I would hazard a guess Germany will block it using the same bullsh!t excuse that no one else has sent (comparable) tanks.
Poland is buying US and Best Korean tanks, tells a story regarding their thinking about the reliability of their neighbour.
The Russian elites are preparing for a civil war and are already "showing fangs": Piontkovsky named the signs.
The Russian elites do not care about the results of the war against Ukraine, because they are already preparing for a civil war within the Russian Federation - for a huge redistribution of property.
This is the opinion of the oppositionist and publicist Andrei Piontkovsky.
“Pay attention, private armies in Russia are growing like mushrooms after rain.
Prigozhin’s army, Kadyrov’s army, and even Defense Minister Shoigu – this is some kind of nonsense – is calling his private army. created their own army. They are preparing for another war, for a civil one. They understand that the war in Ukraine is lost and a huge redistribution of property will begin," predicts Piontkovsky.
Very much jibes with some of what I have been thinking as it seems clear that Prigozhin has long been planning on replacing Putin. Now with Shoigu apparently having his own private army called 'Patriot', it's really shaping up as a horrendous mess.
Nuclear armed warlords, what could possibly go wrong?
Also worth noting that Putin also has a private army in the form of the sizeable security organaisation seperate from the FSB that secure his family, residences, yachts and person.
I'm actually surprised Solovyev hasn't thrown his hat in the ring and formed a private army. I'm also relieved.
Russia's nuclear arsenal in the hands of Kadyrov...might as well initiate a preemptive strike rather than wait.
It's an Irish subsidiary of a Russian aircraft leasing company that seems to be part of a state owned bank. The aircraft are already presumably in the country since before the war and the Russian parent company has probably just made up some contracts in Moscow and ignored the sanctions on the Irish subsidiary. Not much we can do about it practically.
Their accounts of the Irish subsidiary are well out of date from a quick look - it should have enforcement action against it.
I am amazed for the amount of words and keystrokes you guys spend here in discussions with these muppets. They can't hear you, they won't listen to you. their brain is set to work like their arseh0le, only outwards, no incomming traffic.
I have never known wanna besieged defender to occupy their enemy.
The problem now for Germany if it vetoes ( probably what it tried with Poland) US Abrams are a replacement option
Zhdanov suggested what the "Wagnerites" were pumped with before the attack on the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "All the tests have already been taken."
“The evidence has been there for a long time, but this information is not announced in the public space as part of operational and investigative actions for the international tribunal.
Second, what's the point. We will announce that they are under drugs. Russia will say: "No." Nobody here will disqualify the Wagnerites. If we say this, it will somehow affect the course of the war. No, not at all.
Will we be able to cut off the supply chains of narcotic drugs or stimulants that they carry to the front line? No. And the fact that all the tests have already been taken, those who need it know about it," the expert said.
I am not surprised. Sounds like the Ukrainians have run tests on prisoners and probably corpses. Was this part of the incentive for prisoners; free drugs, all you can take?
aye
Spain won't sent any we already seen that ,
But the issue will Germany block/veto any transfers of their tanks to Ukraine
Not good.
The situation in Soledar is a bit worse than I first thought if the geo-location on that video is correct.
Makes sense get some cash for them or completely write them off , meanwhile Aeroflot was never going to let the leave Russia.
The lesser of two evils sad for me to say
Is this a case of planes ALREADY in Russian hands (Leasee just kept the planes after the invasion and stopped paying?) because I can’t imagine a sane company leasing new planes to the flag carrier of a terrorist state.
Sounds like they bought planes they had on lease. Either way, the Russians have the planes and no way of getting them back.
Russian Aeroflot, despite sanctions, purchased a batch of Boeings from an Irish company: details.
Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, said it had purchased ten Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft from an Irish leasing company despite sanctions imposed on the country of the Russian terrorist. The agreement passed on December 30, 2022.
The planes were allegedly supplied to Aeroflot through the company VEB-Leasing. The term of the financial lease of the vessels was 12 years.
Aeroflot has acquired and acquired ownership of ten Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft that have been under financial lease from an Irish leasing company since 2013 and 2014.
WTF?
You are jumping to conclusions. Maybe next time ask what alternative I might be thinking of.
Greece and Turkey have about 400 each of two different Mk2 types Greece has a large number of Mk1 type about 600.
Hungary, Holland, Norway, Spain Austria and a few more have nearly 1k between them
Here we go again...
Russia plans to mobilize another 500 thousand tons. people for a new offensive in the spring and summer in the east and south – Deputy Head of the Defence Intelligence Skibitsky for The Guardian
Ukraine expects the last wave of mobilization to be announced on January 15, after the winter holidays in Russia.
Regarding the possibility of another attack via Belarus.
NATO Boeing E-8C radar is also closely monitoring the situation along Belarus.
If worst comes worst, Ireland will need to have spent far more on defence than it is probably currently able to without making major cuts in other areas of public spending or proposing massive tax hikes, neither of which would be politically popular at all.
There are only really two potential conventional military threats to Ireland, that I can see. One is the the United Kingdom deciding to invade for some reason - a scenario which would be very difficult to resist, even for a beefed-up Irish military. The other would be long range attacks from a belligerent power like Russia, who would likely have strategic interest in Ireland outside of it being a western ally and hosting potentially important military infrastructure like Shannon. In the event where this ever became likely, I would expect American AA guns on the ground long before the Irish defence forces could buy their own.
As we've seen in the last couple of years and that whole embassy thing, the place where the irish government would do well to get the finger out and be effective is in the area of counter-espionage.
On leopard 2 tanks Finland are stepping up if other countries pitch in too , overall there's something like 1300 leopard tanks in various militaries in Europe ,
The biggest question will Germany say No to the exports
That tractor s a kind of open secret since it was announced that they were getting Abram tanks from the US.
Poland has 140 of the Leopards a Mk2 version that was being upgraded but cost was excessive less than twenty completed of the 40 in the first round.
The Leopard is a super tank even if the last model.
From the look of it Ukraine is getting about 100+ lighter tanks from the US, France, the UK and a few other NATO countries and a some Leopards from Poland.
The Ukrainian armoured forces are virtually intact as they did not commit them in the first part of the war. They have also captured a significant number of Russian tanks intact. They can probably field 1K + tanks by early spring with the number they are recieving.
The UA also upgraded a lot of there older Soviet era tanks since 2014.
Ireland is ideally placed to play a disproportionate role in cyber security in europe. Lots of computer jobs, no one dies, and sufficiently far from front lines that we are relatively safe. Also avoids the logistical nightmare of having any real military impact thousands of miles away. Plus, the anti-war-at-all-costs types cant really oppose cyber security work if it prevents attacks on the HSE etc.
Any similar update on what Putin is receiving??
That wasn't the plan pre-February 24th though. Russia wasn't even on their radar.
Destabilizing russia serves their own interest ... no kudos needed
I've never heard much public outcry over how little Ireland spends on defence, and it seems to be a continuously popular policy, given that successive governments have followed it. That would only change with some actual pressure to do so, and being a 'laughing stock' won't do it.
Meanwhile we've turned into a laughing stock when it comes to military spending with people using the the hide behind the skirt of neutrality and the triple lock excuse not to allow any spending on defense
If it's a strict choice, then I'll take American hegemony over Chinese or Russian hegemony any day.
When u look at what the Americans are giving to a country on the outskirts of a far away continent. Really shows howimportant it is for Ireland to stay allied with the US. Kudos have to be given to the Americans.
So, in February 2022, the Russians attempted a Kyiv offensive which failed spectacularly, and this was when the Russian military was intact and were allowed to mass at the border. Would they try the same thing again, keeping in mind that the Ukrainians will have had almost a year to build defences along that flank, plan for the scenario, have far better weapons and training than they did in Feb 2022, and will be able to fire upon concentrations of Russian armour and personnel before they even cross.
It is, at best, a feint designed to draw Ukrainian forces from the active fronts and make life easier there.
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