"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (2 Viewers)

[GrauGeist]

What many tend to miss, is that while Ukraine did not do a "Hollywood style" offensive in 2023, they held Russia at bay no matter what Russia threw at them.

And Russia's attempts were no small effort, either, and became exceptionally costly in men and material.

So the aid provided to Ukraine has had a major impact and worth every penny.

 

[GTX]

What many tend to miss, is that while Ukraine did not do a "Hollywood style" offensive in 2023, they held Russia at bay no matter what Russia threw at them.

And Russia's attempts were no small effort, either, and became exceptionally costly in men and material.

So the aid provided to Ukraine has had a major impact and worth every penny.

Agreed!!!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Appeasement now will result in further problems with Putin in the near future

I don't know if it's appeasement in the same as surrendering land uncontested to Hitler. In those examples, the countries taken over by Hitler either welcomed the Germans, in the case of Austria (Anschluss) and Sudetenland, or entered unopposed as in Czechoslovakia and Klaipėda. It's no wonder Hitler figured Poland would be a cakewalk, but given the absolute drubbing Russia has received in Ukraine, there's no way Putin can perceive NATO as ripe for the taking after he comes to terms with Ukraine.

Ukraine and the West are not appeasing Putin, they're fighting him through Ukraine. Both sides are fighting, and eventually the fighting needs to stop. There's no chance of Ukraine regaining ALL of its pre-2014 territory by the end of 2025. So, Ukraine has from now until about the autumn 2025 to regain as much land as it can. That's not appeasement, that's fighting to a standstill and then coming to terms. Ukraine surrendered Crimea in 2014 without a shot, and survived as a country afterward.

Ukraine has until autumn 2025 to gain what it can, and then it will need to decide how to live with its neighbour.

 

[GTX]

Russia installed trench ceilings in Ukraine to hide troop movements

Photos reveal significant structural modifications to Russian trenches. These changes, characterized by the inclusion of frames and ceilings in the trenches.

bulgarianmilitary.com

 

[GTX]

Drones fought each other in the air above Bakhmut in Donetsk

The Russian Ministry of Defense [RuMoD] released a new video - a Russian drone shoots down a Ukrainian 'Baba Yaga' drone in the air above Bakhmut in Donetsk.

bulgarianmilitary.com

 

[GTX]

View: https://youtu.be/Ih_EWo9GjUA?si=VAPb1mSEx-XYUlCf

 

[GTX]

View: https://youtu.be/NM5NPk6EEhI?si=z8GoisPRGH2KOpqq

 

[GTX]

President Zelenskyy Returns to Washington

An unsatisfying visit with a grim winter ahead

mickryan.substack.com

 

[nuuumannn]

"Promtekhnologia makes the Orsis sniper rifle promoted by action movie actor Steven Seagal — now a Russian citizen — and used by President Vladimir Putin's men in Ukraine. "

Steven Seagal is a Russian citizen???

 

[nuuumannn]

Let's see what this new shortage gets us.

I've seen an increase in ads for Ukrainian Singles in the spam folder...

 

[nuuumannn]

Hill is clear about her answer. A world in which Putin chalks up a win in Ukraine is one where the U.S.'s standing in the world is diminished, where Iran and North Korea are emboldened, where China dominates the Indo-Pacific, where the Middle East becomes more unstable and where nuclear proliferation takes off, among allies as well as enemies.

"Ukraine has become a battlefield now for America and America's own future — whether we see it or not — for our own defensive posture and preparedness, for our reputation and our leadership," she told me. "For Putin, Ukraine is a proxy war against the United States, to remove the United States from the world stage."

This doesn't bode well...

If the United States doesn't pass the supplemental [bill to approve aid to Ukraine], and we get this chorus of members of Congress calling for the United States to pull away from Ukraine, Putin will be able to switch this around and say, "There you go. The United States is an unreliable ally. The United States is not a world leader." And there will be a chilling effect for all our other allies. In the past, Putin has actually, for example, approached the Japanese and said, "Look, we can be your interlocutor with China. The United States is not going to be there to assist you in a crunch." And that's certainly what this is going to look like. The Japanese, the South Koreans, the Vietnamese, others that we have bilateral treaties with, are going to wonder, "OK, the United States made such a push here to support Ukraine, along with other European members of NATO, and now they've just walked away from it." And you put that on top of Afghanistan and the withdrawal, also the withdrawal from Iraq, withdrawal from Syria, and the whole fraught history of United States interventions in the last two decades, and Putin will be able to present a pretty potent narrative about the United States' inability to maintain its commitments and forfeiting its role as an international leader. So that that becomes a major political win.

Ouch.

‘We’ll Be at Each Others’ Throats’: Fiona Hill on What Happens If Putin Wins

The veteran Russia watcher is deeply alarmed as Washington reaches an inflection point on the war in Ukraine.

www.politico.com

 

[MiTasol]

I don't know if it's appeasement in the same as surrendering land uncontested to Hitler. In those examples, the countries taken over by Hitler either welcomed the Germans, in the case of Austria (Anschluss) and Sudetenland, or entered unopposed as in Czechoslovakia and Klaipėda. It's no wonder Hitler figured Poland would be a cakewalk, but given the absolute drubbing Russia has received in Ukraine, there's no way Putin can perceive NATO as ripe for the taking after he comes to terms with Ukraine.

Ukraine and the West are not appeasing Putin, they're fighting him through Ukraine. Both sides are fighting, and eventually the fighting needs to stop. There's no chance of Ukraine regaining ALL of its pre-2014 territory by the end of 2025. So, Ukraine has from now until about the autumn 2025 to regain as much land as it can. That's not appeasement, that's fighting to a standstill and then coming to terms. Ukraine surrendered Crimea in 2014 without a shot, and survived as a country afterward.

Ukraine has until autumn 2025 to gain what it can, and then it will need to decide how to live with its neighbour.

If, as many predict, we have a Peace in our time announcement within the next twelve months that IS appeasement

 

[Admiral Beez]

If the United States doesn't pass the supplemental [bill to approve aid to Ukraine], and we get this chorus of members of Congress calling for the United States to pull away from Ukraine,

Keeping politics out of the discussion, can someone DM me on what's so dire in the GOP's demands for border security that Biden and the Dems are willing to sacrifice Ukraine? If I was an American I'd want the southern border solidly secure as well.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

There's no chance of Ukraine regaining ALL of its pre-2014 territory by the end of 2025.

In 1916, the Allies suffered ghastly losses at Verdun and Passchendaele, while the Russians were seeing a lot of success with the Brusilov offensive. Two years later, Russia was out of the war and Germany had surrendered.

Statements stuffed with such certitude are no more true for it.

 

[drgondog]

Hill is clear about her answer. A world in which Putin chalks up a win in Ukraine is one where the U.S.'s standing in the world is diminished, where Iran and North Korea are emboldened, where China dominates the Indo-Pacific, where the Middle East becomes more unstable and where nuclear proliferation takes off, among allies as well as enemies.

"Ukraine has become a battlefield now for America and America's own future — whether we see it or not — for our own defensive posture and preparedness, for our reputation and our leadership," she told me. "For Putin, Ukraine is a proxy war against the United States, to remove the United States from the world stage."

This doesn't bode well...

If the United States doesn't pass the supplemental [bill to approve aid to Ukraine], and we get this chorus of members of Congress calling for the United States to pull away from Ukraine, Putin will be able to switch this around and say, "There you go. The United States is an unreliable ally. The United States is not a world leader." And there will be a chilling effect for all our other allies. In the past, Putin has actually, for example, approached the Japanese and said, "Look, we can be your interlocutor with China. The United States is not going to be there to assist you in a crunch." And that's certainly what this is going to look like. The Japanese, the South Koreans, the Vietnamese, others that we have bilateral treaties with, are going to wonder, "OK, the United States made such a push here to support Ukraine, along with other European members of NATO, and now they've just walked away from it." And you put that on top of Afghanistan and the withdrawal, also the withdrawal from Iraq, withdrawal from Syria, and the whole fraught history of United States interventions in the last two decades, and Putin will be able to present a pretty potent narrative about the United States' inability to maintain its commitments and forfeiting its role as an international leader. So that that becomes a major political win.

Ouch.

‘We’ll Be at Each Others’ Throats’: Fiona Hill on What Happens If Putin Wins

The veteran Russia watcher is deeply alarmed as Washington reaches an inflection point on the war in Ukraine.

www.politico.com

Not to be arbitrary, but ask South Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan (and Georgia) how reliable US has been as an ally. Putin has had that message in his back pocket for some time now.

We (US) attained some positive success as a bulwark against USSR in Europe, South Korea and Japan based on continued commitment to massive spending and continuous 'occupation'. Where that model achieved success was when the 'protected' community developed military commitment and a stable government committed to their people. MAD was the cornerstone of conventional projection of US Power. Circumstances like 9/11 and the Gulf War (threatening US economy because we were 50% dependent on OPEC) were factors that enabled policy makers to wage war without declaring war.

Our financing Ukraine isn't a commitment to the people of Ukraine - it is all about punishing Russia (short of provoking armagedden) and weakening them financially and militarily. Unfortunately our policy has the same effect on US. Our inventory of 'ready to go' capabilities have been drawn down severely and the only recourse to preparedness is to finance our weapons industry with Trillions poured into DoD programs.

If we were COMMITTED to the People of Ukraine, there should have been a case made to Congress to declare war on Russia and mobilize to take action. Even better would have been the threat of War delivered to Russia should they invade Ukraine.

We are where we are - that said, the sticking point is that Republicans are demanding that the continuous jail break along the Mexican border, with consideration to the safety of our border states be equal to consideration for Ukraine, be stopped. That is the sticking point.

 

[fubar57]

Putin tells year-end news conference there will be no peace in Ukraine until his goals are achieved | CBC News

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed there would be no peace in Ukraine until his goals are achieved and said those objectives remain unchanged at a year-end news conference on Thursday that offered the leader an opportunity to reinforce his grip on power.

www.cbc.ca

 

[GTX]

Hill is clear about her answer. A world in which Putin chalks up a win in Ukraine is one where the U.S.'s standing in the world is diminished, where Iran and North Korea are emboldened, where China dominates the Indo-Pacific, where the Middle East becomes more unstable and where nuclear proliferation takes off, among allies as well as enemies.

"Ukraine has become a battlefield now for America and America's own future — whether we see it or not — for our own defensive posture and preparedness, for our reputation and our leadership," she told me. "For Putin, Ukraine is a proxy war against the United States, to remove the United States from the world stage."

This doesn't bode well...

If the United States doesn't pass the supplemental [bill to approve aid to Ukraine], and we get this chorus of members of Congress calling for the United States to pull away from Ukraine, Putin will be able to switch this around and say, "There you go. The United States is an unreliable ally. The United States is not a world leader." And there will be a chilling effect for all our other allies. In the past, Putin has actually, for example, approached the Japanese and said, "Look, we can be your interlocutor with China. The United States is not going to be there to assist you in a crunch." And that's certainly what this is going to look like. The Japanese, the South Koreans, the Vietnamese, others that we have bilateral treaties with, are going to wonder, "OK, the United States made such a push here to support Ukraine, along with other European members of NATO, and now they've just walked away from it." And you put that on top of Afghanistan and the withdrawal, also the withdrawal from Iraq, withdrawal from Syria, and the whole fraught history of United States interventions in the last two decades, and Putin will be able to present a pretty potent narrative about the United States' inability to maintain its commitments and forfeiting its role as an international leader. So that that becomes a major political win.

Ouch.

‘We’ll Be at Each Others’ Throats’: Fiona Hill on What Happens If Putin Wins

The veteran Russia watcher is deeply alarmed as Washington reaches an inflection point on the war in Ukraine.

www.politico.com

Agreed and it won't just be Russia/Putin that takes benefit of this. So will China and a bunch of others. You will also likely see a likely proliferation of nuclear weapons as the likes of Japan and Sth Korea and possibly others make moves to defend themselves. It will not be a pretty outcome.

 

[GTX]

Not to be arbitrary, but ask South Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan (and Georgia) how reliable US has been as an ally. Putin has had that message in his back pocket for some time now.

But this is so much more public and blatant which gives it more weight.

Unfortunately our policy has the same effect on US. Our inventory of 'ready to go' capabilities have been drawn down severely and the only recourse to preparedness is to finance our weapons industry with Trillions poured into DoD programs.

I would argue that it has helped the US Military preparedness through helping to remove older systems and turbocharging production that will assist greatly for the IndoPac region.

If we were COMMITTED to the People of Ukraine, there should have been a case made to Congress to declare war on Russia and mobilize to take action. Even better would have been the threat of War delivered to Russia should they invade Ukraine.

So you want the USA to formally declare war? Really??? That's the who benefit of supporting Ukraine - one get's Russia severely diminished without spilling any American or other blood. The Ukrainians aren't asking for people to die for them. They are just asking for the means to defend themselves.

 

[GTX]

Ukraine Situation Report: Ballistic Missiles Target Kyiv After Biden Meeting

Debris of Russian ballistic missiles rained down on Kyiv soon after President Zelensky sought to secure more arms in Washington.

www.thedrive.com

 

[GTX]

'Real risk': Putin won't stop with Ukraine, says NATO chief, as Russian leader doubles down

Offering rare details on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Mr Putin dismissed the need for a second wave of mobilisation of reservists.

www.abc.net.au