The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
I think we're all indebted to Gabby Johnson
Is the we Azov admirers?Who is "we" here? Because that is certainly not the position of the US government, whose support is really the only one that matters.
but not at all indebted to 'gobby' johnsonI think we're all indebted to Gabby Johnson
yeh. this is a really daft post because it ignores that in e.g. ireland in the 1920s or ireland in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s there were negotiations. maybe you should read e.g. 'peace by ordeal' or 'good friday: the death of irish republicanism'. you don't need war to be declared to have negotiations, as i'm sure mick lynch would tell youIt's absolutely in the interests of the US (and Europe) to see Russia totally fucked on the killing fields of Ukraine. So the support will continue. (Of course, it's necessary to keep up appearances and speak in favour of 'negotiations', but as Russia doesn't even publicly recognise this is a war and now pretends that its international border have magically changed to incorporate large parts of Ukraine, there isn't really anything to 'negotiate' about is there?)
Anyone who supports Ukraine is an Azov admirer? Therefore fascist. Nice.Is the we Azov admirers?
I was parodying the poster I replied to.Anyone who supports Ukraine is an Azov admirer? Therefore fascist. Nice.
"we owe them a debt" lol
To unpack this a little, the US and Europe could be seen as having reasons to give Russia an off ramp and all that. But Europe is not a homogenous blob of French voters, but a very heterogeneous entity. And for the 3 Baltic republics, this is bordering on an existential issue. Sweden and Finland have faced what they see as significant hybrid warfare over the past few years with Sweden calling for Patriots to try to deter Russian airspace incursions last year. And Poland is just in a frenzy over the prospect of a Russian take over for Ukraine. So "Europe" may have many divergent views on the issue, it has one crystal clear interest and that is it has to support the Baltics and the Baltics are crystal clear that Ukraine needs everything that can be mustered.It's absolutely in the interests of the US (and Europe) to see Russia totally fucked on the killing fields of Ukraine.
I've seen this claim a lot, and I'm sure it must be a misunderstanding or mistranslation.500 HIMARS
they're hoping to get a substantial discount for cash and bulk buyingI've seen this claim a lot, and I'm sure it must be a misunderstanding or mistranslation.
There have only been 540 HIMARS produced, ever. The USA only has 363.
And they can't produce them fast enough for the already ordered units.
And that would cost $1.75B, which is 15% of Poland's entire defense budget.
It's possible that the 500 figure is correct, but it seems unlikely to me.
they read Fez's postInterestingly, Poland has ammended it's order.
It originally decided it wanted 500 HIMARS, the 6 tube, truck mounted GMLRS system - however, production simply cannot match the appetite within NATO for GMLRS, and so Poland has reduced it's order to 200, and instead gone for an additional 290(?) South Korean K289 12 tube, truck mounted systems.
Now, currently, the K289 uses a different rocket to the GMLRS - same size, pretty similar, but not the same. Poland would like, and given the size of it's orders for HIMARS, GMLRS rockets, and K289, should get, the GMLRS system integrated into the K289. Poland wants security of supply, as well as rapidity of supply.
Estonia has just bought HIMARS as well, as has Romania...
When enough states are looking to build up their GMLRS stocks, there's going to be a good argument for setting up a European production line - that's what Poland also wants.
America is very artillery light. Ukraine and Finland have more towed artillery. Its stands to reason ex Soviet trained officers would look to recreate the kind of "wrath of God" Soviet style artillery opening of a battle. Especially if the vehicles can then be repurposed to being precision strike weapons. By 2030 Id say those kind of numbers to be more usual than now.hat would cost $1.75B, which is 15% of Poland's entire defense budget.
It's possible that the 500 figure is correct,
The PM of Finland has stated that Europe ought to be doing more. I don't think she wants the US as involved as much as in the past.
Finland PM Sanna Marin says Europe is ‘not strong enough’ without the US
Speaking in Sydney, Marin says Europe needs to build its own defence capabilities and says Finland is preparing for cyber-attacks from Russiawww.theguardian.com
The PM of Finland has stated that Europe ought to be doing more. I don't think she wants the US as involved as much as in the past.
Finland PM Sanna Marin says Europe is ‘not strong enough’ without the US
Speaking in Sydney, Marin says Europe needs to build its own defence capabilities and says Finland is preparing for cyber-attacks from Russiawww.theguardian.com
that is a good way of putting itOther way around - Marin, and many others, believes that the best way to keep the US involved with Europe is to not depend on them for everything. They see that that dependence is a source of enormous irritation in the US, making a Trumpian withdrawal from NATO (de jure or de facto) more likely, and more harmful.
Finland is a fiercely Atlantacist state in defence terms - look at it's recent procurement choices, look at the states that immediately offered security guarantees as well of demonstrative military exercises - Finland, as well as the Eastern states, are utterly opposed to the anti-NATO sentiment that you'll sometimes hear in Paris and Berlin.
That went well28 years ago yesterday the Budapest Memorandum was signed, whereby Russia agreed to respect Ukraine’s territorial boundaries. Security assurances were also given by the UK and USA. Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed to give up nuclear weapons. Previously, Ukraine had held one of the world's largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
Some bootlicker pillock on twatter today was going on about the RMT doing Russia’s work by destroying the country.Not directly, but they're still very much clinging to the Thatcherite idea that the main cause of inflation is greedy workers.
Not sure that destroying the U.K. is part of Russia’s business plan tbh . It was only a couple of years ago that the Tories were getting them to invest in the country .Some bootlicker pillock on twatter today was going on about the RMT doing Russia’s work by destroying the country.
28 years ago yesterday the Budapest Memorandum was signed, whereby Russia agreed to respect Ukraine’s territorial boundaries. Security assurances were also given by the UK and USA. Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed to give up nuclear weapons. Previously, Ukraine had held one of the world's largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
So, basically if the UK & US had honoured that, and got involved directly from day one, this bloody war could have been over months ago.
The UK and US have honoured their security assurances. They promised to not invade or nuke Ukraine and to refer it to the UN Security Council if Ukraine were invaded.So, basically if the UK & US had honoured that, and got involved directly from day one, this bloody war could have been over months ago.
The gains are obvious but still not very substantial. Russia has control of a slightly smaller area but in essence much the same sort of thing...a contiguous strip of territory along the coast to Crimea.It will look a bit like that if you're using two pictures with different scales.
Level them and the UKR gains are obvious.
View attachment 354575
Things probably aren't going to change very quickly in the winter, for either side.