I would be surprised if there wasn't CIA Special Activities Division members in-country advising the Ukrainian military. It's public domain that they were training Ukrainian armed forces in insurgency and urban warfare if the war moved to a 'resistance' phase and had brought elite units to the US for training. These Ukrainian insurgency units were quarantined from the rest of the Ukrainian military due to the danger of Russian infiltration. They (the CIA Special Activities Division) are very unlikely to be engaged in any sort of combat for the above reasons, but there's a high-chance they are present in an advisory capacity.
Russia have showed their hand and it was piss poor. Well done, they will take months to roll over Ukraine but the deficiencies are glaring. Without nukes they are nothing. And I would have big doubts over how effective their nuclear arsenal is. I would have big doubts over their airforce. Their navy is probably papering over cracks too.
Another thing glaring is that if the Anonymous posts about the 16th of February being the original inavsion date are true, that is bang on the date of the Wednesday the America's originally prediction. And we're mocked (including by myself). So their military is also leaky as fool.
Although saying that, I believe anonymous are a US internal operation.
The presenter was zero craic.
Highly likely ,pre invasion there was US "Operators" on the ground , i know they said they withdrew forces from Ukraine .
But.
mayomaffia threadbanned
Interesting information there, thanks. I agree that the US is acting incredibly insular since this crisis unfolded, with one eye on the upcoming mid term elections. However I do think the Ukraine has had a lot of investment of US dollars, and the current President of Ukraine is very Washington friendly, appearing on numerous news networks across America regularly over the last number of years. As they’re more removed from the situation geographically, they may not feel the urgency of their European counterparts to respond more decisively to this conflict.
China is going to play both sides with a view to keeping its alliance with Russia strong against the West, but also recognising it needs the West to keep its economy strong for the moment.
How the Russian economy deals with sanctions, how its people react to what’s going on and not least of all how Putin’s inner circle react to this will determine the Russian response going forward and ultimately the threat to European security following this catastrophe.
Probably too risky, would be a big PR coup if they were caught. Much bigger impact providing accurate data to the Ukrainians.
Keep an eye on this one, we already know how China feels about leased airplanes, and they're worth billions if the number of aircraft is correct. Sino-Soviet split mk.2 with an Irish registered company caught in the middle.
No nothing.
These constant claims are one of the most ridiculous things about this whole batshit crazy war.
Zelenskiy is Jewish and Russian speaking.
It's like the Russians keep saying it in their delusion to convince themselves it's justified.
It's a mad claim. Wheres that Russian poster? I'd like that poster to answer to it.
Anyone think there are special forces operating in ukraine?
SAS or delta force.
Yes
Plenty of legitimate pictures of it if you think it might be fake. Or ask any of the many serbs that moved here at the time.
Pure scum
"Ukrainian actions are akin to those of Nazi Germany", Russian Ambassador Gennady Gatilov charged at an urgent United Nations Human Rights Council debate Thursday on the eight-day-old war between the two countries.
When the Ukrainian regime seized power in a coup in 2014, Gatilov charged, “in the best traditions of Nazi Germany” it “set about destroying the Russian-speaking population of the country.”
Quelle surprise you use a Russian mouthpiece
Will you take a run and jump
What about , what about , what about ,
I’m definitely not surprised by this
The west has largely taken the view not to give in to the demands of terrorists because it only further emboldens them. This is the most dangerous terrorist we’ve ever seen.
The United States isn't interested in Ukraine, and certainly wouldn't risk nuclear winter over it, either.
NATO territory is a different question, and to date, Russia hasn't penetrated or directly threatened 1 square inch of NATO territory.
Of course, that could change in the future but, so far, this is the state of the chessboard.
Ukraine has effectively become a proxy war between Russia and the West; a kind of Vietnam or Korea, just in the heart of Europe this time.
Putin senses weakness, and seizes the opportunity to re-assert Russian dominance. It also sends a message to NATO to stop their eastward expansion, and that he believes a line has been crossed (exact words used during his speech).
China supports Russia, but not a third world war - because a nuclear winter's borders doesn't stop at China. It kills everyone.
The European Union wish to assert an army to defend themselves; seeing the United States as not completely sufficient to defend Europe (see Macron's speech earlier today, for example). The US is becoming more insular, and is far more focussed on China. Yes, they take Russia seriously, but it's not worth eliminating the world to an irradiated wasteland. China and the US have effectively the same opinion of this conflict, just on different sides.
This seems to be the state of play. Unless I'm fantastically wrong, this is simply one of those key events in history. Like 9/11, the fall of the Berlin Wall etc; this date will serve a key moment in the shift in geopolitics and the restoration, to some degree, of Russian power on the world stage. It's an inevitable conclusion - Russia will secure Ukraine, it's only a matter of time. They have both the means and the time to achieve it. Ukraine has a limited supply of either.
Unless something cataclysmic changes, this is the direction of travel.
I agree. I also am and I believe we all should be, prepared put up with a certain amount of hardship be it price of fuel,diesel etc, if it inflicts even more hardship on the Russian federation. It still hasn't sunk in with many that we are at war with this tyrant and his evil regime.
The war has gone too far now. I can't see nothing only WW3 coming. NATO and Europe will have to go in and grow a pair of balls and take out the Bully. Nuclear weapons is a load of BS by Putin. He has no basis to use them, they will wipe out Russia as much as the West.
I don't think Russia will be allowed re-enter the civilised world as long as Putin is at the helm and frankly **** them.
I've transitioned to that point over the course of the week from a place of hold back and let's not cause nuclear war to it's probably best that NATO go at him sooner rather than later.
Avolon is still an Irish based company with a China (majority) and Japanese parent share.
The reality is though that saying Russian companies won't send them back is meaningless, the sanctions makes it impossible to send them back anyway as I had pointed out previously.
The scenario playing out currently is a disaster for the people of Ukraine.
Putin and Russia’s slow advance has meant he has changed tactics to indiscriminate bombs, attacking civilian infrastructure and cities running out of food and water.
The Western Alliance is left with a terrible set of choices - increase sanctions and watch as thousands of Ukrainians are killed by Putin, and he takes control of the country or send in NATO air support and start to try and hold back the Russian advance. This clearly risks World War 3. Is it best to take a wait and see approach as thousands of people are killed? But I would be worried that Putin, China and others could become emboldened knowing the West will not challenge someone who has threatened to put their nuclear arsenal on high alert.
This was long suspected. Being used to good effect too.
The sheer maniacal audacity of Vladimir Putin to claim that Ukraine and Russia are "one people", whilst simultaneously justifying shelling them into oblivion.
I think I'd be dead by alcoholic poisoning before long if I tried playing that game. Too many apologists for the inexcusable.
@realdanbreen
Just to note, that appears to be the honorary consul's private home address. He's an Irish citizen and not an employee of the Russian government. Most honorary consuls are unpaid positions and I imagine this is the case here.
I'm tagging you as I don't want to quote, and am gently prodding you to delete. While it would be great if he resigned and disassociated himself from the Russian government, I personally don't think it's kosher or responsible posting a home address as it might generate harassment for him and his family.
All these sanctions don't seem to be doing nothing to Russia and Putin. He will win this war and with the corruption that exists in this world, life will continue as normal, painfully I say that. At this stage I would love if US/NATO went in and destroy the Russians to stop this war.
It feels like Bosnia 1992-1995, only far worse while we all watch the horrors of what's happening and nobody doing nothing outside. I remember in Bosnia at the Miss Sarjevo beauty competition and the winner held up a banner "Don't let them kill us all" felt horrible seeing that and being able to do nothing. This is a horrible world. This is going to to be horrible for Ukraine.
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