Here we go again-Ukraine once again pt2 [Archive] - Page 26

Skybird

02-15-25, 04:29 PM

Skybird wrote
'Be careful to assume Russia would not attack again in the future. Their military production is bigger than the whole military production of all Europe.'

Some thoughts on this-If a peace treaty is made, would Russia have to keep on producing military equipment after such a deal ?
In our reasoning: no. In their reasoning: yes. Whose reasoning is what decides this: ours - or theirs? ;)

I could see a certain decrease in their production to fill up what they have lost in the war.

Could also be so that the production is being kept on a high rate even after the war are over.
Putin sees Russia at war with the West. All the West and all of NATO is hanging at Russia's throat, so his narrative. Russia is the victim of the West, the West is the attacker, so the narrative. Russia defended itself when invading Ukraine, so his narrative. Russia must reclaim what Putin thinks is its glory and fame that got lost by the betrayal of Gorbachev.

Skybird

02-15-25, 05:47 PM

[Die Welt] According to its Ukraine representative Keith Kellogg, the USA does not want to see any European representatives at the negotiating table during talks on peace in Ukraine. At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, when asked whether he could confirm to the audience that Ukrainians and Europeans would be at the table during talks, Kellogg said: "The answer to this last question (regarding the Europeans), as you have formulated it, is no." However, the Ukrainians would "of course" be at the table, he said.

The administration of the new US President Donald Trump has recently given mixed signals about its planned approach in connection with the desired end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
-----------------

How shocking! :D

mapuc

02-15-25, 05:49 PM

Is Europe needed at the table ? It take two to dance and not three.

Markus

Skybird

02-15-25, 05:55 PM

One Minsk agreement is enough, I would say. ;)

[DPA] The US government has asked Germany and other European allies to report possible contributions to security guarantees for Ukraine. According to information from the German Press Agency, the countries are to state, among other things, how many soldiers they could send to Ukraine for a peacekeeping force or training programs after the end of the Russian war of aggression. Weapon systems and the question of what is expected of the USA will also be discussed.
The background to the US request is obviously US President Donald Trump's plan to negotiate a solution to end the Russian war against Ukraine at a meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. He expects that the Europeans will take responsibility for ensuring that Russia does not attack Ukraine again after a possible agreement.

According to diplomats, the question of what the Europeans can contribute to a possible peace deal will also be discussed at a meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European heads of state and government in Paris this Monday. They were surprised last week by Trump's push for talks with Putin and now fear that the Ukrainians could be forced to make concessions that they actually do not want to make. This includes, among other things, temporarily renouncing NATO membership. The USA has also already declared that it does not want to send troops to Ukraine itself.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that he knew that the questionnaire existed. He had not seen it himself, but he could fully understand that it would help to focus the talks.

Skybird

02-15-25, 06:29 PM

UK military too 'run down' to lead Ukraine peace mission - ex-UK-Army chief.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czep44jn9jyo

Who then? Germany? Dont make me laugh. France? Too run down, too. Poland?

And anyway, who said that Putin would even accept NATO troops in Ukraine...?

I have an idea - Chinese troops! :yeah: China to the European rescue! :D

Reece

02-16-25, 03:52 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsnlmnKNAQ

I hope that is not propaganda Dargo. :hmmm: If not sounds great!! :yeah:

Skybird

02-16-25, 09:22 AM

In Germany it still gets bitterly debated about whether or not the Bundeswehr needs armed drones. Or anti-drone defenses. Recent drone spottings over Bundeswehr bases where Ukrainian specilaists get traioned, remained uncoutnered - the Bundeswehr is not allowed to shoot down such foreign drones - even inside in critical, security snsitive areas. Possibly a legal alibi- because for the most the Bundeswehr lacks the equipment to do so.

Dargo

02-16-25, 11:12 AM

Is Europe needed at the table ? It take two to dance and not three.

MarkusWho are the two dancers here?

In Germany it still gets bitterly debated about whether or not the Bundeswehr needs armed drones. Or anti-drone defenses. Recent drone spottings over Bundeswehr bases where Ukrainian specilaists get traioned, remained uncoutnered - the Bundeswehr is not allowed to shoot down such foreign drones - even inside in critical, security snsitive areas. Possibly a legal alibi- because for the most the Bundeswehr lacks the equipment to do so.If there is a game changer in this war, it is the drones. The Netherlands is taking this serious more in the detection, drone defence we have already mobile radars (you can fit them on a car) that can see bird or drone this radar you than can connect to other existing anti-air systems to counter drone attacks those are being used in Ukraine. And we are producing drones for various tasks we are arming the MQ-9 Reaper b

mapuc

02-16-25, 11:36 AM

Who are the two dancers here?

Russia and Ukraine

Markus

Skybird

02-16-25, 11:45 AM

Russia and Ukraine

Markus
Russia and the US. ;) As long as this is a war of attrition, Ukraine is done without US support.

Russia and America talk about Ukraine, not so much to or with Ukraine.

Europe plays no role. And if it wanted it diferrenbtly, it nevertehless would not be able. Realostically Eurpoe cna send 10-20 thousand instead of the calculated 100 to 150 thousands "peace keepers" that would be needed for a Euro msision in Ukraine. And it would need plenty of US capabilities that Europe simply does not have.

So, in the end Washington and Moscow not only tlak abotu and not with Ukriane, but they also talk about and not really with Europe.

Putin is a happy man currently. Nothing but wins this week.

Europe is staring into an abyss now. At the very bottomg, deep deep below, there lie the many broken monuments of its own security-political failures and omissions. And the whining sound you hear is not the wind, but Merkel's giggle.

Dargo

02-16-25, 11:56 AM

Russia and the US. ;) As long as this is a war of attrition, Ukraine is done without US support.

Russia and America talk about Ukraine, not so much to or with Ukraine.

Europe plays no role. And if it wanted it diferrenbtly, it nevertehless would not be able. Realostically Eurpoe cna send 10-20 thousand instead of the calculated 100 to 150 thousands "peace keepers" that would be needed for a Euro msision in Ukraine. And it would need plenty of US capabilities that Europe simply does not have.

So, in the end Washington and Moscow not only tlak abotu and not with Ukriane, but they also talk about and not really with Europe.

Putin is a happy man currently. Nothing but wins this week.

Europe is staring into an abyss now. At the very bottomg, deep deep below, there lie the many broken monuments of its own security-political failures and omissions. And the whining sound you hear is not the wind, but Merkel's giggle.It is naive to think Ukraine Rada will accept any agreement forced on them that is not gone happen than the war will go on ukraine will never accept this. With or without the US Ukraine will never surrender they rather die.

Jimbuna

02-16-25, 01:23 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Z2Hy_GU8w

Jimbuna

02-16-25, 01:31 PM

Witkoff confirms talks with Russians in Saudi Arabia: We are going with Waltz, hope for progress

US Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirms that US officials will travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with the Russians to end the war in Ukraine.

He said this on Fox News, Censor.NET reports.

Witkoff said that on Sunday, February 16, he and National Security Advisor Mike Volz will travel to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with the Russians to end the war in Ukraine.

"I'm leaving tonight. I will go there with the national security adviser, and we will have meetings at the president's direction, and hopefully we will make really good progress," Trump's special envoy said.

Witkoff also rejected speculation that the Ukrainian side was excluded from the talks, but the American official did not say whether a delegation from Kyiv had been invited.

"I don't think it's about excluding anyone. In fact, it's about including everyone," Reuters quoted him as saying.

As a reminder, on February 12, 2025, Trump said that his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would likely take place in Saudi Arabia.

Trump also said that a meeting between representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia would take place in Saudi Arabia next week.

On February 14, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom was ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Subsequently, Reuters reported that representatives of the United States and Russia would meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536111

mapuc

02-16-25, 01:43 PM

Russia and the US. ;) As long as this is a war of attrition, Ukraine is done without US support.

Russia and America talk about Ukraine, not so much to or with Ukraine.

Europe plays no role. And if it wanted it diferrenbtly, it nevertehless would not be able. Realostically Eurpoe cna send 10-20 thousand instead of the calculated 100 to 150 thousands "peace keepers" that would be needed for a Euro msision in Ukraine. And it would need plenty of US capabilities that Europe simply does not have.

So, in the end Washington and Moscow not only tlak abotu and not with Ukriane, but they also talk about and not really with Europe.

Putin is a happy man currently. Nothing but wins this week.

Europe is staring into an abyss now. At the very bottomg, deep deep below, there lie the many broken monuments of its own security-political failures and omissions. And the whining sound you hear is not the wind, but Merkel's giggle.

It's Ukraine and Russia who is fighting the war, rest of Europe is not. USA is only there as host for the negotiations.

Markus

mapuc

02-16-25, 01:46 PM

It is naive to think Ukraine Rada will accept any agreement forced on them that is not gone happen than the war will go on ukraine will never accept this. With or without the US Ukraine will never surrender they rather die.

I agree with you. However they can be forced to it, as Russia can be forced to give away some land for peace.

Markus

Dargo

02-16-25, 01:58 PM

No they can not be forced Ukraine and only Ukraine will decide if they surrender Cossacks are not the surrender kind they will fight on as they do for centuries against Russia.

Dargo

02-16-25, 02:13 PM

Everybody hear Russia? The zone is being flooded with all kind of retard suggestions do not trust the information zone, it all false. This neither is transactional it is not a deal it is negotiations to a peace treaty so all that they get this or that is either the US has become retard or it is intentional ponder over that than all those disinfo flood in the media. And the Kremlin sips his vodka, seeing the US doing all they want.

mapuc

02-16-25, 03:48 PM

No they can not be forced Ukraine and only Ukraine will decide if they surrender Cossacks are not the surrender kind they will fight on as they do for centuries against Russia.

If I remember correctly a majority of the Cossacks live in Crimea and they dislike the Russians and would as you wrote never give up.

Kyiv should give weapon and ammo to them, so they can fight the Russians in Crimea.

Markus

Skybird

02-16-25, 04:45 PM

It's Ukraine and Russia who is fighting the war, rest of Europe is not. USA is only there as host for the negotiations.

Markus
The host is Saudi Arabia. ;) Americ aand Russia wil speak about Ukraine, but not to Ukraine. Ukraine hangs on the drip of America, and if America cuts them off, it sgame over for Ukraione. Europe is not capable to replace the American military supply, it lacks he defense industrial structures.

Ukraine has little to say in all this. If they disagree with the results and Trump loses interest and leaves Europe and Ukraine alone, then there is nothing anybody can do about that. Not Europe. Not Ukraine.

This is about Russia and WashTrumpington. Two boss egos clapping eahc other on their shoulders. Trump always wanted to be part of the Putin-Xi club and has never hid his admiration for them.

mapuc

02-16-25, 05:47 PM

Why are the Russians attacking Chernobyl NPP ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8799trIpNSk&ab_channel=UkraineMatters

Markus

Skybird

02-16-25, 05:52 PM

Because panic makes the enemy happy and the world going wild.

Jimbuna

02-17-25, 08:28 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sHyCeakBYs

Jimbuna

02-17-25, 08:30 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSZPGexTpTA

Dargo

02-17-25, 12:55 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AhYkxI9oLY

mapuc

02-17-25, 01:37 PM

^ They, the Ukrainians, must keep up the steam in order to maintain their momentum in Pokrovsk Oblast.

Markus

Jimbuna

02-17-25, 01:46 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRyoRmrVYI4

Jimbuna

02-17-25, 02:08 PM

Europeans could potentially send up to 30 thousand troops to Ukraine - WP

European countries could potentially send 25 to 30 thousand troops to Ukraine if there is a ceasefire agreement.

The Washington Post writes about this with reference to informed sources, Censor.NET reports.

It is noted that the number of potential military contingent was disclosed in responses to a letter from the United States, where they asked European countries to detail their capabilities to support Kyiv.

WP sources said that European countries are currently ready to provide several brigades for potential deployment in Ukraine with an estimated number of 25 to 30 thousand.

The interlocutors of the publication point out that the European military "will not be deployed along the contact line, but will be ready to demonstrate force if Russian troops resume the war."

In addition, troops in Ukraine could be supported by more forces outside the country "in case they need to rapidly build up and advance."

WP writes that the most thorough military planning for such a mission has been done by France, which is estimated to have about 10,000 troops.

Two WP sources say that other European powers are still more concerned or facing problems with limited military forces.

The United States has previously publicly allowed for the possibility of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine to monitor a potential "truce," but has said that U.S. troops would not participate in such a mission.

Earlier it was reported that the United States sent a questionnaire to European countries asking them what contribution they could make to guaranteeing Ukraine's security. The document also asks what European governments would need from Washington to participate in ensuring security measures in Ukraine. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536316

mapuc

02-17-25, 02:50 PM

I shake my head in despair.

Russia does not dare to attack a NATO-country because we have article 5 in the NATO charter(I think it is called)

So I try to explain to them, my friends, why you can't trust this article 5 by posting part of the article, the most important part that is

"each member state is to assist by taking "such action as [the member state] deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.""

Markus

Dargo

02-17-25, 02:59 PM

Meanwhile in Kursk...
https://i.ibb.co/nNxNKYZx/kimmy.jpg (https://ibb.co/mVfVP21f)

mapuc

02-17-25, 04:54 PM

The Danish government fear that a big war in Europe will come within the next 4-5 years and has therefore given the military extra 50 billion Danish Kroner 25 billion this year and 25 next year in all they have raised the GDP to 3 %.

They are also taking about creating a kind of war tax. Which should be implemented in 2027.

Markus

MaDef

02-17-25, 09:55 PM

Russia and the US. ;)

Europe is staring into an abyss now. At the very bottomg, deep deep below, there lie the many broken monuments of its own security-political failures and omissions.And you have no one to blame but yourselves by shortchanging your defenses and expecting the U.S. to pick up the slack for the last 30 years.

mapuc

02-17-25, 11:04 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBPdqXs8klw&ab_channel=CombatVeteranReacts

Markus

Skybird

02-18-25, 02:25 AM

And you have no one to blame but yourselves by shortchanging your defenses and expecting the U.S. to pick up the slack for the last 30 years.Thats absolutely correct and I say nothing different.

Catfish

02-18-25, 03:32 AM

The US has "put up the slack" also out of own interests, it was not sympathy or altruism alone..

MaDef

02-18-25, 09:08 AM

The US has "put up the slack" also out of own interests, it was not sympathy or altruism alone..

No argument here, but the world has changed and it's time for both the U.S. and Europe to reevaluate the U.S.' role in NATO.

Skybird

02-18-25, 11:32 AM

[Frankfurter Rundschau] Trump's Ukraine peace plan: conditions tougher than German reparations after World War II.Trump had announced his intention to end the Ukraine war immediately after returning to the White House, but has not announced any specific plans. Donald Trump's administration has proposed a controversial deal to Ukraine on natural resources in exchange for military aid.

The US is offering Ukraine a deal - natural resources in exchange for military aid. The terms of this deal, which are usually imposed on defeated aggressor states, according to reports by the British publication The Telegraph, go far beyond the demands made on Germany and Japan after World War II.

The draft agreement, marked as privileged and confidential, was presented on February 7, 2025, and describes an economic colonization of Ukraine by the US, designed to be legally permanent. According to a source close to the document, the agreement contains reparations demands that "cannot possibly be met." The draft gives the US 50 percent of the revenue from mineral extraction and 50 percent of the value of any new licenses granted to third parties. These revenues would be "confiscated" for the benefit of the US.

"This clause means 'pay us first and then feed your children,'" a source familiar with the talks told The Telegraph. The agreement gives the US a right of first refusal on all exportable minerals from future licenses and projects. Washington would also have sovereign immunity and gain almost complete control over much of Ukraine's mineral economy.

A special fund in charge of future licenses would have the sole right to determine "method, selection criteria, terms and conditions" of all projects, suggesting comprehensive US control over Ukraine's minerals.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Ukraine had "essentially agreed" to transfer $500 billion. "They have enormously valuable land in terms of rare earths, oil and gas and other things," Trump said. At the same time, he warned that Ukraine would be handed over to Putin "on a silver platter" if it refused these terms.

According to the article, President Zelensky himself had raised the idea of granting the US a direct share of Ukraine's rare earths and critical minerals in September during a visit to Trump Tower to pave the way for further arms deliveries.
--------------------

Tja.

Catfish

02-18-25, 12:17 PM

No argument here, but the world has changed and it's time for both the U.S. and Europe to reevaluate the U.S.' role in NATO.
Maybe you can call it so, and it makes sense, it is just that this comes in a situation where Europe needs at least two years to put up.
Then, treaties are treaties. But as Trump's son just said, quote:
"We are businessmen. So yesterday we were friends, today we are enemies." F' him :shucks:
Apart from that this is a real wake-up call to rethink US-european trade.
Putin will be happy.

Jimbuna

02-18-25, 01:03 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Xd8uRdD74

Dargo

02-18-25, 01:09 PM

If we didn’t surrender to these ultimatums at our most difficult moment, why would anyone think Ukraine would do so now? And I certainly did not, and will not, accept Russia’s ultimatums.‪During the opening ceremony of Ukraine’s new embassy in Ankara, Zelenskyy stated Ukraine would never compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty. "As a country, we want peace; we want the war to end. However, we want the end of this war to be based on certain security guarantees. We expect these guarantees to be provided by the US, EU, Turkey, and all of Europe," Zelenskyy said at the ceremony. He emphasized that Ukraine will never compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty, asserting that it cannot act against the Ukrainian Constitution. "If Turkey can provide the necessary security guarantees to Ukraine, we would like to see Turkey involved in this process as well. We will never, under any circumstances, recognize our temporarily occupied territories as part of Russia. They are part of Ukraine," Zelenskyy stated.

Jimbuna

02-18-25, 01:25 PM

Russia, US propose three-step peace plan for Ukraine - Fox News

Russia and the United States are proposing a three-stage peace plan that includes a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and then the signing of a final agreement.

According to Censor.NET, Russian media reported this with reference to Fox News.

Also, with reference to Fox News, it is stated that Moscow and Washington consider holding elections in Ukraine as one of the key conditions for a successful settlement process.

As a reminder, on February 12, 2025, Trump said that his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would likely take place in Saudi Arabia.

Trump also said that a meeting between representatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia would take place in Saudi Arabia next week.

On February 14, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom was ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

The meeting of the US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia will take place on February 18, Axios reports. On February 17, Censor.NET reported that Lavrov and Ushakov were flying to Saudi Arabia for talks with US representatives. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536482

Catfish

02-18-25, 01:39 PM

Speech by Zelensky:
" [...] e want the war to end. However, we want the end of this war to be based on certain security guarantees. We expect these guarantees to be provided by the US, EU, Turkey, and all of Europe," Zelenskyy said at the ceremony. He emphasized that Ukraine will never compromise on its territorial integrity and sovereignty, asserting that it cannot act against the Ukrainian Constitution. [...] .
Wasn't there a treaty from several nations to protect Ukraine when it gave away its nuclear arms.
What are treaties worth anyway as said somewhere here before, the times are changing now that businessmen and dictators rule the world. So everyone should arm up to its teeth and peace will come. LMAO.

Jimbuna

02-18-25, 01:39 PM

Results of meeting in Paris: EU ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees

The European Union does not support a ceasefire without a clearly defined peace agreement, given the negative experience of the Minsk agreements.

This was announced by an EU official in a commentary to Suspilne after a meeting of European leaders in Paris, Censor.NET reports.

According to him, Europe shares US President Donald Trump' s approach to achieving "peace through strength". At the same time, the EU is ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, but the terms of such guarantees will be discussed individually, depending on the level of support from the United States.

"We are ready to raise our defence budgets, both individually and within the EU, to better share the burden with the United States," the EU official said.

Emergency summit in Paris
As a reminder, Macron has called a meeting of European leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The meeting will be attended by the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark, representing the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Macron spoke to Trump before the "Ukrainian" summit in Paris.

He also had a conversation with Zelenskyy after the summit. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536403

Jimbuna

02-18-25, 02:00 PM

Russia won't accept Nato troops in Ukraine, Lavrov says after talks with US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said his country won't accept peacekeeping forces from Nato countries in Ukraine under any peace deal, following high-level talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.

"Any appearance by armed forces under some other flag does not change anything. It is of course completely unacceptable," he said.

Russia and the US said they had agreed to appoint teams to start negotiating the end of the war.

"Today is the first step of a long and difficult journey, but an important one", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following the meeting.

Ukraine was not invited to the talks, which its president Volodymyr Zelensky said was a "surprise".

The meeting in Riyadh was the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russian and American delegations are known to have met face-to-face.

Also at the meeting in Saudi Arabia were US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, as well as Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov and the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

Afterwards, Lavrov said the US and Russia would appoint ambassadors to each other's countries as soon as possible and create conditions to "restore co-operation in full".

"It was a very useful conversation. We listened to each other, and we heard each other," he said.

He reiterated Russia's previous position that any expansion of the Nato defence alliance - and Ukraine joining it - would be a "direct threat" to Russia.

Rubio meanwhile said he was "convinced" Russia was "willing to begin to engage in a serious process" to end the conflict.

"There has to be concessions made by all sides. We're not going to predetermine what those are."

European leaders held a hastily-arranged meeting in Paris on Monday to discuss their response to the apparent rapprochement between Russia and the US under President Trump - but did not agree a unified position.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said any Ukraine deal would require a "US backstop" to deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again and said he would consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine.

But Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key Nato ally, said for his part, discussing sending troops to Ukraine at present was "completely premature".

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said he does not intend to send troops, and Italy's Giorgia Meloni - the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration - expressed doubts.

She told the meeting in Paris that deploying European troops would be "the most complex and the least effective" way of securing peace in Ukraine.

In Riyadh, Rubio said the European Union was going to "have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed".

On the absence of Ukraine at the meeting, he insisted "no one is being side-lined".

"Everyone involved in that conflict has to be OK with it, it has to be acceptable to them," he added.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky looked visibly tired and upset when he gave his reaction to the meeting during a news conference in Turkey.

"We want everything to be fair and so that nobody decides anything behind our back," he said.

"You cannot make decisions without Ukraine on how to end the war in Ukraine."

He will be alarmed by all the smiles on both American and Russian faces in Riyadh, but he will know that he can do little to change whatever they agree on over his head.

The Ukrainian president will also know that his country's chances of resisting - let alone defeating - Russian troops without American help are very slim.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0n5e1pdz9o

Dargo

02-18-25, 02:04 PM

Russia Is Sending Its Wounded Soldiers Into Meat Grinder Assaults, Even on CrutchesUK Defense Intelligence reported on February 4, 2025, that Russia is redeploying injured soldiers back into combat, some were even sent to fight against Ukraine on crutches. The Russian 20th Combined Arms Army has reportedly formed entire assault units composed of these “walking wounded” and ordered them into battle. While shocking, this practice is no longer an exception—it has become routine in the Russian military. Sending injured soldiers back to the front is not just a symptom of an overburdened medical system or a disregard for human life. It is now an institutionalized strategy to sustain Russia’s offensive operations despite catastrophic losses.

Reports from multiple sources—including Russian military bloggers, Western intelligence, and Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence—point to a pattern in which wounded soldiers are not treated but repurposed... https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/russia-is-sending-its-wounded-soldiers-into-meat-grinder-assaults-even-on-crutches-5967

Dargo

02-18-25, 02:16 PM

Europe Eyes Unprecedented €700 Billion Military Aid Plan for UkraineThe European Union is reportedly working on a multi-billion-euro defense package to support Ukraine’s war effort, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hinting at the sheer scale of the upcoming package, suggesting it could be worth around $732.2 billion (€700 billion), German media Berliner Zeitung reported on February 18. However, EU leaders recognize the sensitivity of the plan. According to Bloomberg, the spending initiative will only be announced after Germany’s regional elections on February 23 to avoid controversy before the vote.

Select European heads of state met in Paris on Monday to coordinate their response after U.S. officials urged Europe to take concrete action. “We will launch a large package, the likes of which we have never seen before,” Baerbock told Bloomberg during the Munich Security Conference. “Just as we had a financial package for the euro crisis or COVID-19, we now need one for European security. This will happen soon.”... https://ukrainetoday.org/europe-eyes-unprecedented-e700-billion-military-aid-plan-for-ukraine/

mapuc

02-18-25, 03:31 PM

Can Europe fill out the shoes, if USA drop their supply of military and economical aid to Ukraine ?

Markus

Catfish

02-18-25, 03:52 PM

^ That is the question. But interesting to see the US gallantly chickening away in *this* situation.

Skybird

02-18-25, 03:55 PM

Can Europe fill out the shoes, if USA drop their supply of military and economical aid to Ukraine ?

Markus
No. Plain and simple: no. Period.

I think Trump does to care for Ukraine, he just cares to enforce a deal at his conditions over the rare earths and minerals in Ukraine. Russia knows tbhis,a dn that why they will be able to barter with each other. Thats why Trump does not care to trade the Russians severla gifts that cost Ukroane a lot but him nothing, without having gotten anything in return from the Russians so far. The Russians have just repeated their maximum demands and made no concessions. Even Putin'S willigness to now negotiate with Zelenskyi is a gambit only, for he demands that before doing so Zelenksyi must be reelected. And Ukraine practically cannot hold elections during war.

America first.

If Trump sees he will not get a - fpor Ukraione extrneely disadvantageous deal with Ukraine, for whatever reason, and he cannot blackmail Ukraine to make one, he will let it drop immediately, turn away and not look back.

And Europe? If you count military aid into money and then add the civil monetarian aid all together, the European states all in all have done three fifths of the total support, the US around two fifths. But if it comnes to Trump he wants total monopoly over Ukrainians ressources, and no independent access to them for Europe.

"America, America über alles, über alles in der Welt..."

Well, Europe's own fault. Why is the EU and why are the natiosn actign so stupid and weakly as they do since decades. No pity from me. Weakness coupled with big-mouthedness and megalomania is simply disgusting. I despise self-inflicted weakness.

mapuc

02-18-25, 04:03 PM

No. Plain and simple: no. Period.

I didn't expect this short message/comment.

Which generate another question.

How eager is Europe to help Ukraine fighting the Russians ? Is it nothing but empty words we hear from our European leader or could we see European troops in Ukraine in 5 or 10 years from now.

Here is an another story on how Putin is lying to the soldiers before being send til Ukraine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyAMWAVG_8&ab_channel=TheMilitaryShow

Markus

Catfish

02-18-25, 04:40 PM

Putin is happy.
After having been treated as the underdog. he is now officially accepted and on the stage again, a "superpower", thanks Trump.
Trump and Putin dividing the world among each other while Ukraine is being thrown under the bus.

Trump has not understood that this war is eroding the international system and the US dollar. It is indeed time for Europe for european unity and own military force.
Looking at the sheer numbers Europe is more than capable - i remain an optimist ;)

mapuc

02-18-25, 04:56 PM

This is an interesting video with Ben Hodges.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ztuutAg7E&ab_channel=SiliconCurtain

Europe must be prepared

Markus

Skybird

02-18-25, 05:32 PM

[FOCUS] On Tuesday, Russian and American delegations met for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, led by Foreign Ministers Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov, to discuss a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

In advance, US President Donald Trump had already given up all possible trump cards and made unexpected concessions to Russia. According to him, Ukraine should not become a member of NATO. Europe alone should be responsible for maintaining peace.

Since Russia has already achieved important goals, the main focus in Riyadh was the resumption of diplomatic relations with the USA. For political scientist Thomas Jäger from the University of Cologne, Russian President Vladimir Putin is the big winner of the first meeting.

"For the USA, Russia is a completely normal state again," the expert said in an interview with FOCUS online. Three agreements were reached: In addition to intensifying diplomatic relations, which had come to a standstill after the start of the Russian war of aggression, a Ukraine group should take care of a peace process.

"The third point is particularly important from the Russian perspective. Namely, that general geopolitical issues and economic cooperation are discussed. In plain language, that means: how do we lift the sanctions?"

Lavrov also made this a condition for the start of peace negotiations. "Russia has been rehabilitated, so to speak. And that has cost the Russian side nothing at all."

On the part of the Americans, this was a "completely unprofessional foreign policy from the start," said Jäger. Russia is now pursuing two goals: to become the Americans' first point of contact in Europe and to free itself from the economic stranglehold. Russia will demand both of these for peace in Ukraine.

But to what extent does the USA benefit from the agreements reached? Not at all, says the expert. The US delegation made a strange impression at the final press conference.

"Every other sentence said that the only person in the world who can solve such problems is Donald Trump. That was such a subservience to the president that one was completely disturbed.”

Trump had already given up all his trump cards beforehand. The big question now is what the US president's intentions are. “Some say he is after the Nobel Peace Prize, others say Putin is playing with him.”

After the memorable meeting in Saudi Arabia, however, it is certain that Trump has changed sides. “He is no longer the defender of democracy, but the partner of the autocracy,” Jäger concluded.

Skybird

02-18-25, 05:43 PM

I didn't expect this short message/comment.

Which generate another question.

How eager is Europe to help Ukraine fighting the Russians ?

Ignore that the Russians today said - again - that they do not accept NATO peace keepers in Ukrain.

Estiumations range from 100 to 150 thousand troops needed for such a mission. Zeleenkyi even said 150 to 200 thousand.

France said ti would maybe send 10.000, but did not say how well they would be armed how robust. The UK: the same, 10,000 said Starmer, but it is his secret where he wanmst to get the equipment. Sweden said yes, but not how many. Spain said they would send "some". Poland said No. Germany is divided, Scholz says no, the greens say yes, and I say the BW is not capable to form a battle robust formation. They wanted to form a brigade, heavy, for Lithuania, and we still do not see where the equipment can come from. Probabaly out of thin air, I assume.

My fear is the potlkicians think of this as a policing mission, not a serious war mission that could come under heaviest bombardment at any time. I fear potklcians do not think realistically here.

I do not see how the Europeans could send lets say 130,000 battle ready war ready troops.

A few yeras ago SACEUR said that NATO is incapable to defend or retake the Suwalki gap if the Russians go seriously after it. But NATO suddenly can defend a 2000km long war front...?!

Catfish

02-18-25, 05:44 PM

^ ^ above post re US meeting Russia.
Some may ask whether some person has lost his mind.
Positive is you cannot lose what you never had :D

mapuc

02-18-25, 06:01 PM

Ukraine would never accept an agreement between Russia and USA.

This made me think of some plausible scenarios, in which Ukraine is the loser in each of them.

No more weapon from USA and Europe can't meet the requirements needed by the Ukrainians. This mean after a while Ukraine lack modern West weapon and ammo and has to rely on old Russian stuff. The people want peace at any cost and young men refuse to take part in the war, meaning Ukraine will suffer even more from shortage on the human front.

In the end Ukraine may have to accept such a treaty-No more weapon and money from USA and Europe who is incapable to meet the requirements needed.

I hope I'm wrong.

Markus

Jeff-Groves

02-18-25, 06:07 PM

Really sucks when your 'Meal Ticket' decides to walk away doesn't it?
:haha:

Skybird

02-18-25, 06:27 PM

Ukraine would never accept an agreement between Russia and USA.

This made me think of some plausible scenarios, in which Ukraine is the loser in each of them.

No more weapon from USA and Europe can't meet the requirements needed by the Ukrainians. This mean after a while Ukraine lack modern West weapon and ammo and has to rely on old Russian stuff.
One argument for Western weapons was the fact that they ran out of ammo and spare parts for their old Sovjet era stuff. :03:

The sime truth is, when Ukriane doe snot like the deal Trump and Putrin do, they cna say No, but then Trump will not do anything for Ukraine anymore, and simply loses interest and leave sukriane to itself. Ukraine cannot force Trump'S America into compliance with its own needs.

Ukraine cant do anything in this. Europe cannot do anythign in this. That simple it is. For Ukraine I feel pity. For the Europeans not.

Aktungbby

02-18-25, 06:31 PM

Trump and Putin dividing the world among each other while Ukraine is being thrown under the bus.
:hmmm:...not unlke the 1939 Hitler/Stalin pact over Poland ...essentially just "buying time" till WW III goes full tilt. At the very least, the West and NATO, having failed to live up to their signed (incl. Bill Clinton) guarantee(s) of Ukraine's security; should restore the 1960 strategic warheads, 196 ICBMs and 44 'strategic bombers' that Ukraine willingly gave up 1n 1991 and let Mother Russia "sweat the details"...and the 'quid pro quo' fallout.... :Kaleun_Salivating::Kaleun_Party::oops::dead:

mapuc

02-19-25, 12:26 AM

Has he lost his mind ?

From a short notice in a Danish article

The US president says he is 'much more convinced' that the war in Ukraine can end after today's meeting.

He also blames Ukraine for the war, even though it was Russia that invaded the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and later launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.

- You should never have started this. You should have made a deal, says the US president, referring to Ukraine.

Markus

Reece

02-19-25, 01:01 AM

Has he lost his mind ?

Markus

Yes he has!! :k_confused:

Ostfriese

02-19-25, 01:14 AM

Reece

02-19-25, 01:28 AM

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.eX-X6OKf7PornZ2ggQZ6fAAAAA&pid=Api&P=0&h=180

MaDef

02-19-25, 01:42 AM

I'm not worried about Trump's ramblings. I'm far more concerned with his reactions once he understands that neither Ukraine nor most of the rest of the world will accept his diktatfrieden - when his "peace"proposal doesn't end the war.You should be more concerned with what happens if WE (the United States) disengage completely and let them
work out their differences on their own. What a lot of you fail to realize is that many of us in the U.S. think this is a regional issue (regardless of who's right or wrong). and to spend money to help one side or the other without receiving something in return was/is a waste of money that could be better spent here at home. The Biden Admin decided to get involved anyway, and now we are out 87 billion dollars with nothing gained.

And to be frank, I think if Trump gets his way nobody is going to be happy, Not the Ukrainians, not the Russians, and certainly not the European Union.

Ostfriese

02-19-25, 02:34 AM

You should be more concerned with what happens if WE (the United States) disengage completely and let them
work out their differences on their own.

Not concerned about that at all, won‘t happen. Disengaging completely will do way to much indirect damage to the US. Wherever the Americans disengage, the Chinese will be only too happy to fill the void.

What a lot of you fail to realize is that many of us in the U.S. think this is a regional issue (regardless of who's right or wrong).

We are very much aware of that. The world isn’t stupid, and most people in the world know more about world events than the average American.

and to spend money to help one side or the other without receiving something in return was/is a waste of money that could be better spent here at home.

Supporting a war never yields a return that is worth the investment, yet the US fought more than 50 wars after WW2, either directly involved or as proxy wars.

And to be frank, I think if Trump gets his way nobody is going to be happy, Not the Ukrainians, not the Russians, and certainly not the European Union.

Trump won’t get his way, but even if he did certainly the Russians are going to be happy about it. Trump’s plan would hand Ukraine over to the Russians, the aggressor in this conflict (even though Trump is stupid enough to claim differently. Are you stupid enough to believe that?).

In this matter Trump behaves like Putin’s puppet, it seems he is all to happy to do as his Russian master tells him.

Ostfriese

02-19-25, 02:35 AM

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.eX-X6OKf7PornZ2ggQZ6fAAAAA&pid=Api&P=0&h=180

That‘s an accurate picture of what is going to happen :D

Eisenwurst

02-19-25, 03:24 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boi4RT2jCzU

Anyone keeping score ???

Eichhörnchen

02-19-25, 07:36 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB8wLbXfHNo

The analogy of the US negotiating the fate of Britain with Hitler is clear to me

Skybird

02-19-25, 07:55 AM

Trump's recent statements prove that he has switched sides 100% and now fully supports and defends Russian war aims. He has also fully embraced the Putin narrative. This means that the US is no longer a defender of democracy and the rule of law as it was after the Second World War, but a vicarious agent of autocrats, robber barons and war criminals. Ultimately only because of the sick, broken ego of their supreme leader, and his desire to share in the spoils of these plundering campaigns (and his vindictive desire to retaliate against Zelenskyi for not providing him with fake evidence against Biden at the time). The fact that Trump is now even blaming Zelenskyi for the continuation of the war and thus absolutely and totally bending the knee to the narrative of the Kremlin lords, while at the same time presenting a gagging agreement that is supposed to make him the de facto owner of Ukrainian raw materials, shows what a rotten and insidious character this pig really has.

I guess the Russians still can't believe their luck that they now have to deal with this jerk who gives them everything they want without receiving anything from the Russians in return. And that's only because Trump is longing to get a comradely pat on the back from Putin and be counted among the club of sinister backyard bosses, and to gain control of a victim's possessions.

Hey Donny, you do realize that they all laugh uproariously at you as soon as you're out of earshot, right?

What a vindictive, vile, evil little ****... Anmd have you noticed how servile and often his minions weasel around and whisper "Only our golden presidente can solve this", "Only our divine presidente can solve that"...? This sucking up is as ridiculous as it is sycophantic

This choice of words will probably be automatically captured, tracked and stored by some analytics AI of some government service, and if I'd ever plan to travel to the US, it would maybe fall on my feet. Anyway, I don't intend to travel there anyway.

That doesn't mean that I suddenly find the European position any less pathetic. Europe is stewing in its own diaper - and it's warm and juicy and steaming and full to the brim.

Zelenskij's desperation is increasingly hard to overlook. Metaphorically speaking, he screams in panic.

Eichhörnchen

02-19-25, 08:26 AM

I believe even Roman emperors had a minion on hand to whisper reminders in their ear that they were still - despite everything - mortal. Such a minion would've been the first redundancy here

Bilge_Rat

02-19-25, 08:47 AM

well again I think everyone is misreading the situation. It does not matter what Ukraine or Europe wants, this is all about US domestic politics.

The situation Trump faces is the same one many presidents have faced early in their term, Biden in 2021 being the latest. You inherit an unpopular war, you have two choices, bite the bullet and get out and get on with your domestic agenda or continue the “war” which then becomes your problem.

Biden bailed on Afghanistan in 2021, it was an ugly mess, but a few months later it was all forgotten and no one cares about Afghanistan any more.

Trump will make a “deal”, declare victory, bail out of funding the war and leave Ukraine high and dry. It will then be up to Europe whether they want to foot the bill for years to come.

No doubt it will be ugly, but Trump will not face any blowback, the majority of his voters and the GOP could not care less about Ukraine which is as important to them as Afghanistan. They would rather have those billions of dollars spent to help Americans at home.

MaDef

02-19-25, 09:32 AM

Not concerned about that at all, won‘t happen. Disengaging completely will do way to much indirect damage to the US. Wherever the Americans disengage, the Chinese will be only too happy to fill the void.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but China is already filling the "void". Their Ukrainian imports are 3 times what the U.S. imports from Ukraine. And their exports to Ukraine are 2.5 times what the U.S. does.

Eichhörnchen

02-19-25, 09:35 AM

@ Bilge Rat:- With respect, the huge difference between that and this is that this is an existential war. You can afford to forget about Afghanistan - that war could never have threatened you with obliteration

Aktungbby

02-19-25, 10:35 AM

I believe even Roman emperors had a minion on hand to whisper reminders in their ear that they were still - despite everything - mortal. Such a minion would've been the first redundancy hereyour absolutely right...except it's Trump doing the whispering in the devine Elon Musk's ear!

:O:

Eichhörnchen

02-19-25, 10:38 AM

^ :har::Kaleun_Salute:

Skybird

02-19-25, 11:34 AM

It did not take long to turn from bad to worse: now Trump calls Zelenskyi a dictator.

Does he declare his income tax still in dollars or already in rubles? Kremlin really should start to pay him bonusses.

Assuming he pays income tax, of course. Which we maybe should not take for granted.

Jimbuna

02-19-25, 12:10 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txW3swFMJHg

Jimbuna

02-19-25, 12:17 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYnr4Dyn30g

Catfish

02-19-25, 12:24 PM

I hope Europe wakes up, we have to do this ourselves. We can talk about US relations when Russia is out of Ukraine.

Dargo

02-19-25, 12:25 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN8Y2hmM2z0

Jimbuna

02-19-25, 12:29 PM

I hope Europe wakes up, we have to do this ourselves. We can talk about US relations when Russia is out of Ukraine.

Agreed :yep:

MaDef

02-19-25, 12:30 PM

I hope Europe wakes up, we have to do this ourselves. We can talk about US relations when Russia is out of Ukraine.
Now you're getting it skippy,..... First smart thing I've heard since this whole debacle started.

Skybird

02-19-25, 12:31 PM

[Tichys Einblick] From Paris to Berlin and Brussels to London and Kiev, the message is loud and clear, the media repeat it, it is out of the question that Trump and Putin are negotiating over our heads about Ukraine. What kind of world do Macron, von der Leyen, Scholz and Starmer live in?

I wrote here recently: For the umpteenth time in history, the border region of Ukraine - as its name suggests - will be divided between the strongest in terms of power politics. As it once was between the empire of the Tsars, the Hohenzollerns and the Habsburgs - now between America and Rossiya, after Ukraine was only allowed to become a constituent state within the Soviet Union and not an independent one despite a referendum under "international law". If the EU comes in at the very end, then only as a notary.

From a speech by Austria's well-known strategist, Colonel Markus Reisner: "The question is, will Europe still have any relevance in the future. …There are only American interests in Europe, but that is not the Americans’ fault, it is ours, because we have lived very well with it … because we do not agree at all on where we are … we do not have a pan-European strategy … we also lack statesmen who could implement this strategy … the Russians are not interested in it at all, at least after the failed summer offensive, the mood in Russian social networks was completely different to before, they think they are on the Seelow Heights and can see Berlin, that is how they speak there … If we look at Europe’s nuclear potential, let’s take the example of Great Britain … an aircraft carrier leaves the harbor for a NATO exercise, breaks down due to a screw defect, is towed back … the second aircraft carrier gets a little further, breaks down, is towed back … a Trident-class submarine conducts a nuclear weapons test to show what it can do, the missile leaves the boat, turns twice in the air and crashes into the sea. The Russians see this and say OK, all clear. That's where we are.«

The European Economic Community, which has been inflated to become the EU, has long been a house of cards, and now it has begun to collapse. The natural progression of a dilapidated building is its collapse.

Jimbuna

02-19-25, 12:32 PM

No one can force Ukraine to surrender - Sybiha

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine will defend its right to exist.

The Foreign Minister wrote about this on the social network X, Censor.NET reports.

"Ukraine has withstood the worst military attack in the modern history of Europe and three years of total war. The Ukrainian people and their President Zelenskyy refused to succumb to Putin's pressure.

No one can force Ukraine to surrender. We will defend our right to exist," the minister emphasized. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536783

Exocet25fr

02-19-25, 01:15 PM

^
It's too late....!

Catfish

02-19-25, 01:42 PM

@Jim this is correct. What if Ukraine and the rest of Europe give a sh!t about what Trump and Putin decide.

Dargo

02-19-25, 02:01 PM

@Jim this is correct. What if Ukraine and the rest of Europe give a sh!t about what Trump and Putin decide.Europe Eyes Unprecedented €700 Billion Military Aid Plan for Ukraine (https://ukrainetoday.org/europe-eyes-unprecedented-e700-billion-military-aid-plan-for-ukraine/)We will launch a large package, the likes of which we have never seen before, Just as we had a financial package for the euro crisis or COVID-19, we now need one for European security. This will happen soon.EU looks at tapping €93bn in unspent Covid recovery funds for defence (https://archive.ph/Y6yAJ#selection-1735.0-1735.69) European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen mentioned the financing option at a meeting of the centre-right European People’s party on Tuesday, according to four people with knowledge of the discussion. The bloc’s additional financing needs for defence are estimated at about €500bn over the next decade. The EU could also repurpose regional development funds, von der Leyen said and mentioned “common European financing” as another option being explored, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

Dargo

02-19-25, 02:13 PM

At this stage no one would be surprised if Donald pasted the original Russian text into his tweets. https://x.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1892254525559329109

Donald Trump has been harsher on Ukraine, Taiwan, the UK, the EU, Canada, South Korea, and Mexico than he’s ever been on China, Russia, North Korea, or the Taliban.

Let that sink in. https://x.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1892259895245688971

Commander Wallace

02-19-25, 02:22 PM

I hope Europe wakes up, we have to do this ourselves. We can talk about US relations when Russia is out of Ukraine.

I think it was completely wrong and stupid to have any discussions with Putrid regarding the Ukraine, certainly without any input from the Ukraine. I hope the people around Trump are telling him that Trump won't stop at the Ukraine. Reports are surfacing that Putrid has designs on Poland and the Baltic Countries. Moldavia ( Moldova ) would be in jeopardy as well.

Any agreements Russia would engage would be just buying time for them for them to rearm. It's short sighted to make any decisions for the Ukraine and just wrong. I hope Trump has the good sense to see that.

mapuc

02-19-25, 03:00 PM

Commander Wallace

02-19-25, 03:28 PM

Europe should stand up for Ukraine by them self, some of us have said. I do understand that the European weapon production is far behind the Russian and that Europe has to produce weapon and ammo to both Europe and Ukraine, which need a lot of ammos.

I have been told here in this thread-It can't be done Europe can't fill out the shoes if USA drop their military aid to Ukraine.

Markus

Europe has been supporting Ukraine. I think at the forefront is England, Germany and Poland. I'm sure there are other Countries as well. The U.S has spent Billions to help Ukraine.

However, the Ukraine having been part of Russia is also misusing American Weapons. The Former Soviet Union as part of it's Military Doctrine, has always stressed quantity over qualitative factors. In short, American Weapons, like those of England and Germany are Precision Strike Weapons. Don't misunderstand, The Ukraine has fought hard and well.

One example has seen the Ukraine take Precision weapons, like Anti tank weapons and fire salvos in hopes of hitting something. each one of those Anti-Tank weapons ( Javelins ) are $ 176,000 Dollars a piece with the U.S footing the bill. These are Soviet era tactics. Ukrainian Pilots had to learn Western tactics when taking possession of U.S made F-16's.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/29/how-this-us-made-176000-anti-tank-weapon-could-change-the-war-in-ukraine.html

Dargo

02-19-25, 03:51 PM

"I know myself excellently with history," Trump said. "Hitler didn't want all that. He was a peace-loving man who was simply lucky that he had already stationed his entire army on the border with Poland. But Poland had sneakily attacked the station Gleiwitz and forced the German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler to shoot back again from 5:45 a.m. If I were President at the time, not Sleepy Roosevelt, it would never have come this far."I would have made a deal with Hitler. An excellent deal. Without, the warmongers from Poland should have had a say. I would have given him Poland as a compromise and if he had compliments for me, I might even have put France and Belgium on top of it.

mapuc

02-19-25, 04:01 PM

Dargo

02-19-25, 04:07 PM

Do you have a link ?

Markushttps://www.der-postillon.com/2025/02/ueberfall-auf-polen.html :D note the :D:D:D

mapuc

02-19-25, 04:15 PM

https://www.der-postillon.com/2025/02/ueberfall-auf-polen.html :D note the :D:D:D

Thank you makes one wonder-If you should laugh or cry.

Markus

Catfish

02-19-25, 04:29 PM

https://www.der-postillon.com/2025/02/ueberfall-auf-polen.html :D note the :D:D:D
Hehe... :D
On the other hand it is like Eichhörnchen wrote:
1941: the US is making a 'deal' with Hitler about the future of England.
I have the tiniest bit of doubt that Europe, let alone Ukraine, will accept that.

Ostfriese

02-19-25, 04:29 PM

Thank you makes one wonder-If you should laugh or cry.

Markus

"Der Postillon" is a German satire magazine, so laugh.

Skybird

02-19-25, 04:39 PM

Ijust saw a program in a daily news background TV program over here, Heute Journal. They showed that Trump already during the cold war agitated against NATO and copied Sovjet narratives, was invited by the KGB to Russia, formed close ties to Russian mafia, oligarchs, politicians, even KGB, and build a Trump tower that then became a social centre and haven for the criminal underworld and the political elites. He has met Putin already long time ago and formed close ties with him. i did not knew all that. They showed a KGB evaluation and then from years later the printed order by Putin - after Putin was no longer with the KGB but had become president - to make helping Trump becoming president of the US one day an official operation run by a subordinate department within the FSB for so-called influencing operations abroad, a department that already existed in the KGB and was continued by the FSB.

In other words, its not new at all that Trump lines up with Russia and copies the Kremlin's narratives. He does so since decades already. He is more on Russia's than America's side, I just conclude.

Ukraine is screwed way more than even I imagined. And some of you call me a pessimist. It seems thats not true, it seems I was a foolish optimist. I thought Trump's record of corrupt business pratcice, fraud, and tax-related crime was limited to house building in the US.

I think he is too stupid and mad to see himseklf as a Russian agent, but in fact that seems to be what he is - at least the product of a very successful Russian secret service operation that now runs already since decades.

Ukraine will pay dearly, like several times before already. They will pay dearly.

Europe could and should have known in advance, Trump announced what he woudl do already yera sago. Did Europe care to prepare? Noooope... Europe will pay for its weakness, too.

Catfish

02-19-25, 05:24 PM

Some in Europe foresaw it. Macron, for example.
Trump paves the way for an international war.

Catfish

02-19-25, 05:31 PM

Skybird

02-19-25, 05:39 PM

I absolutely dojb t that Macornman cares much for Ukraine. He cares for his surviuval at homne, and his attempt to make France the secret hegemon, so to speak, of the EU, with Germany just being the paymaster for overburdening French debt.

He is a hero of words, and a savior in theory only. His real goals I absolutely doubt. But then, I dont trust any politicians. And where I did on rare occasions, I usually got punished for it just short time later.

Catfish

02-19-25, 05:47 PM

I give a rat's ass what Trump thinks, point is that Europe has to stand together against Putin and now also the US. Shooting against England or France in this situation is bullsh!t once more. Putin loves your post, and your f'n defeatism only helps Russia.

mapuc

02-19-25, 06:10 PM

Denmark raises its defense spending by 6.8 billion Euros.
"All that counts now is speed" says danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen.
Too few, too late. No one expected a traitor of this magnitude. War will be here within the next five years.

Those 6.8 billion Euros are to be spend this year and next year, by 2027 the Danish government believe they have made an agreement on a new type of taxes for the Danes so called War taxes. The government are planning on raising the military spending to 3 % of GDP.

Not so long ago only a few minutes I was in a discussion with a FB-Friend who says it's nothing than warmonger created by the military complex and that Russia is no threat not now and not tomorrow.

Markus

Catfish

02-19-25, 06:26 PM

Ostfriese

02-20-25, 04:16 AM

Guys, how long do you think it will take until one of the regulars of this forum will echo Trump's claim that the war is the Ukrainians fault? Two weeks?

Skybird

02-20-25, 04:25 AM

Catfish

02-20-25, 05:17 AM

My "defeatism" regarding Ukraine So far has proven to be realistic. :03:
Point taken. Seems my fury against this US idiocy got the better of me. :salute:

Still, Ukraine has not only defied and defended well for three years against a "superpower", Zelensky was invited by the US to flee from Ukraine at the start of the russian attack, but staid.
"I need ammunition, not a ride".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLv9IqcoNe8

In my humblest of opinions this elected president has more courage and standing than any "leader" I saw in the last twenty years.

Eichhörnchen

02-20-25, 05:21 AM

Trumpie should be reminded that in the "big blue wonderful ocean" separating his isolationist land from Europe, those might not only be whales swimming just off the coast

mapuc

02-20-25, 05:24 AM

^ Russia is a threat to Ukraine (or does this FB friend deny that), and (as it just leaked out) has already plans to attack the baltic states and Poland after, sacking Ukraine. I think some people are either blind or paid by Russia.

He claim it was of necessary Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and again in 2022 and that it was CIA who was behind the Maidan uprising.

Markus

Catfish

02-20-25, 05:31 AM

He claim it was of necessary Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and again in 2022 and that it was CIA who was behind the Maidan uprising. [...]
^ Of course it was "necessary" in russian eyes when Putin wants to rebuild the Soviet Union. And then take a bit more, because all of Europe's countries belong to Russia anyway. Straight from the russian playbook. We meanwhile know what really happened. There were as much CIA in Ukraine as russian FSB, question is who was more incompetent. They did not want Ukraine to join the EU either.

"Ukrainian authorities brought charges against 20 present or former officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) for aiding Viktor Yanukovych's security services in suppressing the EuroMaidan Revolution, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) reported on Oct. 16.

The suspects include Viktor Zolotov, the former head of the Security Service of the President of the Russian Federation and the current commander of the Russian National Guard. Three former senior officials of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) were also charged.

According to the investigation, the Russian officers were present in Kyiv between Dec. 13-15, 2013. They reportedly assisted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), then loyal to pro-Russian President Yanukovych, in creating videos and other materials aimed at discrediting pro-EU protesters."

They did not call it the Revolution of Dignity without a cause.

mapuc

02-20-25, 06:04 AM

To add some more to your story:

After the uprising and the fleeing of the Ukrainian President, some people in the four region in East Ukraine, claimed independent from Ukraine. Right thereafter Russia sent troops to these regions and invaded Crimea.

Markus

Catfish

02-20-25, 06:22 AM

^ There even was a referendum.

https://www-deutschlandfunk-de.translate.goog/russland-ukraine-scheinreferenden-100.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

https://www-bpb-de.translate.goog/themen/europa/ukraine-analysen/184520/analyse-die-referenden-in-donezk-und-luhansk/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

You can look up others and tell me what you think about the outcome and its credibility :03:

mapuc

02-20-25, 06:33 AM

I'm 110 % Pro Ukrainian and I say it is true what you wrote on this page.

Even though I've been accused of following West propaganda.

Markus

Skybird

02-20-25, 06:38 AM

The only oblast where Russians indeed formed a majority of over 50%, was Crimea. Many Russians also lived in Odessa (I seem to recall 90% of the populaiton was russian, but I maybe remember that wrong) , but that is a city, no province. And the overwhelming majority of them reportedly turned against Putin after the first Russian aid missile to rescue them hit the city.

Putler's new doctrine says that Russia must protect (=intervene) whereever Russians live and are "suppressed" and Russia defines their interests a beign "suporersssed". Which is card blanche to attack just every country in the world where there lives a Russian community and Russia wants something from that country.

Lets face it, we have entered the era of neo-imperialism. The new international order will be based on the law of the strongest. The three big powers Russia, China, TSA all tick the same in this regard. What becomes of India and Brazil remains to be seen. Europe must even fight for a place at the side table, and I am not sure that it will defend even just that, due to the EU being such a monumental misconstruction. As I see it, we can already see it collapsing in slow-mo, if only we look sharp enbough. this thing will not stand the test of time. Or it will turn into a total dicatorship. That would then have nothing to do anyomore with the promises of what the EU would be. But even then it would be no par for the US.

Shall nobody ever believe I am anti-European. I am anti-EU, because I am very pro Europe. To me, EU and Europe are antagonists.

mapuc

02-20-25, 06:44 AM

Just read this in short notice

Donald Trump's 'dictator' comment about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has prompted politicians and powerful people around the world to react, and now Anders Fogh Rasmussen is next in line.

The former Danish prime minister pays tribute to Zelensky in an X-post and compares him to Winston Churchill, who led Britain through World War II:

'President Zelensky is one of history's great war leaders. When this war ends, his name will be mentioned in the same breath as Churchill's,' writes Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

He adds that the democratic world owes Zelensky a lot and calls for standing with him.

Markus

Skybird

02-20-25, 07:17 AM

Again, its something personal.

Trump is an absolutely vindictive person, as can be seen from his many perpetual acts of revenge against those who tried to oppose him, altrerady during his first term. He demanded that Zelenskyi cooperate with his intrigues to harm Biden, and Zelenskyi rejected this interference in the American election campaign. The result is that Trump is holding Zelenskyi partly responsible for that the election was "stolen" from him, as he repeatedly claims (without ever providing any evidence). He now wants revenge for this by stealing Zelenskyi's country, so to speak, and forcing him to face an election that Zelenskyi could very well lose. The fact that Trump is letting the Ukrainian people fall to the sword for this is of no concern to a psychopath, and anyone who knows what characterizes a psychopath in the psychiatric sense cannot really be surprised.

This private feud is about petty psychopathic vindictiveness, nothing else. Zelenskyi must be punished for having resisted Trump. The fact that he, Trump, also has a chance of turning America into an imperial mogul over Ukrainian resources is almost irrelevant in this, its a welcomed side effect, not more. This is about psychology at the profoundest, deepest-rooting level. Revenge is the name of the game, revenge is the drive and motive behind it. Punish Zelenskyi! That is what it is really about. Trump is evaluating his personal greed for revenge as even more serious than the entire Ukraine war. A psychopath'S logic. Me first. Me alone. There is nothing of worth beside me.

Skybird

02-20-25, 08:20 AM

[FOCUS] Russia and the USA are both interested in Ukraine's natural resources - but Russia is creating facts. Russian soldiers have now moved close to a large lithium deposit on Ukrainian territory.

They are only a few kilometers away from the Shevchenko area, and they are approaching it from three different directions, as the Ukrainian military blog "Deep State" reports, citing insiders.

US President Donald Trump has stated that he wants Ukraine to hand over large quantities of important natural resources to the USA in return for military aid. In fact, however, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who is gaining more and more control over them.

"Given the pace of the battlefield, it is likely that the Russians will advance into this area in the coming weeks," said Konrad Muzyka, director of the military consultancy Rochan in Poland. Although Ukraine's natural resources are not Russia's main war target, they are a strategic one.

"The Ukrainian commanders I spoke to said that when they looked at the direction and axis in which the Russians were attacking, it was clear that their goal was also to seize the mineral resources," said Muzyka.

Shevchenko is located in Donetsk, one of the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims as its own territory. It is one of the largest lithium deposits in Ukraine and lies at a depth that allows commercial mining.

Vladimir Ezhikov, a high-ranking Russian official in Donetsk, said in January that the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom was interested in the deposit. However, the responsible Russian ministry would only issue a license for mining when the time was right. At the moment it is too early for that because of the military conflict. But there will definitely be investment and mining of lithium.

During an interview with the Reuters news agency in February, Zelenskyj showed a map in his office that was once classified as "secret". It showed numerous mineral deposits, including a wide strip of land marked as a rare earth deposit. About half of it appeared to be on the Russian side of the current front lines.

According to Zelensky, Russia knows exactly where Ukraine's important mineral resources are from Soviet-era geological surveys. There are few reliable estimates of what proportion of these Russia already controls. What is undisputed, however, is that Ukraine is gradually losing control of its mineral resources.

MaDef

02-20-25, 08:52 AM

mapuc

02-20-25, 11:59 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIRB9Zed8o&ab_channel=SiliconCurtain

Markus

Skybird

02-20-25, 12:12 PM

I think that it is true what the title implies. Americ and Europe are no allies anymore, and America under Trump turns into a hostile. Seen this way: yes, NATO is dead.

And Trump agitated against NATO already back in the 80s, during the cold war.

Dargo

02-20-25, 12:33 PM

Just prepare yourself, Donald Trump is one of the milder europhobes. The relationship between Europe and America will not be what it was, the continent will have to get used to a landslide much bigger than Trump's election. We have to recognise that this is what the US is now. Anyone who denies that sounds to my ears like the communists of old who cried yes to every criticism of the Soviet Union, but that was not real communism. Trump is out to break the alliance between China and Russia, to deal better with China. I think America's concern is not with Russia, but with Europe. Right-wing America and Russia share the feeling that Europe is arrogant and assumes a much bigger role than it deserves based on its actual power. What we are seeing is a deliberate humiliation of Europeans. Let them solve the instability, let them pay the bill. Vance's speech and the new Ukraine policy are both an expression of europhobia, the feeling that Europe should not put on such big trousers. And then Trump is one of the milder europhobes, next to people like Musk and Vance. Consider first we had a President Trump with no ideology. Now we have Trump with ideology. And it won't be long before we have ideology without Trump.

If he proposes spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence, that is more than the US spends itself. That money will also largely go to US defence companies. You can accept all that, as a kind of subservient colony. Or you choose to become autonomous and sovereign. The EU is protectionist towards India and China, but never towards the US. We protect the car industry from Chinese electric cars, but do nothing against the US takeover of the internet economy. Why on earth did we decide it was fine for all these companies to come from the US? Even India, under difficult circumstances, tried to create something of sovereignty. Europe did not.

And it is not too late to do something about it. You may be too late to set up a rival to Facebook, but Facebook is already dated. Look at artificial intelligence, which is still in its infancy. Put restrictions on US companies and invest in European capital and knowledge in building alternatives. If Trump is going to bring us anything, it is that this realisation will come to Europe faster. Initially, Europe lagged behind the US, but now, at €62 billion, it has given almost as much to Ukraine as the US. For instance, the US, the UK and Germany spent less than 0.2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually on aid to Ukraine. Other major countries, such as France and Italy, spent even less at 0.1 per cent. During the Gulf War (1990-1991), the Americans spent about 1 per cent and the Germans 0.5 per cent. This suggests that there is room for Europe to take over from the United States if it withdraws its support for Ukraine. At the moment, that is not an unrealistic scenario.

However, financial space is only one dimension, the capacity to supply arms is a second. Over the past three years, the US accounted for the delivery of 201 howitzers to Ukraine, more than the British and Germans combined gave to Kyiv. The US also single-handedly delivered more infantry fighting vehicles: 352 modern Bradley's. The second-placed European country, the Netherlands, gave 269. Only these were old and cheap YPRs. In both the US and Europe, the defence industry has sharply increased production to meet demand for key weapons systems. This increased military production has caused a turnaround. Gone are the days when countries had to deplete their own weapons stocks to help Kyiv. In the first year of the war, more than 90 per cent of weapons for Ukraine came from arms depots, now more than 60 per cent are brand new and ordered from arms manufacturers. It has mainly been European countries that have taken initiatives to collectively obtain weapons.

For instance, under Czech leadership, 800 thousand artillery shells are being sought around the world, and the Ukrainian air force is getting dozens of F-16s thanks to the Netherlands and Denmark. However, these are existing shells and aircraft. Russia's war against Ukraine has become a war of procurement and arms production. It is therefore crucial to build industrial capacity for defence production, especially in Europe. The best way to do that is through pan-European cooperation.

Jimbuna

02-20-25, 12:58 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY5DCQm2MZs

Jimbuna

02-20-25, 01:02 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRXRcPgmwa8

Exocet25fr

02-20-25, 01:08 PM

Skybird is right :yep:

USA-I are no allies with western-Europe !:yeah:

Personally:

- USA try to push the European in the WWIII....

- We must to leave nato :up:

Dargo

02-20-25, 01:35 PM

We are one news cycle away from declaring that the U.S. will send military aid to Russia to help with its invasion of Ukraine. Flood the zone!

Congestion is dead. Russia is saved. Long live the Orange King! (https://ukrainetoday.org/trump-calls-himself-king-american-politicians-react/) :-j

We neutered our Orange inbreeds that toke centuries, good luck with that America.

Jimbuna

02-20-25, 01:59 PM

Rutte to allies: increase your defense spending or Trump will call you

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that all NATO countries should reach the 2% of GDP figure for defense spending.

He said this at a press conference with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Bratislava, reports "EP", Censor.NET informs.

Rutte noted that "22-23 states" of the Alliance already spend the minimum required 2% of GDP on defense, but there are those who have not yet done so.

"I am communicating with them actively and intensively to make sure that they hurry up and reach the 2% target. And I think they should all do it by next summer," Rutte said, referring to the NATO summit in The Hague in June.

The NATO Secretary General added that in case of refusal, the countries may receive a call from US President Donald Trump with stricter requirements.

"And I say to them, if you don't respond to my phone calls, you may get a call from a very nice man in Washington who is perhaps less - well, let's say he has more time constraints on what he wants to achieve," Rutte said. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3536988

MaDef

02-20-25, 02:04 PM

I think that it is true what the title implies. Americ and Europe are no allies anymore, and America under Trump turns into a hostile. Seen this way: yes, NATO is dead.

LOL,... you've forgotten why NATO was formed in the first place, It was primarily a mutual defensive posture by western Europe Against the Soviet Union. And the U.S. was the "Big Stick". It's been 85 years, the world and circumstances have changed, NATO started with12 members and has expanded to 30+, there is really no need for the U.S. to maintain membership if all it's going to do is draw us into European squabbles.

Dargo

02-20-25, 02:14 PM

Russia's Weakness Offers LeverageThe United States can use the enormous challenges Russia will face in 2025 as leverage to secure critical concessions in ongoing negotiations to end the war by continuing and even expanding military support to Ukraine. Russia will likely face a number of materiel, manpower, and economic issues in 12 to 18 months if Ukrainian forces continue to inflict damage on Russian forces on the battlefield at the current rate. Russia's defense industrial base (DIB) cannot sustain Russia's current armored vehicle, artillery system, and ammunition burn rates in the medium-term. Russia's recruitment efforts appear to be slowing such that they cannot indefinitely replace Russia's current casualty rates without an involuntary reserve mobilization, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown great reluctance to order. Putin has mismanaged Russia's economy, which is suffering from increased and unsustainable war spending, growing

mapuc

02-20-25, 03:58 PM

There have been a lot of talk about election in Ukraine and how much or how little support Zelensky have among the Ukrainians on the street.

Been thinking what the outcome of such an election could be held under 3 different scenarios.

Scenario 1(Election during the war)
Zelensky would lose-This because the people is tired of the war.

Scenario 2(Election after the war and Ukraine lost 20 % of it's country)
Zelensky would lose-This because the People don't like part of their country occupied and blame Zelensky.

Scenario 3(Election after the war and Ukraine has regained the land they lost in 2014 and 2022)
Zelensky would win-This because the Ukrainian on the street see him as their liberator.

Markus

mapuc

02-20-25, 04:47 PM

https://ekstrabladet-dk.translate.goog/nyheder/krigogkatastrofer/analyse-zelenskyjs-vaerste-mareridt-er-nu-virkelighed/10536190?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Markus

Skybird

02-20-25, 04:56 PM

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/czx7d0e70dxo

The BBC's Analysis Editor Ros Atkins looks at what the US President wants - and whether he's likely to get it.

Reece

02-21-25, 01:16 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yZxVgIZhJw

Skybird

02-21-25, 06:04 AM

Rutte to allies: increase your defense spending or Trump will call you
2%...? It should be clear to every european that just 2% will not suffice. Not to keep away the lying Donny, but to keep away the Russian maneater.

Jimbuna

02-21-25, 06:07 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBOehzU0GvY

mapuc

02-21-25, 06:22 AM

2%...? It should be clear to every european that just 2% will not suffice. Not to keep away the lying Donny, but to keep away the Russian maneater.

Denmark has decided to increase their military spending to 3 % of GDP.

Markus

Jimbuna

02-21-25, 06:22 AM

We must not leave Ukraine alone now - Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Ukraine should not be left alone.

According to Censor.NET, Tagesschau reports.

He also emphasized that it is necessary to continue supporting the Ukrainian army. However, Scholz reiterated that it is too early to talk about sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.

As a reminder, German chancellor candidate from the conservative Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz also said that it was too early to talk about the involvement of the German military in a possible peacekeeping operation in Ukraine. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537114

No specifics on Putin-Trump meeting - Peskov

The spokesman for the Kremlin dictator Dmitry Peskov has said that there are no specifics about the meeting between Putin and Trump.

According to Censor.NET he was quoted by Russian media.

"There are no specifics about the meeting between Putin and Trump, as long as there is an understanding of the need for it," he said.

Peskov reiterated that Ukraine ‘does not want to establish peace’. At the same time, he said that ‘Putin remains open to resolving the Ukrainian issue through peace talks’.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would largely depend on whether any progress is made in ending the war in Ukraine. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537100

Reece

02-21-25, 06:35 AM

Putin doesn't want peace, he wants a piece of Ukraine - a large piece!! :oops::doh:

mapuc

02-21-25, 09:36 AM

The Ukrainians offensive we are witnessing to these days, are they an attempt to regain as much land before Trump and Putin make a deal without Ukraine ?

Markus

Commander Wallace

02-21-25, 09:57 AM

Putin doesn't want peace, he wants a piece of Ukraine - a large piece!! :oops::doh:

:sign_yeah: And Putin wants the time to rearm without Sanctions.

Skybird

02-21-25, 10:12 AM

We must not leave Ukraine alone now - Scholz

"Muahahahahaaa...!" Das sagt ja der Richtige! Maybed he should try again saying that, with more verve, and stomping his feet on the ground.

Scholz lied lkied abotu his Zeitenwende. He heistated endlessly and then more, lime Biden. And German and its defence industry is not even capable to do much more, it cannot evenm fully supply the BW with needed stuff according to BW timetables. And the coialost comrades in his party have amde it clear that they will not accept raising defence budgets without raising social - already extremely high - spendings equally. As if the one would have anythign to do with the other.

The media always pay too much attention to what this little poisonous gnome babbles. Its irrelevant. When Scholz says "we must not...", then he really means "you must not, and in our place".

Skybird

02-21-25, 10:25 AM

[FOCUS] The Ukrainian military intelligence service expects that Russia will announce a "victory against Ukraine and NATO" on February 24, the third anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war. To this end, Russian propagandists will be instructed to spread this narrative to the world.

The aim, according to the Ukrainian intelligence service: Russia wants to sow despair among Ukrainians, destabilize the situation in the country and discredit Ukraine among its allies. According to the military intelligence service, Russian intelligence services plan to spread the narrative that "Ukraine has been betrayed by the West and the USA".

In addition, Russian propaganda will continue to question the legitimacy of President Zelensky and "the corrupt Ukrainian officials who are stealing US aid".
------------------

Somebody in Washington will jump on this phrase in overjoy, no doubt. Thats why the Krmelin chooses this ohrasing. Pavlovian reflex, you know. Putin shows a phrase, the Donny starts slobbering.

Jimbuna

02-21-25, 10:42 AM

Trump took 29 actions that play into Putin’s hands – Politico

In the first month of his second presidential term, Donald Trump has taken at least 29 steps that are in the Kremlin's interest.

This is reported by Politico, Censor.NET informs.

The publication published a list of Trump's actions that directly or indirectly benefit Russia:

Phone call with Putin - On February 12, Trump had a 90-minute conversation with the Russian president, despite sanctions and an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Public praise for Putin - Trump thanked him for his "time and effort."
Call to return Russia to the G7 - Trump said that the exclusion of Russia was a "mistake."
Recognizing Russia's control over Ukrainian territories - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Kyiv's goal of returning all occupied territories "unrealistic."
Claims that Russia has an advantage in the negotiations - Trump said that Moscow "holds all the cards" because it controls large parts of Ukraine.
Agreeing with the Kremlin's demand for no NATO missions in Ukraine - the US stated that NATO troops in Ukraine are not protected by Article 5 of the Alliance.
Categorical refusal to send US troops to Ukraine.
Calling on Europe to "take care of itself " - Trump believes that allies should provide for their own defense.
Organization of negotiations with Russia in Saudi Arabia - without any preconditions.
Absence of Ukrainian representatives at these talks.
Exclusion of European partners from the negotiation process.
Claiming that the war was "started by Zelenskyy".
Allegedly called Zelenskyy "incompetent " (later denied).
Minimal criticism of Putin - Trump hardly spoke about the Kremlin's crimes.
Claims that Putin is "trustworthy" and "committed to peace."
Calling for elections in Ukraine.
Reducing funding for international observers and cybersecurity.
Calling Zelenskyy a "dictator".
Preparing investment agreements with Russia, including in the field of resource extraction in the Arctic.
Stopping funding democratic non-governmental organizations - the Kremlin has long demanded this from the West.
Announcement of the fight against "wokism" - a term used by Russian propaganda to criticize the West.
Criticism of the EU's migration policy - echoing the Kremlin's position.
Support for a pro-Russian candidate in Romania - his election was canceled by the Constitutional Court.
Criticism of the German government for fighting the far right.
Support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany.
Supporting the right-wing populist party Reform UK in the UK, which advocates weakening the EU.
Opposition to the use of the term "Russian aggression" in G7 statements.
The fact of Trump's return to the White House is in itself beneficial for the Kremlin.
A hint of a possible change in the US Constitution - Trump has said he is not opposed to staying in office for a third term, as Putin did in Russia.
As a reminder, almost twice as many US citizens consider Donald Trump a dictator compared to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537176

Skybird

02-21-25, 10:47 AM

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/21/politics/trump-ukraine-mineral-deal-analysis/index.html

Donald Trump isn’t the only president who knows a bad deal when he sees one.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal to sign away nearly half of his country’s rare earth minerals for very few future guarantees is one of many reasons why Trump has beendriven into a rage at his counterpart in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president has made clear that exploiting his country’s precious geographical and energy resources will be one way to rebuild its economy and cities after the eventual end of the war. But the offer tendered by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, while being lauded by US officials as a generous ladder to prosperity for Ukraine, is not really a “deal” at all.
However, it provides insights into Trump’s view of foreign policy and his perception of the war after he reversed, rhetorically at least, the Biden administration’s support for the invaded party and threw his weight behind the invader.Its as if the victim of rape gets raped again by the judge at court, in front of an audience and under the eyes of the attacker.

-------------------

[CNN] The Kremlin appears to be surprised by how quickly US President Donald Trump has made concessions to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin even before beginning negations to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine, a former Russian deputy minister told CNN.
The Kremlin had expected Trump would make certain demands of Russia and Moscow was “preparing some sort of offers here and there to make what they call a deal,” said Vladimir Milov, Russia’s former deputy minister of energy and a former adviser to the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
Speaking in exile in Vilnius, Lithuania, Milov told CNN’s Kim Brunhuber that, based on what he’s heard, “everybody in Moscow is totally astonished by now that they were given all the concessions they wanted, even before the negotiations started.”
“This is a shocking result, even by Vladimir Putin’s standards,” Milov said.

The long-fraught relationship between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart tore apart this week.
Trump parroted Moscow’s talking points, wrongly accusing Ukraine of starting the war and saying that the Ukrainian president should hold an election that was suspended due to the conflict.
After Zelensky hit back, accusing him of being in a “disinformation space,” Trump escalated the war of words and called the Ukrainian president a “dictator.”
Perhaps emboldened by the falling out between Ukraine and the US, Moscow’s demands appear to be accelerating in the past few days, Milov noted, saying “Moscow is clearly encouraged by Trump’s lack of willingness to impose any conditions on Russia.”
Russia has long claimed that expansion of NATO put its security under threat, necessitating its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. That claim has been dismissed by Western leaders as a bogus justification for launching its war.

Jimbuna

02-21-25, 11:02 AM

Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy to hold joint meeting of European Commission and Government of Ukraine

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will co-chair a joint meeting of the European Commission and the Ukrainian government.

This was announced by the European Commission spokesman Stefan Keersmaeker, Censor.NET reports citing Suspilne.

"As you know, next week the President will go to Kyiv. She will do so on Monday together with the board to express Europe's unwavering support for Ukraine's struggle for independence and freedom after three years of Russia's full-scale war. The President will meet with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and they will co-chair the meeting of the College and the government," Keersmaeker said.

Earlier it was reported that European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would arrive in Kyiv on February 24 to express support for Ukraine on the third anniversary of the full-scale war. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537148

Upcoming EU aid package should send "very strong" signal to Ukrainians – Kubilius

European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius said that the planned aid package for Ukraine should send a "very strong" signal to Ukraine.

This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to The Guardian.

He noted that the EU's position is "very clear" as it is committed to "peace through strength".

Kubilius hinted that on Monday the EU could offer a new aid package to Ukraine.

"We are discussing all the possibilities that would allow us to send a very strong signal to Ukrainians and the world in a very urgent manner that we stand with Ukraine," he said.

At the same time, Kubilius acknowledged that there are "rumors" about the figures of the new aid package. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537173

August

02-21-25, 12:01 PM

Trump took 29 actions that play into Putin’s hands – Politico

Politico sounds upset that they aren't getting paid off millions of tax payer dollars with all those fake subscriptions DOGE found.

Jimbuna

02-21-25, 12:49 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ3UB3iSd2o

Catfish

02-21-25, 12:50 PM

Politico sounds upset that they aren't getting paid off millions of tax payer dollars with all those fake subscriptions DOGE found.
Ah you mean the Trump fake news about Politico?
Or those "hard-earned tax dollars" Trump do(d)ged and never paid :rolleyes:

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20250211-no-politico-and-bbc-news-did-not-receive-usaid-funding

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/06/trump-politico-usaid-subcriptions

https://time.com/7213668/trump-musk-government-payments-media-politico-times-ap-fact-check/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/business/trump-politico-usaid-spending-conspiracy.html

Catfish

02-21-25, 01:17 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=907PCXXm_Lo

Dargo

02-21-25, 02:12 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRm1f3Kpkm0

mapuc

02-21-25, 02:41 PM

^ And they shouldn't what ever Trump and Putin may agree above their head.

Markus

Ostfriese

02-21-25, 03:01 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=907PCXXm_Lo

We already are at war with Russia, only the shooting hasn't started so far.

Catfish

02-21-25, 03:06 PM

If Trump gallantly chickens out of Nato Europe has to create its own military union, nuclear arms and all.
And the US can pack its duffle bags and close the european bases. Win win.
:P

Catfish

02-21-25, 03:08 PM

We already are at war with Russia, only the shooting hasn't started so far.
Wenn das der Trump wüsste.

Ostfriese

02-21-25, 03:14 PM

Wenn das der Trump wüsste.

Als ob Trump irgendwas wüsste :D

MaDef

02-21-25, 03:23 PM

Oh he knows, He just doesn't want us in another war that we don't need to fight. :03:

mapuc

02-21-25, 03:29 PM

Als ob Trump irgendwas wüsste :D

Aber etwas muss Trump wussten haben oder ?

Markus

mapuc

02-21-25, 03:32 PM

Oh he knows, He just doesn't want us in another war that we don't need to fight. :03:

Like Europe USA is already at war with Russia the only different is that some other is fighting the Russian with American weapons

Markus

August

02-21-25, 03:37 PM

Breaking news!

Embarrassed Trump Realizes He’s Had Russia And Ukraine Confused This Entire Time

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The new presidential administration experienced a rare public relations gaffe, as an embarrassed President Donald Trump realized that he's had Russia and Ukraine confused this entire time.
The mistake was eventually discovered by a White House aide, who began to ask questions after the president had made public assertions that Ukraine was responsible for starting the war. Upon further investigation, the aide privately notified Trump that he had the two countries mixed up.
"They're the other way around, from what I understand," Trump told reporters at an impromptu press conference in the Oval Office. "The country that started the war by invading the other was apparently Russia. It's easy to get the two confused, honestly. They're right next to each other. And cold winters. So very cold. I thought that little Zelenskyy guy was from Russia this whole time. He sounds Russian."
An administration insider said Trump's realization of the mix-up could potentially change the entire outlook for peace talks. "It's kind of a major difference," the source said. "He was taking such a hardline stance against Ukraine because he thought they started the war when Russia did the invading. We had to get out a big map and show him that Russia was actually the big one and Ukraine was the little one. It's ok, he's got it figured out now."
At publishing time, Trump had proposed a newly revised peace plan in which the United States would simply take over both Ukraine and Russia as new territories.

https://babylonbee.com/news/embarrassed-trump-realizes-hes-had-russia-and-ukraine-confused-this-entire-time

Reece

02-21-25, 11:31 PM

What a load of bull, how could the president not know, unless he's completely nuts?? :timeout: :k_confused:

Mind you I did find this:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/white-house-expects-ukraine-sign-181013667.html

Skybird

02-22-25, 02:06 AM

The EU mulls a 20 bn aid package for Kyiv.

Since Lying Donny talks a lot of bull when it comes to how much the US and how little the other are doing, here is the overview in graphds and tables.

I dont say the US does little, by far not, but Lying Donny says and implies on several occasions that the US does three times as much than it actually has done, and that it does more than the Euroeans, which simply is wrong. The European nations do their individual things PLUS the EU as a supranatioanbl actore does an additional thing. Together, the money for financial and military aid tops the budgets paid out/transferred by the US.

https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/

Problem, it all has not been enough. But lying Donny only thinks about practically stealing Ukraine's ressources and pushing it in to everlasting serfdom, and doing his idol Vladimir gratis favours while he submits an application for club membership in the MRGA club.

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 07:44 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlIaDYiVafs

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 07:55 AM

Total combat losses of Russian Federation since beginning of war - about 866,000 people (+1,140 per day), 10,161 tanks, 23,528 artillery systems, 21,139 armored combat vehicles. INFOGRAPHICS

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have eliminated 866,000 Russian invaders since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the General Staff.

As noted, the total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 22.02.25 are approximately

personnel - about 866000 (+1140) people,

tanks - 10161 (+15) units

armored combat vehicles - 21139 (+9) units

artillery systems - 23528 (+66) units,

MLRS - 1295 (+0) units,

air defense systems - 1080 (+0) units

aircraft - 370 (+0) units

helicopters - 331 (+0) units,

UAVs of operational and tactical level - 26311 (+155),

cruise missiles - 3064 (+0),

ships/boats - 28 (+0) units

submarines - 1 (+0) units,

motor vehicles and tankers - 38234 (+139) units

special equipment - 3754 (+1) Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537278

Catfish

02-22-25, 10:02 AM

Already mentioned in the US thread, Trump just cut off some Starlink access for maintenance purposes, and threatens to cut it entirely if Ukraine does not give him mineral resources. So nice.

Catfish

02-22-25, 10:05 AM

What a load of bull, how could the president not know, unless he's completely nuts?? :timeout: :k_confused:
August's babylon bee link is of course satire. Trump knows exactly that he supports Russia, and throwing Ukraine and especially Zelensky under the russian bus.

Ostfriese

02-22-25, 10:47 AM

Already mentioned in the US thread, Trump just cut off some Starlink access for maintenance purposes, and threatens to cut it entirely if Ukraine does not give him mineral resources. So nice.

Dysprosium or war!

Otto Harkaman

02-22-25, 11:01 AM

August's babylon bee link is of course satire. Trump knows exactly that he supports Russia, and throwing Ukraine and especially Zelensky under the russian bus.

I can't find anything factual about Starlink being turned off in Ukraine

This seems to be one of the articles that started the rumor
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-could-cut-ukraines-access-starlink-internet-services-over-minerals-say-2025-02-22/

The Reuters report bases its claim on anonymous sources rather than publishing a direct, verbatim statement from a U.S. negotiator. One source was quoted as saying, "Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star," which highlights the service’s critical role for Ukraine, but no negotiator’s direct quote specifically stating the threat to cut off Starlink has been disclosed.

Skybird

02-22-25, 12:01 PM

[Tagesspiegel, Reuters] Could the US shut down the Starlink satellite system, which is important for the Ukrainian army? According to insiders, at least, this threat was made during negotiations on a raw materials agreement between the two countries. The Starlink satellite internet system is operated by US billionaire Elon Musk and has been used by Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.

Access became an issue when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected an initial US proposal for the exploitation of important mineral resources in Ukraine, three people familiar with the events said, according to the Reuters news agency.

One of them explained that the issue came up again on Thursday during talks with US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

At the meeting, it was made clear to Ukraine that an immediate shutdown of Starlink was possible if no agreement was reached on the mining of minerals such as rare earths. And Felix Hett, head of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Ukraine office in Kyiv, also told the Tagesspiegel: "As far as I know, the shutdown would be possible within a few hours."

Felix Hett Felix Hett is head of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Ukraine office in Kyiv.

On Friday, Zelenskyj said that the negotiators were working on an agreement. US President Donald Trump said a deal would be signed shortly. After the threat, the Ukrainian president must have a great interest in it: The Starlink system, which belongs to Musk's company SpaceX, is essential not least for his military's access to the Internet.

After the Russian attack, Musk sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace the communication services that had been destroyed by Russia after the invasion in February 2022.

If the USA now makes good on its threat, "then communication between individual units of the Ukrainian army will no longer work," says expert Felix Hett. "In three years of war, the system has become a central means of communication."

Melinda Haring, a senior employee at the Atlantic Council think tank, even told the news agency Austria Press Agency: "The loss of Starlink would be a turning point."

The Internet allows drones in particular to be used precisely. According to Haring, after three years of war, Ukraine has a wide range of drones, ranging from sea and surveillance drones to long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

The unmanned aerial vehicles are advantageous for the country in several respects: Firstly, they are relatively inexpensive to manufacture compared to other weapons. Secondly, when using drones of their own production, they are not bound by the specifications of Western supporters.

The drones are often used against targets on Russian territory - for this reason, among others. Despite some relaxations in recent months, Ukraine is still only allowed to attack this territory to a limited extent with Western missiles.

Starlink, Haring summarized, is therefore essential to Ukraine's military strategy.

In fact, Musk's network, which currently consists of around 7,000 satellites worldwide, has already been the subject of discussion in connection with the Ukraine war: In 2022, the billionaire is said to have instructed his engineers to shut down Starlink near the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

This prevented a Ukrainian attack on the Russian naval fleet, wrote Walter Isaacson in his biography of the tech billionaire. Musk feared a nuclear retaliatory strike from Moscow if the Ukrainian attack had been successful.

But how serious is the USA this time? Expert Hett puts it this way: "The Trump administration has been very keen in recent days to create the impression that its threats should be taken seriously."
---------------------

Ein Plünderer auf Beutezug. Its much worse than what was to be expected anyway. In this way of brutal behaving and bullying, the US is becoming an enemy to all the free world. There is practically no difference in moral attitude - or lack of - between Trump and Putin anymore. They fight over the spoils, just as Hitler and Stalin did over Poland.

One thing is clear, if Washington really switches off Starlink and this way directly intervenes in the war on the side of Russia. Lying Donny's threat to invade Greenland and take it by military force, must be taken serious.

He lies when he says its strategic interests. He lies when he says its a good deal. He lies when saying both over ukraine, and he lies whens saying both about Greenland. He wants to plunder, plain and simple, like the Russians want to plunder in Ukraine as well.

Dargo

02-22-25, 12:07 PM

^Trump policy is a direct copy/paste of the Kremlin playbook.

Skybird

02-22-25, 12:28 PM

And it throws Europe de facto into a two-fronts war. Which maybe even gets fought militarily.

Welcome to the Jungle.

I think its hig time that Geeman cancles the buying of those F-35, and other military stuff form the US. These come with Lockheed gag contracts anyway, openmign doors and gates for the Ajeicnas into the German defence sysgtem and policy.

We cannot trust the Americans anymore.

We should start producing more of what is already developed right now, is ready, is being constructed right now. The history of joint development products only shows that it takes way too long until nations got their acts together. We dont have that time.

Thats what I had not expected three years ago - that when Russia started the war, we would one sooner day need to start rearming not just against the Russians, but against the Americans, too. :doh: I for myself am not willing to give Greenland into their hands without a fight. Europe might be ifnerior in this, but nevertheless enforcing a fight, even if it results in a defeat, holds the chnace that some more reasonable people in the US who currently are in enforced hiding, will coem to their senses and start an attempt to overthrow the regime. Right now thta is unlikely, but the worse the deeds Trump does, the more chances are slowly growing.

Because when we do not coifnront Puti over ukriane, where will Putin attack next? And if we do not challenge Trump over Ukriane and Greenland, where will Trump attack next...?

No, I have not forseen this three years ago: that I would need to start thinking in the same categories about the US like I think about Russia.

This Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." Well, we absolutely do.

To make it even more complicated, there are also not a few things he did or tries to do with which I agree. But are these worth the conflicts he is stirring?

Catfish

02-22-25, 01:07 PM

Oh he knows, He [edit: Trump] just doesn't want us in another war that we don't need to fight. :03:
Easier to plan a war of Russia against Europe, than dirty one's own hands and help Ukraine. But this has already been acknowledged by Putin, and Trump cannot influence that any more. Not that he would.

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 01:18 PM

Trump administration fires Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Brown and five other top military leaders

US President Donald Trump has announced his decision to dismiss the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Brown.

He announced this on the social network Truth Social, Censor.NET reports with reference to Hromadske.

"I want to thank General Charles Brown for more than 40 years of service to our country. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish him and his family a wonderful future," Trump said.

He did not specify the reasons for the dismissal. Instead, he nominated Air Force Lieutenant General Dan "Razin" Kane to replace Brown.

"General Kane is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and 'fighter' with extensive interagency and special operations experience [...] Despite being highly qualified and respected, a sleepy Joe Biden passed him over for promotion. But not anymore!" - Trump said.

According to media reports, Brown's dismissal became known when he was in Texas visiting troops on the southern border. A week earlier, he had met with European allies at a summit of defense leaders in Germany. Brown's four-year term was to last until September 2027.

In addition, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hagel announced that he is "seeking nominations" to replace Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti and Vice Air Force Commander General James Slife.

According to Politico, Franchetti learned of her dismissal from a call from Hagesse on the evening of February 21.

In addition, Ghegseth is looking for new candidates for the positions of general counsel of the services - for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Trump said that with Hughes and General Kane, "the U.S. military will restore peace through strength, put America first, and rebuild the military." Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537302

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 01:19 PM

Zelenskyy is not ready to sign minerals deal with the US, it contains only unilateral commitments of Ukraine - Sky News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not yet ready to sign an agreement with the US on rare earth metals.

According to Censor.NET, Sky News reported this with reference to Ukrainian sources.

Zelenskyy is not ready to agree to a deal with the US, as Ukraine sees "several problematic issues" in the draft agreement.

Donald Trump said that the deal was supposedly close to being signed, but a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Sky News that the Ukrainian president was not ready to sign it.

"The agreement is not yet ready for signing, there are several problematic issues, and the president is not ready to accept it in the current draft. Today, the draft does not reflect partnership in the agreement, but contains only unilateral commitments by Ukraine," the source assured.

Earlier, the WSJ reported that Zelenskyy could sign a minerals deal with the US on 22 February.

Fossil fuel agreement with the US
As a reminder, Trump has said he wants to strike a $500bn deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on access to rare earth resources and natural gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace settlement.

President Zelenskyy said that the agreement with the US on minerals would be signed at the ministerial level when ready and subject to guarantees. Currently, this document is not ready to protect Ukraine's interest.

Later, Trump said that Ukraine had broken the deal on rare earth metals. The agreement was needed so that the US could recover the money spent on supporting Ukraine.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has handed over to Ukraine an "improved" draft minerals agreement that "complies with Ukrainian law". Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537316

MaDef

02-22-25, 01:53 PM

Trump administration fires Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Brown and five other top military leaders

This startles you? it's been done before by other Presidents and will probably be done by future ones. In case you forgot, the President also holds the title of Commander in Chief of the armed forces. It's spelled out in Article 2 section 2 of the Constitution.

Dargo

02-22-25, 02:00 PM

Zelenskyy is not ready to sign minerals deal with the US, it contains only unilateral commitments of Ukraine - Sky NewsThere is a difference between making a deal and racketeering.

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 02:06 PM

This startles you? it's been done before by other Presidents and will probably be done by future ones. In case you forgot, the President also holds the title of Commander in Chief of the armed forces. It's spelled out in Article 2 section 2 of the Constitution.

I suppose this is early days and there is more to come from the C-in-C

Jimbuna

02-22-25, 02:06 PM

There is a difference between making a deal and racketeering.

No doubt :yep:

Dargo

02-22-25, 02:34 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYquh21I4jg

mapuc

02-22-25, 03:14 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7DBlx0eh34&ab_channel=Military%26History

Markus

Dargo

02-22-25, 03:21 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX18dErEvHA

Reece

02-23-25, 04:51 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdboJuQvyeY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgOhu9bNulg

Jimbuna

02-23-25, 07:50 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wa5QZ-_aEA

Jimbuna

02-23-25, 08:05 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xYZYLUkXF4

Dargo

02-23-25, 08:44 AM

It's Feb 1941. UK has beaten off Nazi invasion. USSR still supplies raw materials to Hitler. Britain fights alone. Having not had an election since 1935, the Grand Old Party say Churchill is a dictator. Oswald Farage says one must be scheduled. https://x.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1893571403787501652

Dargo

02-23-25, 08:48 AM

Umerov on the possible blocking of Starlink: “There is an alternative”Defense Minister Umerov announced the availability of alternative solutions to Starlink. Details will be announced jointly with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and other agencies in the near future. Ukraine is already working on alternative solutions in case the United States terminates Ukraine's access to Starlink. This was stated by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during a speech at the forum "Ukraine. Year 2025" forum, UNN reports.As for Starlink. We are already working on it, there is an alternative. We do not disclose it. Soon, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, and other colleagues from the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense, we will announce how we will have these solutions. But we already have a solution, there is an alternative https://unn.ua/en/news/umerov-on-the-possible-blocking-of-starlink-there-is-an-alternative

https://i.ibb.co/XrvbPGBt/image.webp (https://imgbb.com/)

Dargo

02-23-25, 12:28 PM

Russia sent a record number of drones to Ukraine last night. So says the spokesman for the Ukrainian air force. The number of drones is said to be 267, the largest number of drone attacks since the start of the war three years ago. Ukraine's air defence shot down 138 drones, 119 other drones were ‘lost’ without causing damage. What happened to the remaining 10 drones is unknown. President Zelensky wrote on X (https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1893589416465035352) that a total of nearly, 1150 drones, 1400 aerial bombs and 35 missiles were fired at the country this week. ‘I thank all those who daily repel such attacks,’ he said. Moscow has been carrying out nightly drone attacks on Ukraine for months to try to exhaust its air defences.

Jimbuna

02-23-25, 02:01 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO7-Y0ozkbI

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 07:54 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvtoHtULRx0

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 08:20 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpzhpYlVA9Y

Catfish

02-24-25, 10:16 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO7-Y0ozkbI
Doesn't this belong in the US thread? :D

LMAO.

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 10:43 AM

UK announces largest package of sanctions against Russia in three years

On Monday, February 24, the United Kingdom imposed a large-scale package of sanctions against Russia since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This is reported on the website of the British government, Censor.NET reports.

Thus, Britain has included 107 individuals and legal entities in the sanctions lists.

Manufacturers and suppliers of machine tools, electronics, and dual-use goods for the Russian army were also subject to restrictions. They are based in Central Asia, Turkey, Thailand, India, and China.

In addition, sanctions have been imposed on 40 shadow fleet vessels that Russia uses to transport oil.

In the last six months alone, these vessels together have transported more than $5 billion worth of Russian oil and oil products, the report said.

The sanctions also apply to North Korea's defense minister and other North Korean officials involved in sending 11,000 DPRK military personnel to Russia.

Sanctions were also imposed on 13 Russian companies, including Grant-Trade LLC, whose owners, Marat Mustafayev and his sister Dinara Mustafayeva, used the company to transfer advanced European technologies to Russia.

The UK has also imposed sanctions on 14 people, some of whom are involved in the development of strategic sectors of the Russian economy. Among them is Roman Trotsenko, one of the richest men in Russia, whose fortune is estimated at £2.2 billion. He owns the Novaport airport network.

As reported, on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU Council adopted the 16th package of economic and individual sanctions against Moscow. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537647

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 10:52 AM

Britain is ready to support Ukraine with troops on ground if conditions are right - Starmer

On February 24, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that he was ready to promote peace in Ukraine by deploying British troops on its territory.

According to Censor.NET, he said this at the plenary session of the Support Ukraine forum in Kyiv.

The British prime minister noted that for a lasting peace, Ukraine must have a seat at the negotiating table, and that any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine, backed by strong security guarantees.

The UK is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground - along with other Europeans and under the right conditions," Starmer assured.

He emphasized that US support will be vital to deter Russia from invading again in a few years.

"Russia does not hold all the cards in this war. Because Ukrainians have the courage to defend their country. Because Russia's economy is in trouble. And because they lost the best of their ground forces and the Black Sea Fleet in this senseless invasion. So we must step up the pressure even more to ensure a lasting peace, not just a pause in the fighting," Starmer said.

As a reminder, the UK will increase its military support to Ukraine this year to £4.5 billion.

Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron would discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in the event of an agreement to end the current phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denied that Polish troops would be sent to Ukraine after the ceasefire.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas assessed the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto expressed his readiness to support a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine if peace is achieved.

In turn, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called these discussions "premature."

Germany, together with its partners, will consider the possible deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of "security guarantees" only after the conditions are created, namely a ceasefire with Russia.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that several countries are currently considering participation in a potential contingent of Western allies in Ukraine. However, specific plans for the deployment of foreign troops are still under discussion. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537623

Dargo

02-24-25, 11:59 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iLcHpHlPqI

EU Approves Fresh Sanctions Against Russia on Full-Scale Invasion AnniversaryThe EU formally approved a fresh round of sanctions against Russia on Monday, aiming to curb Moscow's war effort on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 16th sanctions package since February 2022 targets Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels used to evade oil export restrictions, as well as individuals and entities accused of supporting its war. "This new round of sanctions not only targets the Russian shadow fleet but those who support the operation of unsafe oil tankers, videogame controllers used to pilot drones, banks used to circumvent our sanctions and propaganda outlets used to spout lies," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

The sanctions blacklist 74 ships and restrict Russian aluminum imports, while also barring the sale of gaming consoles that could be repurposed for drone operations. Additionally, eight Russian media outlets have been banned from broadcasting in the EU. The move comes as the bloc seeks to maintain pressure on the Kremlin amid U.S.-Russia peace talks that have rattled Ukraine and its European allies. "There is no doubt about who the aggressor is, who should pay and be held accountable for this war," Kallas said. "With talks underway to end RussiaÂ’s aggression, we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. "Sanctions provide leverage," she added. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/24/eu-approves-fresh-sanctions-against-russia-on-full-scale-invasion-anniversary-a88130

Australia imposes its largest sanctions package on Russia since start of full-scale warThe Australian government has announced a new round of sanctions against Russia on the third anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In a statement, the government said it had expanded its travel ban list by 70 individuals and imposed sanctions on 79 companies, along with additional targeted financial restrictions. Â“This constitutes AustraliaÂ’s largest sanctions package since February 2022,Â” the statement said.

The measures target individuals and entities involved in strengthening military ties between Russia and North Korea, those supporting RussiaÂ’s occupation administrations in Ukraine, and those responsible for sexual violence in wartime and the abduction of Ukrainian children. Since February 2022, Australia has imposed more than 1,400 sanctions on Russia and committed $1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, the government said. https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/02/24/australia-imposes-its-largest-sanctions-package-on-russia-since-start-of-full-scale-war

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r9jmlp577Y

https://youtu.be/3xxh82eXd6A

Raf1394

02-24-25, 01:01 PM

Honestly. The war will end, but it will be in disadvantage for Ukraine.

You can't say that Russia will end the war by giving all the land back... no way.

Catfish

02-24-25, 01:12 PM

^ Russia? Not voluntarily of course. This is why Putin needs a punch in the face, and Trump is not the man. This is why the fight will not stop just because Putin or Trump say so. The US dropping their support will have Europe to take over. They are not ready, but they will be capable.
Maybe Trump does a 180 degrees tack, would not be the first time. Though I doubt it, he has been bought by Russia already in the 1980ies.

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 01:22 PM

Ukraine’s accession to NATO "is not on agenda" - Waltz

US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has said that Ukraine's accession to NATO is not being considered.

His words are cited by CNN, Censor.NET reports.

"This is not being discussed now. I don't see the United States supporting Ukraine's accession to NATO," Waltz said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Washington is fully committed to NATO commitments and Article 5 agreements on collective security, but "security guarantees for Ukraine are a different conversation."

The Trump adviser added that the United States wants Europe, particularly France and the United Kingdom, to be more involved.

The article says that Waltz's comment came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he was "ready" to resign if it would bring peace. He suggested that he might exchange the post for Ukraine's membership in NATO. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537674

Iceland to double military aid to Ukraine in 2025 – Prime Minister Frostadottir

In 2025, Iceland will increase its military aid to Ukraine, in particular through investments based on the Danish model, including demining projects and brigade recruitment.

This was announced by the Prime Minister of Iceland Kristrún Frostadóttir, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.

She noted that, despite the lack of armed forces in Iceland, the country has sufficient resources to assist Ukraine through its own security.

"It is very important that we demonstrate our support through our actions. We are a country that has no armed forces, but we have prosperity because we have security. We are well aware that the security of Europe is extremely important. That is why we are doubling our military assistance to Ukraine," Frostadottir said.

She clarified that the funds will be used to support Denmark's investment initiative, demining projects with Lithuania, and to equip Ukrainian brigades. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537662

Dargo

02-24-25, 01:30 PM

The joke from Ukrainian Twitter: Trump may want to nuke us after Zelenskyy’s press conference, so thank god they fired all the people who know where the launch codes are.

Jimbuna

02-24-25, 01:31 PM

Denmark has handed over 12 of 19 promised F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, rest are expected this year, - Defense Minister Paulsen

Denmark has already handed over 12 of the 19 promised F-16 fighters to Ukraine, and the rest will be delivered in 2025.

This was announced by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

"It is a great honor for me that Denmark was able to commit to transfer 19 F-16 aircraft. 12 of them have been delivered. The rest will also be in the skies of Ukraine this year," he said.

According to him, this decision was preceded by lengthy discussions, but the country, together with the Netherlands, was able to do it.

"And we have to do even more. I think Europe needs to step up. The connection between Ukraine and Europe is very, very important. It is also very important that Europe can do even more and invest even more in military capabilities," Mr. Poulsen emphasized.

According to him, Europe is eager to do more. He assured of Denmark's broad support for Ukrainians.

Earlier, Censor.NET reported that Ukraine has already received almost 70 F-16 fighter jets: they were donated by Denmark, the Netherlands and Greece. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537651

Europe may need its own military alliance - Merz

It is possible that Europe will have to create its own military alliance instead of NATO, which will be independent of the United States.

This was stated by the likely candidate for the post of the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Censor.NET reports citing RBC-Ukraine.

Answering questions from journalists, the leader of the German CDU suggested that NATO may not survive in its current form. Then, according to the politician, Europe may need its own military alliance, independent of the United States.

"Germany can no longer rely on the protection of the US army's nuclear umbrella," Merz said.

The politician added that in this regard, it is necessary to hold talks with the UK and France to extend their nuclear support to other European countries.

At the same time, Merz wants to strengthen the German armed forces. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537637

Raf1394

02-24-25, 01:32 PM

Don't get me wrong, i'm not Pro Putin
But our media always was speaking out loud. ''Russia is losing the war''
Even our politicians and military experts say the same thing for the last 3 years.

But after 3 years, Russia still hold there ground, they even have minor advance.
While Russia is basically all alone. They have no political and military support (only China, North Korea?)
While Ukraine on the other hand gets all the political support worldwide, gets military support from NATO. And still they can't get the ''poor'' Russian army out of Ukraine.

The question we have to ask ourselves. Do we need to be ashamed that we as western powers (nato) just fail so hard against Russia?
And i honestly believe our European armies don't stand a chance against the Russian army. The Russian army is still very experienced. Maybe they lack our technology. But i would be scared to face of a Russian soldier on the battlefield, then lets say a Spanish or Italian soldier...
In the EU, the strongholds are basically Germany, France and the UK...

Europe needs to invest in there own defence. We counted to much on the US support.

Dargo

02-24-25, 01:54 PM

But after 3 years, Russia still hold there ground, they even have minor advance. While Russia is basically all alone. They have no political and military support (only China, North Korea?) Ahhh how cute poor Russia holding pfff they are the ones invading only country here holding it for 3 year is Ukraine. Yeah, they must be so depressed for being alone in the world all most gone cry for them, NOT! Have minor advance? Rather mini mini minor it is 0,8 of mini minor advance do not make me laugh.

Raf1394

02-24-25, 02:00 PM

Dargo

02-24-25, 02:14 PM

But i'm more talking about the fact, that our media isn't 100% correct.

If our politicians and media people were so right, about what they said.

Putin would have been killed by the Russian military a long time ago, or in jail. And Zelensky giving he's victory speech last year...
I'm trying to get a neutral view and opinion about the war. Not being pro-Russia, or Pro-Ukraine.

I just see the facts what is happening at the moment.This media and that is most are mostly based on anonymous sources and armchair ... The data is public, and it is enormous, but too lazy to Annalise all that data. Can tell you after filter that data (a portion I have no time for all) that this year no peace treaty because Putin will gamble because he thinks he is on a winner streak. After 2025 Putin has no money for this war what it has now in the war chest is not even enough for a new offensive this year and with the economy in the dumpster Russia is only get worse if they do not end it this year.

Catfish

02-24-25, 02:29 PM

Hello Raf1394,

Russia is not losing the war because it still has some hardware from the cold war, and is producing like crazy with its war economy. Still, I think Russia's economy will be finished by the end of 2025.
They lack soldiers, and the second Putin begins to pull soldiers out of Moscow or St. Petersburg there will be riots. Though I wonder how long north korean soldiers hold out, or if China begins to help Russia.

While Ukraine on the other hand gets all the political support worldwide, gets military support from NATO. And still they can't get the ''poor'' Russian army out of Ukraine.
As long as it was Biden as potus it seems(!) that they wanted to "boil the frog", delivering just as much as not let Ukraine drown, but not enough to let them win. Europe in all has delivered more than the US, but only money-wise because there was no real weapon surplus. But Europe could, its economical lever is greater than Russia's, problem is the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FocQITpJnaQ

The question we have to ask ourselves. Do we need to be ashamed that we as western powers (nato) just fail so hard against Russia?
Yes. Biden was too reluctant, as was Europe. And now the US throws Ukraine under the bus. Trump even talks of leaving/disbanding NATO. Putin must be happy, question is whether this would help him so much.

Europe needs to invest in there own defence. We counted to much on the US support.
100 percent agreed here. See the video above. We can, if we want.

Dargo

02-24-25, 02:46 PM

European armies have a total of 1.9 million military personnel (1.33 million in the EU alone). Still larger than Russia that can not leave Ukraine in fear that moment Russia attacks other Europe countries it will attack Russian troops in occupied Ukraine.

Skybird

02-24-25, 03:06 PM

Those NATO troops are scattered all over the place. Most are not combat troops.

Currently Russia produces 4 times more military goods and waepons and ammo than all Europe together. Over the past three years Europe proved that it is not eager to change that fast and quickly. Some even are against changing it at all.

August

02-24-25, 03:13 PM

Those NATO troops are scattered all over the place. Most are not combat troops.

You're claiming that the Russians are mostly combat troops and are concentrated in just one spot?

Dargo

02-24-25, 03:21 PM

4 times more military shyte yeah you are correct in that and Russia has +double the border to man than Europe you really think China is their bro. Moment they transfer troops from Ukraine and that is their only army they can use against us, Ukraine will attack those weak spots. Ukraine is dreaming for this scenario! And you do not understand NATO defence.

mapuc

02-24-25, 03:48 PM

I say that Russia need around 7-10 years to rebuild its military and this is after they have won/lost in Ukraine-As long the war are ongoing the Russian military use every bullet they produce in Ukraine.

Markus

Dargo

02-24-25, 03:51 PM

Macron doing a Mark Rutte.
https://youtu.be/rGf3gOt4zOg

I say that Russia need around 7-10 years to rebuild its military and this is after they have won/lost in Ukraine-As long the war are ongoing the Russian military use every bullet they produce in Ukraine.

MarkusEven with a peace treaty Russia needs +10 years Europe is not a David like Ukraine is it got more and superior equipment. Europe could do manoeuvrable warfare, we have a larger air force Russia still can not even with a bigger army do that in Ukraine. But let them do it, I will stock up popcorn seeing columns of Russia burn in a traffic jam. They can never rebuild that soviet stock in decades Putin is not Stalin that had yearly 2 millions slaves in the gulags and millions of Ukrainians slaves working behind the Urals. And... and logistics BOI how CREAT those Russians have developed their logistics NOT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O5CeEfuPgY

mapuc

02-24-25, 04:43 PM

Have USA changed side ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez3Svb-YtrQ&ab_channel=Military%26History

Markus

Dargo

02-24-25, 05:04 PM

It is flood the zone more talk ... that was it folks btw 500 billion became tens of billions in a day what I said flood the zone. :D

Skybird

02-24-25, 06:54 PM

Have USA changed side ?
Trump certainly is in strong defense of Russian war goals and suppoort of their strategic interests and currently is Moscow's most precious ally and ressource.

The four or five European members in the security council - abstained the vote. So much for backspine in the face of the Donny.

Macronman did show some backspine, however, when correcting Lying Donny in the front of the running cameras over his cheating claims on how much financial worth in money and material has been donated by the US and by Europe, and that the US gave less than Donny claimed and Europe by now has given more than the US together.

Jimbuna

02-25-25, 06:34 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SI7GmOaLgk

Jimbuna

02-25-25, 06:44 AM

Ukraine should be involved in peace talks to get results, - Erdogan

Ukraine should ‘definitely’ participate in any negotiations to end the war.

According to Censor.NET, citing European Pravda, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this.

He stressed that if "we want to get results from the new process, Ukraine must be included in this process, and this war must be ended through mutual negotiations".

Erdogan said that he supports US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the Ukrainian-Russian war.

"In principle, we welcome Mr Trump's desire to end the war through negotiations. But an important point cannot be neglected here. The path to a just and lasting peace can only be opened through an equation that includes all relevant parties," Erdogan said.

As a reminder, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the topic of future talks between Russia and the United States should be what Moscow is willing to do to end the war in Ukraine. At the same time, a similar question should be asked of official Kyiv. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537790

EU offers Ukraine its own deal on rare earth metals - Politico

The European Union has offered Ukraine its own agreement on the use of rare earth materials. This agreement is supposed to be more favourable than the US proposal - although there are no details yet.

According to Censor.NET, citing Politico, this was stated by European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy Stephane Sejourne.

"Twenty-one of the 30 critical materials Europe needs can be provided by Ukraine in a win-win partnership," Sejourne said.

He also noted: "The added value Europe offers is that we will never demand a deal that’s not mutually beneficial."

The details of the European agreement are not yet known.

As a reminder, Russia is ready to offer the US to work with rare earth metals in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as to develop aluminium together. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3537755

mapuc

02-25-25, 08:03 AM

Will we see a NATO engagement in Ukraine? Not for the sake of the Ukrainians, but for the sake of these rare metals ?

Markus

Bilge_Rat

02-25-25, 08:53 AM

so, according to the latest Harvard-Harris poll, 72% of US voters want Ukraine to negotiate a settlement to end the war, including 80% of Republicans, 73% of Independents and even 61% of Democrats.

60% of voters approve of Trump entering into direct US-Russia negotiations to end the war including 85% of Republicans and 53% of independents. Only Demovrats oppose it 40/60.

https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/HHP_Feb2025_vFinal.pdf

The writing is on the wall, there is broad bipartisan support for what Trump is doing.

MaDef

02-25-25, 09:58 AM

What is it about the Russians that upset Democrats so much? Ever since Hillary gave them a reset button (supposedly to symbolize an attempt at improving relations), they have gone out of their way to muck things up. :D

Dargo

02-25-25, 11:02 AM

Ukraine has restored half the capacity of power plants destroyed by Russia. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said this on Monday at a joint meeting of the Ukrainian government and the European Commission. ‘Out of 10 gigawatts, we have put five back into the system,’ Minister Halushchenko said, according to Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine. This was possible with the help of the energy industry support fund, in which more than 1 billion euros have been invested. https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/1050830.html

Dargo

02-25-25, 11:04 AM

[EU offers Ukraine its own deal on rare earth metals - Politico The European Commission denies information about the agreement on critical minerals proposed to Ukraine by the European Union, an alternative to the US: this cooperation is already four years old. This was stated in Brussels on Tuesday by representative of the European Commission, Thomas Regnier, commenting at the request of journalists on information disseminated by the media, citing the European Commissioner for Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Sejourné, that he allegedly offered Ukrainian officials a mutually beneficial agreement on critical minerals.

“There is no proposal. Since 2021, the EU has partnership on critical raw materials with Ukraine, formalized through our memorandum of understanding. So, this dates back four years ago. As with all the EU critical raw materials partnerships that we have, this corporation is not only about securing supply chains for the EU, but also about fostering local value creation and capacity building in partner countries ensuring mutual benefits. Now, as you see, this is really here about cooperation with Ukraine and not about any sort of competition with the US,” he explained... https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1050939.htmlEven in Ukraine, we do not know exactly how much rare earths our soil contains. The estimates we have date back to the Soviet era, when rare earths did not play as important a role in the global economy as they do today. So we will have to re-map all those raw materials.

Jimbuna

02-25-25, 12:03 PM

Revealed: Ukraine's confirmed equipment losses after three years of war PART 1

As of February 24th, 2025, Ukraine has lost 7,887 visually confirmed units of military equipment since the Kremlin launched its invasion on February 22, 2022.

Tanks 1,078

Destroyed: 773

Damaged: 79

Abandoned: 86

Captured: 140

Armored Fighting Vehicles 437

Destroyed: 324

Damaged: 16

Abandoned: 11

Captured: 86

Infantry Fighting Vehicles 1,222

Destroyed: 900

Damaged: 62

Abandoned: 116

Captured: 144

Armored Personnel Carriers 787

Destroyed: 530

Damaged: 36

Abandoned: 94

Captured: 127

Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected 428

Destroyed: 311

Damaged: 38

Abandoned: 36

Captured: 43

Infantry Mobility Vehicles 741

Destroyed: 506

Damaged: 43

Abandoned: 50

Captured: 142

Command Posts And Communications Station 36

Destroyed: 26

Damaged: 0

Abandoned: 5

Captured: 5

Engineering Vehicles And Equipment 207

Destroyed: 142

Damaged: 23

Abandoned: 12

Captured: 30

Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Missile Systems 18

Destroyed: 7

Damaged: 0

Abandoned: 1

Captured: 10

Artillery Support Vehicles And Equipment 27

Destroyed: 14

Damaged: 0

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 13

Towed Artillery 233

Destroyed: 137

Damaged: 75

Abandoned: 3

Captured: 18
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/revealed-ukraine-s-confirmed-equipment-losses-after-three-years-of-war/ss-BB1mLrWS?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=fe16510df52944f4c5d1af2c62a4814e&ei=20#image=15

Jimbuna

02-25-25, 12:11 PM

PART 2

Self-Propelled Artillery 471

Destroyed: 374

Damaged: 73

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 24

Multiple Rocket Launchers 81

Destroyed: 55

Damaged: 17

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 9

Anti-Aircraft Guns 4

Destroyed: 0

Damaged: 0

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 4

Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns 35

Destroyed: 25

Damaged: 5

Abandoned: 1

Captured: 4

Surface-To-Air Missile Systems 166

Destroyed: 140

Damaged: 19

Abandoned: 1

Captured: 6

Radars And Communications Equipment 136

Destroyed: 100

Damaged: 21

Abandoned: 1

Captured: 14

Jammers And Deception Systems 8

Destroyed: 5

Damaged: 2

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 1

Aircraft 103

Destroyed: 98

Damaged: 4

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 1

Helicopters 52

Destroyed: 46

Damaged: 3

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 3

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles 29

Destroyed: 28

Damaged: 0

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 1

Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 468

Destroyed: 303

Damaged: 1

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 164

Trucks, Vehicles, and Jeeps 1,078

Destroyed: 835

Damaged: 31

Abandoned: 16

Captured: 196

Naval Ships 41

Destroyed: 14

Damaged: 8

Abandoned: 0

Captured: 19

It is important to note that Oryx points out on its website that "the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded" since it only counts what can be proven with photo and video evidence. So Ukraine's equipment losses are likely far higher than what Oryx has reported

Dargo

02-25-25, 12:38 PM

Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine. Any rumors to the contrary are categorically false. https://x.com/Starlink/status/1894104343348940828

OTD in 1921 the Red Army completed its occupation of Georgia after invading a few weeks before. We signed a treaty less than a year earlier saying we would never invade. Imagine, more than 100 years later, us still doing that to our neighbors... https://x.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1894365871490908621

Jimbuna

02-25-25, 01:20 PM

Putin offers Russian and Ukrainian rare minerals to US

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is open to offering the US access to rare minerals, including from Russian-occupied Ukraine.

This comes after US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for Ukraine to give up some of its minerals in exchange for support, in a deal which is currently being finalised, according to a Ukrainian minister.

In a state TV interview on Monday, Putin said he was ready to "offer" resources to American partners in joint projects, including mining in Russia's "new territories" - a reference to parts of eastern Ukraine that Russia has occupied since launching a full-scale invasion three years ago.

The proposal could also see the two countries collaborating on aluminium extraction and supply to the US to stabilise prices, he added.

In his televised interview, Putin countered Trump's push to access Ukraine's mineral deposits, saying they were ready to work with "foreign partners" including companies on mining minerals.

Putin said a potential US-Ukraine deal on rare minerals was not a concern and that Russia "undoubtedly have, I want to emphasise, significantly more resources of this kind than Ukraine".

"As for the new territories, it's the same. We are ready to attract foreign partners to the so-called new, to our historical territories, which have returned to the Russian Federation," he added.

He also suggested that Russia and the US could collaborate on aluminium production in Krasnoyarsk, in Siberia, where one Russian aluminium maker, Rusal, has its largest smelters.

The televised comments followed a cabinet meeting on Russia's natural resources.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists the proposal opened up "quite broad prospects", adding that the US needed rare earth minerals and Russia had "a lot of them".

Offering the US access to minerals is an eye-catching move by Putin, given how much pride the Kremlin has taken in keeping Russia's natural wealth in Russian hands. In 2023 Putin accused the West, particularly the US, of trying to "dismember" Russia to gain access to its natural resources.

Putin's intervention comes as Ukraine has been facing growing pressure from the Trump administration to sign a deal for access to its mineral deposits.

Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world's critical raw materials are in Ukraine. However, some of the mineral deposits have been seized by Russia in the three years since its invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said earlier this month that the US military and economic aid to Ukraine amounted to about $500bn (£396bn), and he wants the US to have access to Ukrainian minerals of that value.

Zelenzky has disputed that figure and is also said to want any deal to include security guarantees.

On Monday Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olga Stefanishyna, said negotiations on such a deal "have been very constructive, with nearly all key details finalised".

Similarly - albeit in a different approach to the US - the European Union has also proposed a partnership with Ukraine that would give it access to minerals in what the the European Commissioner for industrial strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, called a "win-win".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gdx7488g5o

Skybird

02-25-25, 01:23 PM

Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine. Any rumors to the contrary are categorically false. https://x.com/Starlink/status/1894104343348940828

Yes, when Musk'S own X says so, then it must be true. :haha:

Similar claims initiially were maide whe they switched off Starlink while Ukraine prepared a strike against the Black Sea Fleet in I think it sitll was year one, and could not carry it out for this reason. Musk later said that he had a bad feeling about allowing that strike, so he took it upon him to prevent it.

Ukraine's dependency on Starlink is a Damocles sword over their heads. They must find a way to remain effective in combat without it. Just in case, whenever that case becomes true. I think its very urgent. Musk cannot be trusted.

Dargo

02-25-25, 01:42 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKMeuDPKaFs

Catfish

02-25-25, 01:43 PM

^^ re Skybird Agreed, Musk cannot be trusted. High time for EU's Iris program. Galileo is already up and running, already with high precision.

re Musk https://www.reuters.com/world/us/after-setback-musk-presses-forward-with-federal-worker-threats-2025-02-25/
A loonie with a chainsaw. I guess I do NOT want the drugs he's on.

Dargo

02-25-25, 01:51 PM

Putin is Unlikely to Demobilize in the Event of a Ceasefire Because He is Afraid of His VeteransThe Kremlin likely fears that it will face even worse political instability than what the Soviet Union experienced after its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988-1989 because of Russia’s failure to militarize and mobilize Russian society for a protracted war. Russian Presidential Administration First Deputy Head Sergei Kiriyenko allegedly stated in a closed meeting in July 2024 that Russian war veterans "adapt poorly" to civilian life after returning from Ukraine and that many convict recruits commit violent crimes after returning home.[5] Kiriyenko reportedly said that there will be "quite a lot" of veterans returning from the war in Ukraine and that increased crime committed by veterans could cause discontent, fear, or aggression towards veterans among Russian citizens. Kiriyenko observed that the demobilization of Russian veterans in Ukraine would be very different from the return of Soviet veterans after the Afghan War or World War II because Soviet society was deeply mobilized and overall better conditioned to support if not to wage conflict. Kiriyenko reportedly characterized contemporary Russian society as being unprepared to "understand and accept" veterans in the event of their demobilization. The Kremlin inadvertently created conditions in late February 2022 that ostracized Russian veterans by portraying Russia's full-scale invasion as a small war that only involved professional forces and did not impact most Russians.[6] This rhetoric aimed to shield broader Russian society from the implications of Russia's war against Ukraine, but in turn, inadvertently created a divide between Russians impacted by the full-scale invasion and those who were not or had the privilege of ignoring the war. https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/putin-unlikely-demobilize-event-ceasefire-because-he-afraid-his-veterans

Dargo

02-25-25, 02:22 PM

Ukraine agrees US minerals deal after Washington drops toughest demandsKyiv has agreed terms with Washington on a minerals deal that Ukrainian officials hope will improve relations with the Trump administration and pave the way for a long-term US security commitment. Ukrainian officials say Kyiv is now ready to sign the agreement on jointly developing its mineral resources, including oil and gas, after the US dropped demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from exploiting the resources. The officials argued that they had negotiated far more favourable terms and depicted the deal as a way of broadening the relationship with the US to shore up Ukraine’s prospects after three years of war.
...
The final version of the agreement, dated February 24 and seen by the FT, would establish a fund into which Ukraine would contribute 50 per cent of proceeds from the “future monetisation” of state-owned mineral resources, including oil and gas, and associated logistics. The fund would invest in projects in Ukraine. It excludes mineral resources that already contribute to Ukrainian government coffers, meaning it would not cover the existing activities of Naftogaz or Ukrnafta, Ukraine’s largest gas and oil producers.
Financial Times (https://archive.ph/yEgDI)

Catfish

02-25-25, 02:56 PM

^ so, Russia gets the other 50 percent for its war efforts ? :har:
Who will pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine, if Putin really stops the war (what I doubt) ?
They should demand all this money, and the US and EU war efforts from Russia. WTF is up with the US?

so, according to the latest Harvard-Harris poll, 72% of US voters want Ukraine to negotiate a settlement to end the war, including 80% of Republicans, 73% of Independents and even 61% of Democrats.
Small misunderstanding. They want the end of the war, but not on russian terms.

The writing is on the wall, there is broad bipartisan support for what Trump is doing.
I guess the writing is on the wall for Trump like it was for Belshazar ;)

mapuc

02-25-25, 03:45 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D8DQDwUwek&ab_channel=TheMilitaryShow

Markus

Skybird

02-25-25, 04:27 PM

^^ re Skybird Agreed, Musk cannot be trusted. Which in principle is true with any American network-embedded hightech system. After Trump's opening salvos the last weeks, I have started to see the F-35 that Germany wants to buy in a different, much less favourable light. And we, Germany, do not only need a few hightech gimmicks - we need stuff in much higher quantities than just these few planes. If there is a lesson to be learned from Ukraine: then that sufficiently high numbers still count - and can count heavier than superior technology. In case of a war we, every participating side, must be able to digest significant own losses. Every boxer knows that: you don't just have to be able to dish it out, you also have to be able to take it. You have to be able to get up again after being knocked down. And all too often that ability is what really decides the fight.

mapuc

02-25-25, 04:39 PM

Which in principle is true with any American network-embedded hightech system. After Trump's opening salvos the last weeks, I have started to see the F-35 that Germany wants to buy in a different, much less favourable light. And we, Germany, do not only need a few hightech gimmicks - we need stuff in much higher quantities than just these few planes. If there is a lesson to be learned from Ukraine: then that sufficiently high numbers still count - and can count heavier than superior technology. In case of a war we, every participating side, must be able to digest significant own losses. Every boxer knows that: you don't just have to be able to dish it out, you also have to be able to take it. You have to be able to get up again after being knocked down. And all too often that ability is what really decides the fight.

Funny you have described what it was told in the latest video I posted on page back and last.

Markus

MaDef

02-25-25, 06:30 PM

How Trump upset the United Nations. (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0de4wpvlo)

Trump has you all discombobulated. :up:

Jimbuna

02-26-25, 06:54 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTvelvruW6s

Jimbuna

02-26-25, 07:03 AM

Russian and US representatives to meet in Istanbul on February 27 - Lavrov

On Thursday, February 27, representatives of Russia and the United States will meet in Istanbul. They will discuss, among other things, the reopening of embassies.

According to Censor.NET, the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement was quoted by the Russian propaganda outlet RIA Novosti.

"A meeting of representatives of Russia and the United States on the work of embassies will take place on February 27 in Istanbul," Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

In addition, he noted that the issue of the fate of frozen Russian assets "will not disappear" from the agenda of negotiations on Ukraine.

Lavrov added that possible actions against these assets would not go unanswered by Russia.

The Russian minister also expressed the opinion that the Kremlin believes that "it is impossible to reach agreements that will provide for the repeated pumping of weapons to Ukraine."

Meeting in Saudi Arabia
On February 12, 2025, Trump said that his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would likely take place in Saudi Arabia.

Trump also said that a meeting betweenrepresentatives of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia would take place in Saudi Arabia next week.

On February 14, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom was ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

On February 18, delegations from the United States and Russia meet in Saudi Arabia.

Both sides characterized it as positive. The U.S. and Russia agreed to resume the full-fledged work of the U.S. and Russian embassies in Moscow and Washington. The key issue was achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Fox News reported that Russia and the United States are allegedly proposing a three-stage peace plan, including a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine, and then a final agreement.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Trump and Putin may hold a summit in Saudi Arabia next week.

Donald Trump has said that the next round of talks between the US and Russia will take place on Tuesday, February 25. Saudi Arabia will again serve as a platform for talks between Washington and Moscow.

At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that no meeting between the representatives of Russia and the United States on February 25 in Riyadh is being prepared.

Earlier, the media reported that representatives of Russia and the United States would hold a second meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on February 25. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3538026

MaDef

02-26-25, 10:06 AM

Looks like Zelensky blinked.

Ukraine PM says mineral deal is agreed to (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c337461n3xlo)

Next up is Putin.:up:

Skybird

02-26-25, 10:55 AM

[Die Welt] Russia rejects European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. Russia will not agree to this, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The idea was a deception that would only serve to enable Ukraine to rearm. US President Donald Trump had stated this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him that he agreed to this.

Jimbuna

02-26-25, 12:43 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naKD_jipsrQ

Jimbuna

02-26-25, 12:48 PM

Merz to meet with Macron to discuss political situation in Germany and transatlantic relations - Politico

Chancellor candidate of the winning bloc in the German parliamentary elections, the CDU/CSU, Friedrich Merz, will visit Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Politico writes about this with reference to its own sources, Censor.NET reports.

The publication notes that Merz is traveling to discuss "sensitive" issues and is expected to focus on the political situation in Germany after the election and ongoing coalition talks, as well as transatlantic relations in the wake of Macron's talks with US President Donald Trump.

Merz is traveling to discuss "sensitive" issues and is expected to focus on the political situation in Germany after the elections and the ongoing coalition talks, as well as transatlantic relations following Macron's talks with US President Donald Trump.

As a reminder, the conservative bloc of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) won the early Bundestag elections on Sunday, February 23, gaining 29% of the vote. The Christian Democratic Union is headed by Friedrich Merz.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in second place with 19.5%. The Social Democratic Party of current Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in third place with 16%. The left-liberal Union-90/Greens party gained 13.5%. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3538119

Just and lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible without security guarantees from NATO, - Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that peace in Ukraine is possible only if Kyiv is provided with security guarantees, in particular within NATO.

This is reported by ANSA with reference to Meloni's statement after a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Rome, Censor.NET reports.

"Efforts must be made to lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which will come only when Kyiv is provided with adequate security guarantees to make sure that this does not happen again and that European countries that feel threatened can feel safe," Meloni said.

The Italian Prime Minister emphasized that these guarantees should be implemented within the framework of NATO, as she believes that this alliance is the most effective means to ensure a stable peace.

"I have always said and I believe that these security guarantees should be implemented within the Atlantic Alliance because I think that is the best framework to guarantee a peace that is neither fragile nor temporary, so that there is no longer a risk that Europe could be plunged back into the drama of war," Meloni said.

She also noted that alternative security options look more complicated and less effective.

"Other solutions, as I said, seem to me to be more complicated and, frankly, less effective," she concluded. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3538112

MaDef

02-26-25, 02:31 PM

Merz to meet with Macron to discuss political situation in Germany and transatlantic relations - Politico

Just and lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible without security guarantees from NATO, - Meloni

From where I sit, the moves Trumps making makes me think that Europe & Nato aren't really high on his priority list. He's pretty much left them out by engaging Zelensky and Putin directly. If he brokers some sort of truce on his own, Europe and NATO won't have a whole lot of say in the matter.

Dargo

02-26-25, 02:42 PM

Looks like Zelensky blinked.

Ukraine PM says mineral deal is agreed to (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c337461n3xlo)

Next up is Putin.:up:Zelenskyy did not blink, this is a whole other deal than that racketeering move by Trump. Trump is no match to the Kremlin you underestimate Russian culture that mafia family is gone screw Trump bigly.

Dargo

02-26-25, 03:57 PM

The full text of the US-Ukraine mineral dealThe Kyiv Independent has obtained from a source in the Ukrainian government the full text of the mineral deal agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine and is publishing the text in full. Speaking to journalists on Feb. 26, Zelenskyy said the agreement was "well appreciated by our government officials," though he added it does not yet contain specific security guarantees for Ukraine. "The important thing is that the agreement mentions 'partners,' and this fund is Ukrainian-American, not American," he added. This first document will be followed by a Fund Agreement, which will further define the terms of the Reconstruction Investment Fund, created by the U.S. and Ukraine. That document will require ratification by Ukraine’s parliament.

The full text is as follows: https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-the-full-text-of-the-final-us-ukraine-mineral-agreement/

Prove me wrong where Zelenskyy blinked.

Skybird

02-26-25, 04:23 PM

Yes, it is becoming more and more blatantly obvious that Trump has clearly sided with Russia and is protecting Russia's war interests. Welcome to the axis of evil, America. Your path to the dark side of the Force is almost complete.

[NTV] According to insiders, the US has not participated in a declaration by members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, this declaration has been published on every anniversary. It is the first time that the USA has abstained. 44 WTO members - including the EU, the UK and Canada - and Ukraine have signed the declaration. It condemned the devastating impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on people's lives and the Ukrainian economy. A few days ago, the USA introduced a resolution to the UN General Assembly that initially contained no criticism of Moscow and no statements on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
-------------------

Rumor has it that the Kremlin is still unable to fully understand its incomprehensible luck. Trump's idiocy exceeds all expectations.

Even mine. And that really means something.

MaDef

02-26-25, 04:24 PM

The Government of Ukraine will contribute to the Fund 50 percent of all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), defined as deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, and other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure) as agreed by both Participants, as may be further described in the Fund Agreement.

He blinked.

Catfish

02-26-25, 04:31 PM

[blah] Next up is Putin.:up:
Yep the US has changed sides. There can be no trust in the US now, not by Russia, not by China, and now not by Europe. South America, Africa?
May you live in interesting times.

Dargo

02-26-25, 04:34 PM

He blinked.Nope 3. The Government of Ukraine will contribute to the Fund 50 percent of all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), defined as deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, and other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure) as agreed by both Participants, as may be further described in the Fund Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, such future sources of revenues do not include the current sources of revenues which are already part of the general budget revenues of Ukraine. Timeline, scope and sustainability of contributions will be further defined in the Fund Agreement.

The Fund, in its sole discretion, may credit or return to the Government of Ukraine actual expenses incurred by the newly developed projects from which the Fund receives revenues.

Contributions made to the Fund will be reinvested at least annually in Ukraine to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine, to be further defined in the Fund Agreement. The Fund Agreement will also provide for future distributions.

4. Subject to applicable United States law, the Government of the United States of America will maintain a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine. Further contributions may be comprised of funds, financial instruments, and other tangible and intangible assets critical for the reconstruction of Ukraine.If you try to convince me you better post a real argument and not a part that you think proves your right, you are not. According to my lawyers, it is a positive deal for Ukraine.

Note:This first document will be followed by a Fund Agreement, which will further define the terms of the Reconstruction Investment Fund, created by the U.S. and Ukraine. That document will require ratification by Ukraine’s parliament. This is not yet a done deal!

Dargo

02-26-25, 06:03 PM

This negotiation between Russia and US are not about the Russia Ukraine war, do not get fooled by flood the zone! "To be clear, there are no political or security issues on the agenda. Ukraine is not  on the agenda," a State Department spokesperson said in an email to Reuters.

Ukraine not on agenda in next US-Russia talks, State Department saysU.S. and Russian officials will not discuss Russia's war against Ukraine during their meeting in Istanbul on Feb. 27, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an email to Reuters. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Feb. 26 that Washington and Moscow would hold a second round of talks in Turkey, just over a week after delegates from the two countries met in Saudi Arabia for their first direct talks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine... https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-not-on-agenda-in-next-us-russia-talks-state-department-says/