SPOILER

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 22:02 schreef BlaZ het volgende:
het doel is bondgenoten te doen twijfelen om in te grijpen.

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 22:59 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
er valt niks te twijfelen binnen navo.
wordt er 1 navo-lid aangevallen dan staat de hele navo paraat om te helpen.

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:05 schreef BlaZ het volgende:
Dat is dus precies de vraag. Stel dat de president van de VS, wie dat ook moge zijn, weigert in te grijpen?

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:09 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
dat is iets voor 'n film, dat is niet realistisch.

een land kan misschien wel aangeven geen lid meer te willen zijn van navo, maar tijdens lidmaatschap moet men reageren.

navo is ontzettend veilig, 't is 'n heel simpele onderlinge afspraak, ben je lid van navo dan help je elkaar.

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Hulppakket voor Oekraïne stap dichterbij na stemming in Senaat VS
De goedkeuring van een hulppakket van 95,34 miljard dollar (omgerekend 88,4 miljard euro) voor Oekraïne, Israël en Taiwan is zondagavond een stuk dichterbij gekomen. De Amerikaanse Senaat stemde met 67 stemmen voor en 27 stemmen tegen.
De komende dagen wordt gestemd over de definitieve goedkeuring van het hulppakket. Als het wetsvoorstel wordt aangenomen in de Senaat, zoals de verwachting is, dan moet het nog worden goedgekeurd in het Huis van Afgevaardigden. Daar kan het op meer tegenstand rekenen, doordat de Republikeinen in het Huis van Afgevaardigden in de meerderheid zijn.

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:13 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Ja dat is de afspraak, maar wat als een land als Amerika zich niet aan die afspraak houdt?

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:58 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
als je 'n beetje hebt opgelet dan weet je dat er onlangs 'n wet is aangenomen in de VS die 2/3 van de senaat nodig heeft om uit de navo te stappen. de president kan dat alleen niet beslissen, die heeft daar 2/3 van de senaat voor nodig dwz eigenlijk maakt de VS 't onmogelijk voor de president om uit de navo te stappen.

16 dec 2019 — Democraten én Republikeinen werken in de Amerikaanse Senaat aan een wet die moet voorkomen dat president Trump het lidmaatschap van de NAVO ...
16 dec 2023 — De Amerikaanse president kan zich niet meer terugtrekken uit de Navo zonder toestemming van het Congres.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:14 schreef oheng het volgende:
Vergeet niet dat de NAVO troepen heeft in de Baltische staten.

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NATO has deployed four multinational combat units with some 5,000 troops in total in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, led by the U.S., Germany, Canada and Britain. They are designed to buy time for additional NATO troops to reach the front line if needed.

As many as 130,000 Russian troops are positioned close to Ukraine’s borders but Moscow insists it has no plans to invade.

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:09 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
dat is iets voor 'n film, dat is niet realistisch.

een land kan misschien wel aangeven geen lid meer te willen zijn van navo, maar tijdens lidmaatschap moet men reageren.

navo is ontzettend veilig, 't is 'n heel simpele onderlinge afspraak, ben je lid van navo dan help je elkaar.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:28 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Dat geloof je toch zelf niet?
Donald Trump heeft het heel duidelijk gezegd: hij gaat NAVO-landen die aangevallen worden niet helpen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:28 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Dat geloof je toch zelf niet?
Donald Trump heeft het heel duidelijk gezegd: hij gaat NAVO-landen die aangevallen worden niet helpen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:09 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:
De vraag is wat er gebeurt in het hypothetische geval dat president Trump als commander in chief in dat geval zegt: "nee, wij geven er geen gehoor aan".

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:09 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:
Als een NAVO land wordt aangevallen en artikel 5 inroept.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:28 schreef grrrrg het volgende:

[..]
Dat geloof je toch zelf niet?
Donald Trump heeft het heel duidelijk gezegd: hij gaat NAVO-landen die aangevallen worden niet helpen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:54 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
daar heeft hij 2/3 van het congres voor nodig om 'n dergelijk idee door te zetten, hij kan dat niet in z'n eentje beslissen. dat zie je toch aan die wet, die is er niet voor niks. de president heeft zich aan de wetten te houden, zonder wet is er geen president. mocht hij zoiets beslissen dan kan men de president uit zijn functie zetten, daar zal ook wel 'n wet voor zijn, als blijkt dat de president manisch is oid.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:58 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
Trump roept onzin vanaf de zijlijn, hij is geen president dus heeft niks te zeggen, en als hij president wordt heeft hij zich gewoon aan de regels te houden.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 01:04 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:
hij kan gewoon zeggen dat ze geen gehoor geven aan artikel 5.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:54 schreef sturmpie het volgende:
hij zei ook iets in de richting van navo is failliet, maar dat is volgens mij onzin want ieder land houdt zijn eigen defensie in stand, navo is niet 'n geldpot, 't is 'n samenwerking voor zover ik weet.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 01:06 schreef DavidTwente het volgende:
"Oorlog in Oekraïne #929 onzeker richting de lente."

Komt er dit jaar weer een voorjaarsoffensief? Hoe is de vorige afgelopen eigenlijk?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 01:18 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
nee dat kan niet
als je lid bent van navo ga je automatisch akkoord met artikel 5.

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De partijen komen overeen dat een gewapende aanval tegen een of meer van hen in Europa of Noord-Amerika als een aanval tegen hen allen zal worden beschouwd; zij komen bijgevolg overeen dat, indien zulk een gewapende aanval plaatsvindt, ieder van hen de aldus aangevallen partij of partijen zal bijstaan, in de uitoefening van het recht tot individuele of collectieve zelfverdediging erkend in Artikel 51 van het Handvest van de Verenigde Naties, door terstond, individueel en in samenwerking met de andere partijen, op te treden op de wijze die zij nodig oordeelt met inbegrip van het gebruik van gewapend geweld om de veiligheid van het Noord-Atlantisch gebied te herstellen en te handhaven.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 00:20 schreef capricia het volgende:

[..]
Ik las dat artikel. En moest toen de datum checken. February 17, 2022
[..]
Stelletje leugenaars zijn die Russen. Een week voor de inval.

Bedoel, dit wisten we al, het is geen nieuws. Maar om het toch zo weer te zien staan.. bah.

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Estonian PM: Russia provoked by weakness, not strength
Ukraine's Western allies must commit to victory over Russia and not fall into "traps" laid by the Kremlin, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in a Feb. 11 interview with the Austrian news outlet Der Standard.

Kallas has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022.

"We should not fall into the various traps that have been set," Kallas said when questioned about the war in Ukraine.

"It is a mistake to believe that the war can be won quickly. Russia is preparing for a long period of war. The war will continue until Russia realizes that it cannot win."

Kallas's strong words of support come as doubts rise regarding the long-term stability of Western aid to Ukraine.

Political turmoil in Washington, D.C. has frozen U.S. aid to Ukraine for months, delaying urgently-needed funds as the country enters its third year at war. A Nordic-Baltic delegation, including representatives from Estonia, recently visited the U.S. to advocate for continued financial support from Congress.

According to Kallas, Ukraine's international partners must believe that victory is possible.

"We are stronger, but we must help Ukraine defend itself and give it what it needs. ... Russia wants us to believe that Ukraine cannot win, so that we stop supporting it," she said.

One "trap" that Kallas urged allies to avoid is the belief that negotiations with Russia will lead to a lasting peace. Another is fear that defending Ukraine will only provoke Moscow further and lead to escalating conflict.

"The opposite is true," Kallas said. "It is weakness, not strength, that provokes Russia."

Other European leaders have also intensified their rhetoric in support of Ukraine amid the U.S. funding crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Jan. 30 that Europe must be ready to defeat Russia no matter what American politicians decide. Finland's president-elect Alexander Stubb has called for unconditional NATO support for Ukraine.

Estonia remains one of Ukraine's staunchest allies. During the full-scale war, it has provided Kyiv with financial assistance worth nearly 500 million euros — more than 1.4% of its GDP.

Ukraine and Estonia also agreed on Feb. 8 to start negotiations on a bilateral security agreement.

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Polish protestors dump grain from Ukrainian trucks at Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint

Polish protesters have started pouring out grain from Ukrainian trucks directly onto the ground at the Yagodyn-Dorogusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border
News agency Konkurent reported the information.

"The police arrived, shrugged their shoulders, collected the data, and that was it. They wanted to cut the hatch with a battery-powered grinder, broke the seal and poured out the wheat. Three tons fell out of each truck. These are our "Polish friends". It was unexpected, but the fact is the fact," says an eyewitness.

You can see what exactly is happening at the checkpoint in the video that appeared on social media.

• On February 7, Polish farmers sent an official notice to resume strikes on the border with Ukraine. The blocking of the Dorohusk-Yagodyn checkpoint began on February 9. The protest was approved by local authorities until March 9.
• Earlier, the Polish farmers' union Solidarity announced a general strike across the country on February 9. At the time, it was noted that it would begin with the blockade of all checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, as well as the blocking of roads and highways in certain voivodeships.
• The reason for the renewed protests is simple: according to one of the organizers, Roman Kondruw, the government has done nothing to solve the problem of technical grain from Ukraine since the previous protests.

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Polish farmers spill grain from Ukrainian trucks on border - video

Polish agrarians protesting near the checkpoint on the Polish-Ukrainian border have spilled grain from three Ukrainian trucks on the ground.

Source: European Pravda with reference to RMF24

Details: The incident occurred on 11 February at about 11:30 at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, one of the locations of Polish protest actions.

A video from the site of the incident was posted on the farmer.pl page on Facebook.

"Three trucks driven by Ukrainian citizens entered Poland after undergoing customs procedures. The participants of the protest actions did not let them pass and opened semi-trailers which resulted in some quantity of grain being spilled on the road. The drivers were then headed back to Ukraine," Ewa Czyz, representative of the Polish police, reported.

She added that there was no direct confrontation during these events.

"We are conducting an investigation, identifying the participants and interrogating the witnesses," she added, noting that gathered information will be handed over to the Prosecutor's Office for legal assessment.

Background:
• On Friday, 9 February, farmers from all around Poland started a protest action which is expected to last for 30 days. It provides for, among other things, blocking the roads and border crossings with Ukraine.
• Before that, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated that it was expecting protest actions near five checkpoints, starting 12 February at two of them.
• On 10 February, heavy truck traffic resumed at the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint after the protest action of Polish farmers was over, and they lifted the blockade.

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Op zondag 11 februari 2024 23:09 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
dat is iets voor 'n film, dat is niet realistisch.

een land kan misschien wel aangeven geen lid meer te willen zijn van navo, maar tijdens lidmaatschap moet men reageren.

navo is ontzettend veilig, 't is 'n heel simpele onderlinge afspraak, ben je lid van navo dan help je elkaar.

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GOP senators defy Trump by advancing foreign aid bill
Donald Trump spent the weekend telling senators they should not pass more unconditional U.S. foreign aid. More than a dozen Republicans ignored him Sunday, moving forward on a bill to send $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The Senate voted 67-27 to advance the foreign aid supplemental spending bill that doesn’t include border provisions, moving it another step closer to passage. That still isn’t guaranteed, as leaders haven’t yet reached an agreement on GOP-demanded border amendments.

The package faces some resistance from Republicans, who say they won’t back further aid to Ukraine unless it’s amended to include border policy changes. Last week, Republicans blocked a bipartisan border-foreign aid package that was negotiated for months, arguing it didn’t go far enough to limit migration. Consideration of border amendments would require unanimous consent from senators, which is still elusive.

“From this point forward, are you listening U.S. Senate (?),” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “No money in the form of foreign aid should be given to any country unless it is done as a loan, not just a giveaway.”

Trump had helped tank the bipartisan border-foreign aid bill, calling for Republicans to block that legislation as well. This time, many GOP senators didn’t seem concerned with his opposition.

“I think that it’s unlikely that we lose any more [members],” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said in response to Trump’s comments. “It’s more likely that we can gain more, particularly of members who … were just wanting to make sure that our members got a chance to file amendments and have them heard.”

Republican support actually gained some ground on Sunday, with 18 voting to move the measure forward.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stumped for further aid in his Sunday floor speech, refusing to back away from his adamant support for foreign aid, particularly Ukraine, that’s highlighted a growing divide within his conference.

“I know it’s become quite fashionable in some circles to disregard the global interests we have as a global power. To bemoan the responsibilities of global leadership,” McConnell said. “This is idle work for idle minds. And it has no place in the United States Senate.”

Trump had other comments over the weekend that riled lawmakers, suggesting at a rally Saturday evening that Russia should “do whatever the hell they want” to any NATO-member nation that is not meeting its spending commitment. Senate Democrats were expectedly aghast at the comment — but the remarks also elicited mixed responses from Senate Republicans.

Tillis blamed Trump’s team rather than the former president’s long-established beef with NATO, saying “shame on his briefers” for not explaining the U.S. has made a commitment to assist any NATO country that is attacked.

Others were sharper in their criticism. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said it was a “stupid thing to say.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said it was “uncalled for.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he doesn’t take Trump “literally.”

“None of us want to see a war in Europe and I don’t think he does either,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “And, very clearly, we’re going to defend our NATO allies, and I’m quite certain the president does not want to see us in a war with Russia.”

On the foreign aid bill, which has cut into the Senate’s previously scheduled two-week recess, lawmakers are still holding out hope for a time agreement and swift amendment votes. Several had scheduled international CODELs and commitments in their home states.

But any one senator can prevent that from happening, and Paul has indicated he will object to any attempts to speed up passage unless the southern border is addressed first. Without a time agreement, final passage can’t occur before Wednesday.

“We shouldn’t be sending anything overseas until we secure [our own] border,” Paul said Sunday.

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Ukrainian teen basketball player killed in Germany
Seventeen-year-old basketball player Volodymyr Yermakov was killed in a street attack in Dusseldorf, Germany, the Kyiv Basketball Federation (FBK) reported Feb. 11.

Yermakov played for the ART Giants youth team in Dusseldorf. The night before an upcoming match, on Feb. 10, he and his teammate Artem Kozachenko were reportedly attacked with knives on the street.

Yermakov died in the hospital of injuries sustained in the attack. Kozachenko remains in intensive care.

The entire ART Giants youth team reportedly spent the night in the hospital with Yermakov and Kozachenko following the attack.

According to the FBK, the young men's attackers may have been motivated by hatred against Ukraine. The players "were attacked with knives in the street simply because they were Ukrainians," the FBK said in their announcement.

Local police are currently investigating the attack.

Yermakov played basketball throughout his childhood, and was a member of Ukraine's youth national team at the 2022 European Championship in Bulgaria. The FBK and Ukraine's national Basketball Federation (FBU) expressed condolences to Yermakov's family.

SPOILER

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Event has already been widely used as PR opportunity for notorious Chechen unit accused of war crimes in Ukraine

Led out by a beaming Adam Kadyrov, the son of the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, a group of muscular men sporting black beards strode on to the brightly illuminated stage in Dubai last week to receive gold medals and a $5,000 (£3,960) cheque.

The men were members of the notorious Chechen Akhmat Kadyrov special police regiment, a group that Ukrainian officials have said was responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the war with Russia. The unit had just won one of the contests at the international Swat Challenge games, which are held each year in the United Arab Emirates.

The invasion of Ukraine has made Russia a pariah state in the west, with many Russian sports teams and cultural figures banned from participation in global competitions. But in Dubai last week, Chechen forces were competing against elite police squads from the US and Canada, raising questions among security experts and human rights observers about why western security groups were taking part in a contest alongside a unit accused of war crimes in Ukraine.

Hosted by the Dubai police over the last week, the 5th UAE Swat Challenge bills itself as the Olympics for elite law enforcement agencies and aims to “foster cooperation and exchange of tactical techniques and skills” among international police teams, according to the event’s website.

In videos published by organisers, 87 Swat teams from 48 countries are seen engaging in various mock tactical challenges including assaults, rescues and shooting drills.

Among this year’s participants were two US law enforcement agencies, the NYPD emergency service unit, New York’s select police unit, and the San Antonio police department (SAPD) from Texas. From Canada, the London emergency response unit (LU) participated.

Prof Mark Galeotti, a specialist on Russian security affairs and organised crime, said: “I don’t know of any similar cases of US police participation in events alongside teams from Russia, let alone a unit from Chechnya active in Ukraine. I would have expected US pressure on the police forces to voluntarily pull out.”

On the event’s website, the Dubai police say the goal of the tournament is to “foster an exchange of tactical techniques and skills among international Swat teams”, as well as to “create cooperation between all Swat teams on a global level and for members”.

One source with knowledge of US security services said it was “embarrassing” for US special units to participate in events alongside the Chechen group. “Obviously it is bad for US law enforcement to be at the same events,” the source said. “This is embarrassing optics-wise given accusations about what Akhmat units did.”

The Akhmat Kadyrov special forces, which are named after the Chechen president’s father, Akhmad, have played a prominent role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

They have appeared among forces taking part in a brutal siege on the port city of Mariupol, where targets included a maternity hospital and the suffering of hundreds of thousands has become emblematic of Ukrainian pain.

At home in Chechnya, the special police forces have long been accused of committing widespread human rights abuses including kidnapping, forced disappearances, torture and murder as well as pogroms against the LGBTQ+ community.

The Akhmat is led by Zamid Chalaev, one of Kadyrov’s top security officials. Chalaev is under US sanctions for the siege of Mariupol and “the transfer of Ukrainian children to camps in the Chechen Republic”.

Pictures published by the Swat Challenge website show him attending the tournament.

The NYPD as well as Canada’s LU did not answer questions from the Guardian about whether they were aware of the background of the Akhmat or whether they were worried about exchanging information with other participants.

In a written reply, the SAPD said: “Each participating country has their own geopolitical history and are not taken into consideration by participating teams. The purpose of events like this are for the best in the world to showcase their skills in the spirit of competition, much like the Olympics.”

In a post on X on Tuesday, the NYPD thanked the Dubai police for the invitation to participate, writing: “In a friendly competition, our NYPD Specialops emergency service unit team partook in the Swat Challenge and got to showcase their training and techniques.”

The competition appears to lure participants by covering expenses while offering the winners lavish payments. According to the Khaleej Times, a Dubai news outlet, a total of $260,000 in prize money is distributed during the tournament, with the top place, which was won by the Chechens last year, taking home $80,000, while $40,000 is reserved for the second place.

There are daily challenge prizes too, one of which Kadyrov’s men claimed on Tuesday when they were pictured receiving a $5,000 cheque for coming first at the “Tower Event” where, according to the organisers, they showed “unparalleled displays of agility, strength, and tactical skill”.

It is unclear whether the prize money is divided among team members or goes directly to the police forces, although given that Kadyrov runs Chechnya as his personal fiefdom, experts suggested he was likely to directly profit from the tournament.

The three North American police forces did not answer questions from the Guardian about whether the Dubai police paid for their participation in the tournament or whether the UAE force covered any other costs.

But in an interview with the Canadian CBS in 2019, the US Alachua County sheriff’s office, which participated that year, said the Dubai police covered much of the costs, including travel, lodging, meals and “things needed for the competition”.

“Best on the planet”
Western participation in Dubai Swat games has granted the event an aura of legitimacy, said Andrei Soldatov, a leading expert on Russian security services.

Soldatov said that while the exchange of knowledge between Russian and US police and anti-terrorism units was not unheard of, it was unusual for them to compete in a public event for money.

The competition has already been widely used as a public relations opportunity for the Chechen forces at a time when its fighters have infamously earned a negative reputation as “TikTok fighters” because of their constant social media use on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Announcing the Chechen victory at the Swat Challenge on Tuesday, one state-run outlet triumphantly wrote: “Akhmat again demonstrated that it is the best special forces on the planet.” Kadyrov told his 2 million followers on his Telegram channel that his fighters had a “great result” in a tournament of “global proportions”.

Galeotti said: “US participation legitimised the event but far more importantly was a gift to Grozny (and Moscow). The USA ends up looking incompetent at best, downright eager to flout its own rules at worst.”

The games also highlighted the rise of 16-year-old Adam Kadyrov, one of the several children of the Chechen president who have recently been elevated to top positions in Chechnya.

Although a federal republic of Russia, Ramzan Kadyrov has been given wide leeway by Vladimir Putin to gradually transform the region into a state within a state, with its own laws, security services and even foreign policy.

In September, Kadyrov reposted a video on Telegram that showed Adam launching a flurry of kicks and punches to the head of a Russian prisoner who had been transferred to Chechnya after being accused of burning a Qur’an. On Tuesday, as Adam went on stage to collect the medal in Dubai, a court in Russia cleared him of all charges in relation to the incident.

The Akhmat squad is not the only controversial security unit to take part in this year’s tournament. Also competing was the Almaz anti-terrorism unit, a special unit of Belarus’s ministry of internal affairs that has widely been accused of violently suppressing anti-government protests in the country in 2020-2021 after rigged elections kept Aleksander Lukashenko in power.

And last year the NYPD emergency service unit competed against SOBR and Vityaz, two specialist units of Rosgvardia, Russia’s national guard that answers directly to Putin and was sent to Ukraine at the start of the war.

Galeotti said it would be wrong to equate the Almaz and the Akhmat units with western counterparts, which traditionally operate against terrorists and organised crime.

“Almaz has played a key role in political repression in Belarus while Akhmat is not only part of Kadyrov’s brutal private army, it is still playing a combat role in Ukraine.”

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Protests by relatives of mobilised soldiers growing in Russia – ISW
Relatives of mobilised Russian soldiers continue to protest across Russia, with rallies taking place in the cities of Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The ISW reported that the protests are continuing despite the Kremlin's attempts to censor them and suppress any social movement in support of the mobilised Russian soldiers.

On 10 February, Russian opposition media outlets Sota and Mobilization News released footage showing members of the Russian civic movement the Way Home laying flowers and gathering at monuments in Moscow, St Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg, calling for their relatives to be demobilised.

Mobilization News reported that members of the Way Home also visited the campaign headquarters of Russian presidential candidate Vladislav Davankov in Moscow and handed over letters asking for demobilisation to Davankov's team.

The Russian authorities have recently attempted to censor protests by Way Home members at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow and nearby Manezhnaya Square.

ISW stressed its assessment that the Kremlin's attempts to censor and discredit the Way Home movement underscore the Kremlin's desperation to shut down these protests, especially in the run-up to the March 2024 presidential elections.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 10 February:
• Delays in Western security assistance may lead to significant Ukrainian air defence missile shortages that could allow Russian forces to bomb Ukrainian forces or even front-line cities more aggressively.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Major General Anatolii Barhylevych as Chief of the Ukrainian General Staff, replacing Lieutenant General Serhii Shaptala.
• Russian drone footage published on 9 February showed Russian forces executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) near Klishchiivka on the Bakhmut front.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated several Kremlin narratives aimed at justifying Russia’s war in Ukraine and threatening the West at a ceremony honouring Diplomats’ Day on 10 February.
• Kremlin mouthpieces reiterated ongoing Russian narratives blaming the West, specifically the United States, for the absence of constructive peace negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite numerous Russian statements indicating that Russia is not interested in good-faith peace negotiations with Ukraine.
• The Russian State Duma is considering a bill aimed at further censoring actors designated as "foreign agents", likely aimed at censoring dissent from opposition media outlets and prominent information space voices.
• Russian forces made confirmed advances near Kreminna and Avdiivka.
• The relatives of mobilised Russian soldiers continue to protest throughout Russia despite previous Kremlin efforts to censor similar protests and suppress any possible resurgence of a broader social movement in support of mobilised Russian soldiers.
• Russian and occupation officials continue to set conditions for the deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied Ukraine through educational and extracurricular schemes.

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War in Ukraine contributing to shortage of doctors across Russia - UK intelligence
There are indications that Russia has faced a shortage of medical professionals across the country due to the aggressive war that the Kremlin has launched against Ukraine.
The UK Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update posted on the social media platform X, Ukrinform reports.

According to the ministry, shortly after mobilization of the Russian military in September 2022, healthcare professionals were warned not leave the country; but up to 2% of Russian doctors and healthcare professionals did leave the country to avoid the draft. Additionally, up to 3,000 medical staff have likely been mobilized to assist in combat medical care.

The ministry cites data from the Russian Ministry of Health, which said in November 2023 that the medical sector lacked about 26,500 doctors and 58,200 nursing staff. There is a significant shortage of doctors in 22 regions, and in another seven regions it is assessed as severe.

Another estimate from January 2024 suggests that in the previous 15 months, the number of doctors decreased by 7,500 – with many blaming long hours and low pay. In its report on the budget for 2024, the State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Local Government noted that poorer regions of Russia in particular would have problems financing medical salaries.

“The heavy resource and financial burden of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine is negatively affecting a range of civilian sectors that serve the Russian population. There are no signs that the trend of reducing numbers of healthcare professionals in Russia will change during 2024,” the intelligence said.

As reported by Ukrinform, the healthcare sector in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia region is experiencing a collapse. The enemy closed 70% of medical institutions, turning them into military hospitals.

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Russians Construct 30-Kilometer Defensive Line with 2,000 Railway Cars

The Russians built a 30-kilometer line of defense from more than 2,000 railway cars.
This was reported by the DeepState analytical community.

The continuous construction stretches along the branch line from the railway station in Olenivka to Volnovakha and has about 2,100 wagons of various types.

It is reported that the construction of this massive defensive line began in July 2023. For its construction, apparently, rolling stock was used, stolen from the temporarily occupied territories.

Such a defensive structure, which in fact represents a solid wall, is a very serious obstacle in the way of advancing troops.

Given that some sections of the railway track are built with a high roadbed (an embankment that distributes the load on the soil), such a defensive line is a full-fledged defensive shaft.

It is possible to overcome it only after large-scale engineering works: disengagement of wagons, removal from tracks, or movement to another place. However, these engineering works will be accompanied by the counteraction of the Russians.

In addition to problems for Ukrainian troops, such a line of defense also creates problems for the Russians themselves: logistics for advanced positions can be difficult due to an obstacle, in addition, such a barrier creates an obstacle to maneuver.

“This is a very specific engineering structure, the effectiveness of which is difficult to assess. The idea is clear – an obstacle to the advancement of the Defense Forces. It can be considered as a separate line of defense, because it is extremely difficult to damage, move or blow up the 30-kilometer mass of metal, and the movement of equipment through such a blockage without breaking through the corridor is impossible,” writes the DeepState team.

This is not the first time the Russians have built huge engineering barriers as part of a full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

In April 2023, it became known that the Russians built a solid 70-kilometer anti-tank ditch in Zaporizhzhia, which stretched from the village of Semenivka to the village of Marynivka.

Militarnyi has reported several times on the construction of fortifications in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

For example, in August 2023, a significant strengthening of defense was reported near major settlements in Zaporizhzhia region.

quote:

Russians Show T-62M and T-62MV Tanks Upgrades: Self-Entrenching Blades, Tank Sweeps and EW

The Russians showed T-62M and T-62MV mod. 2022 tanks, which are equipped with protective ‘grilles,’ self-entrenching blades, tank sweeps, and electronic warfare systems.

The video with these tanks was published by Andrii Tarasenko, a researcher of armored vehicles, on his Telegram channel.

Obviously, despite the statements of the Russians about the use of T-62 as ersatz-self-propelled guns, these combat vehicles are equipped for offensive operations.

An RP-377 electronic jamming system, which directly indicates that the tank does not act in the rear, is installed on one of the combat vehicles.

Later, Tarasenko released photos of a destroyed Russian armor convoy, among which one of the previously demonstrated T-62 was noticed.

It is worth noting that obsolete Soviet tanks from the Cold War era are often observed during attempts by Russian troops to advance.

Recently, Militarnyi reported that soldiers of the 3rd Brigade ‘Spartan’ of the National Guard destroyed the Russian T-55 tank, which was equipped with ‘grills’ on the turret and engine compartment.

The Russians began to use T-62 virtually from the beginning of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, this was reported in May 2022.

Later, in June of the same year, Russian T-62 began to equip slat armor and “grills” against drones, which already signaled the use of tanks for their intended purpose, and not as ersatz-self-propelled guns.

Modernization of T-62
Currently, Russia plans to modernize approximately 800 outdated Soviet T-62M/MV tanks.

Modernization is carried out by installing a new radio, thermal sight, ERA and other protection

The very idea of modernizing the T-62 is generally justified: firstly, other tanks simply do not exist in the right quantities, and the Ukrainian military destroyed about 2,000 Russian vehicles.

Secondly, the level of training does not allow crews to quickly master more modern vehicles for the battlefield. The factory demonstrated a T-62MV on which a thermal sight with a 1PN-96MT-02 built-in laser rangefinder is installed.

Unlike Sosna-U, it does not have a daytime channel – exclusively thermal, but with a laser rangefinder.

It is based on a non-cooling matrix that affects target detection ranges (about two to three kilometers). Also, 1PN96MT-02 does not have the ability to use guided tank missiles.

To protect the tank, ‘grilles’ are welded onto the rear of the turret, and the dynamic protection ‘Kontakt-1’ is installed. However, there remains a vulnerability at the factory in the form of instruments on the turret that are not covered by the dynamic protection.

Штурмові Т-62М та Т-62МВ

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After a huge shake-up in the top brass of Ukraine’s armed forces, Zelensky met with his new team of military leaders. On Sunday he replaced the commander of the Joint Forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spent all day Saturday in meetings with his new team of military leadership.

“We continue to reboot the management team in the Armed Forces,” he wrote on his official Telegram channel.

On Sunday, Zelensky signed a decree appointing Gen. Yuriy Sodol as the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to replace Gen. Serhiy Naiev. Since 2018, Sodol was the commander of Ukraine's Marines.

Among the officers Zelensky gathered were people the President described as “well known in the army and whothemselves know well what the army needs.” He added that they “are taking on new responsibilities.”

Apart from the new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, whose reputation as a hard-edged and cunning tactician is well known in Ukraine, there are several relatively new faces:

Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky’s focus will be on uncrewed systems and the development of drones.

Colonel Andriy Lebedenko will focus on innovation, specifically the technology component of the army and combat systems. “Clear practice with new technologies is needed,” Zelensky said.

Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk will concentrate on operational work, staff work, planning and management. “In every staff, they must fully understand the front,” Zelensky said, repeating a leitmotiv from the previous day when he announced that he insists his new commanders be familiar with the front rather than languishing at headquarters.

Brigadier General Oleksiy Shevchenko has been tasked to develop logistics, “ensuring maximum quality of logistics in our army.”

Meanwhile Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapaty will be responsible for training soldiers. Drapaty has commanded Joint Forces Kherson since the start of the full-scale war. His first job was constructing ad hoc defensive lines in the early days of Russia’s 2022 attack on Ukraine, following a Kremlin breakthrough from Crimea reaching initially weak Ukrainian forces around the cities Kherson and Mykolaiv.

“All the real-life experience of combat commanders, combat brigades, our units, who have built a quality training system for soldiers and evaluation and analysis of combat actions – all this experience must be implemented for the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

quote:

Ukraine's new Territorial Defence Commander oversaw dispersal of Revolution of Dignity protests as head of Internal Troops
Ihor Plakhuta, who was recently appointed to the post of the commander of the Territorial Defence Forces by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was the head of Internal Troops during the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity, and was therefore involved in the violent dispersal of protesters.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda

Details: Forces overseen by Plakhuta were involved in removing, on 10 December 2013, protesters’ barricades from the so-called "government quarter" – the area in Kyiv where many of Ukraine’s government buildings are located.

Plakhuta, who was then the commander of the Southern Territorial Command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Internal Troops, said that around 400 Internal Troops personnel and members of the Berkut special police force were involved in removing the barricades from the streets.

He said that "people in black who disassembled the barricades were municipal workers".

Around the same time, Plakhuta claimed that two Berkut officers sustained injuries while carrying out their duties.

Media reported that an "official from the Internal Affairs Ministry" came out to negotiate with the protesters on 21 January 2014, with some suggesting that it was Plakhuta.

For reference: Ihor Plakhuta served as the commander of the Separate Presidential Brigade in 2005-2008.

In 2009, he was appointed the commander of the training centre No 169. He was later made the commander of the Southern Territorial Command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Internal Troops.

Background:
• President Zelenskyy’s decree from 11 February saw the appointment of Ihor Plakhuta as commander of Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, replacing Anatolii Barhylevych, who was relieved from his duties on Friday, 9 February.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 01:18 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
nee dat kan niet
als je lid bent van navo ga je automatisch akkoord met artikel 5.

quote:

Russian soldiers more often express dissatisfaction with their commanders
Among the ranks of Russian military personnel, dissatisfaction with their commanders is growing. Courts are increasingly handing down verdicts for the shooting of their subordinates by commanders, according to the National Resistance Center (NRC).

It is noted that in the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, there is a trend of acts of violence committed by unit commanders against their subordinates.

In particular, in the Kursk region, numerous verdicts of garrison military courts are recorded regarding cases of mass murder of servicemen, when unit commanders shot their subordinates during service.

It is pointed out that these incidents occurred due to mutual animosity or as a result of servicemen being in a state of alcohol or drug intoxication.

"As a result of the latest incident in early February of this year, the Kursk Garrison Military Court handed down a verdict sentencing a senior warrant officer to 14 years in prison for shooting his subordinates while heavily intoxicated," the statement said.

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Finland's new president sees no limit to NATO ties, Ukraine support

HELSINKI, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb declared himself winner of Finland's presidential election on Sunday after a campaign built on promises to make the most of his country's new membership of NATO and back Ukraine in its war with shared neighbour Russia.
In his new job, the centre-right former prime minister and investment banker will head up foreign and security policy, represent Finland in NATO meetings and act as Commander-in-Chief of the military.
It is "very important that we in Europe take care of our own defence," the 55-year-old told Reuters in the buildup to the vote. He said he agreed with his predecessor Sauli Niinisto "who said that we need a more European NATO".
The new job marks Stubb's return to domestic politics after several years abroad working as vice president of the European Investment Bank and director at the European University Institute in Florence.
Allies describe him as a multi-lingual, pro-European, fiscal conservative. He describes himself as a moderate.
He would be "a Western president in many ways" and lean towards the United States, Britain and Nordic neighbours when it came to setting the tone of foreign policy, he told Reuters.
He would set "no limits" to Finland's support for Ukraine.
"My starting point is, paraphrasing (European Central Bank President) Mario Draghi, whatever it takes," Stubb said.
The Nordic nation joined the Western military alliance in April last year, breaking with decades of non-alignment in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
During his election campaign Stubb said Finland should be an active NATO member and seek to have some NATO troops stationed on its territory.
He has also said he would be ready to let nuclear weapons be transported through the country - though not stored there. "At times, a nuclear weapon is a guarantee of peace," he said at a debate.
Many Finns also see cosmopolitan Stubb as a candidate of the Helsinki elite, according to University of Helsinki political scientist Johanna Vuorelma. "The visible and well-known names of the business world are strongly behind Stubb," Vuorelma said.
But that was an image he tried to shift during his campaign, by speaking favourably of Finland's social-democratic welfare model, she added.
As far back as the 1990s, it was clear that foreign policy was one of his strengths, even though over the years there were questions "over what the level of his domestic political expertise and interest in it was," the head of Finland's Centre for Parliamentary Studies, Markku Jokisipila, said.
Stubb served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2008 before moving home to kick off a political career capped by a string of ministerial posts - foreign affairs, European affairs and trade, finance and then prime minister in 2014-2015. He was ousted in 2016 as chair of the National Coalition Party that he still represents.
Stubb is a keen amateur athlete and triathlon champion - though he has said he will cut down on sport once he becomes Finland's 13th president.
He is married to British-born lawyer Suzanne Innes-Stubb, 54, with whom he has two grown-up children.

quote:

Translation: "This is a well-known mine, the MON-50. I'll show you now how it's disassembled".

quote:

Russia Lost 10 Percent Of Its Deployed Tanks Trying To Capture Avdiivka
Pyrrhic victory: noun; a victory that is not worth winning because so much is lost to achieve it

The four-month battle for Avdiivka probably is culminating as the Ukrainian garrison in the ruined city, just five miles northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, runs out of ammunition—a direct consequence of Russia-aligned Republicans in the U.S. Congress withholding aid—and Russian infantry creep into the city from north and south, threatening the garrison’s supply lines.

It’s a painful loss for Ukraine—the first large settlement it’s lost to Russia in nearly a year—but, as a win, it’s potentially even more painful for Russia. In capturing a few square miles of demolished and depopulated urban terrain, the Kremlin has sacrificed almost exactly an entire mechanized division’s worth of tanks.

As open-source analyst @partisan_oleg pointed out, before the fall of the Soviet Union a 10,000-person motor-rifle division on paper would have 220 tanks. The Russian army still broadly adheres to Soviet force-design.

Since attacking Avdiivka in early October, the Russian 2nd and 41st Combined Arms Armies have lost 214 tanks that analyst @naalsio26 has counted. Mostly T-72s and T-80s, but also a few high-end T-90s. The Ukrainian brigades in and around Avdiivka meanwhile have lost just 18 tanks.

Russian tanks losses just around Avdiivka amount to potentially more than a tenth of all the tanks Russian forces have in Ukraine.

The Russians can’t blame the 12-to-one loss ratio on the Ukrainians not deploying tanks in their defensive campaign in Avdiivka: the Ukrainians did deploy tanks, including some of their best German-made Leopard 2A6s—before chopping those tanks to a brigade holding the line around Kreminna, 50 miles to the north.

Nor can the Russians point to the traditional advantage a dug-in defender has over an exposed attacker. Historically, an attacker should expect to suffer three times the losses a defender suffers.

No, the Ukrainians simply outfought the Russians with mines, artillery, drones, missiles and old-fashioned rifle fire from entrenched positions. And they did it despite gradually running out of ammunition after Republicans withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine starting in October.

In losing four times as many tanks as they should expect to lose, the Russians fell into an attrition trap. They might capture what’s left of Avdiivka, but if the Ukrainian garrison withdraws now, the Russians will win the ruins at a cost in people and equipment they probably can’t make good very quickly—and likely not without slowing the pace of operations elsewhere along the 600-mile front of Russia’s 23-month wider war on Ukraine.

The problem, of course, is that the Ukrainian garrison in Avdiivka might not retreat. If, at the orders of Ukraine’s eastern command or new commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, the garrison fights to the last person, it risks surrendering its attritional advantage.

This has happened before. The last time the Russians surrounded a large Ukrainian settlement—Bakhmut, last May—Syrsky, then the head of Ukrainian ground forces, probably kept Bakhmut’s garrison in the eastern city’s ruins too long.

“While Bakhmut initially unfolded as a success story for Ukraine, with Russians sustaining significant casualties, at times reaching a ratio of 1:7 or 1:10, the situation swiftly changed,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained. “Once Russian forces managed to seize Ukrainian flanks and disrupt supply routes, the casualty rates almost equaled.”

It’s not too late for the Avdiivka battle to hurt Russia far more than it hurts Ukraine, even as Russia “wins” the fight. But, for the Ukrainians, snatching victory from defeat means knowing when to retreat.

SPOILER

twitter

Russia Damaged a HIMARS Launcher! Shrapnel Damage on HIMARS Loaded on a Plane

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 13:23 schreef oheng het volgende:
De russen hebben bijna de belangrijkste aanvoerlijn naar Avdiivka afgesloten.

Andrew Perpetua's observaties. Google Docs bron.

SPOILER

[ twitter ]

De russen hebben ook eindelijk een (1) HIMARS beschadigd:

Russia Damaged a HIMARS Launcher! Shrapnel Damage on HIMARS Loaded on a Plane

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 15:14 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]

Zou die tweede in plaats van door een ongeluk bijvoorbeeld door een anti persoonsmijn geraakt kunnen zijn? Of is daar de schade niet groot genoeg voor.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 20:52 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:
U.S. Rejects Putin’s Latest Call for Ukraine Negotiations
Skepticism remains high about the Russian leader’s intentions after he told Tucker Carlson that the war in Ukraine could be settled with a peace deal.
NYT

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 20:56 schreef Hatseflats22 het volgende:

[..]
Linkdrop, waarom?

Maar goed, lachwekkend dat uitgerekend jij de NYT als bron opvoert. Dat is toch allemaal MSM fake media of nu ineens niet?

En daarbij, misschien moet Poetin eens gaan praten met Zelensky en direct aan hem uitleggen hoe Rusland van plan is zo snel mogelijk op te tyfen uit Oekraïne.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 20:33 schreef oheng het volgende:
Ruzie tussen Zelensky en Zalushny komt tot een climax bij medaille uitreiking.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:25 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Andere bronnen worden hier niet geaccepteerd. Onderhandelen is niet populair bij jou geloof ik.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:31 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Waar wil jij over onderhandelen, dan?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:35 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Ik ga zelf niet onderhandelen. Niet onderhandelen en vechten tot the last Ukrainian lijkt me ook geen goed idee.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:35 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Ik ga zelf niet onderhandelen. Niet onderhandelen en vechten tot the last Ukrainian lijkt me ook geen goed idee.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:36 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Daar denken een heleboel Oekraïners anders over.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:38 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Wat dacht je van vechten totdat Rusland kapot gaat? Maar nogmaals, waar wil je over onderhandelen?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:48 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Makkelijk praten vanachter je computer. Onderhandelen waar beide partijen het eens kunnen worden. Of liever niet proberen en nog een paar 100 duizend doden?

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:48 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Makkelijk praten vanachter je computer. Onderhandelen waar beide partijen het eens kunnen worden. Of liever niet proberen en nog een paar 100 duizend doden?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:55 schreef Whiskers2009 het volgende:

[..]
Rusland is niet betrouwbaar. Hebben ze keer op keer bewezen. Hun beloften (op schrift) en verdragen zijn niets waard.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:48 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Makkelijk praten vanachter je computer. Onderhandelen waar beide partijen het eens kunnen worden. Of liever niet proberen en nog een paar 100 duizend miljoen doden?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:09 schreef the-eye het volgende:

[..]
Dat is ook hoe Rusland het Westen ziet.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:09 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Waarom onderhandelen, WO2 eindigde toch ook met een onvoorwaardelijk overgave van Duitsland en Japan?
Soms blijkt het noodzakelijk een heel hoge prijs te betalen om een agressor te kunnen stoppen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:11 schreef TLC het volgende:

[..]
Waar moeten we dit keer de atoombommen op gooien dan ? Moskou en ehm...

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:09 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Waarom onderhandelen, WO2 eindigde toch ook met een onvoorwaardelijk overgave van Duitsland en Japan?
Soms blijkt het noodzakelijk een heel hoge prijs te betalen om een agressor te kunnen stoppen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:17 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Geavanceerde drones kunnen Moskou al bereiken
Doet me denken aan Polen dat fftjes verdeeld werd door Hitler en Stalin.
Mwah, de oorlog NK,ZK is nooit officieel geëindigd. Rinse, repeat.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:23 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Met drones verover je niks. Bovendien is escalatie en oneindige verlenging van de oorlog juist iets wat ieder zinnig mens op tegen is.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:23 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Met drones verover je niks. Bovendien is escalatie en oneindige verlenging van de oorlog juist iets wat ieder zinnig mens op tegen is.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:29 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
We kunnen Rusland gewoon kapot bombarderen. Hun nucleaire arsenaal is toch weggecorrumpeert.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:52 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Wat wil je proberen dan? Overgave? Afstaan van stukjes Ukraine waarna Rusland straks een nieuwe oorlog begint?

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:10 schreef Whiskers2009 het volgende:

[..]
Het boeit me minder dan niks hoe Rusland "iets ziet". Het boeit me wat de feiten zijn.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:32 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Jij bent hier enkel om op slinkse wijze het narratief van Putin te bevestigen, dat het Westen uit is op de vernietiging van Rusland.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:33 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Feit is dat wij ook niet betrouwbaar zijn geweest natuurlijk.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:32 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Jij bent hier enkel om op slinkse wijze het narratief van Putin te bevestigen, dat het Westen uit is op de vernietiging van Rusland.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:32 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Proberen met de oorlog te stoppen. Alleen dat is hier niet populair.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:36 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
De oorlog stopt als Putin stopt.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:05 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Je snapt zelf ook wel dat dat niet mogelijk is. Dat is gewoon z'n einde dan.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:05 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Je snapt zelf ook wel dat dat niet mogelijk is. Dat is gewoon z'n einde dan.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:08 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Eind goed, al goed.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
En 100 duizenden doden. Maar dat is geoorloofd want Rusland moet kapot.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
En 100 duizenden doden. Maar dat is geoorloofd want Rusland moet kapot.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
En 100 duizenden doden. Maar dat is geoorloofd want Rusland moet kapot.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:05 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Je snapt zelf ook wel dat dat niet mogelijk is. Dat is gewoon z'n einde dan.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:05 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Je snapt zelf ook wel dat dat niet mogelijk is. Dat is gewoon z'n einde dan.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:05 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Je snapt zelf ook wel dat dat niet mogelijk is. Dat is gewoon z'n einde dan.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:03 schreef Sabata het volgende:
Rusland onderhandelt op een typisch Russische manier, ze moeten op alle punten gelijk krijgen, anders valt er niet te praten. Heeft Rusland ook al eerder bewezen

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
En 100 duizenden doden. Maar dat is geoorloofd want Rusland moet kapot.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:51 schreef Hexagon het volgende:
Er is pas wat te onderhandelen als Oekraine in staat zou zijn ook stukken Rusland in te nemen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:53 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Rusland kan zich best totaal uit Oekraïne terugtrekken als de allesomvattende kosten te hoog worden. Neem de Sovjets of Amerikanen in Afghanistan of de Amerikanen in Vietnam maar als voorbeelden.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 23:09 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
En 100 duizenden doden. Maar dat is geoorloofd want Rusland moet kapot.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:35 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Laat ze gewoon lekker vechten tot de laatste Oekraïner als ze dat zo graag willen. We zien vanzelf wel of ze willen onderhandelen. Daar hebben wij niks mee te maken tenzij het bijvoorbeeld voor de VS gunstig is. Dan bepalen zij dat uiteindelijke als supermacht.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:16 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Omdat er nooit een onvoorwaardelijke overgave van Rusland kan volgen. Er gaan geen tanks richting Moskou rijden. Daarom is het zeker dat het eindigt met onderhandelingen, zoals praktisch iedere oorlog. En dan kun je dat beter vroeg dan laat doen.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:25 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Andere bronnen worden hier niet geaccepteerd. Onderhandelen is niet populair bij jou geloof ik.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 00:43 schreef havanagila het volgende:

[..]
Oekraïne had niet terug mogen vechten want dan vallen er doden?

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:31 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Waar wil jij over onderhandelen, dan?

quote:

Jeffries signals he's open to using discharge petition to force vote on foreign aid
“House Democrats are prepared to use every available legislative tool to make sure we get comprehensive national security legislation over the finish line,” the House minority leader said.

As the Senate lurches forward on a national security funding package, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he'll use "every available legislative tool" to get such legislation on the House floor.

It's an unsubtle nod to the discharge petition, which Democrats could theoretically use to force a floor vote if Speaker Mike Johnson declines to take up the legislation. However, it requires a majority of House members to sign on to the petition, which means at least a handful of Republicans would have to sign on to give it teeth.

“House Democrats are prepared to use every available legislative tool to make sure we get comprehensive national security legislation over the finish line,” Jeffries said in a statement while House Democrats gathered at their yearly issues conference in Leesburg, Virginia.

The Senate is hoping to pass a foreign aid supplemental spending package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan without border security measures, overcoming a key hurdle Thursday, though senators are still negotiating the terms. Johnson did not immediately respond to POLITICO's request for comment on the latest package in the Senate.

Jeffries called on Johnson to “move to consider parallel national security legislation immediately.”

If Johnson declines to take it up, then Democrats' main tool to force action is the discharge petition. It's unclear if any Republicans would sign to one, however; centrist Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) didn't close the door to the possibility when asked on Thursday.

"I know we need to get aid to Israel quickly, and it’s in our national security interests to keep Ukraine independent and help Ukrainians defeat Russia’s barbaric invasion by sending them military weapons. I’ll work with the likeminded folks and the Speaker to determine what is best way to move forward," Bacon said.

Others in Democratic leadership are ready to move, too. California Rep. Ted Lieu, the vice-chair of the Democratic caucus, said it was up to Jeffries but “I personally support (a discharge petition).”

“We are open to all of the possibilities,” echoed Rep. Ann Kuster, chair of the New Democratic Coalition. “Our members want to vote on that bill and we’re ready to put up the votes now.”

When asked if Democrats were talking to Republicans about how to address the supplemental, including if any would sign on to a discharge petition, Kuster responded: “Those conversations are happening.”

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 06:48 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Klopt inderdaad.
Dat Rusland aan het vechten is in Oekraïne is de schuld van Oekraïne zelf, zo luidt de doctrine.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 07:06 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Hier moet je het woordje "narratief" gebruiken, doet het altijd goed in de wappie kringen.

SPOILER

quote:

Ukraine is using acoustic sensors to detect and hunt down incoming threats, and now the U.S. military wants to test the system.

Ukraine is using a network made up of thousands of acoustic sensors across the country to help detect and track incoming Russian kamikaze drones, alert traditional air defenses in advance, and also dispatch ad hoc drone hunting teams to shoot them down. This is according to the U.S. Air Force's top officer in Europe who also said the U.S. military is now looking to test this capability to see if it might help meet its own demands for additional ways to persistently monitor for, and engag,e drone threats.

Gen. James Hecker, head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), as well as Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA) and NATO's Allied Air Command, provided the details about Ukraine's acoustic sensor network and related air and missile defense issues at a press roundtable that The War Zone and other outlets attended earlier today. This gathering took place on the sidelines of this year's Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium, which opened today.

"At the unclassified level, Ukraine's done some pretty sophisticated things to get after [a] persistent ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance]" picture of "low altitude objects," Hecker explained. This now includes an acoustic sensor system that makes use of microphones designed to pick up and amplify ambient noise, he added.

"Think if you have a series of sensors, think of your cell phone, okay, with power to it, so it doesn't die, right? And then you put a microphone to kind of make the acoustics louder of one-way UAVs that are going overhead," Hecker explained. "And you have … 6,000 of these things all over the country. They've been successful in being able to pick up the one-way UAVs like Shahed 136s and those kinds of things."

Kamikaze drones like the Shahed-136 may have relatively small engines, but they still produce a significant and often terrifying amount of noise, as you hear in the videos below.

The Ukrainians have been able to use the acoustic sensor data "to be able to track them and then eventually put that together, get that picture out to a mobile ... team that is further out, that now shoots it down with AAA [anti-aircraft artillery], [which] they train a guy in six hours how to utilize," Hecker added.

How the acoustic sensor information is disseminated is unclear, but this could very well involve leveraging an existing ad hoc drone spotting network that Ukraine has had in place for some time now that allows volunteers to post alerts via the Telegram online messaging service.

Hecker's pointed mention of AAA (anti-aircraft artillery), a term used to describe various types of anti-aircraft guns, reflects broader comments he made today about the cost-effectiveness of those weapons against drones. We will come back to that one later.

Most of Ukraine's counter-drone teams rely heavily on improvised weapon systems typically consisting of various types of machine guns and automatic cannons mounted on different types of light vehicles. Their means of spotting and tracking drones themselves, especially at night, are typically limited to very localized capabilities like night vision and thermal optics, laser pointers, and searchlights.

Details about the Ukrainian acoustic sensor network have been "briefed to several people now, including the Missile Defense Agency," Hecker added. "We're looking at doing some tests to see if that's something we can export out into NATO."

Hecker said that this kind of acoustic sensor capability could have applications outside of NATO, too, and potentially against other categories of aerial threats beyond drones. It's worth noting that before the widespread adoption of radar, the U.S. military and other armed forces around the world used various types of systems designed to detect incoming aircraft based on their acoustic signature. By the end of World War II, such systems had largely fallen into disuse.

However, many modern aerial threats, including small, low-flying drones and cruise missiles, and stealthy crewed and uncrewed aircraft and missiles, present significant challenges to even current-generation radars. Gen. Hecker first mentioned the U.S. military's interest in Ukraine's acoustic sensor network at the roundtable today while talking about challenges NATO is facing in maintaining a persistent ISR picture when it comes to things like kamikaze drones and cruise missiles.

"What it does, you know, when it's airborne, it will give us a persistent picture, ISR picture, down to low altitude, where many of these one-way UAVs and cruise missiles operate at," Hecker said about the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft that the Air Force and NATO are in the process of acquiring. "And it has a pretty good capability in the range that it can detect those type of threats."

"Unfortunately, they're [the E-7s] not coming off the line starting tomorrow," he continued. "So we have to look for ... interim solutions."

Acoustic sensors like the ones that Ukraine is now employing could be one such interim solution, and one that is also substantially cheaper to implement than something like a fleet of E-7s.

Hecker also mentioned tethered aerostats with "a payload on it that has the capacity to detect these one-way UAVs" as something that he was hoping would be "delivered" within six months to a year. "And now you get that for a long time, right? … it can stay up pretty much nonstop unless the winds get really struggling, and you may have to reel it down for a little bit."

It's not immediately clear whether he was referring to a capability the U.S. military is planning to deploy in Europe or somewhere else, or something that might be happening elsewhere within NATO. The U.S. government did just recently approve a possible sale of aerostat-based aerial surveillance systems to Poland, which you can read more about here.

However it is done, "if we can get this persistent air picture, if we can get that then we can predict how fast they're going [and] what heading they're on," Hecker noted. "Then we can use things that get us on the right side of the cost curve, like AAA, ... something that we haven't probably talked about in a long time. But [it is] very cost efficient using AAA [to] take these things [like kamikaze drones] down."

"I think you'll see this proliferate more and more, which makes the importance of coming up with a low-cost solution to taking these things down" even more pronounced, according to Hecker. "I'm working hard with industry to ... come up with a solution that puts us on the right side of the cost curve. So we're not taking a $700,000 missile and shooting down a $5,000 drone."

Hecker specifically cited the use of long-range kamikaze drones by Iranian-backed groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, against U.S. forces on land and at sea across the Middle East in recent weeks as examples of how this threat is already expanding in scale and scope. Just on January 28, a kamikaze drone notably killed three U.S. service members at a forward base called Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria.

The Houthis have also been launching kamikaze drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, at targets in Israel and foreign warships and commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea.

Hecker even noted that the growing use of kamikaze drones themselves has caught the attention of the U.S. military. He also highlighted unspecified "things to distract an IADS [integrated air defense system] that [are] relatively cheap," when asked about other capabilities being employed in Ukraine now that could be of interest to American forces. It's unclear whether this comment about decoy capabilities refers to ones the Ukrainians, the Russians, or both have been employing in the conflict, a topic The War Zone has been following closely. The general might have even been referring to the use of kamikaze drones as decoys, an adjacent role that many such designs would be well suited for as we have highlighted in the past. Just using the Shaheds to prove routes to target areas, and stimulating enemy air defenses along the way, so that higher-end systems, like cruise missiles, can be sent after them in a more survivable manner is a known tactic.

It is important to remember that, as The War Zone routinely highlights, the threat posed by various tiers of drones to targets on and off traditional battlefields has been real for years now and only continues to grow. The U.S. military continues to largely play catch-up to this reality.

Perhaps Ukraine's 'back to the future' acoustic sensor system may turn out to be new near-term way for the U.S. military to move forward in addressing the drone threat, as well as providing a more persistent ISR picture for air defenders overall, especially when it comes to small and low-flying targets.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson Throws Cold Water On Senate Foreign Aid Bill
The Republican leader said the House would "work its own will" but didn't rule out allowing a vote on the legislation.

WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested Monday that the House would not vote on a foreign aid bill working its way through the Senate this week.

Johnson complained in a statement from his office that the Senate legislation, which would provide billions of dollars in aid for Israel and Ukraine, did not have any provisions aimed at reducing migration into the U.S. from the southern border.

“Now, in the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s statement did not explicitly rule out allowing the House to vote on a Senate-passed foreign aid bill. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

If the House voted on the legislation, it would likely pass with support from both Republicans and Democrats ― an outcome that could put Johnson in danger of losing his job. A faction of far-right Republicans threw Johnson’s predecessor out of the speaker’s office following a bipartisan vote to avoid a government shutdown last fall.

The foreign aid bill would provide $95 billion worth of military support to Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. Senators initially paired the aid with several changes to immigration laws aimed at ramping up deportations in an effort to placate Johnson, but he declared that legislation “dead on arrival” in the House, saying such legislation was pointless with President Joe Biden in office. The Senate then moved to a bill containing just the foreign aid.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who helped negotiate the border proposals with Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), complained on social media, in a lowercase rant, that Johnson had reversed his position.

“the speaker said he wouldn’t pass ukraine funding without a border deal and we got a deal and then he killed the deal because he said we didn’t need a deal and now he says he won’t pass our ukraine funding bill bc it doesn’t include a border deal,” Murphy wrote.

“honestly,” Murphy added. “wtf.”

quote:

In France, a network for the distribution of Russian propaganda about the war against Ukraine was exposed
The French agency for countering foreign influence VIGINUM reported on the exposure of the special operation of the Russian Federation called Portal Kombat, within which a network of Russian websites spread Kremlin propaganda about the war in Ukraine in the West.

Censor.NET informs about this with reference to European Pravda .

The Portal Kombat network consists of at least 193 sites. At first, they spread news about Ukraine and Russia, but from the beginning of the invasion, they refocused on the occupied Ukrainian territories, and then on several Western countries that support Ukraine, in particular France .

Some of the sites contained the word "pravda" in the domain name. For example, the English-language portal was searched for via the link pravda.en.com, and the French-language portal – pravda.fr.com.

"The sites of this network do not create their own content, but rebroadcast publications from three main sources: accounts of Russian or pro-Russian subjects in social networks, Russian news agencies, and official sites of local institutions or subjects," VIGINUM notes.

From June 23 to September 19, 2023, more than 150,000 materials were published on the site. The goal of Portal Kombat was to provide positive coverage of the "special military operation" of Russia, as well as to discredit Ukraine and its leadership.

"In an attempt to reach a wide audience, this network uses a number of methods, including careful selection of pro-Russian propaganda sources according to the target audience, massive automation of content distribution and search engine optimization," the report says.

quote:

Trump will pull US out of NATO if he wins election, ex-adviser warns
As US allies reel from Donald Trump’s weekend comments encouraging Russia to attack European allies if they don’t meet NATO budget contribution goals, multiple former Trump advisers warn in my upcoming book that the former president will seek to formally withdraw the US from the NATO alliance if he wins a second term.

In “The Return of Great Powers”, which will be published March 12, a former senior US official, who served in both the Trump and Biden administrations at a high level, told me that if Trump defeats President Joe Biden in November “the US will be out of NATO.”

“NATO would be in real jeopardy,” John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, agreed. “I think he would try to get out.”

Trump’s disparagement of US security commitments extends to its mutual defense agreements with South Korea and Japan as well, retired General John Kelly, who served as White House chief of staff to Trump, told me.

“The point is, he saw absolutely no point in NATO,” Kelly said in the book. “He was just dead set against having troops in South Korea, again, a deterrent force, or having troops in Japan, a deterrent force.”

“He thought (Vladimir) Putin was an okay guy and Kim (Jong Un) was an okay guy ­that we had pushed North Korea into a corner,” Kelly recalled. “To him, it was like we were goading these guys. ‘If we didn’t have NATO, then Putin wouldn’t be doing these things.’”

Senior members of the administration I spoke to for the book also detailed how Trump came close to withdrawing the US from the alliance, which is a key bedrock of Western security against Russia, in his first term and warn he is likely to go further in a second.

“Democrat and media pearl-clutchers seem to have forgotten that we had four years of peace and prosperity under President Trump, but Europe saw death and destruction under Obama-Biden and now more death and destruction under Biden,” Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller told CNN. “President Trump got our allies to increase their NATO spending by demanding they pay up, but Joe Biden went back to letting them take advantage of the American taxpayer. When you don’t pay your defense spending you can’t be surprised that you get more war.”

Trump’s 2018 near NATO exit
At the core of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and enshrined in Article 5 of the treaty is the promise of collective defense — that an attack on one member nation is an attack on all the nations in the alliance. Trump has long complained about the amount NATO members spend on defense compared with the US.

In “The Return of Great Powers,” multiple advisors recount in detail how Trump very nearly removed the US from NATO at the alliance’s 2018 summit in Brussels.

“He was always ranting and raving and jumping up and down, and oftentimes he would spin up in terms of, ‘Well, I’m smarter than they are,’ and all of this,” Kelly said, describing Trump’s mindset in Brussels. Kelly said he tried to explain the importance of NATO to Trump in terms he believed the president would understand. Kelly’s approach involved a combination of explaining what was actually possible and what might make him look bad. In the case of withdrawing from NATO, Kelly tried to convey to Trump that both applied.

But at the summit, Trump persisted. A former senior US official told me that Trump issued orders to then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and then Defense Secretary Mark Esper for the US to withdraw from NATO. Despite vehemently opposing the move. They considered the president’s direction a “lawful order” and drew up plans to execute the withdrawal.

Bolton recalls the 2018 summit with genuine fear. “Honest to God, it was frightening because we didn’t know what he was going to do up until the last minute. And I mean, I think, he all but said he was going to get out of NATO and then pulled back on it,” said Bolton.

Other potential Trump targets
Many veterans of the Trump administration have a similar warning for Ukraine. “US support for Ukraine would end,” said the senior US official who served under Trump and Biden.

Noting Trump’s comment at a Fox News town hall in July 2023 claiming, if reelected as president, he could end the war in one day, Bolton said, “If I were Ukraine, I’d be very worried, because if everything is a deal, then ‘what’s another ten percent of Ukrainian territory if it brings peace?’ kind of thing.”

US support for Taiwan, they say, would also be in jeopardy. Bolton recalled a stunt Trump would carry out in the Oval Office. “He would hold up the tip of his Sharpie pen and say, ‘That’s Taiwan. See this Resolute Desk, that’s China.’” His point, according to Bolton, is that Taiwan is too small to successfully defend itself against a Chinese invasion— ­ and too small for the US to care.

Bolton recalled, “I mean, if I were in Taiwan, I would be very worried about a Trump administration.”

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 08:32 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ twitter ]
Afgelopen nacht zijn ze weer een stapje dichterbij gekomen. Dat is al de derde stemming in nog geen week. 66-33 deze keer. "Aye" heeft 1 stem verloren dus, en diegene die zondag niet gestemd hadden zijn nu weer terug met hun "nay"

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 08:32 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ twitter ]
Afgelopen nacht zijn ze weer een stapje dichterbij gekomen. Dat is al de derde stemming in nog geen week. 66-33 deze keer. "Aye" heeft 1 stem verloren dus, en diegene die zondag niet gestemd hadden zijn nu weer terug met hun "nay"

quote:

Mongolia's former president mocks Putin with a map showing how big the Mongol empire used to be, and how small Russia was
• Putin has relied on historical borders to argue Ukraine is part of Russia and to justify the war.
• Mongolia's former president shared a map of the Mongol Empire, which included parts of Russia.
• "After Putin's talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Don't worry. We are a peaceful and free nation," he wrote.

The former president of Mongolia mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend and his focus on history to try to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has frequently used historical borders to rationalize his brutal invasion, arguing that Russia has a claim over Ukraine even though Ukraine is an independent country.

In his interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson last week, Putin outlined centuries of Russian and European history. Historians say much of the history he gave doesn't stand up.

On X, Tsakhia Elbegdorj, Mongolia's president between 2009 and 2017 and its former prime minister, poked fun at Putin's argument.

He shared maps showing how large the Mongol Empire was, with it once controlling parts of what is now Russia.

"After Putin's talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Don't worry. We are a peaceful and free nation," Elbegdorj wrote.

The maps he shared also showed how small Russia was in the 15th century.

The Mongol Empire was once the largest in the world. Its territory covered much of Eurasia and included modern-day China and much of Russia, as well as Ukraine.

Today, Mongolia, between China and Russia, is a smaller country, but it's still one of the world's largest nations in terms of overall landmass.

Mongolia's government has not supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, though it has not outright condemned it.

But Elbegdorj has been vocal in his support for Ukraine.

He wrote in February 2023: "The world's democracies must rally with even greater resolve to declare that freedom is non-negotiable, and to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to win."

He added: "I know Putin does not tolerate freedom. I have sat with him on many occasions. He despises differences and competition. He fears a free Ukraine. As a deep narcissist, he could not afford to see more successful and prosperous neighbors."

quote:

Leaked photo reveals dismantled Taipans waiting in warehouse for burial, reigniting frustrations not to send aircraft to Ukraine

• In short: The army's decommissioned Taipans are lying dismantled in a warehouse awaiting burial.
• A leaked photo being shared has reignited frustrations at the government's decision not to send the aircraft to Ukraine.
• What's next? The Taipans remain due for burial, with some parts being sold to overseas buyers.

A leaked photograph of the Australian Army's now dismantled Taipan helicopters awaiting burial has reignited frustrations over Canberra's decision to bury the aircraft underground rather than donate them to Ukraine.

Aviation experts say the image taken recently from inside a Townsville hangar proves the aircraft could be easily restored to an airworthy condition, but former pilots warn donating the helicopters to Ukraine would be handing over a "poisoned chalice".

"These 27 aircraft in the Townsville maintenance storage facility are in far less a state of disassembly than what takes place during normal deep maintenance," a defence engineer insisted.

"Most airframes have their landing gear still installed, main gearbox and rotors head," the Taipan specialist told the ABC, speaking on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.

"The only real issue in reassembling is that many components would have exceeded their calendar-based maintenance intervals."

Last year the Albanese government announced the troubled European-designed fleet would be retired earlier than scheduled following a crash off the Queensland coast which killed four personnel.

The Defence Department last week told the ABC that "disassembly of the MRH-90 fleet is well advanced and no aircraft are in flying condition" with many parts already sold off to other global users of the platform.

Now the Australian Army Aviation Association (AAAA) has issued a public statement to hit back at suggestions the Taipans should be reassembled and sent to Europe to help the Ukrainian war effort.

"From the outset, Australia would be gifting a poisoned chalice," president Charlie Barton said in response to a recent offer by army veterans and engineers to help restore the aircraft.

"If Australia was not capable of keeping the MRH to a flying status that enabled even the minimum acceptable flying rates of effort to keep aircrew competent, what chance does a country at-war, with limited people and resources have?"

"There is nothing simple about 'turning a few spinners' when it comes to an all-composite, digital fly-by-wire helicopter," Mr Barton said.

"Australian soldiers and sailors worked so hard to make the fleet successful, yet even that wasn't enough."

The AAAA also pointed to how many European nations including Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and Greece which operate similar NH-90 fleets, were now retiring the complex aircraft.

"Of the 14 nations that bought NH90, four are completely withdrawing their NH90s and one is withdrawing half," Mr Barton argues.

"Have we asked why Germany, Belgium, Sweden or Norway are not offering to donate their NH-90s?"

"A country at war needs reliable equipment that is guaranteed to operate and be battle-ready. I would contest that the NH-90 is neither."

On Friday Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy told reporters the Taipans were no longer in flying condition and would require a huge expenditure of time and resources to get them back.

"The best value for money option for the Commonwealth was to sell the spare parts and dispose of the rest of the asset, and I'll refer you to what the Ukrainian ambassador said: It's time to move on."

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:48 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Makkelijk praten vanachter je computer. Onderhandelen waar beide partijen het eens kunnen worden. Of liever niet proberen en nog een paar 100 duizend doden?

quote:

Russian Mi-24 Chases Drone in Leningrad Oblast

A Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter attempted to intercept an unidentified drone in the skies over the Leningrad oblast.

Footage of the incident was posted online.

On February 12, 2024, at around 3:00 p.m., a Russian attack helicopter was spotted intercepting an unknown drone.

The video depicts the helicopter crew closely following the drone but refraining from firing. This is likely due to the drone’s flight over a settlement.

Ро�ій�ький Ми-24 пере�лідує безпілотник в Ленінград�ькій обла�ті [Лютий 2024]

According to the footage, the drone in the video has a conventional aerodynamic design with a straight wing and tailplane.

It is not yet known whether the Russian pilots managed to shoot down the drone.

Previously, Russian forces have used army aviation to counter drones. For example, last year, a Russian Mi-28 intercepted a drone belonging to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine in Crimea.

During the operation, the intelligence agency’s drone managed to ‘escape’ from pursuit and fire from an onboard 30-mm autocannon.

Два ворожих вертольоти та літак за ча� тривалої погоні так і не змогли збити україн�ький безпілотник

Drones attack oil and gas infrastructure
It is worth noting that the Leningrad Oblast is 800 kilometers away from the Russian-Ukrainian border and has already been targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles several times.

In particular, on the night of January 18, 2024, at about 1:30 a.m., the port infrastructure in St. Petersburg was attacked by Ukrainian-made drones with a flight range of 1,250 kilometers.

At that time, an unknown UAV with a wingspan of 6 meters and a piston engine was carrying a 3 kg warhead.

Later, on January 21, drones attacked the gas tanks of the Novatek terminal in the seaport of Ust-Luga, Leningrad oblast. As a result of the strike, a massive fire broke out on the territory of the enterprise, and the facility was severely damaged.

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:48 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Makkelijk praten vanachter je computer. Onderhandelen waar beide partijen het eens kunnen worden. Of liever niet proberen en nog een paar 100 duizend doden?

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:23 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Met drones verover je niks. Bovendien is escalatie en oneindige verlenging van de oorlog juist iets wat ieder zinnig mens op tegen is.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 09:26 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Zo redenerend had GB zich in juni 1940 over moeten geven.

quote:

Sterker nog als je er zo in staat kun je net zo goed je leger opheffen.

SPOILER

quote:

It’s possible the 3rd Assault Brigade has joined the fight

Ukraine is reinforcing Avdiivka. And there are good reasons to believe it’s bolstering the eastern city—current the locus of Russia’s winter offensive—with one of the best brigades in the Ukrainian army.

The 3rd Assault Brigade. The only Ukrainian ground-combat brigade that we know for sure was in reserve in eastern Ukraine as of last week.

Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavriya group of forces in Avdiivka, announced the reinforcement on Telegram on Saturday. “We strengthen the blocking line, set up additional firing positions and use fresh effective forces,” Tarnavskyi wrote. “Logistical delivery continues.”

That the Ukrainians would reinforce Avdiivka was not a foregone conclusion. In apparently choosing to stay and fight, Ukrainian forces are accepting enormous risk.

After four months of hard fighting, Russian troops from the 2nd and 41st Combined Arms Armies finally breached Avdiivka—a key Ukrainian stronghold just five miles northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk—earlier this month and approached within a few hundred yards of the main road by which the Ukrainian garrison, centered on the 110th Mechanized Brigade, gets supplies into the city.

At that point, Tarnavskyi had two options. Pull back the 110th Brigade’s survivors from the exposed eastern part of the city and consolidate the Ukrainian line in central Avdiivka or just outside the city, to the west.

Or: reinforce the 110th Brigade and try to push the much larger Russian force away from the garrison’s supply lines.

It’s possible it wasn’t Tarnavskyi’s decision to make.

Last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky removed his popular top general, the charismatic Valery Zaluzhny, and replaced him with the unpopular former head of the ground forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Zaluzhny has a reputation—deserved or not—for embracing a mobile defense in order to minimize Ukrainian casualties. Syrskyi by contrast has a reputation—again, deserved or not—for accepting high casualties in stubborn, static fights.

It’s possible that, in promoting Syrskyi, Zelensky signaled his intention to fight for Avdiivka. Even at high cost.

In any event, it seems fresh Ukrainian forces have arrived in the now-lifeless ruins of the once thriving industrial city with a pre-war population of 30,000. Their first and most obvious task is to relieve pressure on the main paved east-west road into central Avdiivka, Hrushevsky Street.

There are other, less passable roads into Avdiivka, but Hrushevsky is critical. “The intention of the Russian aggressors is clear: they first of all want to establish control over the logistical means of providing our units on the northern flank,” Tarnavskyi wrote. “However, we give an adequate response to the actions of the enemy.”

That “adequate response” could include the deployment of elements of the 3rd Assault Brigade. The unit since December has been in reserve in Kramatorsk, 50 miles north of Avdiivka.

The 2,000-person brigade fought one of the last winning battles of Ukraine’s 2023 offensive and liberated the town of Andriivka, 25 miles north of Avdiivka. The victory earned the year-old brigade an opportunity to rest, retrain, recruit new soldiers and, if rumors are true, re-equip with American-made M-2 fighting vehicles.

“How is February of the 3rd Assault going?” brigade trooper Egor Sugar wrote. “Only in training, and only hardcore. Regular training, range training and active preparation for new attacks against the occupiers continue.”

The slow collapse of Avdiivka’s defenses in recent weeks may have compelled the 3rd Brigade to suspend training and return to the front. That collapse wasn’t inevitable.

When 40,000 Russian troops attacked starting in early October, the Tavriya group of forces did everything right. It dug in inside Avdiivka while reinforcing the city’s northern and southern flanks, respectively with elements of the 47th and 53rd Brigades. It aimed to turn the lowlands around the city into a shooting gallery.

No, the failing defense in Avdiivka was a choice—by Russia-aligned Republicans in the U.S. Congress. When these lawmakers declined to approve further aid to Ukraine starting in October—coincidentally, around the same time the Russians attacked Avdiivka—the howitzers the 110th Brigade was counting on to turn Avdiivka’s flanks into an artillery kill-zone began to fall silent.

America was, after all, the main supplier of ammunition to Ukraine’s war effort. Ukrainian artillery quickly went from matching Russian artillery’s firepower to firing just a fifth as many shells as the Russians do. At the same time, Ukrainian air-defenses also began to run out of ammo.

The Russians sensed an opportunity. “The enemy's aviation has increased the number of sorties per day to support offensive actions in the east of Ukraine, particularly near Avdiivka,” the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies reported. “This situation is a consequence of the shortage of anti-aircraft guided missiles in the Ukrainian defense forces.”

Russian bombs rained down on the 110th Brigade’s best fortifications, blasting gaps in interlocking sectors of fire. Taking advantage of bad weather that grounded Ukraine’s drones last week, Russian infantry walked into northern Avdiivka, creeping south until they practically could see Hrushevsky Street.

For an army committed to a mobile defense—trading space for time while inflicting maximum casualties on an attacker—the infantry infiltrations might have triggered a fighting retreat.

After all, if the Ukrainians consider Avdiivka an attrition trap for the Russians, they must quit Avdiivka while they still are killing more Russians than the Russians are killing Ukrainians.

For four months, the Avdiivka garrison may have killed 10 Russians for every soldier it lost. But encirclement by the Russian field armies threatens to erase that attritional advantage.

After all, it has happened before. In May last year, in a grinding battle not dissimilar to that in Avdiivka, a Ukrainian garrison held out for months in the ruins of the eastern city of Bakhmut.

The Ukrainians killed as many as 10 Russians for ever person they lost—until the Russians traded blood for ground and pinched the city’s supply lines. “Once Russian forces managed to seize Ukrainian flanks and disrupt supply routes, the casualty rates almost equaled,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained.

Guess who was in charge of the Bakhmut fight? That’s right—Syrskyi.

What happens next in Avdiivka is anyone’s guess. If indeed the 3rd Assault Brigade has deployed to the city, expect counterattacks targeting the Russian positions near Hrushevsky Street.

But don’t expect the Ukrainians suddenly to find a lot of spare ammo lying around. Anticipating a long period of deepening American isolationism and authoritarianism, European countries are investing more in their own militaries—and that means spending more on the production of artillery shells and missiles.

It could take many months for any of those munitions to make their way to Ukraine, however. So unless Republicans in the United States relent, and the USA somehow can speed fresh aid to Avdiivka, the 110th Brigade and any units reinforcing it will continue drawing down their rapidly-emptying arsenals.

When there’s no more ammo, it won’t matter whether there’s one Ukrainian brigade in Avdiivka or two. And Ukrainian commanders’ decision to reinforce the city will, at best, be moot.

At worst, it could result in a bloodbath for Ukrainian troops as they try to flee west out of a city they no longer can defend.

quote:

Dozens of Russian Aircraft Have Mysteriously Disappeared
Russian authorities are investigating the mysterious disappearance of several aircraft, several of which ended up in the hands of Ukrainian forces battling Moscow's troops, according to Russian media.

Russia's domestic security service, the FSB, is looking into allegations that Moscow's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, sent Russian civil aircraft and helicopters to nations including "unfriendly countries," state-backed Russian newspaper, Izvestia, reported on Monday.

"The Federal Security Service opened two criminal cases — negligence and abuse of power — against several employees of the Federal Air Transport Agency," according to Izvestia. The employees are "suspected of illegally removing 59 planes and helicopters from Russian jurisdiction" after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, the newspaper reported.

A number of the unaccounted-for aircraft were used by Ukraine in military operations against Russia, Izvestia reported, citing two anonymous Russian law enforcement sources and an unnamed source in Moscow's transport ministry.

Ukraine used several Mi-8 helicopters, as well as an Il-76 multi-purpose strategic airlifter, against Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the newspaper reported.

Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, the Ministry for Transport and Ukraine's military for comment via email. The Kremlin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, declined to respond to queries about the FSB investigation on Monday, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

The Ministry of Transport audited Rosaviatsiya's records of civil aircraft in July 2023, and inconsistencies led to the criminal investigations, Izvestia reported. Employees of the Federal Air Transport Agency "removed" aircraft from a register of civil assets "without complete sets of documents, provided contradictory and unreliable information about the location of aircraft outside Russia," according to the newspaper, citing a Ministry of Transport spokesperson.

The Federal Air Transport Agency deals with the country's civil aviation sector and control of Russia's airspace. It is also in charge of certifying "aircraft ownership rights and related transactions," according to the Russian government.

Russia has used its Mi-8 helicopter extensively in operations across Ukraine. The helicopter is used to transport troops, and is one of the most widely-used helicopters among the world's militaries. There are many different variants of the Mi-8, including helicopters used as airborne command posts and as armed gunship, according to the U.S. military.

Kyiv has said at several points during the nearly two years of war that it has shot down Russian Mi-8 helicopters, including using U.S.-provided HIMARS, or High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Ukraine also said in August 2023 that it had managed to coax a Russian Mi-8 pilot to land in Kyiv-controlled territory before confiscating the helicopter.

Earlier this month, Russian officials said an Mi-8 helicopter had crashed in a lake in the country's northern Karelia region. Another Mi-8 crashed in Kyrgyzstan in mid-January.

quote:

Searches in Russia over aircraft seized by Ukraine
Russia has opened criminal proceedings for the illegal sale of planes and helicopters abroad, in particular to Ukraine.

The Russian propaganda outlet Izvestia reported on this.

As part of the proceedings on the illegal withdrawal of 59 civilian Il-76 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters from Russian jurisdiction, searches were conducted at the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya).

The relevant aircraft and helicopters were withdrawn abroad from March 2022 to June 2023.

According to the publication, the searches took place on February 7. Security forces seized "items and documents confirming the illegality of their actions" from offices of high-ranking Rosaviatsiya employees.

Russian security forces claim that at least three withdrawn Mi-8 helicopters entered Ukraine and took part in hostilities against the Russian invasion army as part of Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Some of these planes, including IL-76 transport aircraft, ended up in countries that the Russian government calls "unfriendly."

Some of these planes were allegedly used to transport military aid to Ukraine provided by Western countries.

The preliminary inspection also revealed that, among other things, Rosaviatsiya employees had been removing aircraft from the state register of civil aircraft without a complete set of documents.

In addition, they provided contradictory and unreliable information about the aircraft's stay outside of Russia.

The audit also revealed the facts that employees of the Federal Air Transport Agency had not requested information from other agencies about the permits issued to aircraft owners.

As previously reported, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the United States, the European Union, and a number of other countries announced that they would close the skies to Russian aircraft. Western manufacturing companies have stopped servicing Russian aircraft and supplying spare parts. In addition, some aircraft leasing companies have also refused to work with the Russian Federation.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:32 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Proberen met de oorlog te stoppen. Alleen dat is hier niet populair.

quote:

Rusland zet Estse premier Kaja Kallas op lijst van gezochte personen
Rusland lanceert een opsporingsbericht voor de Estse premier Kaja Kallas, . Dat meldt het Russische ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken.

“Kaja Kallas. Gezocht op grond van een artikel uit het strafrecht”, zo staat te lezen in het bericht. Voor welk vermeend misdrijf de premier precies gezocht wordt, is niet duidelijk, al wijst het bericht wel opnieuw op de spanningen die ontstaan zijn tussen Moskou en de Baltische staten sinds de start van de oorlog in Oekraïne.

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Czech VOP CZ has not yet started repairing Ukrainian T-64 tanks
Eight months after signing an agreement with the Czech VOP CZ to repair Ukrainian T-64s, the company has not received a single tank.

Rostislav Ro¸novský, spokesperson of VOP CZ, stated this to ČTK.

Last June, the Czech Ministry of Defense announced the signing of a contract for the repair and modernization of T-64 tanks of the Ukrainian army.

The Czech company was to overhaul the tanks and replace their sighting systems and radios with modern analogs under the supervision of Ukrainian experts who are familiar with this type of equipment.

However, in the eight months since the contract was signed, not a single combat vehicle was received for the performance of these services.

According to the CZ VOP spokesperson Rostislav Ro¸novský, the contract is still valid but is not fulfilled due to lack of equipment.

“VOP CZ is ready to accept tanks at any time and start working on them, but we have nothing to repair yet. The Ukrainian side has not yet delivered tanks,” Ro¸novský noted.

The Czech Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on this.

The lack of the necessary equipment may be due to the fact that most of the necessary tasks to repair these tanks can be performed within the country. It is reported that Ukraine continues to repair and modernize armored vehicles even during the war.

Last August, Militarnyi reported that Ukraine was upgrading its tanks to the T-64BV mod. 2022 level.

The upgraded vehicles were equipped with improved protection, a new gunner thermal sight, an updated driver compartment, a military-grade L3 Harris digital radio, and an SN-4215 satellite navigation device.

In addition, some orders may also be fulfilled by another country. In particular, in April 2023, the Polish armored plant Bumar-Labędy also started repairing T-64 tanks under an agreement between Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and the Ukrainian Ukroboronprom concern.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 22:32 schreef NeeOfTochJA het volgende:

[..]
Proberen met de oorlog te stoppen. Alleen dat is hier niet populair.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 09:59 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 09:44 schreef Pleun2011 het volgende:

[..]
Zoals anderen al goed hebben uitgelegd: stoppen met de oorlog is voor Oekraïne geen optie, dan zijn ze een groot deel van hun land kwijt en de voorwaarden van Rusland zijn zodanig dat er een puppetstaat van Rusland overblijft.
Het is de omgekeerde wereld en kwaadaardig om van een aangevallen land maar te verwachten dat het niet terugvecht. En over de aggressor geen kwaad woord.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:10 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Fascinerend hoe sommigen schaamteloos de waarde van een stuk kapotgeschoten land in mensenlevens weet uit te drukken.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 06:48 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Klopt inderdaad.
Dat Rusland aan het vechten is in Oekraïne is de schuld van Oekraïne zelf, zo luidt de doctrine.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:10 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Fascinerend hoe sommigen schaamteloos de waarde van een stuk kapotgeschoten land in mensenlevens weet uit te drukken.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:10 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Fascinerend hoe sommigen schaamteloos de waarde van een stuk kapotgeschoten land in mensenlevens weet uit te drukken.

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Op maandag 12 februari 2024 21:36 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Daar denken een heleboel Oekraïners anders over.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:13 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Schaamteloos hoe pro-rus tankies vanachter hun toetsenbordje een paar 1000KM verderop maar pontificeren hoe een land wat overlopen is door een agressor zich maar gewoon over moet geven.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:38 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Aldus 'iemand achter zijn toetsenbord' wiens gevoel voor de 'nobele zaak' ook maar even uitgedrukt mag worden in. Honderden duizenden dode mensen in Oekraïne.

Niet dat het uiteindelijk nut heeft ofzo, maar het slaapt vast lekker 's nachts.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:37 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:
Die heeft ook wat corrigerende tikken gehad zo te zien

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:38 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Aldus 'iemand achter zijn toetsenbord' wiens gevoel voor de 'nobele zaak' ook maar even uitgedrukt mag worden in. Honderden duizenden dode mensen in Oekraïne.

Niet dat het uiteindelijk nut heeft ofzo, maar het slaapt vast lekker 's nachts.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:38 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

Niet dat het uiteindelijk nut heeft ofzo, maar het slaapt vast lekker 's nachts.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 09:34 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Onderhandelen is toch wezenlijk wat anders dan overgeven? Je kunt vanuit een sterke of een zwakke positie onderhandelen. Feitelijk dient oorlog enkel om je onderhandelingen kracht bij te zetten. (Oorlog is een voortzetting van de politiek)
[..]
Natuurlijk niet. Zonder sterk leger heb je geen onderhandelingspositie.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:04 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]
Hoe?

-Twee tot vier provincies van de Oekraïne "weggeven" aan Rusland?
-Rest van de Oekräine direct in de NAVO?
-Nukes teruggeven aan de Oekraïne?

Zeg maar? Hoe??

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:24 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Het is Oekraïne zonder de.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:39 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
De propagandamachine van Rusland werkt op volle toeren om ervoor te zorgen dat Trump president wordt in Amerika. Je ziet het helemaal voor je: allemaal betaalde Russische trolls achter pc's in een callcenter achtige setting, Putin die Trump achter de schermen een idioot noemt.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 10:10 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:

[..]
Fascinerend hoe sommigen schaamteloos de waarde van een stuk kapotgeschoten land in mensenlevens weet uit te drukken.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:46 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
https://twitter.com/elbegdorj/status/1756818696700657935

Reactie van voormalig Mongoolse president op het interview van Putin door Tucker, waarin hij de invasie van Oekraine aan het rechtvaardigen was. Alleen dit al, zal een reden moeten zijn om Mongolië de kans te geven deel uit te maken van de westerse alliantie.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:48 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Trump denkt serieus dat hij met zijn geweldige talent om met mensen om te gaan en deals te sluiten Poetin in zijn zak heeft. Maar Poetin gebruikt Trump gewoon als een useful idiot.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:49 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Mongolië zit in nogal een lastige situatie, met twee grote buren, Rusland en het nog veel machtigere China.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:52 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Ja, natuurlijk. Bedoel: Putin is een gore schoft, maar absoluut niet dom. Trump is echt een debieltje. Misschien dat dat vroeger anders was (dat sluit ik niet uit. Want ondanks zijn financiële dompers, heeft die het toch ook goed gedaan). Maar nu is hij echt tot het seniele af.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:15 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Het is eigenlijk een wonderbaarlijk iets dat ze nog steeds onze problemen willen oplossen. Neem de houthi's.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:17 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Heel de logistieke wereld staat op z'n kop, vanwege het geetter aldaar. Spotprijzen voor container vervoer door het dak.

Dat treft hun net zo hard als ons.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:18 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Het is niet om aan te zien dat zijn weer het eerste initiatief moeten nemen.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:20 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Wat VS isolationisten altijd vergeten, is dat de dollar niet de world reserve currency is, omdat we hun zo tof vinden. Dat is omdat ze wereld politieagentje spelen.

En als ze daar mee ophouden, komt dat in gevaar.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:15 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Er is werkelijk 0 reden voor Amerika om de NAVO op te geven. Het kost ze nauwelijks iets, en ze hebben er nagenoeg enkel voordelen mee. Wat niet wil zeggen dat dat het onmogelijk maakt dat ze het toch doen, maar daar zullen ze dan vooral zichzelf mee hebben. En daar zullen ze dan ook weer van terugkomen.

Dus daar maak ik mij totaal geen zorgen over. Waar ik mij wel 'zorgen' om maak is dat Amerika ook binnen de NAVO, een andere houding kan aannemen. Het is eigenlijk een wonderbaarlijk iets dat ze nog steeds onze problemen willen oplossen. Neem de houthi's.

Dat is ons probleem he.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:21 schreef over_hedge het volgende:
Van de rest heeft hij wel gewoon een punt over die 2%. Waarom is het ooit afgesproken als toch bijna niemand zich er aan houd.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:23 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Het is ook een probleem voor de VS.

Veel mensen zijn vergeten dat NAVO is opgericht om (West) Duitsland niet als onverdedigbaar gat in de West-Europese defensie te hebben, zonder het risico weer in een wapenwedloop tussen FR, VK en Duitsland te komen of het land voor eeuwig te moeten bezetten.

En die wapenwedloop gaat zeker ontstaan als de VS uit NAVO stapt. Dan zullen de landen die nu meedoen met nuclear sharing uiteindelijk zelf iets vergelijkbaars willen bouwen.

En dan kan het NPT de vuilnisbak in.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 09:59 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:24 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Die 2% is een onderdeel. Maar wat veel belangrijker is is hoe andere NAVO landen handelen.

Als je ziet hoeveel landen kwamen helpen na 9/11, dan valt dat vies tegen. Dat steekt bij het grote Amerika.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:27 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Tja ik vind gewoon als je met zijn alle 2% afspreekt. Dan moet je je er aan houden ook. Zo niet had je iets moeten zeggen voor je er zelf mee akkoord ging.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:25 schreef Aether het volgende:

[..]
Twee Nederlanders en Estse premier op gelekte lijst gezochte personen Rusland
https://nos.nl/l/2508671

Diverse Europeanen, onder wie premier Kallas van Estland en twee Nederlanders, staan in Rusland op de lijst van gezochte personen. Dat meldt het Russische onderzoeksplatform Mediazona, dat alle opsporingsbevelen uit de database van het Russische ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken heeft verzameld. Een van de Nederlanders op de lijst heeft meegevochten als vrijwilliger in Oekraïne.

Begin deze maand stonden er volgens Mediazona bijna 97.000 individuen op de lijst van gezochte personen. Een derde van hen is Russisch, verder staan er ook relatief veel Armenen (ruim 11.000), Oezbeken (ruim 10.000) en Oekraïners (bijna 4000) op. Een van de Armenen woont in Alkmaar, blijkt uit de gegevens. 98 procent van de gezochten komt uit Rusland of landen die voorheen tot de Sovjet-Unie behoorden.

Volgens Mediazona staan er in de database geen redenen vermeld waarom mensen gezocht worden. Daardoor is het moeilijk om onderscheid te maken in wie er vanwege politieke redenen wordt gezocht en voor wie andere redenen gelden.

quote:

Tucker Carlson en Elon Musk sceptisch over steun aan Oekraïne: 'Betekent alleen maar meer doden'

Tucker Carlson, oud-presentator van Fox News, vindt dat de Westerse steun aan Oekraïne onmiddellijk moet worden gestopt. "Oekraïne kan de oorlog niet winnen. Zelfs met miljardensteun uit het Westen zal dat ze niet lukken", zegt hij in zijn show. "Ze hebben niet de middelen en mensen om nog kans te maken tegen Rusland. Meer steun betekent alleen maar meer dode Oekraïners"

"Als het Westen zo doorgaat, zal dat het einde voor een hele generatie Oekraïners betekenen", vervolgt Carlson. Het lijkt erop dat techreus Elon Musk ook twijfelt aan het voortzetten van de steun voor Oekraïne. "Dit vraagt om nader onderzoek", reageert hij op X.

In het Amerikaanse Senaat wordt momenteel gestemd over een nieuw steunpakket aan (onder andere) Oekraïne, ter waarde van 88,5 miljard euro. De voorzitter van het Huis van Afgevaardigden lijkt hier niet mee akkoord te gaan.

Eerder in het nieuws

Zowel Carslon als Musk kwamen onlangs ook al in het nieuws omtrent de oorlog tussen Rusland en Oekraïne. Carslon had een spraakmakend interview met Russische president Vladimir Poetin, terwijl Musk zich moest verweren tegen beschuldigen dat Rusland zijn satellieten gebruikt in de strijd tegen de Oekraïners. Dit wordt door beide partijen ontkent.

https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)st-gezochte-personen

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:53 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Begrijp niet waarom de uitspraken van Elon Musk zoveel aandacht krijgt. Misschien komt dat omdat mensen rijkdom causaal verbinden met invloed. Het kan zijn dat dat samengaat, maar hoeft niet. En met Elon Musk is dat zeker niet het geval.

Niemand die zijn uitspraken wat betreft politiek serieus neemt. Rutte heeft meer politieke invloed.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:51 schreef Cilantro het volgende:

[..]
Stelletje NSB'ers

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:51 schreef Cilantro het volgende:

[..]
Stelletje NSB'ers

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:10 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Eh...?

Elon Musk's political influence became even stronger this year

Miljarden en verschillende industrieen bezitten, zeker icm een invloedrijk social media platform, geeft je gewoon politieke invloed.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:53 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Begrijp niet waarom de uitspraken van Elon Musk zoveel aandacht krijgt. Misschien komt dat omdat mensen rijkdom causaal verbinden met invloed. Het kan zijn dat dat samengaat, maar hoeft niet. En met Elon Musk is dat zeker niet het geval.

Niemand die zijn uitspraken wat betreft politiek serieus neemt. Rutte heeft meer politieke invloed.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:19 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Hij hoeft ook geen invloed uit te oefenen op politici direct om een probleem te zijn. Het gaat om de stemmers. En doordat Twitter zijn platform is heeft hij gewoon een erg grote reikwijdte. En er zijn gewoon een hele groep mensen die hem haast als god vereren.

En het gaat ook niet om hem alleen. Hoe meer stemmen hetzelfde zeggen hoe meer mensen er in gaan geloven. En er is gewoon een bepaalde slag mensen die achter dit soort types staan.

Elon Musk, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, Scott Ritter en natuurlijk Trump (MAGA), en er zijn vast nog wel een hoop namen te noemen hebben allemaal een erg trouwe achterban, natuurlijk zal de één een groter achterban hebben dan de andere. Maar wanneer er genoeg mensen hetzelfde verkondigen gaan er steeds meer mensen in geloven.

Dit kan je bijvoorbeeld zien met de republikeinen (MAGA, dus niet de andere helft) die onvoorwaardelijk achter Trump staan. Maakt niet uit wat hij verkondigd, welke leugens hij verteld, de rare acties die hij uithaalt. Ze blijven trouw achter hem staan. En hoe meer druk er wordt uitgeoefend (vooral de kiezers zijn belangrijk met de huidige verkiezingen daar). Hoe meer neuzen dezelfde kant gaan op staan.

Zij weten heel goed op ontevredenheid in te spelen. En hun eigen draai hier aan te geven. Wij hebben onze eigen versies hiervan. Denk aan een Wilders.

Daarom kunnen dit soort types gewoon gevaarlijk zijn. En dus ook grote invloed uitoefenen op hun volgers. Je zou ze prima kunnen vergelijken met sekteleiders. En hun achterban de leden van deze sekte. Tenminste de hard kern van hun volgers.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:53 schreef theunderdog het volgende:
Begrijp niet waarom de uitspraken van Elon Musk zoveel aandacht krijgt. Misschien komt dat omdat mensen rijkdom causaal verbinden met invloed. Het kan zijn dat dat samengaat, maar hoeft niet. En met Elon Musk is dat zeker niet het geval.

Niemand die zijn uitspraken wat betreft politiek serieus neemt. Rutte heeft meer politieke invloed.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:20 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Reidwijdte =/= invloed.

Als je mensen vraagt over Elon Musk, dan zullen de meeste gewoon zeggen: ja, dat is die rijke gast van Tesla.

Het is niet alsof hij echt iets heeft te zeggen wat betreft politiek he.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:26 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Totdat ie 'zijn' starlink eruit gooit. Dan is de wereld te klein

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:28 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Nee, hoor. Mag die gerust doen. Is zijn kindje immers.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:28 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Nee, hoor. Mag die gerust doen. Is zijn kindje immers.

quote:

As of June 2023 Starlink expenses for Ukraine are covered by the US Department of Defense through a contract with SpaceX.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:34 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Nee hoor. Dat mag hij niet zomaar doen. De meeste starlink terminals in Oekraïne zijn voor betaald. En voor de meeste verbindingen wordt gewoon betaald. Het ministerie van defensie van Amerika betaald voor veel van deze verbindingen. Het aantal dat Elon Musk cadeau heeft gedaan en een gratis verbinding voor geeft is relatief klein. (als die er überhaupt nog zijn)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_in_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War
[..]
Hij is dus contractueel verbonden om te leveren.

En we weten wat er gebeurd is de laatste keer dat Elon Musk onder een contract uit probeerde te komen. Hij werd verplicht om Twitter te kopen voor veel te veel geld.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:30 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Volgens mij wordt dat intensief gebruikt door het Oekraïnse leger?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:35 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Dat was niet het punt van mijn reactie. Voor hem (degene waar ik op reageer) zou dat het bewijs zijn dat Musk onwijs veel politieke invloed heeft.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Aaah, sarcasme komt niet altijd goed over via tekst.

quote:

Senate passes $95 billion package with aid for Ukraine and Israel, setting up showdown with the House
The Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in a vote early Tuesday morning, setting up a showdown with the House as Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized the legislation.

The foreign aid package includes billions of dollars to support Ukraine and for security assistance for Israel, as well as humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine, among other priorities. It’s unclear whether Johnson would hold a vote on it and many House Republicans are opposed to further aid to Ukraine.

The bill passed the Senate despite Johnson’s criticism of the legislation and former President Donald Trump signaling opposition to the bill by arguing the US should stop providing foreign aid unless it is in the form of a loan. The Senate vote was 70 to 29 with 22 Republicans voting in favor, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“History settles every account,” McConnell said in a statement following the vote. “And today, on the value of American leadership and strength, history will record that the Senate did not blink.”

The bill includes $60 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance and $4.8 billion to support regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region in addition to other policy provisions, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the news in a statement Tuesday, thanking Schumer, McConnell and “every US Senator who has supported continued assistance to Ukraine as we fight for freedom, democracy, and the values we all hold dear.”

“For us in Ukraine, continued US assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror. It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war,” Zelensky said on X. “American assistance brings just peace in Ukraine closer and restores global stability, resulting in increased security and prosperity for all Americans and all the free world.”

Bill faces Johnson’s opposition in the House
The Senate passed the legislation after Republicans blocked a broader bill last week that would have combined foreign aid with a bipartisan border deal. Republicans had initially demanded that border security be part of the bill, but went on to reject the bipartisan border deal amid forceful attacks on the measure by Trump and top House Republicans.

In a statement on Monday, Johnson criticized the foreign aid bill over its lack of border provisions, saying, the Senate “should have gone back to the drawing board to amend the current bill to include real border security provisions that would actually help end the ongoing catastrophe.” Johnson had previously opposed the broader bill that did include border provisions. The speaker has characterized those provisions as insufficient, despite the fact that they were the product of bipartisan negotiations and included restrictive border measures.

“The House will have to figure out a path forward and they’ll have to do it their way, but we needed to start the process and we’ve done that,” Senate GOP Whip John Thune told reporters on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated passage of the legislation, saying in remarks on the floor, “It’s been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but the security of western democracy.”

“I believe that if Speaker Johnson brought this bill to the House floor, it will pass with the same strong bipartisan support,” Schumer said.

Trump’s stance on foreign aid looms
The Senate continued to move forward on the bill even as Trump argued the US should not grant foreign aid unless it is a loan, signaling opposition to the legislation. Trump has also indicated he would encourage Russian aggression against any NATO member country that doesn’t pay enough.

A number of Senate Republicans either defended or downplayed Trump’s NATO comments on Monday.

“I’m 100% behind him,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville said of Trump saying NATO members should be paying their dues or risk Putin invading their country.

The Alabama Republican also suggested European allies should be “very worried” about an invasion, saying they should protect themselves and not rely on the US, adding the country “can’t protect everybody.”

Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said European allies who are worried about Trump’s comments need to “get over it.”

“You know, they need to get over it. They need to stand up and be tough. We need to secure our own border first. We need to take care of things here at home first. When we secure our own border, when we take care of home, great. Let’s help other people as well,” the Republican from Kansas said.

In the Senate, consideration of the bill crawled along for days as Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky vowed to drag out the timeline in protest over the legislation.

Paul continued to dig in on Sunday, saying that he will hold out until “hell freezes over.” He indicated he is ready to hold the floor by speaking on the issue of national debt and other matters. “I love to talk. That’s one of my favorite things to do,” he said.

“We do this for a purpose,” Paul said. “I don’t like being here. … I’m not here because it’s fun, I’m here because I don’t think enough people are talking about the danger of the debt.”

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://edition.cnn.com/2(...)l-ukraine/index.html
[..]
Maar ja, het congress is het grote probleem. Daar zijn ze tot nu toe altijd al tegengehouden.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 13:17 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Dit is onderbuik. Wees eens concreet: wat heeft Elon Musk qua politieke invloed voor elkaar gekregen? welk van zijn politieke opinies werden realiteit, mede voor zijn invloed?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 14:41 schreef SillyWalks het volgende:

[..]
Bedoel je het Huis van Afgevaardigden?
Congress = Senaat + Huis van Afgevaardigden

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:48 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Trump denkt serieus dat hij met zijn geweldige talent om met mensen om te gaan en deals te sluiten Poetin in zijn zak heeft. Maar Poetin gebruikt Trump gewoon als een useful idiot.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 16:52 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Misschien is de vraag stellen in dit geval wel hem beantwoorden; wie bezit Trump eigenlijk? Is 'ie Chinees eigendom of loopt 'ie aan een Russische leiband?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:17 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Heel de logistieke wereld staat op z'n kop, vanwege het geetter aldaar. Spotprijzen voor container vervoer door het dak.

Dat treft hun net zo hard als ons.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:07 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Ik snap het idee van de NAVO verlaten voor de Amerikanen ook niet. Alle NAVO-landen zijn vrienden van de VS, waar goed zaken mee te doen is, onder andere met de verkoop van dure Amerikaanse wapens.

Wat schiet Trump er nu echt mee op om de NAVO te verlaten, Poetin te geven wat hij wil en ook een sterk signaal van zwakte aan China te geven?

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 16:52 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Misschien is de vraag stellen in dit geval wel hem beantwoorden; wie bezit Trump eigenlijk? Is 'ie Chinees eigendom of loopt 'ie aan een Russische leiband?

quote:

Russia preparing for military confrontation with West, says Estonia

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 11:21 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Dat typte je niet.

Maar als je zo redeneert is het toch logisch van Oekraïne om door te vechten? Wanneer ze de Krim kunnen bedreigen en het door Rusland veroverde deel in 2en weten te splitsen is hun onderhandelingspositie veel beter dan nu. Beiden zijn ook realistische doelen.

quote:

Overigens is de tegenpartij uit op je totale omverwerping wat valt er dan te onderhandelen?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:46 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Is dat zo? Wat wordt dat gesteld dan?

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 15:05 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Dit is wel een erg rare reactie. Tesla lobby't. Space X lobby't. Het feit dat iemand met zoveel geld en ondernemingen invloed heeft afdoen als onderbuik? Hij loopt op x bv heel gezellig white replacement te promoten. Begon weg te zakken, maar is nu weer helemaal hip in de vs dankzij die paniek over de grens.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:28 schreef byah het volgende:

[..]
Maar Putin zegt dat hij dat niet van plan is, dus 1+1=2. We are fucked

https://www.reuters.com/w(...)tm_source=reddit.com

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:10 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Ben wel benieuwd wat de USA gaat doen in de hypothetische scenario dat er een groot Europese militaire macht komt, we alle Amerikaanse basissen in Europa sluiten en nog exclusief Europese wapensystemen gaan gebruiken. Denk dat ze dan toch liever de NAVO hebben, dus het is net zo goed in haar voordeel in de bres te springen voor "ons" als dat nodig is.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:54 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Acht jij Poetin serieus bij een onderhandeling?

In het verleden heeft hij meerdere (vredes)verdragen natuurlijk al aan zijn laats gelapt.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:29 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
Het arrestatiebevel voor Kallas is blijkbaar vanwege het weghalen van een Sovjet monument ergens in 2022. En zo worden de provocaties richting de Baltics opgevoerd.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:13 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Wees nou eens concreet. Wat voor politieke zaken heeft hij allemaal bereikt?

Kom op. Je kan het.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 19:29 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Het is geen politicus die wetsvoorstellen in kan dienen, als je daar op doelt met je valse vraagstelling. Maar dat gezeik met Starlink in Oekraïne zegt genoeg.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:25 schreef oheng het volgende:
110e Brigade wordt uit Avdiivka gereroteerd? Ik heb nu ff geen tijd om hun Telegram te checken, moet nu weg.

quote:

Ukraine May Have Deployed One Its Best Brigades To Try To Save Avdiivka

It’s possible the 3rd Assault Brigade has joined the fight

Ukraine is reinforcing Avdiivka. And there are good reasons to believe it’s bolstering the eastern city—current the locus of Russia’s winter offensive—with one of the best brigades in the Ukrainian army.

The 3rd Assault Brigade. The only Ukrainian ground-combat brigade that we know for sure was in reserve in eastern Ukraine as of last week.

Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavriya group of forces in Avdiivka, announced the reinforcement on Telegram on Saturday. “We strengthen the blocking line, set up additional firing positions and use fresh effective forces,” Tarnavskyi wrote. “Logistical delivery continues.”

That the Ukrainians would reinforce Avdiivka was not a foregone conclusion. In apparently choosing to stay and fight, Ukrainian forces are accepting enormous risk.

After four months of hard fighting, Russian troops from the 2nd and 41st Combined Arms Armies finally breached Avdiivka—a key Ukrainian stronghold just five miles northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk—earlier this month and approached within a few hundred yards of the main road by which the Ukrainian garrison, centered on the 110th Mechanized Brigade, gets supplies into the city.

At that point, Tarnavskyi had two options. Pull back the 110th Brigade’s survivors from the exposed eastern part of the city and consolidate the Ukrainian line in central Avdiivka or just outside the city, to the west.

Or: reinforce the 110th Brigade and try to push the much larger Russian force away from the garrison’s supply lines.

It’s possible it wasn’t Tarnavskyi’s decision to make.

Last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky removed his popular top general, the charismatic Valery Zaluzhny, and replaced him with the unpopular former head of the ground forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Zaluzhny has a reputation—deserved or not—for embracing a mobile defense in order to minimize Ukrainian casualties. Syrskyi by contrast has a reputation—again, deserved or not—for accepting high casualties in stubborn, static fights.

It’s possible that, in promoting Syrskyi, Zelensky signaled his intention to fight for Avdiivka. Even at high cost.

In any event, it seems fresh Ukrainian forces have arrived in the now-lifeless ruins of the once thriving industrial city with a pre-war population of 30,000. Their first and most obvious task is to relieve pressure on the main paved east-west road into central Avdiivka, Hrushevsky Street.

There are other, less passable roads into Avdiivka, but Hrushevsky is critical. “The intention of the Russian aggressors is clear: they first of all want to establish control over the logistical means of providing our units on the northern flank,” Tarnavskyi wrote. “However, we give an adequate response to the actions of the enemy.”

That “adequate response” could include the deployment of elements of the 3rd Assault Brigade. The unit since December has been in reserve in Kramatorsk, 50 miles north of Avdiivka.

The 2,000-person brigade fought one of the last winning battles of Ukraine’s 2023 offensive and liberated the town of Andriivka, 25 miles north of Avdiivka. The victory earned the year-old brigade an opportunity to rest, retrain, recruit new soldiers and, if rumors are true, re-equip with American-made M-2 fighting vehicles.

“How is February of the 3rd Assault going?” brigade trooper Egor Sugar wrote. “Only in training, and only hardcore. Regular training, range training and active preparation for new attacks against the occupiers continue.”

The slow collapse of Avdiivka’s defenses in recent weeks may have compelled the 3rd Brigade to suspend training and return to the front. That collapse wasn’t inevitable.

When 40,000 Russian troops attacked starting in early October, the Tavriya group of forces did everything right. It dug in inside Avdiivka while reinforcing the city’s northern and southern flanks, respectively with elements of the 47th and 53rd Brigades. It aimed to turn the lowlands around the city into a shooting gallery.

No, the failing defense in Avdiivka was a choice—by Russia-aligned Republicans in the U.S. Congress. When these lawmakers declined to approve further aid to Ukraine starting in October—coincidentally, around the same time the Russians attacked Avdiivka—the howitzers the 110th Brigade was counting on to turn Avdiivka’s flanks into an artillery kill-zone began to fall silent.

America was, after all, the main supplier of ammunition to Ukraine’s war effort. Ukrainian artillery quickly went from matching Russian artillery’s firepower to firing just a fifth as many shells as the Russians do. At the same time, Ukrainian air-defenses also began to run out of ammo.

The Russians sensed an opportunity. “The enemy's aviation has increased the number of sorties per day to support offensive actions in the east of Ukraine, particularly near Avdiivka,” the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies reported. “This situation is a consequence of the shortage of anti-aircraft guided missiles in the Ukrainian defense forces.”

Russian bombs rained down on the 110th Brigade’s best fortifications, blasting gaps in interlocking sectors of fire. Taking advantage of bad weather that grounded Ukraine’s drones last week, Russian infantry walked into northern Avdiivka, creeping south until they practically could see Hrushevsky Street.

For an army committed to a mobile defense—trading space for time while inflicting maximum casualties on an attacker—the infantry infiltrations might have triggered a fighting retreat.

After all, if the Ukrainians consider Avdiivka an attrition trap for the Russians, they must quit Avdiivka while they still are killing more Russians than the Russians are killing Ukrainians.

For four months, the Avdiivka garrison may have killed 10 Russians for every soldier it lost. But encirclement by the Russian field armies threatens to erase that attritional advantage.

After all, it has happened before. In May last year, in a grinding battle not dissimilar to that in Avdiivka, a Ukrainian garrison held out for months in the ruins of the eastern city of Bakhmut.

The Ukrainians killed as many as 10 Russians for ever person they lost—until the Russians traded blood for ground and pinched the city’s supply lines. “Once Russian forces managed to seize Ukrainian flanks and disrupt supply routes, the casualty rates almost equaled,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained.

Guess who was in charge of the Bakhmut fight? That’s right—Syrskyi.

What happens next in Avdiivka is anyone’s guess. If indeed the 3rd Assault Brigade has deployed to the city, expect counterattacks targeting the Russian positions near Hrushevsky Street.

But don’t expect the Ukrainians suddenly to find a lot of spare ammo lying around. Anticipating a long period of deepening American isolationism and authoritarianism, European countries are investing more in their own militaries—and that means spending more on the production of artillery shells and missiles.

It could take many months for any of those munitions to make their way to Ukraine, however. So unless Republicans in the United States relent, and the USA somehow can speed fresh aid to Avdiivka, the 110th Brigade and any units reinforcing it will continue drawing down their rapidly-emptying arsenals.

When there’s no more ammo, it won’t matter whether there’s one Ukrainian brigade in Avdiivka or two. And Ukrainian commanders’ decision to reinforce the city will, at best, be moot.

At worst, it could result in a bloodbath for Ukrainian troops as they try to flee west out of a city they no longer can defend.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:58 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Ben benieuwd wie die 2 Nederlanders zijn die ook op die lijst staan.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:47 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Niet alleen Poetin; de Russen hebben een verleden wat betreft het zich niet houden aan verdragen die ze ondertekend hebben.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:44 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

Italiaans

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 12:21 schreef over_hedge het volgende:
Van de rest heeft hij wel gewoon een punt over die 2%. Waarom is het ooit afgesproken als toch bijna niemand zich er aan houd.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 19:37 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Je hebt niets. Fijn.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 19:53 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wij evengoed hoor, maak je daarover maar geen vergissing.

quote:

In 672 voor Christus heeft Nederland blablablabla... half uur verder en niet relevante ouwe koeien uit de sloot reutelen, enz.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:25 schreef oheng het volgende:
110e Brigade wordt uit Avdiivka gereroteerd? Ik heb nu ff geen tijd om hun Telegram te checken, moet nu weg.

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 20:51 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Jawel. Je bent er alleen blind voor. Soft power staat niet in wetgeving of is vastgelegd in afspraken. Vaak niet eens in contracten. Hoe naïef van je.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 18:58 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Ben benieuwd wie die 2 Nederlanders zijn die ook op die lijst staan.

quote:

Een van hen is Joyce Koster, de Dordtse ex-militair die in maart 2022 naar Oekraïne ging met het plan mee te vechten met het Oekraïense leger tegen de Russische inval.

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De tweede naam op de lijst laat zich vertalen als Robert Meijer. Onduidelijk is waar die persoon door Rusland van verdacht wordt.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 21:23 schreef theunderdog het volgende:

[..]
Welnee. Je hebt gewoon het 'oeh enge miljardairs' syndroom.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 21:32 schreef Anton91 het volgende:

[..]
https://www.ad.nl/binnenl(...)x-militair~a94f8583/
[..]
[..]

quote:

Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 19:53 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wij evengoed hoor, maak je daarover maar geen vergissing.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 19:44 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Yup, werd een paar dagen geleden al over geschreven, ik weet niet wat ik er van moet denken aangezien de 3rd Assault Brigade de reserve is/was. Met je vrij inzetbare reserves ga je het offensief in op de door jou gekozen plek en forceer je een doorbraak en breek je vervolgens uit terwijl de rest van de troepen die er al lagen de vijand op alle plaatsen blijven binden en er voor zorgen dat de vijand zijn reserves niet naar de doorbraak kan dirigeren. Kort door de bocht, het leger vecht met zijn reserves en met de reserves breng je de beslissende slag toe. De reserves zijn niet bedoeld om gesleten eenheden te vervangen...

Ik hoop dus maar dat Oekraiene een nieuwe reserve die kant opstuurt.
[..]
Forbes

quote:

Op maandag 12 februari 2024 03:24 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Het offensief van de Russen of Ukraine?

quote:

Op zaterdag 1 april 2023 10:23 schreef voetbalmanager2 het volgende:
Het is april. De maand van het voorjaarsoffensief van Oekraïne met moderne westerse tanks.
Dan kunnen we weer een hoop vluchtende strategisch hergroeperende Russen zien die waarschijnlijk weer een hoop materieel vergeten te hergroeperen.

Benieuwd of Poetin weer een 'gebaar van vriendschap' aan Zelenski gaat maken of dat hij dit keer weer een nieuwe reden verzint voor zijn verlies. Misschien krijgen we zelfs wederom een vervanging van de Russische militaire leiding.

Hoe dan ook: nu al zin in!

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 00:12 schreef DavidTwente het volgende:

[..]
Er was er toch maar eentje? Die van de Oekraïne toch?
[..]

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 00:33 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Die startte pas later. Rusland was toen bezig om Bakmoet te veroveren. En Vuhledar had je natuurlijk ook nog. En nu zijn de Russen sinds oktober of zo bezig met Avdiivka.

quote:

Democrats win back George Santos seat in hotly contested election
The results allow Democrats to claim momentum in a crucial election year when control of the House and the presidency are on the ballot.

WOODBURY, New York — Democrats flipped the battleground Long Island seat last held by ousted Rep. George Santos, narrowing the already razor-thin Republican majority in the House.

Democrat Tom Suozzi won back his former seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, defeating lesser-known Republican rival Mazi Melesa Pilip.

The special election was a nail-biter heading into Tuesday, underscoring just how much the district has shifted to the right since Suozzi was last elected in 2020.

The results allow Democrats to claim momentum in a crucial election year when control of the House and the presidency are on the ballot. The race featured themes Republicans have centered in their 2024 campaigns, including immigration and crime.

Suozzi campaigned on a platform of compromise and common-sense governance — assailing both Republicans and members of his own party who refuse to work together during an era of hyper-partisanship.

“It’s time to move beyond the petty, partisan bickering and the finger-pointing. It’s time to focus on how to solve the problems,” he told a jubilant crowd Tuesday night at the Crest Hollow Country Club.

The diverse group of supporters in attendance included younger organizers who knocked on doors in Queens, where voters turned out big for Suozzi and gave him an early lead. A cheer went up for labor unions when the candidate expressed gratitude from the stage.

“Thank God,” Suozzi said at the top of his remarks, taking a moment to soak in his victory.

“Despite all the attacks, despite all the lies about Tom Suozzi and the squad, about Tom Suozzi being the godfather of the migrant crisis, about sanctuary Suozzi, … despite the vaunted Nassau County Republican machine, we won,” he said. “We, you won this race because we addressed the issues and we found a way to bind our divisions.”

Suozzi’s remarks were briefly interpreted by pro-Palestinian protesters, one of whom shouted, “You support genocide.”

Solidarity with Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war played a role in the race. Both Pilip and Suozzi are staunch supporters of Israel, with Suozzi saying he wants no conditions on U.S. aid to the Jewish state.

Suozzi also positioned himself as an ardent endorser of the bipartisan Senate border bill, knocking Pilip and Republicans who called it a nonstarter as being beholden to former President Donald Trump and prioritizing political gain over the country’s best interests.

Suozzi’s victory means Democrats have flipped the swing seat held until last December by Santos, a Republican who was expelled from Congress amid being criminally indicted on fraud charges. And it puts to rest — for now — anxieties the party had that President Joe Biden, who remains unpopular in the area, would be a drag on his party down ballot.

The 3rd Congressional District in Nassau County and Queens is one of about six New York House seats expected to be determined by close margins this year — a tally that stands to determine which party controls the House in 2025. Though Biden won the district by 8 points in 2020, a Newsday/Siena College poll last Thursday showed Trump was now leading Biden by five points there. The district may be redrawn in the coming days by a commission tasked with designing congressional district lines in New York.

A potential rematch or at least another close race between Democrats and Republicans looms for this seat in November. Even though Suozzi is a centrist and oftentimes conservative Democrat, he remains a Democrat, a brand toxic in some corners of Long Island where the well-tuned Nassau County Republican apparatus has flipped several local seats over the years.

Suozzi’s apparent defeat of Pilip came after the Democrats spent big on the airwaves, his campaign outraising hers by millions. Suozzi may have had the benefit of a bigger campaign war chest and name recognition after 30 years serving the area in elected office, but Pilip and the Republicans had the advantage of staking out a hardline position on border security.

The Nassau County legislator held very few news conferences during her campaign, but hosted two outside the sprawling Creedmoor Psychiatric Center migrant shelter in Queens to denounce Democratic policies that she said encourage illegal immigration.

“We did a great job. We are the fighters,” Pilip said at her party in East Meadow, just outside the district. “Yes we lost. But it doesn’t mean we’re going to end here.”

It wasn’t clear if she’ll be the party’s nominee again in November. “We’ll have to wait and see,” Nassau County Republican Chair Joe Cairo told POLITICO after Pilip’s brief concession speech.

Republican Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino and former Rep. Peter King joined Pilip on stage. Her fellow Long Islanders have been a constant presence on the campaign trail, often speaking at events more than the candidate herself.

While border politics and support for Israel were prevailing themes in the race, preserving abortion access and restoring the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, were other key issues.

Pilip is an enrolled Democrat but she campaigned in the special election with the full backing of Long Island Republicans. D’Esposito, as an example, was omnipresent at Pilip’s events.

By contrast, Suozzi ran without party leaders like Gov. Kathy Hochul or New York City Mayor Eric Adams by his side.

He had taken care to distance himself from Biden, who came last week to New York City for three fundraisers but did not campaign for Suozzi.

In the final stretch of the race, after saying “no one is above the law” in a PIX11 interview, Pilip appealed to Trump during a CNN interview for help in her campaign. Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the district for a fundraiser and rally centered in their 2024 campaigns, including immigration and crime.

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Moscow MiG fighter factory ablaze, social media report
A Moscow factory that manufactures MiG fighters is on fire, the telegram channel Baza reported on Feb. 13.

The factory is located on Leningradsky Avenue. Preliminary data suggests that the fire started in a workshop under reconstruction, attached to the operational building of the plant.

The fire has affected the second and third floors of the building, covering an area of 70 square meters. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Evacuation efforts are underway, and multiple fire brigades are on their way to the scene due to the risk of the fire spreading to other buildings of the plant.

Oil depots and refineries have been burning in several Russian regions in recent weeks. NV sources reported that the SBU is behind the attacks.

The most recent attacks included a strike on Russia’s Lukoil refinery in Volgograd on Feb. 3 and a marine terminal in the port of Ust-Luga near St. Petersburg on Jan. 21.

Пожежа на авіаційному заводі МиГ в Мо�кві [Лютий 2024]

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Russia warns the West: we will be very tough if you 'steal' our assets
MOSCOW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Russia warned the West on Tuesday that Moscow would be very tough if the United States and European Union seized hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Russian assets.
After President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, the United States and its allies prohibited transactions with Russia's central bank and finance ministry, blocking around $300 billion of sovereign Russian assets in the West.
The EU on Monday adopted a law to set aside windfall profits made on frozen Russian central bank assets, it said on Monday, in a first concrete step towards the bloc's aim of using the money to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
"This is theft: It's the appropriation of something that doesn't belong to you," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik radio, TASS reported.
Zakharova said the response from Moscow would be "extremely tough" as Russia felt it was essentially dealing with thieves.
"Considering that our country has qualified this as theft, the attitude will be towards thieves," Zakharova said. "Not as political manipulators, not as overplayed technologists, but as thieves."
Russia has said that if its property is seized then it will seize U.S., European and other assets in responses.

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"This is theft: It's the appropriation of something that doesn't belong to you,"

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F-16 transfer on schedule, expected in spring 2024 – Ukraine's ambassador to NATO
A coalition tasked with transferring these fighters to Ukraine will present its report at the Ramstein meeting tomorrow.

On February 14th, at a new meeting of Ukraine's partners in the Ramstein format, the coalition will have a briefing preparing F-16 fighters for delivery to the Ukrainian Air Force. Everything is proceeding according to plan, making spring 2024 a realistic timeframe for receiving these aircraft, as stated by Natalia Galibarenko, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO, as reported by Hromadske Radio.

"Tomorrow's meeting will be held in the Ramstein format, and there will be a briefing by the F-16 coalition on how everything is progressing. So, I think that after tomorrow's session, there might be more detailed information, but for now, everything is going according to plan. And spring 2024 is among the realistic timelines mentioned," said the official.

Preparations are underway on several levels: this includes the maintenance of the fighters themselves and training pilots in skills and English language proficiency.

Galibarenko said there is also a significant amount of preparation in training personnel who will service the aircraft: "And this was launched approximately at the same level as the pilots."

The official stated there is also preparation of certain infrastructure underway, as not all Ukrainian runways are ready for F-16s.

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Polish agrarians say they will block all Ukrainian freight transport
Polish agrarians will block all border crossings between Poland and Ukraine, as well as access roads to railway transshipment stations and seaports, starting from 20 February.

Source: RMF FM, citing a statement from Solidarity, an Independent Farmers’ Self-Governing Trade Union; European Pravda

Details: "Not only border crossings, but also transport hubs, access roads to railway transshipment stations and seaports, will be blocked," the trade union said.

Polish agrarians began a new wave of protests on 9 February, set to last 30 days.

The agrarians said they are protesting the uncontrolled flow of Ukrainian goods into Poland enabled by a European Union decision. They said the lack of regulation undermines the profitability of agricultural production, processing and other agriculture-related industries.

"That is why we’re announcing that as part of the 30-day agrarians’ strike on 20 February all protest activities will be directed towards completely blockading all Polish border crossings with Ukraine and field protests," Solidarity said.

The protesters urged the public to support their protests, claiming that they are aimed at "ensuring [Poland’s] food security".

Farmers’ protests have been going on for many weeks now, not only in Poland but across Europe. Producers stand against unregulated import of food from Ukraine, but also against EU rules related to the European Green Deal.

On 11 February, Polish agrarians protesting near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Polish-Ukrainian border spilled grain from three Ukrainian trucks on the ground.

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Exclusive: Putin's suggestion of Ukraine ceasefire rejected by United States, sources say
MOSCOW/LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the United States after contacts between intermediaries, three Russian sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.
The failure of Putin's approach ushers in a third year of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two and illustrates just how far apart the world's two largest nuclear powers remain.
A U.S. source denied there had been any official contact and said Washington would not engage in talks that did not involve Ukraine.
Putin sent signals to Washington in 2023 in public and privately through intermediaries, including through Moscow's Arab partners in the Middle East and others, that he was ready to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian sources said.
Putin was proposing to freeze the conflict at the current lines and was unwilling to cede any of the Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia, but the signal offered what some in the Kremlin saw as the best path towards a peace of some kind.
"The contacts with the Americans came to nothing," a senior Russian source with knowledge of the discussions in late 2023 and early 2024 told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
A second Russian source with knowledge of the contacts told Reuters that the Americans told Moscow, via the intermediaries, they would not discuss a possible ceasefire without the participation of Ukraine and so the contacts ended in failure.
A third source with knowledge of the discussions said: "Everything fell apart with the Americans." The source said that the Americans did not want to pressure Ukraine.
The extent of the contacts - and their failure - has not previously been reported.
It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden has for months been pushing Congress to approve more aid for Ukraine, but has faced opposition from allies of Republican presidential nomination frontrunner Donald Trump.
The Kremlin, the White House, the U.S. State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) all declined to comment.

U.S. says 'No back channel'
Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on the one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other.
Ukraine says it is fighting for its existence and the West casts Putin's invasion as an imperial-style land grab that challenges the post-Cold War international order.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he will never accept Russia's control over Ukrainian land. He has outlawed any contacts with Russia.
A U.S. official, speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity, said that the U.S. has not engaged in any back channel discussions with Russia and that Washington had been consistent in not going behind the back of Ukraine.
The U.S. official said that there appeared to have been unofficial "Track II" conversations among Russians not in the government but that the United States was not engaged in them.
The U.S. official said Putin's proposal, based on what has been publicly reported, was unchanged from past demands that Russia hold on to Ukrainian territory. The official suggested that there appeared to be frustration in Moscow that Washington had repeatedly refused to accept it.
Putin told U.S. talk-show host Tucker Carlson last week that Russia was ready for "dialogue".

Contacts
Intermediaries met in Turkey in late 2023, according to three Russian sources.
A fourth diplomatic source said that there had been Russian-U.S. unofficial contacts through intermediaries at Russia's initiative but that they appeared to have come to nothing.
The U.S. official said he was unaware of unofficial contact through intermediaries.
According to three Russian sources, Putin's signal was relayed to Washington, where top U.S. officials including White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met.
The idea was that Sullivan would speak to Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, and set out the next steps, one of the Russian sources said.
But when the call came in January, Sullivan told Ushakov that Washington was willing to talk about other aspects of the relationship but would not speak about a ceasefire without Ukraine, said one of the Russian sources.
The U.S. official refused to be drawn on any details of Sullivan's purported calls, or whether such a conversation with Ushakov took place.

Putin 'ready to fight on'
One of the Russian sources expressed frustration with the United States over Washington's insistence that it would not nudge Ukraine towards talks given that the United States was helping to fund the war.
"Putin said: 'I knew they wouldn't do anything'," another of the Russian sources said. "They cut off the root of the contacts which had taken two months to create."
Another Russian source said that the United States did not appear to believe Putin was sincere.
"The Americans didn't believe Putin was genuine about a ceasefire - but he was and is - he is ready to discuss a ceasefire. But equally Putin is also ready to fight on for as long as it takes - and Russia can fight for as long as it takes," the Russian source said.
The Kremlin sees little point in further contacts with the United States on the issue, the Russian sources said, so the war would continue.

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Stolen in Ukraine and sold: Russians put up for auction a painting that is internationally wanted
Russia wants to sell the work of famous Ukrainian artist Ivan Aivazovskyy at an auction. Earlier, Ukraine put the painting on an international wanted list.
This was reported by the former deputy prosecutor-general and former prosecutor of Crimea, Gunduz Mammadov, in social network X.

According to him, Russia should put up for auction the painting "Moon Night" by Ivan Aivazovsky, painted in 1878.

This painting was among 52 canvases that were illegally transferred to the Simferopol Art Museum in Crimea," it said.

Mammadov recalled that in 2017 Interpol, at the request of the Crimean prosecutor's office, declared the work internationally wanted. Thus Russia once again violates international law, in particular the UNESCO Convention of 1970, which prohibits the export and transfer of ownership of cultural property.

Russian media also report about plans to sell the painting of the Ukrainian artist. It is known that the auction will be held in the Moscow auction house on 18 February. "Moon Night" Aivazovsky, tentatively estimated at 100 million rubles.

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Pokrova EW system, which successfully neutralizes Shaheds, has been launched in Ukraine

The national electronic warfare system Pokrova is successfully knocking out Russian Shaheds off course in the skies over Ukraine.

Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced this to LIGA.net.

The Air Force spokesperson confirmed the operation and successful use of the Pokrova system in response to a Forbes article about Ukraine’s powerful electronic warfare system capable of intercepting Russian strike drones.

“Pokrova exists and is being used. There are others that work. Electronic warfare systems work against all enemy air attack means,” Ihnat shared.

The Pokrova system uses spoofing technology that replaces satellite signals and thus misleads drone navigation devices. Having diverted from the route, they fly past the target or crash unharmed.

Russian-launched Shahed-136s began to be found on the ground without any signs of damage at the end of January this year.

Spoofing is invisible to drones and can be successfully used in contrast to the usual jamming of all signals. The latter has little or no effect on the Shaheds due to the use of a fully autonomous inertial navigation system in their design, which allows them to continue moving in the direction of the target even without signals.

“Even if all its channels are jammed, it still continues to fly by inertia. And when it leaves the range of the electronic warfare device, it can return to its course. The Shahed’s navigation is suppressed. That is, it goes off course in this way. That is why it is difficult. But they are already being found in the fields, so it is possible to knock them down. In particular, with the help of electronic warfare systems, suppressing the navigation signal,” Ihnat said.

Pokrova system
Apart from the principle of operation, no other details about Pokrova are known. However, it is likely that this name does not refer to a device but to a network of systems operating throughout the country. This stems from the need for constant “influence” on the drone during its flight.

Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Fediyenko said that the country already has developments that can neutralize Shahed drones.

“Ukraine has a modern development, and not just one, that can interfere with the systems of such vehicles using electronic warfare (EW). These are not one, not two, not three transmitters of influence on such aircraft. These are hundreds of thousands of devices that are being installed all over the country,” the MP said.

Ihnat noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had instructed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to find a mechanism to purchase such systems even at the expense of local budgets. Such a mechanism is needed, in particular, to protect critical infrastructure facilities.

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Montreal woman pleads guilty to shipping weapons components to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine
A Russian-Canadian living in Montreal has admitted to sending millions of dollars of electronics to the Kremlin to support "its ongoing attacks of Ukraine," U.S. authorities announced on Monday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York said 32-year-old Kristina Puzyreva pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in federal court in Brooklyn and could face up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced at a later date.

The attorney's office said Puzyreva was part of the "sophisticated" export scheme that involved purchasing dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers under Brooklyn-based front companies and sending them to Russian entities and companies in violation of U.S. sanctions. Those components were then used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and guided missile systems used by the Russian military.

"As she admitted today, the defendant was a key part of the plan, laundering proceeds from the scheme to evade sanctions and ship UAV and missile components to Russia that were later found on the battlefield in Ukraine," stated United States Attorney Peace.

Puzyreva and her husband — 37-year-old Nikolay Goltsev, also of Montreal — were arrested on Oct. 31, 2023(opens in a new tab) in a Manhattan hotel room. Police seized $20,000 from the room during their arrest and have seized US$1.68 million in connection with the export scheme.

Homeland Security Investigations said her money laundering scheme was linked to nearly 300 shipments of restricted technology valued at US$ 7 million for the Kremlin.

The prosecution of Goltsev and another defendant, 52-year-old Salimdzhon Nasriddinov of Brooklyn, is ongoing.

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Russia's Starlink Scheme via NATO Proxy Exposed in Sting Report
Russian forces are buying Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network from private sellers and are using them in occupied Ukraine by connecting them to networks in NATO-member Poland, according to the independent investigative journalism site Important Stories (IStories).

Journalists with IStories said they spoke with the representatives of three Russian websites who have advertised selling the Starlink devices, which are operated by Musk's aerospace company SpaceX.

Two of the representatives of separate websites said that personal accounts on the devices connect to a network through Poland, while the individual behind a third site said that they connect "through a European country." Poland shares a border with Ukraine.

Ukrainian military intelligence has said Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces in Ukraine are increasingly using Starlink terminals on the battlefield, while other Russian news outlets also report that Starlink satellite communications systems are now being sold via multiple Russian online stores, supplied via an intermediary in Dubai.

Newsweek has contacted the foreign ministries of the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Russia for comment by email.

In response to a Newsweek email, SpaceX did not provide a comment, linking instead to its statement via a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military," the statement on Musk's social media platform said.

"Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Russian stores are claiming to sell Starlink for service in that country, they are scamming their customers.

"Starlink also does not operate in Dubai. Starlink cannot be purchased in Dubai nor does SpaceX ship there. Additionally, Starlink has not authorized any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in Dubai.

"If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed."

The statement did not explicitly address the question about the potential use of Starlink outside Russia, namely in occupied Ukraine, fueling further speculation. The map of the geographies covered by Starlink on its website appears to include at least some contested territories and those occupied by Russia.

Musk said in a statement on X that reports SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia are false. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia," he wrote.

Musk's SpaceX deployed its Starlink satellites to help provide Kyiv with internet service in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Musk has said that the satellite internet system provides Ukraine with a "major battlefield advantage."

Last year, Musk said he refused to allow Ukraine to use Starlink internet services to launch an attack on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, to avoid complicity in a "major act of war."

"There was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol," he wrote in early September 2023 on X. "The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor. If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation."

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 08:43 schreef Frutsel het volgende:
[ twitter ]

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Austria announces intentions to terminate gas supplies contract with Russia
Austria is considering the option of terminating the multi-year contract between the energy company OMV and Russia's Gazprom for gas supplies to the country
The Austrian Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Leonore Gewessler, revealed the information.

"Our dependence on Russian natural gas threatens the prosperity, security and future of our country. Our goal is to get rid of Russian natural gas. As a sovereign country, we cannot simply accept the fact that the share of Russian gas is increasing, not decreasing," the minister said.

The statement notes that over the past decades, Austria has become "highly dependent on Russian gas supplies." The last significant step towards this dependence was the extension of long-term contracts for the supply of natural gas from Russia in 2018.

"These wrong decisions led to the fact that at the beginning of the Russian aggression, Austria was already receiving 80% of its gas from Russia," the ministry said.

Despite the federal government's measures to reduce this dependence, the share of Russian natural gas in Austria is still "too high," and in recent months it has been growing. According to the Ministry of Energy, one of the reasons for this is that the natural gas supply contracts concluded by Austrian OMV with Gazprom provide for a fixed obligation to purchase gas (take-or-pay). In view of this, these contracts have been called "bonded."

"This means that payment must be made in any case, even if Russian gas is not purchased. As a result of these bonded contracts, against the backdrop of falling overall gas consumption and unchanged imports, the share of Russian natural gas is growing. After all, gas consumption in Austria decreased by a quarter from 100.3 terawatt-hours in 2021 to 75.6 terawatt-hours in 2023," the ministry said.

According to Gewessler, there is a clear market failure, as "there is enough non-Russian natural gas, but energy companies are not buying it."

"If the market is not working, the state must intervene. I am convinced of this: It is time for a legislative commitment to diversification. And I also appeal to all those responsible in the parliament - let's take the next step now," she said.

The Ministry of Energy has put forth several measures that require legislative endorsement by a constitutional majority. Specifically, these proposals revolve around the mandate for energy companies supplying gas to Austrian consumers to possess the capability "to replace the failure of the largest single source of supply with other sources of supply."

In addition, gas suppliers "must provide evidence of a gradual increase in the share of non-Russian natural gas". Another measure mentioned was "preparations for withdrawal from Russian contracts.”

"Another reason for the high level of dependence is the bondage agreement between OMV and Gazprom, which provides for fixed obligations to purchase Russian gas. In order to refuse to supply Russian gas, as is envisaged in Austria and at the EU level, it is necessary to study and implement all options for terminating the contract," the Energy Ministry said.

Gazprom has already unilaterally reduced gas supplies in 2022, and "with the expiration of the transit contract through Ukraine, there is again a risk that Russia will use gas supplies as a weapon and will not supply as much as planned."

"For this reason, the Ministry of Climate Protection supports any possibility of withdrawing from the gas supply contract due to Gazprom's unilateral failure to fulfill its obligations," the statement said.

• Earlier, the Austrian manufacturer of heating boilers Windhager filed for bankruptcy amid rising energy prices due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 08:48 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Oeh! Toch nog goed nieuws vanmorgen.

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Op dinsdag 13 februari 2024 17:46 schreef LXIV het volgende:

[..]
Dat klopt. En daarmee verwoord je dan ook de essentie om rationeel oorlog te (blijven) voeren: het verbeteren van je onderhandelingspositie. Er zijn echter 2 kanttekeningen: je positie kan ook verslechteren, dat is een risico. En het kost natuurlijk veel mensenlevens en geld, dat is de prijs.
Mogelijk offer je nog 250.000 mensenlevens op en is je onderhandelingspositie verslechterd.
[..]
Is dat zo? Wat wordt dat gesteld dan?

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Speaker Mike Johnson wants Biden meeting before any action on Ukraine and Israel aid package
The House speaker, who has previously met with Biden, is seeking a one-on-one meeting ahead of any movement on legislation that would provide aid for the U.S. allies.

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson wants an in-person, one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden before proceeding with a supplemental aid package with funding for Ukraine and Israel, a source close to Johnson said.

Johnson, R-La., and his staff have requested the meetings with Biden through senior White House officials several times over the past two months after Johnson's trip last month to the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, the source said.

The most recent request for a meeting came just over a week ago, several days before the Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion national security package and before House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Johnson's requests for a meeting were not necessarily about the Senate’s version of the supplemental aid but rather about a general path forward on a legislative package.

The Senate bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed with support from 70 senators.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday that Biden "refuses" to meet with Johnson.

“Ultimately, the two of them could come to an agreement that can become law,” Scalise said. “And yet the president refuses to even meet. So the president can’t say he’s serious about Ukraine or the border when he refuses to meet with the speaker so they can come to an agreement on this issue.”

A White House official pointed to what the administration characterized as Johnson’s inconsistencies on the border, saying he needed to wrap the negotiations he has having with himself and stop delaying national security needs in the name of politics.

“That body language says: ‘I know I’m in a tough spot. Please bail me out,’” said a Democratic source involved with the supplemental aid package.

Biden met with Johnson alongside other congressional leaders less than a month ago to discuss a bipartisan immigration deal that would have unlocked aid to Ukraine. Johnson at the time called it a “productive” meeting.

Biden also spoke with Johnson last month about border security.

Johnson has said any aid package must be paired with changes to U.S. border policy. However, Senate Republicans this month spiked the bipartisan border security bill negotiated between the parties, which Johnson has roundly criticized.

In a statement Monday, Johnson said the Senate “should have gone back to the drawing board to amend the current bill to include real border security provisions that would actually help end the ongoing catastrophe. Instead, the Senate’s foreign aid bill is silent on the most pressing issue facing our country.”

Now that the Senate has passed an aid package for Ukraine and Israel that doesn't include broad border policy changes, one of Johnson's options includes putting the bill to a vote on the House floor, though the scenario appears to be increasingly unlikely as Republicans voice more skepticism on aid to Ukraine.

Earlier Tuesday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates released a memo calling on the House to pass the Senate bill.

“Will House Republicans side with President Biden and Senators on both sides of the aisle in supporting American national security? Or will House Republicans, in the name of politics, side with Vladimir Putin and the regime in Tehran?” Bates wrote. “The House GOP cannot lose sight of this binary choice. It would be devastating to undercut American national security by voting against our interests and values.”

Johnson this month backed a stand-alone bill that would provide aid to Israel, but the measure fell short of the two-thirds needed for passage under an expedited House rule. Many Democrats had argued that the legislation was politicized because Senate negotiators at the time had agreed to a separate package that addressed aid to Israel, among other measures.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 09:18 schreef Frutsel het volgende:
[ twitter ]

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 09:21 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Stad in Frankrijk.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 09:31 schreef Frutsel het volgende:

[..]
Lyon!

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— BREAKING: Huge explosion of a gas pipeline between the cities of Shahrekord and Borujen in Iran
The explosion and its aftermath are so large that they could be seen from a distance as far away as 60km.

— The section of pipeline that exploded is the main artery carrying natural gas from the Persian Gulf refineries towards the major cities including Tehran, Esfahan and Qom

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Houthis strike Iran-bound grain ship in first Red Sea attack in six days
Militants fired missiles at Greek-owned ship, says US military, in strike that raises questions over who Houthis are trying to target

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 09:31 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]
[ afbeelding ]
Dat zijn weer mooie cijfers van de laatste twee dagen. Nog 2 meer dagen en we zitten op 400.000 geëlimineerde militairen.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 10:38 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:
Musk

quote:

Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 10:18 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ twitter ]
[ twitter ]

Elon Musk: ‘No Way in Hell’ Putin Is Losing War in Ukraine | WSJ News

Elon musk in een debat met meerdere republikeinse politici over het hulppakket aan Oekraïne. En dan wordt er gezegd dat hij geen invloed heeft in de politiek.

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Ukraine invasion sets back Musk's dream for cheaper EVs (2022)
https://www.reuters.com/t(...)-evs-now-2022-03-07/

The conflict in Ukraine has only raised the stakes, pushing nickel and aluminium prices to record highs on Monday on growing fears exports from leading producer Russia could be disrupted. Lithium prices also have increased, more than doubling since year end, as supply fell short of rising demand.

Russia’s largest miner Nornickel produces around 20% of the world’s supplies of high purity class 1 nickel, which is used in EV batteries, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Russia is also a large provider of aluminum, used in batteries.

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Ts(a)ezar (Caesar) Lvovich Kunikov (Russian: Це́зарь Льво́вич Ку́ников) (23 June 1909 – 14 February 1943) was an officer in the Soviet Naval Infantry. He served as commanding officer of a landing party that recaptured the beach-head at Malaya Zemlya during World War II.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.reddit.com/r/(...)king_of_the_russian/
On the occasion of the sinking of the Russian ship Caesar Kunikov, please read the Wikipedia page about her namesake, and particularly look at his date of death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsaezar_Kunikov
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Lol, wat een timing. Dat kan haast geen toeval zijn toch.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.reddit.com/r/(...)king_of_the_russian/
On the occasion of the sinking of the Russian ship Caesar Kunikov, please read the Wikipedia page about her namesake, and particularly look at his date of death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsaezar_Kunikov
[..]
Lol, wat een timing. Dat kan haast geen toeval zijn toch.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:51 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Na de dollar en EUR voorraden, moet nu ook al het goud in de ramsj.

[ twitter ]

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:12 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Denk ik ook niet. Ze zijn nogal van de symboliek daar

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Heh wat gek ik heb begrepen dat de sancties niet werken.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Heh wat gek ik heb begrepen dat de sancties niet werken.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:17 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

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"Haha, we zijn zo rijk dat we het ons kunnen veroorloven om ons goud tegen bodemprijzen over de schutting kunnen gooien! Russia economy stronk!" #desanctieswerkenniet

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:15 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
Musk zit diep in de wappiefuik. Verkondigt precies dezelfde onzin als de MAGA adepten / FvD'ertjes.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:36 schreef Barbusse het volgende:
Wederom: prutsmarine

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:36 schreef Barbusse het volgende:
Wederom: prutsmarine

Waarom er nog geen admiraals ed massaal uit ramen zijn gevallen is me een raadsel 🤔

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:37 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Wat anders dan de kriegsmarine.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:39 schreef Kukelecucktsju10 het volgende:

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Iemand eerst een tijdje laten sidderen voordat je hem het raam uit kukelt.

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:41 schreef Aether het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 12:36 schreef Barbusse het volgende:
Wederom: prutsmarine

Waarom er nog geen admiraals ed massaal uit ramen zijn gevallen is me een raadsel 🤔

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Op woensdag 14 februari 2024 11:51 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Na de dollar en EUR voorraden, moet nu ook al het goud in de ramsj.