The Ukraine war thread
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/air-force-ukraine-downs-another-russian-su-34-jet/ar-BB1jeo8h
“The East Air Command confirms the downing of a Su-34 fighter-bomber. Unfortunately, it was only one,” the Air Forcewrote on Telegram.
The destruction of the jet is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes. This list includes 12 Su-34 fighter bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and a rare A-50 military spy plane. Another A-50 aircraft was downed a month prior.
Three Su-34s were reportedly destroyed in a single day on Feb. 29 over eastern Ukraine. Another Su-34 plane was downed on the morning of March 1, the Air Force said.
The rapid destruction of aircraft comes amid Russia's attempts to advance on the battlefield after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troopsfrom Avdiivka and three villages in Donetsk Oblast, in addition to Ukraine's widely mentioned ammunition shortage.
Yuriy Ihnat, the Air Force's spokesman, has said that Ukraine now has "tools" to destroy planes "at quite long distances," explaining the recent uptick.
Russia's total losses during the all-out war amount to about 670 aircraft — 345 planes and 325 helicopters, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
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Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radislaw Sikorski, administers terse rebuttal and “Come to Jesus” moment directly to the Russian Ambassador to the UN at the Security Council Plenum ten days ago:
Video:
Transcript:
Doubt if they showed that on RT or any TV news report in Russia. Wouldn’t hurt if a few politicians and interest groups in the West watched or paid close attention as well.
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Hamas insists permanent ceasefire needed for hostage deal
Hamas publicly insisted Tuesday that a permanent ceasefire must be in place before any deal is implemented for the release of the remaining 134 hostages held in Gaza, in a statement that seemed to run counter to optimism from Washington that an agreement was possible before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
“In the past two days, the movement presented its position on the proposal put forward by the brotherly Qatari and Egyptian mediators,” senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in Beirut.
He spoke as ceasefire talks mediated by both Egypt and Qatar continued in Cairo with no sign of a breakthrough.
“We reaffirmed our conditions for a ceasefire: a full pullout from the Strip and the return of the displaced [Palestinians] from areas they left, in particular in the north,” he said.
Wasn't there a cease-fire in place on October 6?
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“Little by little I am learning the art of being quite content by doing very little slowly” ~ Lionel Hardcastle
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Putin and Belgium....
What a joke.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/07/putin-falsely-claims-belgium-exists-largely-thanks-to-russia/ -
The below could go in many different forum threads but here is as good a place as any.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/07/viktor-orban-to-visit-donald-trump-in-florida-hungary
The longtime Hungarian prime minister, who has faced repeated criticism from the US government over democratic backsliding and his friendly relationship with the Kremlin, will be arriving in the US this week without an invitation from the White House.
In an almost unheard-of move for a Nato country’s leader, he is not expected to meet anyone from the Biden administration.
Instead, he is scheduled to speak on Thursday on a panel with the head of a conservative thinktank, the Heritage Foundation, before meeting Trump in Florida on Friday.
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“Both Orbán and Putin’s communications focus on ‘peace’ negotiations, which would undoubtedly benefit the Russians,” Buda said, adding that “one cannot be wrong to assume that Orbán is ultimately lobbying the US on foreign policy in favour of Russia”.
The Hungarian leader has publicly expressed his hope for a foreign policy shift in Washington and Brussels.
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The Hungarian government – which maintains relationships with Moscow and Beijing, still employs former communist security officials and is known for its tendency to skew business competition at home – does not fit in well with traditional American conservatives. The late Republican John McCain described Orbán in 2014 as “a neo-fascist dictator”.
Nevertheless, Orbán’s team have spent a significant amount of time and money on cultivating relationships with a different strand of US conservatives.
The Hungarian government has in recent years hired US consultancies with conservative links to help improve its image.
The Hungarian embassy in Washington has also been directly involved in the outreach: for example, it hosted the former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy twice in the past year.
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A bit worrying.
Trump’s presidential campaign claimed the pair met to discuss a “wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the United States, including the paramount importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each nation.”
“He’s a non-controversial figure because he says, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it. Right?” Trump said of the Hungarian prime minister in a video on Instagram. “He’s the boss.”
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Orban has faced backlash over his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his resistance to sending aid to Ukraine and expanding NATO, and even allegations of trying to weaken the judiciary system in Hungary.
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Not the least bit worrying. Viktor Orban is a paragon of liberal democracy. For one, unlike Lukashenko or Putin, he does not beat up, incarcerate or murder his opponents. He merely changes rules and election laws so he can stay in power. The much heralded President Presumptive of America, the Duke of Mar-A-Lago, might gain valuable insight from this visit.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/11/trump-ukraine-war-viktor-orban
Donald Trump “will not give a penny” to Ukraine if he is re-elected US president, the far-right Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said after a controversial meeting with Trump in Florida.
“He will not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war,” Orbán told state media in Hungary on Sunday. “Therefore, the war will end, because it is obvious that Ukraine can not stand on its own feet.”
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Calling Trump “a man of peace”, Orbán said: “If the Americans don’t give money and weapons, along with the Europeans, the war is over. And if the Americans don’t give money, the Europeans alone can’t finance this war. And then the war is over.” (This would likely mean Ukraine losing the war to Russia.)
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Fights within Russia
