Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

They're making about as much effort as they can while economically declining. This isn't a matter of will as people pretend, its a matter of capability. The UK, the French and the Germans just don't have the capability to massively re-arm whilst simultaneously cutting budgets for stuff voters actually want.

For comparison, when the UK rearmed in the 1930s military spending went from 2.2% of GDP in 1933 to 6.9% of GDP in 1938. The increase was even larger than it seems relative to overall government spending - in 1933 total UK government spending - on all areas, not just military - was 26.8% of GDP. So by 1938, military spending alone was more than a quarter of what the entire UK government spent just 5 years before. To achieve a similar fiscal impact today, the UK would have to boost military spending to over 11% of GDP - increasing military spending 5-6 times over - in just 4-5 years.

And that was in an era where the UK had easy access to natural resources and a huge industrial capacity. None of which is available today. So its fantasy to pretend its just a matter of wanting to do it badly enough.

As for NATO troops being the next "game changer" in long, long, long, long list of supposed "game changers" - honestly, the Ukrainians are NATO trained, NATO equipped, NATO organised and led. Man for man, they're probably far more experienced and used to the conditions of fighting a near-peer war than NATO soldiers who have not faced an enemy with air and artillery superiority. And still, they're having a very bad time of it.

And that was in an era where the UK had easy access to natural resources and a huge industrial capacity. None of which is available today. So its fantasy to pretend its just a matter of wanting to do it badly enough.

Could you do a similar comparative analysis on UK navy vs Russian Navy?

….You might be disappointed.

Hint: heres a start

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8175/CBP-8175.pdf

Something went boom!

🤣🤣

… for countries in the immediate vicinity of russias borders.

2 year scale for Dollar/Ruble.

And the cheek to ask them to mobilise 18-25 year olds when there's so much more weapons they could send.

Putin will need Trump to deliver for him in the New Year. He can surely get through a few months of absolutely savage inflation, but he's not going to get through his six year term if he can't get a handle on things relatively quickly. Sanctions didn't seem to make the desired impact for a long time but are working now.

I've always felt that the only Ukrainian route to victory was through the Russian regime collapsing due to frustration over the war. The collapse might be coming now but unfortunately the western resolve is weakening with that fckhead having been elected.

Hopefully Europe can step up and keep the support going.

Ruski Mir

I am right in saying that attacking civilian energy infrastructure is a war crime, aren't I??

Have we got to the stage where Western media and politicians generally don't even bother reporting or getting vexed by this anymore? If so it's a great win for Putin's tactics of just lie, deny, persevere and let the passage of time paper over the bad stuff so that by the time there can be a reckoning everyone can just shrug and say, "well, that was a long time ago, we need to move on".

The US telling Ukraine to call up lads who were 15 when this started, were 15 when the West could have made a real difference, while still stalling on letting Ukraine have what it says it needs… that's just callous.

One reason was that he was been paid handsomely by Assad fo his "assistance". For one thing, Russia now has a lease on Syrian port in the mediterranean coast, and use of an airport. And while Assads oil fields were denied to him, Putin made up the shortfall ( all at a price, of course) But it seems that there has been a drop in the level of protection provided by Putin because the Syrian Free Army have advanced to within 5 klms of Aleppo.Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine,is having unforseen effects in many other places.

They have an airbase there too, Hmeimim Air Base, currently operated by Russia. But the port would have a worse effect on the Russians if they were to lose it.