I genuinely don't get why people believe Russia using a nuclear weapon inside Ukraine would prompt a military response.
Russia have killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians and caused hundreds of billions worth of damage to Ukraine. The West haven't intervened militarily. Why do you think NATO or the West would step in militarily just after Russia has literally demonstrated it's willing to use nuclear weapons against its enemies?
It would certainly galvanise the West and probably some neutrally minded nations against Russia but I absolutely do not believe it's a given to lead to military escalation.
Sure they are already convinced that one Russian missle can blow up the planet and they think that's a glorious idea because Russians go to heaven.
They are overdosed on Kool aid
You just have to admire the ingenuity of the Ukrainians.
If Russia used a nuclear weapon in Ukraine I wonder would Germany take the nuclear option themselves and stop buying Russian gas?
Or would it have to be a strike on German territory before they make such a decision.
Our friend Solovyov said on radio today that the bombing of Kyiv while Guterres was there was a warning to western leaders not to visit "the capital of the Nazis". Interesting to hear the talk being so explicit.
Scholz, whose SPD party traditionally maintains close ties with Russia, has variously argued that providing heavy weapons to Ukraine could provoke Putin.
Some in Germany and elsewhere have also questioned Germany's commitment under a Scholz / SPD government to NATO's mutual defence pledge because those arguments used to avoid supplying Ukraine - that it could provoke confrontation with Russia - could also be used as an argument against Germany invoking the pledge.
Which side is Germany going to definitely come down in the current situation is the question.
Is there any figure on how many Russian soldiers are currently occupying southern Ukraine?
The area coverage on the map is large for what they are controlling but are they more concentrated than what the spread of the map shows?
I think the thing I like the most about this is the historical resonance of it.
Using Land Lease to defeat modern day Nazis. Except of course the Ukrainians are a far more palatable recipient than Stalin was.
But it wouldn't be knife v gun. It would be lots of guns v one big gun and totally equivalent destruction, but less of a pissed off population back home with what you've done... And the other guy knows that you still have just as many big guns as they do, and your big guns more than likely still work properly whilst the Russian big guns have probably all rotted away and not been maintained properly.
If you can cause the same destruction as Russias worst weapon, but without needing to use your worst weapon, then why not keep it in reserve.
If Putin uses a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, that is followed by a bunch of Russian bases flattened a short while later then you might end up with Putin launching more nuclear weapons back at the west. You also could have Putin hanging from a lamppost before the day is out after the generals finally decide he's not worth it anymore.
If he launches more nukes the option to retaliate in kind is still there.
Bit of a bitch move from the Russians, if they really wanted to warn that, they would have done it when the Americans visited a few days ago.
Typical Russians. Attack when they know they most likely won't get a slap for it. Cos the Americans would absolutely not stand for that ****.
I do wonder what functional impact the lend-lease act will actually have though. It's quite telling that the act wasn't pushed through Congress before they went on their two week break.
The implication of Biden's $33 billion request to Congress (to my mind at least) is that the Biden Administration wants to put a cap on aid for Ukraine and eastern Europe for this fiscal year (i.e. until September 30th).
The other interesting aspect of the Biden Administration's request is that it specifically includes "Presidential Drawdown" authority up to a certain amount. This is basically supplying equipment from current DoD stocks; i.e. doing what lend-lease would be doing.
So I don't think it's clear (to me at least) how lend-lease interacts with this latest funding request; and if lend-lease is actually something the Biden Administration is planning to use. Or if it's just a political signalling act to show how united Congress is in terms of supporting Ukraine; but with no real concrete benefit.
Russian mercenaries posted this comparison of a Russian soldier's first-aid kit (above) and a Ukrainian one (below). "This is what Putin and Shoigu brought us to..", one of the commenters complain.
This certainly helps gives more insight into Russians troops who have been receiving crowd funded items
I'm not going to watch the full version but that appears to evidence of a war crime - those people look like civilians, not soldiers.
Couldnt have said it better
They're very clearly Russian/DPR/LPR soldiers.
They were initially attacked by the drone and some suffered injuries. They then stole/found a Z-marked vehicle and when they got into the vehicle the vehicle was subsequently attacked.
Putin told Merkel what he wanted and others in the German Govt, EU and others in European Govts were told to go along with it.
It's not just energy, the same approach has been taken in food and other key areas across Europe.
Putin is still only in the hapenny place of Communist leaders in terms of oppression and specifically war crimes and mass murder in the Ukraine.
Since when did this sort of linking to gore become acceptable on Boards.ie?
Oh right, I thought I was watching an attack on a group of civilians for a moment. These videos are hard to watch, no matter what the context - war is an ugly thing.
While it is not pleasant, I have no sympathy for them.
None whatsoever.
It was a reply to your previous comment that
Today, on Sky News, the Russians said they have no intention of using nukes and the west is misinterpreting their rhetoric.
From Putins little speech in St Petersburg linked above - there's can be no "misinterpreting their rhetoric" - whether that is the Russians threatening to use conventional or nuclear weapons.
Thats a bad death. One lad looked like he had his nuts blown off and was bleeding out. That should be a warning to anyone thats back in Russia and might be conscripted to go fight. Death can be a simple as that.
Tbf if they are conscripted they don't have much say in it, other than to keep the roof closed.
Run away, very fast and very far. If you like the idea of having a life expectancy of about 2 weeks then by all means head to Ukraine.
Jesus wept.
I posted a better quality and longer version of a video another person posted; since the version posted was both bad quality and didn't clearly show it was Russian soldiers dying as opposed to civilians or Ukrainians or whatever else.
Maybe comment on what people actually say or do rather than making up things in your head.
If true, jesus christ, this could not be more reminiscent of Hitler
The post contains multiple clear warnings before it shows any images or video. It also happens to be relevant to the discussion and a reflection of what actually happens in the real world; as opposed to some glorified image of war or conflict certain people might have.
If you think it's against the rules then Flag the post and it will be removed if required.
I was reading today that word is indeed getting back to Russian people how grim things are at the front and to try and avoid getting roped into the military at any cost.
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