Thumpalumpacus
Major
... or they climb up on the cross in attempt to explain their prickishness ... choose your explanation.
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Narcissistic people seem to genuinely feel like they're being horribly mistreated when people respond to their general prickishness in the predictable way.
Interesting yes, but probably counter productive.
It will also be interesting that Moldavia and Ukraine should consider taking on the Russian backed separatists in transnistria and oust the Russian troops there. It is estimated that 1000-2000 Russian troops are stationed there. While Moldavia failed to take control of Transnistria in the 90's because it is really easy to defend across the Dniester river, there is no possible defense if attacked from the Ukrainian side.
To make it more interesting, once Transnistria is handled back to Moldavia, Moldavia and Romania should consider a fast reunification (yes there is some support for reunification), leaving Transnistria in EU and NATO.
Speaking of interesting what-ifs, what about Poland and Lithuania taking over Kaliningrad? I reckon that its quite an expeditive solution to the Kaliningrad question.
Exactly.
"We will produce hundreds in the next few days even though we haven't got the production or economic capability at the moment
and we will park them next to the 2300 Armarta tanks we were going to make by 2021 but we've only managed about 30 but that's
ok because we are upgrading the new tank to be hypersonic which will mean they can then be parked next to the new version of
the Moskva which will be cleverly pre sunk which will cut costs on propulsion and weapon systems (that's how we get around sanctions)......."
"Oh, and why is it that lately every time I go into any room there is an Elephant in there that tries to take a dump on me ?"
No, you would not be a good politician, but you would be a good statesman.I'm sure the west will be obscufating some information regarding supplies to the Ukraine.
Personally, this is why I would never be a good politician, because I would get on the phone to Putin an tell him directly:
"Hey, I'm sending jets, tanks, artillery and a f**k ton of Stingers to bust your ass.
Don't like that? Then let's meet up and you can pull off your shirt and come at me, bro..."
You make it sound like we've done nothing until now. This, according to a 6 week old article, is what we had committed by early March.
Yes, these commitments are small in the grand scheme of things and I don't know what else has been committed since. However, I am aware that an additional $500 million has been budgeted for ongoing aid.
- 4,500 M72 rocket launchers and up to 7,500 hand grenades;
- $1 million towards the purchase of high-resolution modern satellite imagery;
- 100 Carl-Gustaf M2 anti-tank weapons system launchers and 2,000 rounds of ammunition;
- 1,600 fragmentation vests and 400,000 individual meal packs;
- $25 million in helmets, body armour, gas masks, and night vision gear; and
- Two C-130J tactical airlift aircraft and a team of 40-50 personnel to deliver aid and support.
I'm not proud of our numbers and, like you, wish we could do more and hope that we will. My concern here is that, though Canada already has a deserved reputation for being a laggard when it comes to military spending, we don't need to further undermine this perception by inferring that we've been sitting on our hands and doing nothing in this fight.
Let's applaud the commitment to send the artillery and keep our fingers crossed that our red tape doesn't prevent it from being loaded on to our C-17s starting today.
He actually went insane looking for it.Some how I'm beginning to think that Putin spent too much time playing with himself as a kid. They used to tell us we'd go blind or insane if we did it. He didn't go blind but he is insane.
I know everyone's having fun mocking Putin and the Russian performance in this war, but let me play Devil's Advocate for a moment (I went to a Jesuit school, it's what we do).
Russia has a real chance of victory in this second phase. They've paused major operations for several weeks, rested and repositioned forces from northern Ukraine and are preparing the ground for a major wide-front invasion with multiple prongs. The stage is set for them and they have the initiative.
Russia has lots of things going for it. They've got air supremacy (although not full dominance), artillery supremacy and significant advantages over the Ukrainians in terms of heavy ground forces - both in terms of numbers, quality and overall mobility. Russia can bring substantially more firepower to any one point at any one time than their opponents can, and in war that matters
They've also got advantages in terms of strategic mobility. Russia basically has control of when and where it attacks. If the Russian Army does encounter strong opposition, it can re-position/reset its axes of advance, or concentrate forces on completely a different axis.
Most of Ukraine's manpower is relatively static/foot mobile and comprised of lightly armed reservists. These troops work well when defending fixed positions against other light forces and 'Thunder Run' style rapid attacks. I question their ability to survive and contribute meaningfully on a battlefield being prepared by artillery and against an opponent using proper combined arms tactics with heavy forces.
Russia and it's leaders - both political and military - aren't dumb (no matter how we might like to deride them). It's armed forces got a rude shock in the initial phase, because their perception of reality and the actual situation on the ground were very different.
I suspect though that they have now had time to adjust and figure some things out. Like logistics. And communications. And SEAD.
Worst case for me is the Russia's second phase operation fixes some of Ukraine's heavy regular army units in place the East of the country, and then manages to destroy them with overwhelming firepower. Then they use these openings in the front to break into open territory where they're opposed by light/reserve/less mobile forces. There's little to stop them completing a major encirclement, with forces linking up from the north and south.
Surviving Ukrainian troops are forced to withdraw westward or are trapped in a pocket. Either way, very heavy losses ensue - including most of Ukraine's heavy equipment and regular army troops. Ukrainian general staff is forced to give up on a wide front in eastern Ukraine, pulling back to the northwest to defend a shorter line (maybe Dnipro-Kharkiv, or Kremenchuk-Poltava-Kharkiv if things really go bad).
Russia ends up controlling everything on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River up to Dnipro City itself and then a large chunk of the country immediately north of that all the way up to the Russian border. It then halts its advance at whatever new defensive line the Ukrainians manage to establish, settles into a defensive posture, declares a 'mission accomplished' with a parade through Red Square and calls for a general cease fire.
Ukrainians become disenchanted with their government after losing the war, blame Zelensky for getting them into something they could never win and vote him out a few years later. In his place is a Russian-friendly candidate who promises to restore good relations with Russia in exchange for some territorial adjustments. He signs a peace treaty, ceding control of certain territories to Russia on the promise of 'free and fair' referendums on whether they want to be part of Russia or not.
End result, Russia acquires ~20-25% of Ukranian territory, controls 80% of its access to the Black Sea and ends up with four or five cities with populations of more than 250,000.
Here endeth the fantasy. Which - in my own not so modest opinion - is not actually that fantastical.
(Of course, I'm ignoring the wider economic and geostrategic issues here. Just assume that Russia's economy is f*cked but it can still win the war using available reserves)
... or, as I alluded to, they use the "unfairness" ploy in order to garner sympathy.Because they care about themselves, and don't care about others? Basically, they only see that they're being treated so unfairly.
Ukraine needs to have an offensive of their own in the works, ideally to Mariupol, even after its fall so to cut off the land bridge. You don't win wars playing defence.
Or the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic......With what?
And if defense doesn't win wars, how to explain the Taliban?
The Taliban ran an excellent offensive, waiting until the exhausted US and Allies fled the field and then marched into Kabul and overwhelmed the terrified defenders, who also fled. It's an offensive to mark the ages. 2021 Taliban offensive - Wikipedia The Ukrainians should be so lucky.With what?
And if defense doesn't win wars, how to explain the Taliban?
Neither of those won WW2, but they did play a crucial role in providing and protecting both the place and the means for the Allies to go on the offensive, land troops in Europe and win the war (with Russia's help). Ukraine's Battle of Britain was their successful defence of Kyiv, and their Battle of the Atlantic is their success (so far) in keeping the supply routes to Eastern Ukraine for the West's weapons open. But those defensive and logistical victories won't win back eastern Ukraine nor win the war. You must go on the offensive and use your experience and preparation gained while on the defence to now attack and destroy the enemy and retake lost territory. That's the difference between surviving a war and winning it.Or the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic......