I scour everything for information on this, mostly foreign, non-NATO sources. You are the only person outside of the RT bubble saying these things.
Remember Desert Storm ? It took nine months to mobilize nearly a million troops and vastly superior technology to drive a third-world army out of an area one-fifth the size of Eastern Ukraine. The US would literally have to reinstate the draft and also convince Europe to send its children to war. Available airfields would be vulnerable to decimation and US aircraft carriers wouldn’t dare enter the Black Sea. Russia has fought very methodically to date. If the US tried to enter the war I’m fairly sure Russia would take the gloves off. Add: Russia is fighting out of its backyard and has a quasi-unlimited supply of men and weapons. It would be another Vietnam for the US. And the Pentagon knows it. That’s why the US is reduced to limited engagements and fighting wider wars with other countries’ people.
By and large I get my information from Western sources not shot-through with prior hatred for Russians.
I am outside the RT bubble because it was de-platformed early in the West. That’s why I rely primarily on Western sources. Ex: the NYT is preparing its readers for the seemingly inevitable Ukrainian defeat.
Not RT ... The economic war, intended to spur Russians to overthrow their government, has failed spectacularly. The ruble did not collapse despite sanctions on the Russian central bank. Nor has the economy. The information war has failed across the world. Only the United States and Europe, which consider itself “the world,” believe their own “information.” The proxy war is being lost on the ground, though more than $100 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine has created a bloodbath. There will either be a negotiated settlement in which Ukraine loses territory; a total Russian victory; or a third world war, potentially the final war. US-Laid Trap for Russia Has Trapped West Instead
Meh. Saw this yesterday from someone who is very pro Putin. Not seeing it from other, more objective sources. I think most sensible people agree that we really won't have any concrete answers to these and other questions until fall of this year.
Russia is rapidly It's really only one poster. Almost everyone has him blocked which is why he posts to himself a lot.
Yes, a number of posters are upset by alternative perspectives and are protecting themselves by walking themselves in with the strictly like-minded.
Putin loses another major-general. taken out in firefight with Ukranian "sabotage" outfit, aka special forces working behind lines to disrupt things. Was this a hit or just a random encounter with a sabotage group? Vladimir Putin Loses Top General, Marking Latest Blow To Russian Leader As His Forces Struggle To Take Ukraine (msn.com) Vladimir Putin lost yet another top general in the latest blow to strike the Russian leader as his forces continue in their desperate struggle to take Ukraine, RadarOnline.com has learned. Major-General Dmitry Ulyanov, 44, was reportedly killed in a firefight with a Ukrainian sabotage group earlier this week. According to Daily Mail, Ulyanov’s death came shortly after the major general unretired from the Russian military to fight on the frontlines of Ukraine. Although Ulyanov previously served as a top paratrooper and commander of Russia’s elite 98th Guards Airborne Division, he was ordered to command a brigade of mobilized motorized infantrymen out of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan when Putin’s forces first invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
100 Leopards 1 being bought out of storage at manufacturer, being tuned, tested, and shipped for rapid deployment. Netherlands, Denmark and Germany buy 100 Leopard 1 Tanks for Ukraine - Dutch gov't (msn.com) THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are buying 100 Leopard-1A5 battle tanks for Ukraine, the Dutch government said on Tuesday. The Dutch defense ministry said in a statement the tanks would be purchased "directly from German industry" In an interview on Dutch national broadcaster NOS, Netherlands Defense Minister Kasja Ollongen said the tanks, a slightly older model, are "definitely still useable" for fighting in Ukraine. "It's a tested tank, and because they're being tuned up and made ready for fighting, they will definitely be useful for the Ukrainians," she said.
Russia has found a use for some of the loot stolen from Ukraine. Some Russian war widows in the outer provinces are being given a fur coat to compensate them for the loss of their husband. The fur coats are suspected of being stolen from Ukraine. Widows of dead soldiers from Kremlin’s sham republics only get fur coats as compensation These, of course, are the lucky widows. Other widows were given frozen fish. Maybe to remind them that their husband sleeps with the fishes or something. No information on whether the wood was firewood or lumber. Must have come with a helluva speech (or vodka) to get the widow to accept it. And the sheep carcass? Is the widow supposed to eat the sheep, or prop it up in the husband's place at the dinner table and act like there is nothing wrong with this picture? Normally, war widows are given cash of a certain amount, which was Russia's policy before they started getting so many soldiers killed and the war dragged beyond the three days planned. Putin is really desperate to hold on to his cash for buying weapons from Iran and North Korea. It speaks volumes about his financial situation (and criminality).
And some people say the santions aren't working-- Putin faces mountain of debt as Ukraine war puts economy back 25 years Russia's Finance Ministry said Monday the country's budget deficit surged to 1.76 trillion rubles ($24.8 billion) in January, which by one measure puts President Vladimir Putin's economy back 25 years thanks to his invasion of Ukraine. Nearly a year into his war against the Eastern European country, Putin's economic troubles appear to be growing, according to the ministry's latest figures. The numbers mark Russia's largest budget deficit for the first month of the year since at least 1998, Bloomberg reported. The ministry said tax revenues from oil and gas plunged 46 percent in January 2023 compared with a year ago, while there was a 59 percent increase in federal budget expenditures due to the ongoing war.
Putin is demanding that the central bank of Russia stop being so gloomy with its forecasts and post more positive and uplifting forecasts. "Madame bank manager, we are having balcony installed on your apartment. We hope you post more cheerful forecast so you don't have to use it." Putin's government is reportedly pressuring the Russian central bank to stop with gloomy forecasts and give more 'upbeat' updates about its economy
The people saying the sanctions aren't working are the ill-informed. Russia is both energy and food independent and has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect the value of the ruble. Those things have prevented the rapid collapse of the Russian economy the civilized world had hoped for. American, Korean, German, British and Korean cars are gone. Repair and maintenance parts for these cars have dwindling availability. Lada, GAZ and UAZ are their choices along with Chinese offerings. Parts to maintain American passenger airplanes? Gone Luxury brands such as Apple I-Phones? Some gray market availability at ridiculous prices. Same with TVs, appliances and designer clothes. This latest round of capping prices sanctions has been very effective. Economic sanctions are a marathon, not a sprint, and Russia and Russians will continue to be punished.
