There are again more rumors of infighting, a lot of dead by own fire and a lot are not paid yet from day they enlisted. In many remote Russian regions people, partly because of propaganda, have no grasp of the situation and do not really understand what is happening. If you are poor, the price of a human life is not so high. If the government says: go to the front, you go. Men have no income and are drinking. Mortgages weigh heavily and people are deep in debt. And now the government is suddenly offering a monthly income! Of course, there is a chance that you might get injured or die, but in that case your debts are cancelled, and your relatives get a fantastic sum of money, as much as 8 million roubles [€100,000], more than they ever saw. If they ever get that, they will never know they are dead, therefor hard to prove if government says you deserted.

China is an anti-West country a weak Russia is good for them, but they are partners in the anti-Western collation and do not want Russia to lose more. Oxymoron is they need both Russia and a western market, think China is capable to navigate on that thin line to go not too far and still profit from it.

In China, Worries About a Weakened Russia Prompt a Rethink
Concern that a Russian setback in Ukraine would cripple China’s partner against the West helps drive Beijing’s push for an end to the war

China’s leadership is growing worried that increased Western military support for Ukraine will severely weaken Russia, a key partner for Beijing in its heightened competition with the U.S. and its allies.

Ukraine’s robust battlefield resistance has prompted a rethink in Beijing, making it more inclined to push for a cease-fire to prevent further Russian setbacks—or even a larger-scale defeat, according to people close to Chinese decision-making.

The reconsideration has led to Beijing further expanding its economic ties with Moscow. China is looking to increase its imports of Russian oil, gas and farm goods, forge more joint energy partnerships in the Arctic and increase Chinese investment in Russian railways and ports.

Unclear is how this will translate into any changes in Beijing’s restraint so far from providing Moscow with military support—a possibility highlighted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks this weekend that Washington had information that Beijing was weighing providing lethal support to Moscow. Some foreign-policy strategists in Beijing have raised the question of whether China should consider providing military support to Russia for defensive purposes—a scenario they say could significantly increase the costs of the conflict. That, in turn, could give China some leverage in proposing options to end the conflict.

But such a move would also stir up greater resentment against Xi Jinping’s leadership in the West. It couldn’t be determined whether the idea is gaining traction in the top leadership.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday hit back at the U.S. allegations. “It’s the U.S. side, not the Chinese side, that’s providing an endless flow of weapons,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing. “The U.S. side isn’t qualified to point fingers at China or order China around, and we never accept the U.S. criticizing Sino-Russian relations.” In Turkey on Monday, Mr. Blinken said, “I think China understands what’s at risk were it to proceed with providing material support of that kind to Russia.”

During a surprise visit to Kyiv, President Biden on Monday announced half a billion dollars of additional assistance to Ukraine, underlining the urgency for Beijing in seeking an end to a war that has welded the U.S. and its Europe allies closer together and that risks irreparably cementing China’s rift with the West.

A diminished Russian power gives China an upper hand in the bilateral relationship, potentially leading to more favorable deals, including for energy, for Beijing. Nonetheless, the people close to Chinese decision-making said, President Xi Jinping has little interest in seeing Moscow and his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, emerge from the war severely crippled.

To that end, Beijing is pressing for a more active role in trying to end the conflict. Its top foreign-affairs official, Wang Yi, said at the Munich Security Conference this past weekend that Beijing would unveil details of a Chinese peace initiative on Feb. 24, a year after Russia invaded Ukraine. Mr. Wang was scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Monday, and possibly meet with Mr. Putin, to discuss Beijing’s ideas for resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Both Washington and Beijing have avoided measures that could escalate the conflict. Beijing has denied it is aiding the Russian war effort and said its companies conduct normal trade with Russia. Mr. Biden has long been concerned that giving Ukraine long-range weapons that could strike into Russia would increase the risk of a direct U.S.-Russian confrontation.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-chin...v4fc7baj2cuzqu

Ukrainian crews take their first shot in a Leopard 2A6 at a training ground outside of Münster, Germany


Український екіпаж Leopard 2 здійснив перший постріл (original)
https://mil.in.ua/uk/news/ukrayinsky...rshyj-postril/

The Ukrainian Leopard 2 crew fired the first shot (google translate)


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(video)
https://youtu.be/KC21t8WPJ_8

I know its just two tiny dots, but: Munster, not Münster. ;)

Munster is where tanks do excercises. Münster is where the Skybird roams. :D

Both places are over 250 street-kilometers apart, and its two different federla states.

I could have swore I saw some guy down range peddling as fast as he could trying to get out of there. Thought it might have been you ;)

Is that also where Herman and his wife Lily and their family live as well ? :03:

Oh that is so bad CW!! :D

It was an innocent question. Really. :D

No, Actually turns out that they're English nobility as this documentary film shows:



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

Vladimir Putin has spoken at length about Russia's war against Ukraine in a State of the Nation address

He blamed the West for provoking the war and escalating it, saying the US and its allies sought "limitless power"

In the only major announcement, he said he was suspending Russia's participation in a major arms control agreement with the US

New Start is the last remaining nuclear arms deal between Moscow and Washington, and it was extended for five years in 2021

The speech came ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Friday.

Russia has sustained huge losses in the war but is expected to launch a new offensive in the spring.

Later today US President Joe Biden will give a speech in Poland, painting the war as a struggle between democracy and autocracy after Monday's high-stakes visit to Kyiv.

That explains a lot. :yep: Yvonne De Carlo was beautiful. :yep:



It was odd seeing Fred Gwynne / Hermen Munster as Judge Chamberlin Haller. It was great at the same time. They were all great actors.

Check out the Car-54 reference at 2:10. "Frightfully Funny"!