"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (4 Viewers)

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I notice some pessimism in the sense that Allies help may falter in the near-mid term.
Add to that that Putin is prepared for a long term war (until 2025 said Shoigu)

Russia wanted to conquer Ukraine in just 2 days — it now says the war will last at least 3 years

US intelligence assessed that Russia could take Kyiv in just three days. Russia's Defense Minister now says the war could last until at least 2025.
www.businessinsider.com

To raise moral a bit let me remind that EU is preparing for an even longer war.

EU offers Ukraine 50 billion euros through 2027

The European Union will provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54.58 billion) in aid for 2024-27, the bloc's president said on Tuesday, ahead of a gathering in London to secure short-term financing and money to rebuild the nation from Russia's war.
www.reuters.com
 
So...the report is in on the Prigozhin crash and, according to Herr Putler's insinuations, the people inside the jet were likely high on drugs and alcohol, and playing "catch" with live hand grenades, one of which went off:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=vh2PK44FdSQ
I wish the West was more like Russia where people are free to do what they want. Our interfering, busy-body governments limit our freedoms to take live hand grenades on aircraft. We used to do that all the time back in the 70s. Who doesn't love a good game of "catch the pineapple" at 30,000ft? Western restrictions have really taken the joy out of flying!

And, just to be clear, the last paragraph above is EXTREME sarcasm...and definitely NOT meant to be political.
 
STOCKHOLM, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Sweden will send Ukraine a new military support package worth 2.2 billion crowns ($199 million) - consisting mainly of artillery ammunition - and is looking into sending fighter jets, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said.

Jonson told a news conference the armed forces were due to report by Nov. 6 on the potential for sending Jas Gripen jets to Ukraine after the government asked them to assess the issue.

But he reiterated that Sweden would for domestic security reasons need to become member of NATO before it would be able to potentially spare any fighter jets.

Sweden hopes to join the NATO defence alliance soon although its accession has been held up by member states Turkey and Hungary.

The new military aid package will be Sweden's 14th to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, taking the total value of the Nordic country's such aid to just over 22 billion crowns.

Sweden pledges more military aid to Ukraine, considers fighter jets

Sweden will send Ukraine a new military support package worth 2.2 billion crowns ($199 million) - consisting mainly of artillery ammunition - and is looking into sending fighter jets, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said.
www.reuters.com
 
How important is US aid?


Notice that the charts in the article only show individual countries contribution. However the article notes that:
The US has committed the second-largest amount of money to help Ukraine overall – including military, financial and humanitarian assistance – after the European Union, which has sent a total of around $85.1 billion, according to Kiel Institute data. That figure does not include contributions from individual EU member states, which are counted separately.

So, yes, its extremely important but its not the end of the world. The real problem will be if both US and EU stop sending aid to Ukraine.
But lets hope common sense prevails on both sides of the Atlantic.
 
And before boarding that plane seems that they drop by the Kremlin and pass some stuff...

Not even the weirdest comedian in the world could imagine half the shit coming from Moscow
 

MOSCOW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Russian patriotic bloggers on Friday poured scorn on President Vladimir Putin's intimation that mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane was blown up with hand grenades while those on board were high on cocaine and alcohol.

The private Embraer jet on which Prigozhin was travelling to St Petersburg crashed north of Moscow killing all 10 people on board on Aug. 23, including Dmitry Utkin, co-founder of the mercenary Wagner group, four bodyguards and a crew of three.

Putin said on Thursday fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of the dead and that investigators had ruled out any external impact on the plane such as a missile.

However Putin said investigators had been wrong not to have carried out alcohol and drug blood tests, given that five kilograms of cocaine had been found by the Federal Security Service at Wagner premises in St Petersburg earlier this year.

Wagner communications channels were silent, but some supporters and patriotic bloggers expressed disbelief.

"So a short summary: the most combat-ready unit in the history of modern Russia was commanded by alcoholics and junkies who, being professional military men, did not know how to handle hand grenades?" said the Children of the Arbat pro-war Telegram channel.

Prigozhin, who banned his men from using alcohol and drugs on pain of severe punishment, died two months after leading a brief mutiny against Russia's defence establishment that posed the biggest challenge to Putin's rule since the former KGB spy came to power in 1999.

Cocaine and grenades? Patriotic bloggers scorn Putin's Prigozhin plane crash theory

Russian patriotic bloggers on Friday poured scorn on President Vladimir Putin's intimation that mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane was blown up with hand grenades while those on board were high on cocaine and alcohol.
reuters.com
 
That's my experience too. I have read that adult men who fled their country's defence are now conflicted.

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www.msn.com
 
That is actually a pretty good summary to be honest...
This is what Ukraine is missing, that sense that the Russians are not coming for land, but for blood, and that the nation must be defended at all and total cost.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised the people of Ukraine haven't figured that out. It seems the Russians have been carrying out counter-value (albeit conventional) strikes aimed at little other depopulating zones held by ethnic Ukrainians. It stands to reason that the purpose is to eradicating the Ukranians with the hope that the Russian remainder will accept annexation.

Depraved but there is a rationale to what's being done. It does raise a question as to whether the Russians living in Ukraine realize that this level of violence would be turned on them if they displeased King Poot.
Zelenskyy needs to look to the Israelis for inspiration, and for starters ask all Ukrainian adults without children who have fled abroad to return to defend their nation and announce wider conscription.
Click to expand...
That would be a possible option, though I should point out there have been people from other countries coming over to fight. I do remember there was at least one American citizen who joined the Ukrainian army.
I don't know what the Ukrainian word is for Western Betrayal, but it's coming
Click to expand...
I figure that's likely to happen -- after all, it's a historical trend. Honestly, it seems that the best option would be to somehow hammer out a set-up that would allow Ukraine to have all the territory that it had prior to 2022 and preferably Crimea as well. Also, I think they should be allowed into the nuclear weapons club since they had nuclear weapons (albeit under the USSR times) and nothing says "You will not invade my country" like the prospect of nuclear armageddon.

It's plainly obvious that Prigozhin was assassinated for invading Rostov-on-Don: He committed the sin of making Putin look weak. While I don't think highly of Prigozhin: From a purely practical standpoint, he pretty much sacrificed his life the moment he gave the order to invade Rostov-on-Don provided he couldn't seize control over Russia itself. Giving up at that point was foolish: He should have actually attempted to take control of Russia or, failing that, to inflict a catastrophic level of destruction he could before being taken out.
And, just to be clear, the last paragraph above is EXTREME sarcasm...
Click to expand...
I think everybody figured that out.
 
Well, it looks like the Palestinians are willing to give it another go.
 
JDCAVE said:
Beez and Zipper said (above) that the Ukrainians haven't figured out that the Russians are coming for blood. Really? Do you really think so?

Click to expand...
No, the Ukrainian people know they're paying in blood, death and destruction from this Russian invasion. There are differences though to the invasions of Israel, where the Jewish people believe they have no where to run to, and that the invader is coming to kill every Israeli they can find, a second sack of Judea, so to speak. Is Putin planning such a treatment of Ukraine, that idk.
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned attacks on Israel by Hamas militants in a Saturday post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Today, the entire world saw horrifying videos from Israel. Terrorists humiliate women and men, detain even the elderly, and show no mercy," Zelensky's post read. "In the face of such a terrorist strike, everyone who values life must stand in solidarity."

"We in Ukraine have a special feeling about what has happened. Thousands of rockets in the Israeli sky… People killed just on the streets… Civilian cars shot through… Detainees being humiliated…," Zelensky continued. "Our position is crystal clear: anyone who causes terror and death anywhere on the planet must be held accountable. Today's terrorist attack on Israel was well-planned, and the entire world knows which sponsors of terrorism could have endorsed and enabled its organization."

Zelensky on Israel attack: ‘everyone who values life must stand in solidarity’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned attacks on Israel by Hamas militants in a Saturday post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Today, the entire world saw horrifying videos…
thehill.com
 
It seems to me, that when this "special operation" has been cleared from Ukraine proper and they get back on their feet, Ukraine may emerge as a premier player on the world stage.

They are one of the largest countries in Europe, they have an advanved industrial base and will soon have one of the most modern, well trained and equipped militaries.

With solid statesmanship, this could be a huge advantage for them.
 
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