Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

He is just salty that only help Russian allies gave are donkeys (he still denies there are North Korean troops involved btw)

Here's a thought: what if Zelenskyy turns around and offers all those rare earth mineral rights to the French instead, and Macron says yes?

Ukraine is already the number one user of Caesars, is France's newest customer for Mirages, they've put no restrictions on the use of Scalp or Hammer missiles, and it's largely French forensic teams that are gathering evidence of war crimes. France is the only ally ever to tell the Americans to GTFO of their country, and they didn't have to give up their nukes because of it.

As a French resident, I think Trump is doing us a favour: all the time he's creating a lot of noise, he's distracting everyone from the quiet negotiations.

The French themselves don't particularly like Macron (because he wants to make them less communist), but he's a damn good political strategist. I reckon he has his eye on those mineral deposits, and French boots are being polished right now, prior to being put on Ukrainian ground.

You are living in a fantasy land.

The EU is a joke of an organisation - it's is on borrowed time.

Europe cannot provide Ukraine with what they need. European leaders have said this, Zelensky has said this. Everyone outside of this thread knows it.

Without US support

No patriot missiles

No Nasams missiles

No himar rockets

Huge reduction in all calibre of ammo.

No spares for existing equipment from F16 to Bradleys to Hummers.

No starlink

No US satellites intelligence

No US enforcement of sanctions

And the other countless things that Europe cannot provide in the short term.

What a few of us here predicted a couple of years ago has come to pass. The battle of 'will' was won by Putin and the US has sold Ukraine out. All that is left to see is how many concessions Putin can manipulate out of the Orange donkey.

You are a brave man you are, you have had it now coming out with stuff like that.

BTW you forgot No NATO

your forst mistake is even attempt to read their posts.

I was about to reply with the same. Europe has a lot of weapons to give and let's not forget it's already giving far from full military support.

It also is very reach and can buy the weapons off Trumps America. Trump won't turn down billions in weapon sales and if anything that situation would give him the upper hand against Putin and his crumbling economy.

Again I'll say it the ball is in the EU's court.

The only update from the frontlines I could find came from a Russian telegram.

Russian soldiers near Pokrovsk report they are struggling.

"Ukrainian forces dominate the skies, making movement nearly impossible beyond 3 km from Selydove. Supply lines are cut, leaving our troops behind without food, water, or fuel. Drones and artillery relentlessly target our positions, preventing rotations. Ukrainian electronic warfare exploits gaps in our defenses, leading to heavy losses. Our soldiers suffer in freezing conditions with no reinforcements or equipment adjustments allowed. Constant shelling on rear positions worsens the chaos. Morale is low, with troops feeling overwhelmed and desperate for airstrikes to counter Ukraine’s pressure."

You're overegging it a bit. There is European equivalent(s) to Patriot I think but most European countries seem to prefer to buy US or perhaps Israeli air defence systems. Issue is of course making enough of them in a timely fashion for Ukraine, if it can't get any more Patriot missiles. Likely impossible?

NASAMs has something to do with Norway too if irc as well. A lot of the US weapons are like that, even their F35 jet (heavy UK involvement).

As regards weapons and parts and such and use of services like Starlink, my belief is still if Europeans or Ukraine pay for it, the US is not going to deny them these, burn down remaining bridges with allies, turn down quite considerable arms sales money etc. solely to pull Putin's burning chestnuts out of the fire and gain a victory for him in Ukraine or something.

On the US sanctions it is plausible Trump will end them. However it was Europe that Russia had its big trade relationships with pre war, and it is Europe that holds majority of the Russian foreign assets which can be seized and handed to Ukraine. Can't see how the US will make us all buy Russia's oil and gas again or give Putin/the oligarchs back the assets. On contrary, the public statements are US wants to sell us more of its own oil and gas and reduce prices by expanding production…that is bad for Russia IMO.

Things are looking very bad however as regards future of US in NATO, wider European relationship with the US under a Trump admin. that much like Russia and China, now seeks to crack apart + pressure our societies and destabilise governments to bring parties more to their liking to power.

Also any US support for Ukraine based on some concept of USs (old?) alliances in Europe, shared values with Europeans, not wanting to see Russia get a "win" in Ukraine and then leverage that to threaten others etc. has ended for good now I fear. Any further support for Ukraine from US will be purely mercenary.

US needs thousands of boots on the ground in Ukraine after a deal is done, and not military boots, business boots. US needs to take a huge foothold in their interests there, have partnerships with Ukraine in countless interests of mutual benefit , make it so that Putin can't make a move on Ukraine again, without stepping on US toes. Cover the entire frontline with American held interests .

I don't think anyone is taking it seriously tbh. It looks like just another episode in the Ukrainian Cinematic Universe timed for the Munich conference and Vance meeting Zelensky. I expect any day now the Ukrainian SBU will release a recording of two men speaking Russian confessing to the crime, claiming its an intercept. That's normally how these things work.

Russia has denied they attacked Chernobyl - and why would they? It has no military value. Ukraine has spent the last few months insisting there is 10,000 North Koreans in Kursk, and the best they could produce was two Russians from Tuva so they have form for tall tales. They have form for lying about responsibility for attacks - they spent weeks claiming that one of their air defence missiles which killed farmers in Poland was really a Russian attack on Poland and Article 5 needed to be triggered immediately. And they have form for attacking nuclear power plants. While the western media was in deep denial about who was shelling the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP for many months, it is clear it was the Ukrainians.

The lack of reaction by the US is overall a good thing - the Ukrainian government is extremely desperate. If you reward these types of actions, they'll just do more of them. Possibly Vance will tell Zelensky to cut it out when he meets him.

Russia has denied they attacked Chernobyl

Case closed then is it?

I'm going to need to see some evidence. We could even start with a motive.

All there is for now is claims from a Ukrainian regime with form for tall tales and attacking nuclear power plants.

If he-when, more likely-bites it, only a cheer is merited. Look at the casually racist way he refers to Ukrainians, not once but twice: ''khohols''

There are very few SAMPT systems and very few missiles. Ramping up takes years and the geniuses in Europe decided to depend on America rather than the European program.

NASAMS fire AIM missiles - another American product.

American doesn't view us an ally, we are a insignificant competitor. That will become very clear over the next few months.

Once Russia is free to sell it's oil at full price then that helps them. They don't need to sell it to Europe. Gas is trickier. It is potentially some leverage that Europe has on Russia - buy some piped gas with conditions attached. Won't be popular but economic stagnation will force Europe to do things it won't want to.

Russia would like their assets back but it is insignificant amount compared to what they can make from the resources they have captured in Ukraine.

As I said 2 years ago in this thread - the US will be the big winners, Ukraine and Europe the big loser. It is too early to tell how Russia will recover.

"Once Russia is free to sell it's oil at full price then that helps them."

When are you expecting sanctions on putin's terrorist state to be dropped and why do you think Ukraine will stop hitting their oil infrastructure?

Sounds to me to be a fairly warped view of reality to be so confident that an economy based on flammable fuels that keep catching fire at the wrong time and place and has base interest rates of 21% to try bring down inflation in consumer prices at about 10% to suddenly overtake one of the strongest economic areas in the world.

Zelensky at the Munich debacle conference updated the Russian fatality numbers to 250K Russian deaths since the start of the conflict. Obviously he must of forgot about his interview with Piers Morgan 10 days ago where he said 350K Russians had been killed as well as his interview on February 25th 2024 where he said 180K Russian soldiers had died.