they found the deal with the Taliban did not fit their strategy, they could have amended or cancelled it as Trump did with Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The BA did not do that. Why not? Another interesting question.

I'm not saying the shambolic withdrawal is Trump's fault either. Such situations are never going to be pretty, regardless of who is in office.

What is important to the situation now is what Putin thinks. He doesn't care about the Trump agreement. He would care about analyzing the performance of the US military under Biden's Pentagon and how the withdrawal was executed. That has nothing to do with Trump. Putin would have also sent under cover Spetsnaz to question former US trained Aftgan military staff on the latest US tactics and instructional manuals.

"Biden's Pentagon"? While the president may have a set of policies, there is no dramatic change in the functioning of the military from one president to another. And, each international situation has its own unique circumstances. Afghanistan is no more relevant than Iraq, NK, Taiwan or the Baltic countries. Ukraine has its own set of circumstances and that will dictate what happens, going forward.

I highly doubt that the Spetsnaz give a hoot about what training was provided to the Afghan forces. The Russians already have a good understanding of NATO training and tactics - member countries conduct regular multi-national exercises and much of it is standardized throughout NATO.

As for what equipment we left behind, all it takes is only one Blackhawk or A29 to get the information they need.
I would imagine the US left more than one behind. The following gives more details which I can't believe because it is staggering. I too am waiting for more information from the DoD on the real numbers and whether they were properly disabled.

Staggering Costs – U.S. Military Equipment Left Behind In Afghanistan

The Biden Administration is hiding previously published audit reports quantifying U.S.-funded military gear into Afghanistan. Reports disappeared from federal websites over the weekend.

www.forbes.com

If there is anything the Russians don't know about the Blackhawk or A29, it's because they just aren't interested. They aren't particularly exotic aircraft.

The relevant conclusions Putin reached are revealing themselves in real time.

Any conclusions Putin may have come to regarding Afghanistan are irrelevant to Ukraine.

 

[GO-NAD!]

I have been watching these events unfold since the Russian mobilization with great trepidation. The events are so similar to 1914 and 1939. I fear the first skirmishes of WW III may have begun.

If the Russians make short work of Ukraine, which I fear they will, Putin will be emboldened.

If Russia then attacks any NATO country, which I fear is more than possible and probably likely, then the western powers will be forced to inform the Russians, that a state of war exists between us. Those were the fateful words uttered by Neville Chamberlain, after Hitler did not retreat from Poland, his voracious apatite not having been assuaged by his annexation of Czechoslovakia. I fear Putin is hungry for the Baltic states, and just may be Poland.

The time for mobilization is NOW. We need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. History tells us there is not a moment to loose.

The other danger in all this is a Russo/Chinese alliance or detent. The Chinese have been salivating to swallow Taiwan for some time now. If the Russians are not resisted, then China will be emboldened. We can not in any way tolerate the annexation of Taiwan.

Getting back to audio matters, look after your gear with great care. Sanctions against China could happen with swiftness. That would certainly upset a lot of supply chains.

History tells us that in times like these a lot of cards can fall in quick succession.

I fear these are dark times.

I may be wrong, but I highly doubt Russia will attack a NATO member for the very reason that it would trigger Article 5 - an attack on one is an attack on all. To reinforce that policy, the US, UK, Germany and Canada have forces stationed in Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries. They aren't there in sufficient numbers to stop a determined attack, but their very presence means engaging with those countries forces would remove all question of how NATO would respond. Otherwise, Putin might be tempted to test NATO's will to honour Article 5.

But, make no mistake, these are indeed, dark times.

 

[rnatalli]

Between Russia and Ukraine, Americans say either stay out or side with Ukraine - CBS News poll

A slight majority favor the U.S. stay out of negotiations around Russia and Ukraine.

www.cbsnews.com

Regan, Kennedy, and others must be turning in their graves. Has the U.S. become so wimpy, too fat and happy?

 

[Replicant 7]

Who'll drop the first Nuke.

 

[cpp]

BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China rejected calling Russia's moves on Ukraine an "invasion" and urged all sides to exercise restraint, even as it advised its citizens there to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag if they needed to drive anywhere.

And , Russia's attack comes weeks after Putin met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, just before the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The two sides announced a strategic partnership aimed at countering U.S. influence and said they would have "no 'forbidden' areas of cooperation".


This is bigger than Putin doing something stupid, its a move to test NATO and test the West.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China rejected calling Russia's moves on Ukraine an "invasion" and urged all sides to exercise restraint, even as it advised its citizens there to stay home or at least take the precaution of displaying a Chinese flag if they needed to drive anywhere.

And , Russia's attack comes weeks after Putin met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, just before the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The two sides announced a strategic partnership aimed at countering U.S. influence and said they would have "no 'forbidden' areas of cooperation".


This is bigger than Putin doing something stupid, its a move to test NATO and test the West.

Well, of course, China will support Russia, after all, they are learning steps to repeat the same thing with Taiwan.

 

[SithZedi]

"Biden's Pentagon"? While the president may have a set of policies, there is no dramatic change in the functioning of the military from one president to another. And, each international situation has its own unique circumstances. Afghanistan is no more relevant than Iraq, NK, Taiwan or the Baltic countries. Ukraine has its own set of circumstances and that will dictate what happens, going forward.

Not in agreement with you there. There are changes, sometimes dramatic, when you dismiss or early retire personnel which happened many times under Obama's 8 years.
When Biden took office, new leadership sets the tone and priorities even in the thickest of bureaucracies. Should you review testimonies by Austin and Milley in front of Congress prior to the Afgh. withdrawal, you might think otherwise. In a nutshell, climate change, "Countering Extremists Working Group", and diversity were to be major points of focus. Later on, unvaxx'ed personnel. If you think this doesn't matter to military personnel, or morale, or that the Afgh withdrawal is not relevant, well again we disagree.

A properly run military should be always focused on training for combat so they can kill the enemy. If they get called in to do so that's the job.

 

[3db]

The West made a critical mistake by not letting the Ukraine into NATO, at least not on paper because this would have allowed the West to counter Russia 's build up of forces. As a Canadian, Im embarrased with our lack of committment to the Ukrain. It is deplorable on every count. Economic sanctions have been proven NOT to work time and time again. Russia has one of the biggest oil reserves in the world and are generally self sufficient so these sanctions may sting a little but is absolutely no deterent against a military invasion.

We need Amanda Waller and a hit team to snuff out Russia's political elite because CIA sanctioned hits will only paint targets on the Western leader's heads.

 

[SithZedi]

The West made a critical mistake by not letting the Ukraine into NATO, at least not on paper because this would have allowed the West to counter Russia 's build up of forces. As a Canadian, Im embarrased with our lack of committment to the Ukrain. It is deplorable on every count. Economic sanctions have been proven NOT to work time and time again. Russia has one of the biggest oil reserves in the world and are generally self sufficient so these sanctions may sting a little but is absolutely no deterent against a military invasion.

We need Amanda Waller and a hit team to snuff out Russia's political elite because CIA sanctioned hits will only paint targets on the Western leader's heads.

Amanda Waller and Dirk Pitt. These missiles could have helped too.

Obama abandons missile defence shield in Europe

US president shelves scheme in Poland and Czech Republic, citing new intelligence on threat from Iran

www.theguardian.com

 

[GO-NAD!]

Not in agreement with you there. There are changes, sometimes dramatic, when you dismiss or early retire personnel which happened many times under Obama's 8 years.
When Biden took office, new leadership sets the tone and priorities even in the thickest of bureaucracies. Should you review testimonies by Austin and Milley in front of Congress prior to the Afgh. withdrawal, you might think otherwise. In a nutshell, climate change, "Countering Extremists Working Group", and diversity were to be major points of focus. Later on, unvaxx'ed personnel. If you think this doesn't matter to military personnel, or morale, or that the Afgh withdrawal is not relevant, well again we disagree.

A properly run military should be always focused on training for combat so they can kill the enemy. If they get called in to do so that's the job.

Well, I suppose we will just have to disagree.

 

[SithZedi]

Well, I suppose we will just have to disagree.

It will probably happen again as this tragedy plays out. But you always learn something even in exchanges where you ultimately disagree. The Polish better start setting up refugee camps because I saw an estimate of over 5m are expected to go West. Unbelievable....

 

[highfigh]

His withdrawal was based on the deal Trump made with the Taliban. I'm not sure if it's fair to lay the chaos in Kabul at his feet.

What latest equipment are you referring to? If any sophisticated equipment of any value to the Russians and Chinese was left behind, I would be questioning the DoD as to why.

Did US Leave More Than $80B Worth of Equipment to the Taliban? | Snopes.com


What relevant conclusions might there be?

The US military destroyed a lot of equipment before they left and when choppers can't fly, the most sensitive/advanced gear is removed before using explosives to destroy what's left over.

 

[GO-NAD!]

The West made a critical mistake by not letting the Ukraine into NATO, at least not on paper because this would have allowed the West to counter Russia 's build up of forces. It is deplorable on every count.

I have to say that I disagree on allowing Ukraine into NATO. For one, I believe only liberal democracies with a commitment to the rule of law should be admitted to the alliance. Ukraine, while making efforts to get to such a state, is not there yet. And now, it looks like they won't get there for the foreseeable future - if at all. At the same time, it's not for Russia to make such decisions and we were right not agree to their demands to never admit Ukraine.

And, it's a Catch-22 situation. An invitation to Ukraine to join would have triggered an immediate Russian invasion anyway. So, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

As a Canadian, Im embarrased with our lack of committment to the Ukrain.

I'm not sure what Canada could have done that would make a difference. Our own Finance Minister (who is also Deputy PM) has been declared persona non grata by the Russian regime because of her prior support for Ukraine.

Economic sanctions have been proven NOT to work time and time again. Russia has one of the biggest oil reserves in the world and are generally self sufficient so these sanctions may sting a little but is absolutely no deterent against a military invasion.

Russia better hope they're self-sufficient because they soon won't be able to afford imports as the Ruble continues to tank.