Russia & Ukraine

[TreeFrogTrader]

Just keeping it real here... had we started sending 100's of millions in arms to Ukraine back in Oct/Nov for a war that didn't exist, the Biden administration would have been raked over the coals. I can hear it now... "Billions in taxpayer dollars for weapons to Ukraine while our roads and bridges collapse from neglect...!" I mean you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Both sides of the aisle.

Oh, I agree.

But read the fine print in my post wherein I said "should have had a plan". You know as in "we plan for everything" that the military always crows about. Particularly since they had concluded that it was no longer just a possibility that Putin would invade but that he was going to.

Now Putin is up to his arse in Ukraine, and Blinken states today "we are looking at it." Fine. Maybe break down into small groups and go around the room so that everyone can share how they feel about it. Put some post-its up on the white board.

This is the same crew that had no plan for the Taliban taking control of Kabul and said that they had no intelligence to support that while the rest of the world was watching them on TV moving their forces into the capital for days/weeks in advance, in a very orderly day by day increase.

 

[UsualName]

It took a month for the US (the most powerful military nation on earth, 10 times more powerful than Russia in military spending) to take out the weakened Iraqi army which had no air force or modern western supplied weapons likes Javelins and Stingers.

And yet people really think the Russians expected the Ukrainian Army to be beaten in 3 days?

This is just obvious propaganda to make it look like the Russians are losing badly.

The prevailing thought is that the Russians tried to recreate our shock and awe campaign in Iraq and failed. The failure of the Russians was they were unable to neutralize air defenses and gain air superiority.

At the ground level, the Ukrainians are destroying Russian columns and supplies in a reverse of what the Russians expected.

It is also important to note the Russians are attacking their neighbor, whereas we had to go halfway around the world to attack.

What I will say is the Russians certainly did not expect a long slog of a fight. They are nearly one hundred percent in with their forces and making super slow progress.

Are the Russians losing, or even losing badly - I guess would be determined by what cost the Russians are willing to pay. I would say they are losing from a cost benefit analysis side of things. But at the very least, I don’t think it’s too controversial to say the Russians are significantly underperforming.

 

[vanzandt]

It is also important to note the Russians are attacking their neighbor, whereas we had to go halfway around the world to attack.

.

I was gonna point that out too.
Now Canada... we'd take out Justin and Ottawa in about 3 days... using Maine's Nation Guard units.
They could make it a drill weekend.

 

[TreeFrogTrader]

The prevailing thought is that the Russians tried to recreate our shock and awe campaign in Iraq and failed.

Even if that is true- and I don't know- it would have been stupid for the Russians to have duplicating the American experience as a goal. If anything you would want to avoid it. We had some big-bang wins in the capital then started learning right off that the population- at least the ones most committed to fighting- were not necessarily on our side. And the shock and awe campaign was just a prelude to years of fighting insurgents.

One could make the argument, that the Russians were hoping to avoid shock and awe and was trying to run that convoy in there, surround the city, and do a tidy little installation of a puppet without alienating the population more than necessary- and it shiite the bed. You know, the Americans pounded Baghdad bigtime with Tomahawks and lit up the sky bright and long before going in. Options that are/were 100% available to the Russian pigs but they chose not to use before going in.

 

[TreeFrogTrader]

I was gonna point that out too.
Now Canada... we'd take out Justin and Ottawa in about 3 days... using Maine's Nation Guard units.
They could make it a drill weekend.

I love it when you talk dirty like that.

Just keep in mind, as I have said before, I would make an excellent Governor General for the Montreal Military District, having spent much time in a foxhole there.

I am fully prepared to take charge and establish order in that region.

 

[gwb-trading]

Belarus deputy defence minister QUITS over Ukraine war: Sanctioned general who 'agreed to Russian troops deploying on the border' signs resignation letter saying he cannot support invasion

• Major General Viktor Gulevich said personnel refused to take part in hostilities
• He submitted his resignation letter to Belarus' current Minister of Defence
• Mr Gulevich is among a number of Belarusian officials facing sanctions from UK
• The Foreign Office previously said Belarusian military enabled Russia's invasion

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10582905/Belarus-deputy-minister-QUITS-Ukraine-war.html

 

[gwb-trading]

Home / General / GOP senators violate protocols and endanger Zelenskyy
GOP senators violate protocols and endanger Zelenskyy
On March 5, 2022 https://c.newsnow.com/A/1118950005?-2839:38162

The moral here is that you should assume all Republicans are Russian spies:

Two Republican senators are facing criticism after tweeting photos of a video call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy even though participating lawmakers were told to not share pictures on social media while it was in progress.

Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Steve Daines of Montana posted pictures of Zelenskyy on their Twitter accounts during the Zoom meeting Saturday morning, writing that they were on a call with him.

Democratic Reps. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and Jason Crow of Colorado criticized the senators on Twitter.

Phillips noted that the “Ukrainian ambassador very intentionally asked each of us on the Zoom to NOT share anything on social media during the meeting to protect the security of President Zelenskyy.”

“Appalling and reckless ignorance by two U.S. Senators,” Phillips wrote.

“The lack of discipline in Congress is truly astounding,” Crow wrote. “If an embattled wartime leader asks you to keep quiet about a meeting, you better keep quiet about the meeting. I’m not saying a damn thing. Lives are at stake.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1500200963872722944

 

[gwb-trading]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1500164010662060033

 

[TreeFrogTrader]

Belarus deputy defence minister QUITS over Ukraine war: Sanctioned general who 'agreed to Russian troops deploying on the border' signs resignation letter saying he cannot support invasion

• Major General Viktor Gulevich said personnel refused to take part in hostilities
• He submitted his resignation letter to Belarus' current Minister of Defence
• Mr Gulevich is among a number of Belarusian officials facing sanctions from UK
• The Foreign Office previously said Belarusian military enabled Russia's invasion

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10582905/Belarus-deputy-minister-QUITS-Ukraine-war.html

"He was accused of directing joint military exercises with Russia, and consenting to the deployment of Russian troops along the border of Belarus with Ukraine - which, the UK government claimed, 'directly contributed to Russia’s ability to attack Ukraine'."


In other words, he was responsible for helping to plan and implement the convoy from hell, and his "career options" have sort of maxed out.

Hell of a job Brownie.

 

[gwb-trading]

Poland knows that it is just a matter of time before they are targeted in Putin's plan to put the old Soviet Union back together again and create a buffer of subjected "Warsaw Pact" states under Russia's thumb. Some leaders in Europe clearly see the cold reality.

Polish ambassador warns Putin has sights set beyond Ukraine, calls for decades long Russian sanctions
Polish ambassador says 'unpredictable' Putin has 'neo-imperial' ambitions
https://www.foxnews.com/world/polis...-set-beyond-ukraine-says-poland-arming-itself