China has much more exposure to economic sanctions than Russia does and therefore sanctions would be more of a deterrent than winning a proxy fight in Ukraine. Notwithstanding, the US has a more deeply vested interest in Taiwan and I think Beijing realizes that. China is a prime example of where threat of sanctions might actually work.
The Russians invested a lot of money and energy cultivating politicians here. Including running active measures in 2016 to help one candidate who had a number of people they had cultivated— Manafort and Flynn— surrounding them. And Trump was a Putin-file. From the Miss Universe pageant to his desire to develop a Trump Tower Moscow to his awareness of the Russian assistance. More broadly, there was the Butina infiltration of the GOP, Money run through the NRA. They have friends here now. 50-60 years ago, those friends were not in government. It must be very comforting to those who want to complain about the border but won’t pass any meaningful legislation to use the border as a talking point about why we should not support Ukraine, but it seems we live in a country that takes its freedoms for granted now. And with three generations who didn’t have compulsory national service, we have lost sight of the cost of freedom. I never served. But my grandfather was shot during the Muesse Argonne offensive (he lived) and my dad swerved in the Coast Guard (Navy) in WW2. And I know many refugees from Cuba and other dictatorships. If we can help Ukraine and stop a country that has already invaded Georgia and Chechnya, the cost is small compared to what it could be. And there should be little doubt that without our help, the Russians would have won this war already. Ukraine needs more and maybe the tanks will make a difference
Well said. In my view, the people who think that if NATO just abandoned Ukraine to Russia, that somehow Putin would be satisfied and stop there are almost criminally naive. Give Ukraine all the fighter jets it has pilots to fly...yesterday.
Iran may have run out of British airplane engines. Iran was using a particular brand of small aircraft engine to power one type of drone they made. They sent agents all over Europe, but especially to England (where this engine is most popular), to steal these engines out of small aircraft. Somehow, they were able to ship these stolen engines to Iran, where they were installed in drones. At some point, they were going to run out of engines to steal.
Not really. Russia's wanton destruction and abuse of the local population has largely earned it the disrespect of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. Loyalty to one's history takes a back seat to the reality in front of one's eyes, especially when what you are looking at is massive devastation, local women being raped, local men being tortured, and children being kidnapped. Are the Russian speakers in Ukraine on Putin’s side? > Air University (AU) > Wild Blue Yonder
I suspect that for Russia, “Nazi” is and emotive term for the many Ukrainians beset with an inculcated and fanatical hatred for Russians. Accordingly, “denazification” is the strategy of killing every such Ukrainian who is willing and able to take up arms and use them against Russians. Zelensky is, ironically, aiding Russia in this by sending tens of thousands to their death by funneling them into the meat grinder that is Bakhmut.
Hopefully we have already started training Ukrainian pilots to fly F16s so that they will be prepared if and when we provide the jets to Ukraine. The estimate is that it takes a year to train the pilots to fly the planes although I suspect that if they're already skilled fighter pilots the training period would be considerably shorter.
Putin prepares Russia for the breakup of the country (Russia, not Ukraine). Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin says Russian people 'may not survive'
Medvedev claims that Russia is reverse-engineering captured western weapons at its factories, apparently in a bid to discourage western countries from sending its weapons to Ukraine. Russia's Medvedev says defence factories meeting demand, denies missile shortage He also claimed that Russian weapons factories have increased production more than tenfold, which is borderline absurd.
We may have our first false flag incident in Belarus. There was an explosion in an airport in Belarus, where Russian military and transport aircraft were damaged. Explosions occur at Machulishchy airbase in Belarus, Russian aircraft damaged
Russian wood is being sold in the U.S. by a company called Menards, based in Wisconsin. They are getting the wood from North American Plywood Corp, who is importing it from Russia. International Paper is also suspected of selling the Russian plywood. It is marketed as "Baltic son-of-a Birch". Russian wood still sold in U.S. a year into Ukraine war – including by a Wisconsin company
"We have to conquer more territory if we are to survive as a nation". That sounds familiar; see german for "living space".
Russian lawmakers have taken to hanging noodles on their ears to congratulate Putin on how well he is handling the war and express his support for the war. Russian lawmaker who hung noodles on his ears to mock Putin's speech might face punishment Mikhail Abdalkin shared a video of himself watching Vladimir Putin's speech with noodles hanging off his ears.Mikhail
And remind me how that course of action worked out for the Germans. Productive or counterproductive to the end state desired?
