Here we go again-Ukraine once again pt2

[Jimbuna]

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

^ True that

A good start would be kicking a certain EU member off the team.

You would still have the same problem with the current rules that demand a unanimous vote to get anything done. Eventually there would be no European Union left if dissenting opinions are booted out. Maybe change the rules to allow a 2/3rd majority to get things passed instead.

[Jimbuna]

Well something certainly needs to happen.

[Jimbuna]

Switzerland reveals amount of frozen Russian assets

As of December 31, 2023, the value of financial assets frozen due to sanctions against Russia amounted to CHF 5.8 billion (USD 6.4 billion). In addition, 17 real estate properties have been blocked, reports the government department responsible for compliance with sanctions (SECO).

The latest data show that the value of frozen financial assets fell by CHF 1.7 billion compared to December 2022. The decline is attributed to the loss of value of some blocked assets, in particular securities related to Russia, as a result of international sanctions.

Over the past year, SECO has frozen another CHF 580 million in financial assets following its own investigations and detailed explanations from banks. It has also blocked two more real estate properties in Switzerland. In addition to the 17 properties currently frozen, other assets such as sports and luxury cars, works of art, furniture, and musical instruments belonging to individuals and entities under sanctions in Switzerland have also been blocked.
However, assets worth CHF 140 million, which were previously blocked as a precautionary measure, were unblocked after further investigation showed that the legal requirements for freezing them had not been met.

In addition, the assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation worth about CHF 7.24 billion are located in Switzerland. Since March 25, 2022, the reserves and assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation have been immobilized, i.e. all operations related to their management are prohibited.

Swiss sanctions

In response to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine on February 28, 2022, Switzerland adopted EU sanctions against Russia, thereby strengthening their impact.

In March, the Swiss Attorney General launched the first criminal investigation into sanctions violations against Russia by an unnamed company. These actions mark a turning point for sanctions enforcement in Switzerland.

Before this, Switzerland refused to participate along with the G7 countries in an international task force to trace the assets of Russian oligarchs.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/...93833c4b&ei=16

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Well something certainly needs to happen.

I would advise caution. Its still Europe and we wouldn't want 2/3s of the countries attacking the rest.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

You would still have the same problem with the current rules that demand a unanimous vote to get anything done. Eventually there would be no European Union left if dissenting opinions are booted out. Maybe change the rules to allow a 2/3rd majority to get things passed instead.

I have a significant list of things that then would have been passed but never should pass due to their desastrous content. Sometimes the need for unanymous decision is what stands between the already bad state of things, and a massive worstening.

Maybe - no, surely - we should have left it to a free trade zone in Europe, and thats it. And leave security topics to NATO exclusively.

[Skybird]

[FOCUS] The Russian troops are said to have made a breakthrough at the front. According to the report, the soldiers took the center of Ocheretyne - almost without resistance in just 48 hours, as reported by the newspaper "Bild". Apparently, Ukrainian soldiers fled and handed the village over to the Russians without a fight.

The Russian armed forces are using chemical weapons around the village, as Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Ukrainian troop units there, writes on Telegram. According to this, Moscow's troops are using the "entire available arsenal of weapons, including chemicals" to attack the Ukrainian positions. The situation is "difficult". Voloshyn did not specify what kind of chemicals were involved.


Ocheretyne is located around 50 kilometers south of the heavily contested city of Chasiv Yar. This is considered to be the Russian army's next target. The front runs a few kilometers from the city center. According to Volozhyn, up to 25,000 Russian soldiers are trying to storm Chasiv Yar and the settlements around the town.


The town is not far from Bachmut, which was taken by the Russians almost a year ago after heavy fighting. Just a few days ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Chasiv Yar and inspected the defenses.
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The town is roughly 2x2km in size, around 45 km SSW of Bakhmut.

[mapuc]

"using chemical weapons around the village"

If I remember correctly Biden said in 2022 that the use of Biological, Chemical or nukes by the Russian would be crossing the red line.

So if it's true. I expect Nato to react.

Or was it just something he said to scare the Russians ?

Markus

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I have a significant list of things that then would have been passed but never should pass due to their desastrous content. Sometimes the need for unanymous decision is what stands between the already bad state of things, and a massive worstening.

Maybe - no, surely - we should have left it to a free trade zone in Europe, and thats it. And leave security topics to NATO exclusively.

I think that’s akin to our elected officials leaving our security responsibilities solely up to the Department Of Defense. Things like that should remain with civilian elected officials in my opinion.

[Jimbuna]

US to send new aid this week, Biden says

US President Joe Biden says his country will start sending fresh weapons and equipment to Ukraine within days.

Late on Tuesday, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£76bn) foreign aid package that includes military support for Israel and Taiwan as well as Ukraine.

Mr Biden vowed to sign it off "as soon as it reaches my desk" on Wednesday, so that aid can be sent "this week".

Ukraine has recently stepped up its calls for Western assistance as Russia makes steady gains in its invasion.

Included in the package is $61bn in military aid for Ukraine. It passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 79-18.

Tuesday evening's approval came after the measure passed the US House of Representatives on Saturday.

Mr Biden hailed its passage in a statement, calling it "critical legislation [that] will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin".

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "After more than six months of hard work and many twists and turns in the road, America sends a message to the entire world: we will not turn our back on you."

Reacting to the vote, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it "reinforces America's role as a beacon of democracy and leader of the free world".

The Senate passed a similar aid package in February, but a group of conservatives who oppose new Ukraine support had prevented it from coming to a vote in the House of Representatives.

Last week, Democrats and Republicans in the lower chamber joined together to bypass this opposition.

They ultimately agreed to a package bill that included the foreign aid as well as legislation to confiscate Russian assets held by Western banks; new sanctions on Russia, Iran and China; and a provision that will force the Chinese company ByteDance to sell the popular social media service TikTok.

In the House on Saturday, a majority of Republicans in the chamber voted against the foreign aid package.

The bill also faced resistance among a handful of Senate Republicans who opposed any new aid to Ukraine.

Fifteen voted with two Democrats - as well as independent Senator Bernie Sanders who objected to providing new offensive weapons to Israel - against the bill.

"Pouring more money into Ukraine's coffers will only prolong the conflict and lead to more loss of life," Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said in remarks on Tuesday.

"No one at the White House, the Pentagon, or the state department can articulate what victory looks like in this fight."

The aid package is expected to provide a significant boost to Ukraine's forces, which have suffered from a shortage of ammunition and air defence systems in recent months.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68885868

[Skybird]

[FOCUS] According to Russia, it has made a breakthrough in the Ukrainian town of Ocheretyne (Donetsk Oblast), with troops advancing several kilometers into the village. According to the Telegram channel “Deepstate”, which is close to the Ukrainian military, this was a decisive operation. “Pandora's box has been opened,” writes Deepstate. Russian troops are becoming increasingly entrenched in the region. “An advance towards Progress was stopped by a successful counterattack by the 100th Brigade.”
The breakthrough highlighted problems in the Ukrainian army. “The leadership of the 115th Brigade is responsible for the collapse of the defense in the entire area,” writes the channel. This led to considerable losses. Following this military success, the enemy is now advancing further towards Novokalynove.

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That Ukrainian Telegram channel mentioned Pandora's box. Thats what I wondered when posting #3247 - whether Pandora'S box has been opened or not. I predicted some shorter time ago that the risk of an operational breakthrough of Russia is bigger than ever. This event now is not that - but it could lead to it. Russia may have cut a small but decisive notch in the Ukrainian line of defense - where it can now apply its crowbar.

[Jimbuna]

Vladimir Putin's puppet in deadly warning as he vows to target UK weapons

Apuppet general of Vladimir Putin's regime has said Russia will "increase the intensity of attacks" on British and allied weapons donated to Ukraine.

General Sergei Shoigu has overseen what has been one of the bloodiest conflicts in Russian history since the illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In recent months the massive front line in the east of Ukraine has seen some gains made by Putin's forces as tanks have taken advantage of warmer weather hardening previously boggy ground.

But despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainian forces have held firm using tactics like deploying drones to cause havoc with Russian vehicles.

And in the last few days, both the US and UK have pledged to send billions more in funding and aid to help Ukrainian forces in the war, which if Russia were to win would be a huge blow to NATO and world peace.

Now Kremlin Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has threatened to attack the weapons and supplies sent from the West to Ukraine claiming Russian advances had "dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons".

He said: "We will increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centres and storage bases for Western weapons.

"In proportion to the threats posed by the United States and its allies, we will continue to improve the composition and structure of the Armed Forces and increase the production of the most popular weapons and military equipment."

According to the House of Commons Library, the UK has pledged almost £12 billion in overall support to Ukraine since February 2022.

The House of Commons timeline states Britain has supported Ukraine "providing both lethal and non-lethal weaponry and equipment, including tanks, air defence systems and long-range precision strike missiles.

"While the UK has committed to training Ukrainian fast jet pilots, combat fighter aircraft will not be provided."

On Tuesday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised an extra £75 billion in defence spending over the next six years to put the UK arms industry on a "war footing" in the face of threats from an "axis of authoritarian states" including Russia and China.

He said the UK will spend 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030 because the world was "the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War".

Mr Sunak also pledged a further £500 million package of military aid to Ukraine.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...4e690efd&ei=53

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Skybird

[FOCUS] According to Russia, it has made a breakthrough in the Ukrainian town of Ocheretyne (Donetsk Oblast), with troops advancing several kilometers into the village. According to the Telegram channel “Deepstate”, which is close to the Ukrainian military, this was a decisive operation. “Pandora's box has been opened,” writes Deepstate. Russian troops are becoming increasingly entrenched in the region. “An advance towards Progress was stopped by a successful counterattack by the 100th Brigade.”
The breakthrough highlighted problems in the Ukrainian army. “The leadership of the 115th Brigade is responsible for the collapse of the defense in the entire area,” writes the channel. This led to considerable losses. Following this military success, the enemy is now advancing further towards Novokalynove.

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

That Ukrainian Telegram channel mentioned Pandora's box. Thats what I wondered when posting #3247 - whether Pandora'S box has been opened or not. I predicted some shorter time ago that the risk of an operational breakthrough of Russia is bigger than ever. This event now is not that - but it could lead to it. Russia may have cut a small but decisive notch in the Ukrainian line of defense - where it can now apply its crowbar.

Nothing says assured Russian victory quite like them sending their infantry into active battlefields on Chinese golf carts. Confetti! After every town, village shot to rubble Russia face open fields, rivers, etc they must cross with Ukraine on better defence lines turkey shooting no decisive breakthrough only small salients where Russia gone face supply problems with so many drones in the air nobody can here do quick forward pushes. After Bahkmut Russia needed more than a year to prepare this offensive with their high losses in material daily this will stall. Russia has not the reserves, the workforce that you need to win this offensive they're losing weekly what they can bring to the fronts in a month. If you have more than 100k troops more than 500 tanks and so so many bombs and shells after more than 6 months only advance 200 square Km you are not breaking through you are crawling through Ukraine holds the lines and with new supplies will hold it this year draining Russia of its workforce, resources, material and personnel.

[Dargo]

[mapuc]

As I wrote some days ago:

Lets wait until Autumn before we judge the Ukrainians war effort during the Spring and Summer.

I think we will see how well or how badly it have gone then.

Markus