Discussion on Ukraine situation 2022

[drron]

 

[vetrade]

View attachment 273146

I like the sentiment, but the reality is that a pic of Putin coughping on the dove of peace would be more accurate.

 

[drron]

Well her's another pic.

 

[drron]

Zelensky has certainly become a leader.

Zelensky Open to Compromise on NATO, Crimea, Separatist ‘Republics’ but No Surrender

www.theepochtimes.com

Resistance Is in Our Blood: A Personal History of Ukraine

“Lenin created Ukraine,” declared Putin in one of his speeches on February 23rd, 2022 causing outrage among intellectuals and historians in Ukraine and abroad. Putin is being humble here. He might as well have stated that he, personally, invented Ukraine. As he denies Ukraine’s existence, he...

quillette.com

 

[drron]

And more from Reuters on the Ukrains situation and sanctions.

McDonald's, Starbucks, Coke and Pepsi all halt sales in Russia

McDonald's, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Starbucks stopped sales of their best-known products in Russia on Tuesday, offering a united rebuke of the war on Ukraine by companies that define America for much of the world.

www.reuters.com

A possible problem at Chernobyl. One wonders why it was one of the first places to come under Russian control.

Ukraine sees risk of radiation leak at Chernobyl, IAEA sees 'no critical impact' on safety

Ukraine said on Wednesday there was a danger of a radiation leak at the Chernobyl nuclear power station after electricity was cut off to the plant, but the U.N. nuclear watchdog saw "no critical impact on security".

www.reuters.com

Taiwan is studying the tactics of both sides.

Analysis: Taiwan studies Ukraine war for own battle strategy with China

Taiwan's military strategists have been studying Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the country's resistance, for the island's own battle strategy in the event its giant neighbour China ever makes good on its threat to take them by force.

www.reuters.com

And problems for Africa.

 

[VPS]

Some more anti Putin stuff

 

[Flashback]

Some more anti Putin stuff

View attachment 273293View attachment 273294

And............ these are real ones, as I took them.


Mods, feel free to delete the swear word ones (or not).

 

[vetrade]

I heard one bloke has put a $million reward for Putin. I reckon a $Billion would be cheap in the context of what this war is costing, and would create some serious interest. Maybe the US, UK, Germany and France could step up to fund it.

 

[Flashback]

I heard one bloke has put a $million reward for Putin. I reckon a $Billion would be cheap in the context of what this war is costing, and would create some serious interest. Maybe the US, UK, Germany and France could step up to fund it.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I heard one bloke has put a $million reward for Putin. I reckon a $Billion would be cheap in the context of what this war is costing, and would create some serious interest. Maybe the US, UK, Germany and France could step up to fund it.

State sponsored assassination of a nuclear power

I'll take the devil I know, thanks...

 

[drron]

Quite a few pictures of the up to date Soviet Equipment. This the State of the Art GPS for a Sukhoi 24 fighter bomber.

 

[RAM]

Quite a few pictures of the up to date Soviet Equipment. This the State of the Art GPS for a Sukhoi 24 fighter bomber.
View attachment 273370

For 'full' info - do a search on France supplies Russia using grandfathering.

French (part Govt owned) military equipment manufacturers have been supplying Russia with night-vision equipment for their tanks, GPS etc etc since the EU introduced a ban on military equipment sales in 2014.

Ban only for new contracts, not existing or renewed (post 2014) contracts.

Anyone remember France selling the Exocet missiles (& delivering) to Argentina during the Falklands War? Claimed OK as contract signed before war began...

What a wonderful world.

 

[Quickstatus]

Exactly. Book for tonight.

Sure, but how do they get the cash in the middle of a war?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Polish, Czech and Slovenian PMs travel to Kyiv for talks

The Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers are travelling by train to Kyiv for talks with Ukraine’s president and prime minister.

They are travelling as representatives of the European Union and will present details of a concrete support package for Ukraine, Michal Dworczyk, the head of the Polish prime minister’s office said.

The visit was arranged during the recent EU summit in Versailles, Dworczyk added.

The three leaders, who are accompanied by the head of Poland’s governing party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, will present a broad package of EU support for Ukraine, he said.

Their train has already crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border enroute to Kyiv.

Dworczyk reiterated that Nato will not engage militarily in the war but would do all it can to help Ukraine against the Russian attack.


per today's BBC blog

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60746557

 

[drron]

A Russian official admits the war is not going as planned.

Top Putin ally says Ukraine war has been slower than expected

One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies said that Russia's military operation in Ukraine had not all gone as quickly as the Kremlin had wanted, the strongest acknowledgement yet from Moscow that its invasion is not going to plan.

www.reuters.com

And Russia is reportedly asking China for military assistance.

All of which is not good news for Putin. rather than exert extra pressure on Europe He has managed to unite them as possibly never before.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Interesting National Press Club today with Paul Dibb and Dennis Richardson

 

[andye]

For 'full' info - do a search on France supplies Russia using grandfathering.

French (part Govt owned) military equipment manufacturers have been supplying Russia with night-vision equipment for their tanks, GPS etc etc since the EU introduced a ban on military equipment sales in 2014
Ban only for new contracts, not existing or renewed (post 2014) contracts.

Anyone remember France selling the Exocet missiles (& delivering) to Argentina during the Falklands War? Claimed OK as contract signed before war began...

What a wonderful world.

Seem to remember a story that Margaret Thatcher telling the French that if they didn't block the Exocets, she would despatch a nuclear missile to Buenos Aires

 

[vetrade]

Biden says U.S. to give Ukraine drones, anti-aircraft systems

Maybe the Ukrainians could have done with these weeks ago, before a lot of their country was decimated.
Am I being too cynical in thinking that there is mileage to be made out of letting Putin have "enough rope" to hopefully self destruct, with the end game strategy appearing to be more important than stopping innocents from being slaughtered en masse while the screws are tightened incrementally with financial sanctions?

 

[Must...Fly!]

On the other hand if these were given weeks ago, that would be a clear sign of US willingness to escalate militarily which would be taken advantage of.

I don't think there is a willingness on the part of the US to give Putin any rope to hang himself with, primarily because they cannot control the outcome if that were to occur. The only even half realistic measure is a military coup, but there are certainly people out there that will go in to bat for Putin. Indeed he has been shrewd in making Ramzan Kadyrov a major figure in this whole operation, to stop any sort of separatist movement seeking to take advantage of the situation within Chechnya. Dagestan has seen the benefit of Putin led economic initiatives too so would be unlikely to rekindle their idea of independence.

The ones that will suffer the most through this are the burgeoning Russian middle class but their voice is likely the smallest. The oligarchs will by & large not be happy but Putin made their millions - he giveth and he taketh away. Make too much noise and there is a good disappearing act to be done. The significant lower class, including most in the east, are fed the Kremlin side of the story through state media and expecting much other than ambivalence or support is unrealistic.

All that said. A military coup is possible but it's going to require some serious people making serious moves and the outcome is unpredictable especially with the nuclear cloud hanging over the top of it.

China had spooks fighting in Korea and Vietnam throughout both campaigns the US fought. The Soviet Union was in the picture too. Moving on to Afghanistan, the US supported the mujahideen with money and weapons. And this wasn't just for a week or two in any of those cases, it was years of quiet support to ensure the opposing power didn't succeed. The worst case for the people of Ukraine probably isn't a total defeat in this war, it's a continued, slow grind fuelled by larger powers.

 

[VPS]

Go Norway

Russian oligarch Strzhalkovsky's super yacht stuck in Norway

The Ragnar is owned by Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, who has been linked to Vladimir Putin.

www.bbc.com