Russia invades Ukraine again?

[Tyrannical]

I'm never a fan of increased military spending. But I kind of understand in this case. The question is, is there a better approach?

Britain was able to survive the Nazi onslaught via a belated increase in defence spending in the late 30's...

Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, what has Europe done to rebuild it's defenses since then? I bet they are weaker now then three years ago because they have donated so much ammunition. Artillary shells, anti-tank rockets, anti-air rockets like stingers, they don't actually make very many of them a month during peace time.

[macdoc]

To some point it is easier to buy from the world arms depot that supplies both sides of any given war.

[Brian Peacock]

You just know he'd pay someone to fight for him though.

[Brian Peacock]

I'm never a fan of increased military spending. But I kind of understand in this case. The question is, is there a better approach?

Britain was able to survive the Nazi onslaught via a belated increase in defence spending in the late 30's...

Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, what has Europe done to rebuild it's defenses since then? I bet they are weaker now then three years ago because they have donated so much ammunition. Artillary shells, anti-tank rockets, anti-air rockets like stingers, they don't actually make very many of them a month during peace time.

Russia is barely a military threat to Europe beyond its nuclear stockpile - and everyone knows that even one small, tactical battlefield nuke would be the end of Russia, and probably us all. It's been bogged down in Ukraine and has had to supplement its forces by outsourcing to criminal gangs, prisoners and North Korea. Russia's recalling its military from Syria to bolster the Ukraine front led directly to the fall of Al-Assad's dictatorship. There's a big talk about 'the Russian threat' and lot of public dick waving from politicians going on, and very little sound military analysis. But this isn't about what's right; about freedom or justice, or defending the West, or protecting civilians etc; it's about economics and power, like it always is. The US might have withdrawn its military support for Ukraine, but its still the worlds leading supplier of air-power, battlefield weapons and tech, and intelligence.

Trump seems to want to shift the burden of cost, which ultimately might be a good thing for the US deficit, even if it results in more indiscriminate attacks on densely-populated areas, the abduction, torture and murder of civilians, forced deportations, child snatching, sexual violence, and the destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure and cultural heritage.

[rainbow]

To some point it is easier to buy from the world arms depot that supplies both sides of any given war.

China can make drones cheaper than the cost of shooting them down, and Europe has more money than Russia.
I suspect that unless it goes nuke, it will be a stalemate war.

[Tyrannical]

Looks like Trump is going to be able to broker a 30 day cease fire, and Russia wants a permanent end to the war.

I'm sure some people will say Putin will start back up just as soon as Trump leaves office

Trump likes the new Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte. Now says that Nato has stepped up and will spend money rearming their millitary.

[pErvinalia]

Dutch NATO Secretaries General are the best NATO Secretaries General.

[JimC]

Just a little obsessive, rEv...

[pErvinalia]

Dutchy would approve.

[Tero]

Putin and trump to carve up Ukraine soon

In the last few minutes, the Kremlin has confirmed that Russian president Vladimir Putin would talk to US president Donald Trump by phone on Tuesday.

Asked about the planned call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “Yes, that’s how it is. Such a conversation is planned for Tuesday,” Reuters reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... -live-news

[Tero]

CNN:“We’ll be talking about land. A lot of land is a lot different than it was before the war, as you know. We’ll be talking about land, we’ll be talking about power plants, that’s a big question,” he added.

[Valentyna Ocheretnaya shows her son's last photo, which he sent in March 2022 from Mariupol. She receives a call in two weeks that he is "missed in action."]

“But I think we have a lot of it already discussed, very much, by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We’re already talking about that – dividing up certain assets.”

[Tero]

Putin played games with Trump on phone.
https://www.threads.net/@patlyuk/post/D ... m7Q4yGC7Kw

"Russian Bomb Reportedly Cuts Power in Ukrainian City Just Hours After Putin Promised Trump He’d Stop Attacking Energy Facilities" So Trump's Russia handler Putin lied to him about pausing bombing. What a surprise?! https://www.mediaite.com/news/russian-b ... acilities/
https://www.threads.net/@deanobeidallah ... zMdWTHg3pg

[JimC]

Trump sweats as he thinks about those videos that Putin possesses...

[Tero]

TRUMP VICTORY: fixes lazy bum EU defense
Putin claims victory: He broke NATO by getting Trump elected

Trump floats US takeover of Ukrainian nuclear plants, as Putin resists ceasefire
US president holds call with Ukraine’s Zelensky about truce with Russia, calling conversation ‘fantastic’; Kremlin says US must cease military aid to Ukraine for any full ceasefire

AFP — US President Donald Trump has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States could own and run Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of his latest bid to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

The offer comes as some 30 military chiefs from countries keen to help protect an eventual ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine prepared for talks in Britain on Thursday to discuss plans for a peacekeeping force.

EU leaders were also set to discuss the three-year war at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, as well as the bloc’s defense capabilities as it grapples with an aggressive Russia.

Zelensky also said he had discussed Trump’s power plant takeover plan. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a joint statement that Trump had discussed “American ownership” of power plants, and praised the idea.

Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, clarified that he and Trump “talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation,” referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.

He added that he had “not felt any pressure” from Trump to make concessions to Russia.

But a wider ceasefire remains elusive with the Kremlin leader insisting in his own call with Trump on Tuesday that the West first stop all military aid for Ukraine.

Trump’s tone on Wednesday was markedly more positive after the Zelensky call, with the White House describing it as “fantastic” — despite the fact that the two men had a blazing televised row in the Oval Office in late February.

The Ukrainian leader, who looked tired as he spoke to reporters, described his phone call with Trump as “probably his most substantive and positive” talks yet and added that he had not felt under pressure.

Asked at the briefing if he still wanted Trump to visit Ukraine, Zelensky said that he did and that he believed it would be helpful for the US president in his efforts to halt the war.

Kyiv and Moscow however have accused each other of continuing attacks.
Russia said it destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks in several regions throughout the country.

Ukrainian emergency services said on Thursday that an overnight Russian drone attack struck residential buildings in Kropyvnytsky in central Ukraine wounding eight people, including a child.

Putin insisted during his call with Trump on Tuesday that a full ceasefire was only possible if the West agreed to Moscow’s long-standing demand to halt its billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine.

The Kremlin chief also demanded Ukraine must not be allowed to re-arm and must halt mandatory mobilization.

Moscow and Washington were even at odds on the results of the call.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-flo ... ceasefire/

[Sean Hayden]

Brussels Backtracks: EU Drops €40 Billion Ukraine Aid Package

After weeks of preparations and repeated assurances that the EU was close to approving its ambitious €40 billion military aid package for Ukraine, Brussels suddenly walked back on the plan. At the last minute, it was removed from the EU Council’s agenda, just as EU leaders gathered for yet another summit on Thursday, March 20th.

https://europeanconservative.com/articl ... -portugal/