I'd like to know how far our stock of weapons has been depleted since the start of the Ukraine war and how much (if any) our rate of production has increased.
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:06 am
by Banquo
Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:38 pm
I'd like to know how far our stock of weapons has been depleted since the start of the Ukraine war and how much (if any) our rate of production has increased.
I'd guess a lot and not at all given the state of public finances and how asleep we and the rest of europe have been at the wheel on defence.
Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:38 pm
I'd like to know how far our stock of weapons has been depleted since the start of the Ukraine war and how much (if any) our rate of production has increased.
I'd guess a lot and not at all given the state of public finances and how asleep we and the rest of europe have been at the wheel on defence.
Probably a fair assessment. Clearly we need an Euro defence pact, perhaps with Canada, since the US now has other priorities.
[H2]Trump calls Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections'[/H2]
We have more detail on Donald Trump's Truth Social post:
Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections" after the Ukrainian leader earlier on Wednesday accused Trump of being trapped in a "disinformation bubble."
[H2]Zelenskyy 'better move fast' or he won't have a country left - Trump[/H2]
In a Truth Social post Donald Trump wrote Ukraine's Zelenskyy "better move fast" or he won't have a country left. Trump added that Zelenskyy had "done a terrible job" and called him a dictator "without elections".
With friends like these...
It's because he dared to answer back, even if only mildly.
At this point, is there any merit to paying attention to the US-Russia "peace talks"? The US won't give any more money or equipment to Ukraine regardless, so there's not really much pressure that they can put on Ukraine. Given that, what weight do the terms of a Putin-Trump deal carry?
Puja
From a Ukrainian perspective, based on current reporting:
Lose land lost to Russia,
Might lose entire Oblasts (so more land)
No guarantee of any real protection,
Elections will continue until an acceptable candidate is chosen,
Lose natural resources to pay America back.
Monitoring force that will have next to no capability to stop anything and night be biased (if Putin gets his way)
Not hugely enticing. Is it better to surrender now and delay the inevitable for a couple of years or just keep fighting and hope the Europeans can stand up?
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 3:46 pm
by paddy no 11
Pretty grim position for Ukraine
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 3:57 pm
by Puja
Can only imagine they'll choose to fight on in that situation. Europe will still be keen to support and, even though Ukraine is nowhere near the same force without the USA backing them, they can fight a defensive war that'll be absolutely horrendous for Russia to deal with, and hope the international situation changes given time.
Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:38 pm
I'd like to know how far our stock of weapons has been depleted since the start of the Ukraine war and how much (if any) our rate of production has increased.
I'd guess a lot and not at all given the state of public finances and how asleep we and the rest of europe have been at the wheel on defence.
Probably a fair assessment. Clearly we need an Euro defence pact, perhaps with Canada, since the US now has other priorities.
I hope that - even if no more funding became available - at the very least there was some reallocation of resources so that weapons given to Ukraine in large amounts (eg anti-tank weapons in the early days) have been prioritized and produced or procured at an accelerated rate.
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:45 pm
by Son of Mathonwy
Puja wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 3:57 pm
Can only imagine they'll choose to fight on in that situation. Europe will still be keen to support and, even though Ukraine is nowhere near the same force without the USA backing them, they can fight a defensive war that'll be absolutely horrendous for Russia to deal with, and hope the international situation changes given time.
Puja
With Russian and US guarantees of future security being utterly worthless they'll fight on for as long as there are able.
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2025 7:18 pm
by Sandydragon
Puja wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 3:57 pm
Can only imagine they'll choose to fight on in that situation. Europe will still be keen to support and, even though Ukraine is nowhere near the same force without the USA backing them, they can fight a defensive war that'll be absolutely horrendous for Russia to deal with, and hope the international situation changes given time.
Puja
Russias economy is going down the toilet. The problem will probably be that if trumps deal isn’t accepted, he will probably look to unlock most of the sanctions in place which will be even more unhelpful for Ukraine.
Puja wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 3:57 pm
Can only imagine they'll choose to fight on in that situation. Europe will still be keen to support and, even though Ukraine is nowhere near the same force without the USA backing them, they can fight a defensive war that'll be absolutely horrendous for Russia to deal with, and hope the international situation changes given time.
Puja
Russias economy is going down the toilet. The problem will probably be that if trumps deal isn’t accepted, he will probably look to unlock most of the sanctions in place which will be even more unhelpful for Ukraine.
Yeah, that's the major return that Russia will be wanting from their investment - all sanctions lifted to boost the economy and interference with any kind of European assistance (given that a chunk of the technology our militaries rely upon assume a bare minimum of American compliance, let alone active obstruction).
Mind, the Chinese might not be as keen to assist Russia (either directly or through allowing them access to N.Korea) as they were - they were interested there being an opposing power bloc to the US and not having Russia get utterly crushed, but they're not particularly keen on Russia in general (given the amount of shared borders) and I'm not sure they'll want Russia winning.
Interesting that Russian (external) propaganda deriding the Ukranians as Nazis appears to have faded into nothing over the last couple of years. Back when it was the Azul regiment in Mariupol, Russia's mouthpieces were very keen to portray it as "weeding out Nazis" and "fascist thugs", but we don't seem to get those lines anymore for some reason...
Puja
Re: If Russia invades Ukraine (more)...
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2025 11:23 am
by Mellsblue
Worth a listen. Sir Alex Younger, head of MI6 between 2014 and 2020, on News Night.
Oh right, all of us then. In the wake of the White House's attempts to humiliate a working war hero — and in opposition to any carve-up "peace deal" between Putin and Trump which excludes Ukraine — an emergency 'Stop Trump, Stop Putin' protest is being held outside the US Embassy in London's Nine Elms this Wednesday.
The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign invites Londoners to turn up at the US Embassy* between 5.30pm-7pm on Wednesday 5 March and show their solidarity with Ukraine. Speakers on the evening include Jen Stout, journalist and author of Night Train to Odesa; Kenneth Gibson MSP SNP; and Ukrainian groups including Vlada from United Action.
"It's time for the governments and peoples of Scotland, the UK and Europe to wake up and take a stand! Let's come together to make our voices heard and demand the stepping up our support for Ukraine," says the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign.
'Stop Trump, Stop Putin' demo, US Embassy, Nine Elms, 5.30pm-7pm, 5 March.
Wonder if he's giving Intel to the Russians yet. No doubt he already has, informally, to Putin.
I guess a question is, is he willing to go as far as positively aiding the Russians? I guess US sanctions will go before that but anything is possible for a man who we might as well assume is a Russian agent.
How far will the Republicans go along with his siding with Russia? Do they have a complete set of vertebrae amongst the lot of them?
Europe will detatch from a USA that is working against them. Glorious news for Putin.
Guess his boss had a chat again just before speaking to the press
ETA:
Trump said he had a "great" phone call with Putin last month, and the Russian president sent him a portrait as a gift a week later.
What a piece of shit. Who knows what's going on in his head, but unfortunately, no matter the random shit that comes out of his mouth he's clearly out to make whatever short-term monetary gain he can, no matter the price anyone else has to pay. I was (and continue to be) surprised that he resumed assistance for Ukraine, but perhaps he realizes that total victory for Russia will not likely lead to the peace prize he wants.
Shows the close relationship between Ukraine's generals and others, mostly US, and the degree to which they used US intelligence and weapons to come very close to, if not winning, certainly having Russia on the ropes. But then...
