The Ukraine war thread

[Renauda]

So this is where it stands:

"We know that many countries are sitting on large piles of Patriot systems, maybe not wanting to deliver it directly," Rutte said after arriving at the two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

"We can buy it from them, we can deliver it to Ukraine, we have the money available. It's crucial."

https://kyivindependent.com/dutch-pm-offers-to-buy-patriot-systems-from-allies-for-ukraine/

The Danish Defense Ministry announced on April 16 a new 2.2 billion kroner ($313 million) military aid package for Ukraine. The package includes 200 million Danish kroner ($28.5 million) earmarked for purchases from Ukraine's defense industry.

"This is the first and so far unprecedented decision to purchase military products from Ukrainian manufacturers at the expense of another country," the Strategic Industries Ministry said in a statement.

https://kyivindependent.com/denmark-first-to-buy-weapons-for-ukraine-from-ukrainian-manufacturer-in-deal-worth-28-5-million/

[Mik]

Not sure I understand how this helps Ukraine. Are they producing surplus of some weaponry?

[Renauda]

I think that the Danes are purchasing from the Ukrainian supplier on behalf of the government in Kyiv. There’s no money in the coffers to pay for these weapons to keep the manufacturers in business.

[Mik]

Makes sense.

[Wim]

Trump on Ukraine. Wonder what made him adjust his stance...

https://www.reuters.com/world/donald-trump-says-ukraines-survival-is-important-us-2024-04-18/

[taiwan_girl]

@Wim Votes in the upcoming election?

I still dont get this blind allegiance to President Trump, as if he is some kind of "savant" who is smarter than everybody else. "OMG - President Trump said this/endorses this so it must be correct."

[Renauda]

In the last week Trump has met with both the British Foreign Secretary and the Polish Foreign Minister. Those meetings may have had an impact on Trump’s thinking on the Ukraine issue in the immediate short term. Likewise he sees how the GOP has divided itself over Ukraine aid issue.

Fair enough that he wants NATO members to meet or exceed their commitments for defence. That is reasonable. As for European assistance to Ukraine, I doubt that he has a clear understanding of the extent of European assistance beyond arms. Trump’s meetings with Cameron and Duda might have disproved some misconceptions and assumptions. Who’s to know? Will have to see who and what else takes his ear, to know where he wants to take this.

[Wim]

I had forgotten that Trump already met Polish president Duda in 2019. They share a lot of political ideas 🥴

[Renauda]

@Wim

Thanks for the correction. I confused Duda with Sikorski. Also forgot that the former was still president of Poland. In any case, unlike Orban, Duda at least understands that Putin will never negotiate in good faith over Ukraine (or really anything) and that Russia is a real threat to global security that must be contained and kept contained. On other political topics though I am sure he and Trump are good friends.

[Mik]

A wakeup call for the west.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ubn-the-us-needs-to-wake-up/ar-AA1niizP?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=f17d0d3896f84870e2083c032784dcbe&ei=10

[Renauda]

A page out of the Stalin playbook. First you put the party or state official on notice by arresting his deputy and getting a confession. You then follow that up by arresting the official at a future time and place of your choosing:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/24/defense-officials-bribery-arrest-signals-shoigus-waning-influence-in-the-kremlin-a84946

Stayed tuned, there will be more to come…

[Renauda]

Petulant bastards:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/05/04/russia-adds-zelensky-to-criminal-wanted-list-a85036

[George K]

Things are going badly:

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-fortifications-8a72981dfdb755de6f8011b13f4d062e

[Jolly]

Russia is fighting as Russia does. And unless Europe steps up bigly, Russia will win this war and take however much of Ukraine they want within the next 24 months.

[Renauda]

Macron is talking of sending troops, the British implying they would consider it and the Poles are watching and waiting. Romanians are doing the same. Might just happen. All are members of NATO.

Wonder that if it were to happen that they pull the trigger, that’s sufficiently bigly for some?

[Horace]

WW3 or Russia wins. Which was the prediction at the start, as far as I’m aware.

[Copper]

@Horace said in The Ukraine war thread:

WW3 or Russia wins.

A WW could solve a lot of problems.

Russia wins, just leads to the next one, which makes the WW a little more difficult.

[Renauda]

A WW could solve a lot of problems

Yes, DEI and everything progressivism entails, good and bad, would be consigned to the rubbish heap of history.

Hell, even cigarette smoking might even make a socially acceptable come back.

Best of all, there will be jobs, jobs and more jobs in manufacturing and the oil and gas sector. Cost of labour will drop.

Any remaining leftists - male, female or gender identified fucked up - will be either incarcerated and lobotomised or sent directly to the front lines as expendable shock or diversionary forces

[George K]

[Renauda]

@George-K

Not quite. Shoigu will replace Nikolai Patrushev as Head of the RF Security Council. Not exactly a demotion.

What is more significant is where Putin places Patrushev. He is perhaps the most ruthless, paranoid and hawkish of Putin’s inner circle of siloviki. He could well be Putin’s Beria. Does not bode well for anyone with Russian citizenship in country or for the relatives left in country of any Russian living abroad.

Just another step towards becoming a European version of North Korea.

Edit: Shoigu’s replacement at the MinDef is Andrei Belousov until now First Dep Prime Minister. Belousov is a highly regarded technocrat bean counter. A Winston Wolf kind of guy who fixes things.