🇷🇺🇺🇦 Discussion: Relations with Russia and the war in Ukraine

[blueharvest]

Ex-Ukrainian president says US delay in war aid was 'colossal' waste, let Putin inflict more damage

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says the long delay by the U.S. Congress in approving military aid for his country was “a colossal waste of time.”

apnews.com

 

[blueharvest]

 

[squeekness]

Missiles hit Russian air defence base in Crimea, killing military unit commander

An air defence base in the Ai-Petri, a peak in the Crimean Mountains (temporarily occupied Crimea), has been damaged by a missile attack, killing the commander of the military unit.

www.pravda.com.ua

Storm Shadow Missiles May Have Hit ‘Secret’ Russian Air Defense Base in Crimea

ASTRA reports on Telegram, citing its own sources, that the commander of a Russian military unit sited on Mount Ai-Petri in occupied Crimea was killed in a missile attack on Monday, May 13.

www.kyivpost.com

Hope it helps.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Russia suffers highest daily casualties of war so far: Kyiv

Russia lost 1,740 troops in a single day, marking the highest daily casualties since the start of the war more than two years ago, Ukraine's military said.

www.newsweek.com

Putin is plotting ‘physical attacks’ on the West, says GCHQ chief

British intelligence ‘increasingly concerned’ over growing links between Russia and cyber hacks

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[squeekness]

Putin would murder 4 million of his own people to win this war just like Stalin did against the Nazis.

 

[DA_Champion]

Putin would murder 4 million of his own people to win this war just like Stalin did against the Nazis.

Those casualty numbers are grossly inflated.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Blinken emphasizes long-term US security commitment to Ukraine in visit to Kyiv

"If Russia or anyone else were to attack Ukraine, we will work with Ukraine immediately at the highest levels to coordinate how to help you beat back the threat," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

kyivindependent.com

Russia must pay for Ukraine rebuild, Blinken says

The top US diplomat vows to "seize" Russian assets in the US to fund rebuilding parts of Ukraine.

www.bbc.com

Estonian defence minister denies “serious talks” to send European troops to Ukraine are underway

Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defence of Estonia, has said that the suggestion to send troops to Ukraine has not found support neither in Estonia nor at the European Union level.

www.pravda.com.ua

FT: Moldova, EU to sign security pact

Moldova and the EU intend to sign a security agreement in the next week, increasing cooperation in the spheres of defense, cyber threats, and foreign interference to "unprecedented levels," the Financial Times reported on May 14.

kyivindependent.com

Biden signs bipartisan bill prohibiting Russian imports of enriched uranium

President Joe Biden on May 13 signed a bipartisan bill that bans Russian imports of enriched uranium, the primary fuel used in nuclear power plants. The move aims to sever one of the remaining major financial channels from the United States to Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

kyivindependent.com

Ukraine exports over 4,000 tons of blueberries in 2023, setting new record - Euromaidan Press

Despite Russian aggression and logistical hurdles, Ukraine exported a record-breaking 4,000+ tons of fresh blueberries in 2023, outperforming traditional suppliers.

euromaidanpress.com

 

[InCali]

Putin would murder 4 million of his own people to win this war just like Stalin did against the Nazis.

I'm actually a student of Soviet history (though I've forgotten a lot). While there's no question that Stalin was a butcher who wiped out political opposition (Kamenev, Zinoviev, Trotsky being amongst them) as well as many others, the defense of the Soviet Union against Hitler was necessary. Their deaths were in defense and not lost attacking another country. You'll note Russia's "peace overtures" (LOL) were after Crimea was annexed.....it sounds very much like Hitler's approach to "peace" in Europe agreement with Chamberlain....that was BS too.

 

[DA_Champion]

You'll note Russia's "peace overtures" (LOL) were after Crimea was annexed.....it sounds very much like Hitler's approach to "peace" in Europe agreement with Chamberlain....that was BS too.

Misleading and lacking in context.

The US-backed coup ("Maidan") that removed the democratically elected government of Ukraine began several months prior to Russia securing Crimea, a peninsula that is ethnically and linguistically Russian and voted to be part of Russia.

Russia's "peace overtures"

I appreciate that you read and consider my posts.

And yes, Putin did make offers for peace in 2014 (Minsk was ignored by the US), in late 2021 and early 2022. Even Foreign Policy, a US establishment publication, acknowledge this, though they were two years late:

The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine

A hidden history of diplomacy that came up short—but holds lessons for future negotiations.

www.foreignaffairs.com

That said, it is possible that Putin realized that the West was committed to war, and that they would force Ukraine to walk away from a peace deal.

 

[DA_Champion]

Antony Blinken isn't actually offering Ukraine what it needs. The US isn't sending 200,000+ NATO troops. It's not sending any F-22s or F-35s. Just words and a drip feed of old equipment.

However, here he can be seen jamming in Kiev, partying, while young men are pulled off the streets and sent to the front lines with poor equipment and negligible training to die as cannon fodder.

He's singing "rocking to the free world" lol.

 

[blueharvest]

Bloomberg: US considers sending additional Patriot battery to Ukraine, sources say

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is working to supply Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery to help the country repel Russian aerial attacks, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing undisclosed sources.

kyivindependent.com

 

[InCali]

Bloomberg: US considers sending additional Patriot battery to Ukraine, sources say

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is working to supply Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery to help the country repel Russian aerial attacks, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing undisclosed sources.

kyivindependent.com

Probably a good idea when you've got people intentionally murdering civilian populations. Netanyahu, are you listening?

 

[squeekness]

Bloomberg: US considers sending additional Patriot battery to Ukraine, sources say

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is working to supply Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery to help the country repel Russian aerial attacks, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing undisclosed sources.

kyivindependent.com

Hope it's not too late. Things aren't going well over there.

 

[blueharvest]

Putin arrives in China on mission to deepen partnership with Xi

During the Russian leader’s two-day visit, the war in Ukraine, energy and trade will be on the agenda

www.theguardian.com

 

[DA_Champion]

Western corporate media has been making claims for over two years such as Russia is weak ("a gas station with nuclear weapons"), disorganized, the soldiers are poorly trained, Russian equipment is inferior, trade sanctions would cripple Russia, the oil price cap would work, Russia is running out of missiles and artillery shells, Russia has lost 500,000 soldiers, Russian soldiers are using shovels as weapons, American aid is significant and will turn the tide, etc.

All of that was and is nonsense. When the Western people and for that matter the non-Western public see Russia achieve a comprehensive victory, it will be a further permanent loss of credibility to our media and intelligence agencies, possibly worse than the claim that Iraq was building WMDs.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

Russia has pretty much exhausted is military might on a war that might ultimately be a pyrrhic victory. Post Ukraine they will be incredibly weak to do anything against a legit superpower.

The whole world thought Russia had the strength and logistics to win this war in a week...that didn't happen and only exposed how ****ty their military really is.

 

[DA_Champion]

Russia has pretty much exhausted is military might on a war that might ultimately be a pyrrhic victory. Post Ukraine they will be incredibly weak to do anything against a legit superpower.

The whole world thought Russia had the strength and logistics to win this war in a week...that didn't happen and only exposed how ****ty their military really is.

I doubt you genuinely believe that, and post war that will be more and more exposed as a fantasy.

Another interpretation -- which you can bookmark and re-evaluate in a few years if you like -- is that Ukraine was backed by the west and has been getting armed since 2014 (though not to the extent necessary), Russia fought a war of attrition, and they will come out much stronger. Their military is now the one with the most experience, including experience with modern technologies such as jamming, air defense, and drone warfare. Meanwhile, their economy is stronger, they have a manufacturing boom, and they're in a diplomatically stronger position with the global majority.

You have also made the same error of reasoning that Adolph Hitler made in 1940. He saw that the USSR was having a hard time defeating tiny Finland, and concluded that the Wermacht could take on the red army. He was correct that the USSR was being embarrassed by Finland, but Stalin saw this as well, and he began implementing the necessary reforms. In the case of Ukraine it is well documented that the Russian army made numerous tactical and strategic mistakes in 2022 -- and that was the time to strike, as they have since learned from those mistakes.

ETA: Please do not underestimate the Ukrainians as fighters. By all accounts that I read, including Russian-sourced ones, they are very good fighters. They had a large land army at the start of the war, larger and stronger than any NATO army in Europe. They have fought well in parts, they showed some ingenuity and adaptiveness to the modern era of drone warfare. They just didn't have the resources to defeat Russia with the limited support provided by the West.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

I really think you're overestimating Russia in 2024 vs 1940.

 

[Mani-Man]

Russia has pretty much exhausted is military might on a war that might ultimately be a pyrrhic victory. Post Ukraine they will be incredibly weak to do anything against a legit superpower.

The whole world thought Russia had the strength and logistics to win this war in a week...that didn't happen and only exposed how ****ty their military really is.

Who claims otherwise is just believing propaganda nonsense.
Russia currently needs the War to go on as long as possible because it ****fted its whole industry towards it.
The moment that war ends, things will turn very bad for Russia...thats just a fact.

Since 10+ years Russia is trying to mess with Ukraine and couldnt beat them, since 2 years they throw everything at them and still had some of the worst losses in recent times.
Their only strength is in numbers.
If you can afford throwing 500 missiles, the success rate doesnt matter...500 will hit enough either way.
And even when the USA stopped sending ammunition etc to the Ukraine, Russia barely managed to move forward.

Russia is more a shadow than a Monster.
That is why on every corner they have to threaten with Nuclear War...because they know this boogeyman works.
But Russia cant wage a world war, not when they cant take a country so much smaller than theirs.
2 years and the Ukraine still stands.
Russia had all the momentum in the world and 2 years later still hasnt won the war.

 

[DA_Champion]

The moment that war ends, things will turn very bad for Russia...thats just a fact.

Nope, that's a prediction, not a fact. But, it is good of you to make non-generic, falsifiable predictions. It's an indicator that you're thinking at a coherent and higher level.

Here are my non-generic, falsifiable predictions:
- The war will end this year or next, with much or all of Ukraine absorbed as new Russian oblasts.
- The people living in those new oblasts will be as patriotic of Russia as Chechens are today.
- Russian living standards will keep rising in the near future, at a higher pace than in the NATO countries. They have not just benefited from military production, but also from western sanctions. Economists call this "import substitution".
- The economic and diplomatic losses for the West will be severe, probably strongest in France and Germany.
- High inflation will continue in the US for some time, due to the decline of the US dollar as a reserve currency, and the loss of access to Russian natural resources.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Misleading and lacking in context.

The US-backed coup ("Maidan") that removed the democratically elected government of Ukraine began several months prior to Russia securing Crimea, a peninsula that is ethnically and linguistically Russian and voted to be part of Russia.


I appreciate that you read and consider my posts.

And yes, Putin did make offers for peace in 2014 (Minsk was ignored by the US), in late 2021 and early 2022. Even Foreign Policy, a US establishment publication, acknowledge this, though they were two years late:

The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine

A hidden history of diplomacy that came up short—but holds lessons for future negotiations.

www.foreignaffairs.com

That said, it is possible that Putin realized that the West was committed to war, and that they would force Ukraine to walk away from a peace deal.

Outside of Crimea, the US backed government was the best path to self-determination for the Ukraine. Few people would prefer to be under Putin's dictatorship.

And America was not the aggressor. Putin was the one who invaded and plenty of Ukrainians did not want to surrender.

 

[DA_Champion]

Outside of Crimea, the US backed government was the best path to self-determination for the Ukraine. Few people would prefer to be under Putin's dictatorship.

The Ukrainian people have consistently voted and preferred to be neutral. 73% of Ukrainians voted for Zelensky in the last Ukrainian election, who campaigned on a platform of neutrality and of ending hostilities.

But he then began to implement/continue a campaign of ethnic and cultural cleansing against East Ukraine's Russian population. That made war inevitable.

The West has not backed "self-determination" for Ukraine, because if they had they would accept the Ukrainian people's desire for neutrality.

But in the words of Lloyd Austin the purpose of this is "to weaken Russia". Disgusting. This is a moral and strategic failure by the West that will shape the century and be taught in history books in a thousand years.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

The Ukrainian people have consistently voted and preferred to be neutral. 73% of Ukrainians voted for Zelensky in the last Ukrainian election, who campaigned on a platform of neutrality and of ending hostilities.

But he then began to implement/continue a campaign of ethnic and cultural cleansing against East Ukraine's Russian population. That made war inevitable.

The West has not backed "self-determination" for Ukraine, because if they had they would accept the Ukrainian people's desire for neutrality.

But in the words of Lloyd Austin the purpose of this is "to weaken Russia". Disgusting. This is a moral and strategic failure by the West that will shape the century and be taught in history books in a thousand years.

How the heck is Ukraine supposed to remain neutral with Russia/Putin making moves behind the scenes to take over Ukraine?

 

[DA_Champion]

How the heck is Ukraine supposed to remain neutral with Russia/Putin making moves behind the scenes to take over Ukraine?

The Russian stance going back to the post cold war period is agreeable to a neutral Ukraine, which is also what the people in Ukraine wanted.

 

[InCali]

Outside of Crimea, the US backed government was the best path to self-determination for the Ukraine. Few people would prefer to be under Putin's dictatorship.

And America was not the aggressor. Putin was the one who invaded and plenty of Ukrainians did not want to surrender.

The problem is that the US will consistently push for profiteering and uses this to buy off those in power in other countries to accomplish the goals of profit. The conundrum is that there are apologists who will support truly authoritarian political systems and focus solely on economic "autonomy" whether or not certain basic freedoms are observed. Now, are the "freedoms" we talk about in the US absolute? No Fing way. Corporate America has infiltrated choice on every level possible and I'm not entirely convinced that if people decided they wanted another economic system, or even a drastic reorganization of the economy, that they wouldn't be met with violent opposition from the corporate class and their lackeys.

Russia/USSR always had a completely deformed political structure for its entire history. Stalin won out, coopted (most of the) the opposition (sans Trotsky), killed them, and consolidated power. Whether the US political structure (such as it is) will stand up to true economic change when tested is still a question, but things look a lot worse than they did 30 years ago (or even under Nixon). What I believe is that there is no way that the political structure in places like China and Russia will ever peacefully capitulate to a truly egalitarian system that would benefit most working people.

How the heck is Ukraine supposed to remain neutral with Russia/Putin making moves behind the scenes to take over Ukraine?

They couldn't and had no choice......they were attacked.....plain and simple. Putin has made it very clear that he wants to rebuild the USSR.....the problem is that their economic infrastructure is now as screwed up as their political structure.

No one knows how things are going to play out, but I "think" there is a progressive movement in the US that has a "chance" of making positive inroads. It's not there, but authoritarian systems that maintain power by violent responses without even the pretense of an open press, debate, and speech aren't going to turn around and say "Hey folks....we're implementing a system of democracy that's going to work for everyone. Check it out, our billionaire class is okay with sharing the wealth." Whether that same class in the US will do do it is an open question (though I consider it unlikely), but you don't see people being arrested for not saying "special military operation".