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

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

FLYBOYJ said:
Ok - enough! It's obvious you don't need to be here, good-bye!
Click to expand...

Yeah...the whole "US owns and dictates to NATO" is another good one.

Having participated in a number of NATO meetings over the years, I can absolutely guarantee that the US does not dictate to NATO. It's one of the reasons making progress within NATO is so slow...because all the countries have to agree. Take national bureaucracy inertia and then multiply that by 30 for ANY decision...which standards to adopt? Which software applications to use? What acronyms should forces use and what do they mean? What doctrine does NATO follow?

I can absolutely guarantee that the US is not dictating any of this stuff...and if the US can't dictate low-level crap like this, how on earth is it going to dictate the big stuff like how to respond to crises?
 
Some interesting info re Turkey/Erdogan's behavior in the current situation involving Russia.

"Relations between Turkey and the Russian Federation / Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

I had not realized the extent of Turkey's pre-Ukraine war economic dependence on Russia. Seeing this I am a bit surprised that Turkey shut down the Bosphorus as quickly as they did. On the other hand, it may have been the most effective and practical option for them in terms of economic and international relations.

Also "Russia and Turkey: An Ambiguous Energy Partnership"
 

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city "completely ruined" and driven tends of thousands from their homes.

Military analysts painted the battle as part of a race against time for the Kremlin, which they said wants to complete its capture of the industrial Donbas region before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine's defenses. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue a more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years.

In recent days, the fighting has focused on Sievierodonetsk in a battle Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called "indescribably difficult." Relentless Russian artillery barrages have destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of the buildings, and power and communications have been largely cut to a city that was once home to 100,000 people.

"The number of victims is rising every hour, but we are unable to count the dead and the wounded amid the street fighting," Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that Moscow's troops advanced a few more blocks toward the city center.

"The city has been completely ruined," he added, and only about 12,000 to 13,000 residents remain, sheltering in basements and bunkers to escape the Russian bombardment — a situation that recalls the siege of Mariupol that trapped residents and led to some of the worst suffering of the war.

While tens of thousands are believed to have died in Mariupol, Striuk estimated that 1,500 civilians have died in his city since the war began, from Russian attacks as well as from the dire conditions, including a lack of medicine or medical treatment.

The Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk province.


As Beez said upthread, it's like Mariupol on a smaller scale.
 
I think you will find this article of interest as well

Russian rebuke of Turkey for Crimea support highlights Ankara's delicate balancing act

Turkey's support for Crimea also highlights the growing value of Ukraine and Crimea for Ankara.
www.al-monitor.com

And:
Biden: US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia
Joe Biden this afternoon confirmed the US has no plans to send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia.
The US has provided Ukraine with a significant amount of military aid since Russia launched an invasion of the country in late February.
Reports had emerged that the Biden administration was preparing to send advanced long-range rocket systems to Kyiv.
However, Mr Biden dismissed this today.
 
Last edited:
Jagdflieger said:
Biden: US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia
Joe Biden this afternoon confirmed the US has no plans to send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia.
Click to expand...
That's just dumb. For starters, the Ukrainians east of Kharkiv can throw a rock into Russia, they're just yards away from the border. Any rocket the Ukrainians posses can already reach Russia. How far does Biden think Russia is from Ukraine?

Ukraine Troops Reach Russia Border as Invasion Reversed

Unverified reports say Ukrainian troops have pushed back the enemy to the Russian border.
www.newsweek.com

special ed said:
One of the US national TV news reported last week that a second ship bringing food to Ukraine had been sunk in the Black Sea.
Click to expand...
I don't think a ship is needed to bring food to Ukraine, but instead the ships are needed to bring food out of Ukraine to the rest of us.
 
Admiral Beez said:
That's just dumb. For starters, the Ukrainians east of Kharkiv can throw a rock into Russia, they're just yards away from the border. Any rocket the Ukrainians posses can already reach Russia. How far does Biden think Russia is from Ukraine?
Click to expand...
What the Ukrainians do with their indigenous gear is their own concern, but it seems our current administration fears any damage to Russia proper from US supplied weaponry. Shall we ask for return of our M77 howitzers? How about our TOW and Stinger missiles? "If you're a bad boy and kick the bear in his nether regions, we'll take away your toys."
How silly can this get?
 
I think once you've sunk a Russian cruiser the gloves are off.
 
What can Russia do if Ukraine uses American weapons against them? Apply sanctions? I doubt many would see MLRSes fired by Ukraine as a justification for nuclear war, which is the only Russian response that can hurt America.
 
Well, those rocket systems can't reach Russia, from here!
 
Admiral Beez said:
Easy. They use this to rally the Russian public and call for general mobilization to defend the motherland. If the Ukrainians are smart they'll fire never a shell into Russia.
Click to expand...

Given the parlous state of their reserves, that might be useful to Putin for controlling the domestic narrative, but in terms of combat capability -- T-62s and raw recruits on the battlefield?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

  • ... and 1 more.
    • Total: 5 (members: 2, guests: 3)

    Similar threads

    A
    The coming $26 billion windfall for the Canadian Armed Forces. What to buy?
    2
    Replies
    37
    Views
    1K
    Sisu
    S
    M
    All V-22's Grounded
    Replies
    2
    Views
    1K
    GTX
    M
    All This For The Low, Low Price of .....
    Replies
    19
    Views
    2K
    MIflyer
    M
    M
    The Wrath of KAAN?
    Replies
    3
    Views
    834
    Snautzer01
    M
    The USAF V-22 Mishap of 2023
    Replies
    2
    Views
    491
    Thumpalumpacus
    Menu
    Log in
    Register