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www.politico.com
www.politico.com
Thing is, here in the West we can politically, militarily and economically isolate Russia and can backstop Ukraine's offensive for years if we must - all while living and enjoying our daily lives. The Europeans won't need any Russian oil or gas next winter. Day by day Ukraine's and NATO's militaries are becoming stronger. Traditional Russian friends like India are increasingly looking to Washington as a counter to China, while China has climaxed and now looks over the precipice at a demographic and economic dive. By 2030, Russia will be a rotted out husk of a broken heap. We can outlast Russia.
www.abc.net.au
"Staying alive, staying aliveLONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president, has warned that Moscow's confrontation with the West will last decades and that its conflict with Ukraine could become permanent.
Medvedev, once seen in the West as a liberal moderniser, has emerged as one of Russia's most outspoken hawks since Moscow launched what it called a "special military operation" in Ukraine last year.
Now deputy head of the Security Council, his views reflect some of the thinking at the Kremlin's top level, according to Russian officials.
In an article for the government's Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper, he said tensions between Russia and the West were "much worse" than during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when the world teetered on the edge of a nuclear conflagration.
A nuclear war was "quite probable" but was unlikely to have any winners, said Medvedev, who has repeatedly said Western support for Ukraine increases the chances of nuclear conflict.
He cited sharp differences over Ukraine, the direction of humankind, and the way the world order was structured.
Russia's Medvedev says standoff with West to last decades, Ukraine conflict 'permanent'
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president, has warned that Moscow's confrontation with the West will last decades and that its conflict with Ukraine could become permanent.www.reuters.com
Forgive my belaboring the obvious, but if this war lasts "forever" it will sink any Russian government making it thus. Is he really so stupid that he's threatening the West that Russia will climb into a quagmire?
This is all bluster.
I wonder how many recordings they made with him.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin resurfaces with new message
Russian warlord reappears with first audio message in a week following failed uprising.www.politico.eu
Thank goodness Shoigu is okay.Russian defense minister says Wagner Group rebellion failed because of Russian troops’ loyalty
“These plans failed primarily because the personnel of the Armed Forces showed loyalty to their oath and military duty,” Sergei Shoigu said.
We're all waiting for a big counteroffensive. But NATO would never conceive of a counteroffensive without first achieving air superiority. We're asking Ukraine to do what we would not, while we refuse them the kit to achieved what we would require.
Ukraine's war campaign may seem 'slow', but its strategy is full of surprises — and Russia could be in trouble
While many fret about the "slowness" of the Ukrainian campaign, all military operations consist of pulses and pauses and there is much we do not see in this war. It is important to remain patient, writes Mick Ryan.
No one, now. But what the West is doing now, commencing F-16 training and procuring/preparing such aircraft for Ukrainian service after another 12-16 months, is what we could have started a year ago.
www.politico.com
The demise of the Soviet Union was brought about by unsustainable defense spending. They tried to keep up with the US and failed.
From what I've seen, the Russians have not had any rest since they started this fiasco a year ago - the only Russians that ha e been offered a respit, are either POWs or fertilizing Ukrainian soil.
The better comparison is to ask how long it took a non-combatant, neutral USA to begin sending arms to Britain against Nazi Germany. We're now nearly seventeen months since Russia invaded Ukraine. By Feb 1941, seventeen months after Germany's invasion of Poland, the USA was all in with material support for Britain, providing combat aircraft, warships, tanks, etc. That's the level of US and NATO commitment that Ukraine needs now, or more accurately, needed twelve months ago. Hitler demonstrated the folly of waiting.
That was the opinion of some in Feb 2022, but by July 2022 it was clear that Russia had overstepped and that the Ukrainians were both in for the fight and if equipped, up to the task. Heck, by April 2022, just forty days into the invasion the Russians had entirely withdrawn from the Kyiv region with their tails between their legs. And besides, what possible downside was there to beginning Viper training in July 2022? If Ukraine falls, you've misspent some tax dollars on simulators and trainers. No actual aircraft would have been given to Ukraine until about now.
Not just US stuff. A lot of the aircraft, tanks, artillery and equipment produced by the British Empire ended up in Russia instead of being used by the British forces. How's that gratitude for you? Back on topic, can Ukraine successfully launch a major counteroffensive without air power?
www.reuters.com
The Russians are being sufficiently left alone with free time to build defensive works across Ukraine. And are now apparently preparing an attack of their own.
