The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread

[rsemmes]

Donald Trump has halted new US military aid for Ukraine. European nations, grappling with stagnant economies and public spending pressures, are not doing nearly enough to fill the gap, according to the Kiel Institut in Germany.
And Ukraine is running out of money fast: Kyiv needs an estimated €136bn in 2026 and 2027 to fund its defence and keep afloat, according to the European Commission. Without new funds by spring, Ukraine risks going bankrupt, unable to pay soldiers, teachers and police.
...
Agreement would trigger an outpouring of relief, but the difficulties would be far from over. Even if EU leaders sign off on the frozen assets idea, it would still need to be turned into law to meet Ukraine’s urgent military and civilian needs by springtime.

What is the row about the EU using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine?

Complex plan would involve EU lending €90bn to Ukraine, which some fear could destabilise Eurozone. Putin says move is akin to ‘theft’

www.theguardian.com

It looks like we (decided to) took action, now let's write the law to make it legal. (What it's illegal in some countries.)

No, China and the EU are not providing the same level of support.

 

[Aleks.ov]

I agree that the global order is changing and that new centers of power are emerging. I still fail to see how Russia matters more in the new one than it did in the old, or why that would require invading Ukraine.

Yes, I am genuinely surprised.
I understand resentment over sanctions, companies leaving the country, frozen assets, barred athletes, and the way Russians are supposedly portrayed in Western media. What I struggle to understand is how these grievances translate into a widespread willingness to have one’s sons and brothers sent to die in a foreign land (which is not even a Western country). What does that solve?
Personally, I cannot imagine accepting deaths in my family simply because I perceive other countries as disrespectful toward my own. Especially for a country with such a rich history and culture as Russia’s, I find it hard to understand a retreat into such a simplified form of nationalism.
It’s also worth noting that many of these consequences appear to have followed Russia’s actions rather than preceded them, but I’m happy to set that point aside for now.

Unilateral military-political expansion and pressure in the post-Soviet space began long before the conflict in Ukraine, as has been repeatedly written here. Any proposals and projects regarding the security system were simply ignored, and at the highest level, and Ukraine is merely a consequence.
As for the role of financial incentives, the number of Muscovites participating in the SMO is about 90 thousand, and we are talking about the richest region and the most politically liberal one.

 

[Aleks.ov]

As cynical as it may sound, what looks like a swap of Venezuela for Ukraine is underway.

 

[personaldesas]

As cynical as it may sound, what looks like a swap of Venezuela for Ukraine is underway.

I'd prefer Venezuela, better weather.

 

[crest]

If this is accurate, I wonder why soldiers would make a video containing claims that are so easily disproven.

It wouldn't be the first time, it's not just propaganda either there is financial rewards for taking territory and other actions. That has of course resulted is what I guess is fraud technically. Also a good reason to wait for multiple sources of confirmation in these situations

 

[Feanor]

It appears the video was not made in Kupyansk.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2001315317016846543

Yeah, the claims are called into question. I'm not sure it's all that significant. Regardless of that soldiers' statements and that one video, we know Ukraine is advancing in Kupyansk and has almost pushed Russia across the river. That reality can't be contested with one video. If the video was real, it would illustrate the layer-cake of presence in the city, rather than demonstrate confident Russian control.

 

[swerve]

Unilateral military-political expansion and pressure in the post-Soviet space began long before the conflict in Ukraine, as has been repeatedly written here. Any proposals and projects regarding the security system were simply ignored, and at the highest level, and Ukraine is merely a consequence.

There was nothing unilateral. It was always multilateral.

Your perspectives are faulty. You see only big countries, acting as monoliths. You ignore the wishes of smaller countries. Estonia, for example, was very keen to join NATO because it felt threatened by Russia, & that feeling was reasonable, because Russia acted threateningly. Separatist groups in the Russian minority in Estonia were supported by Russia, Russia tried to intimidate Estonia, from the early 1990s onwards. It got worse after Putin got into power. Estonia acted rationally in response to this, by seeking protection from friendly countries - i.e. NATO.

Same for most other E. European countries.

That was not "Unilateral military-political expansion". The fact that you, & many of your countrymen, see it as such is a major part of the problem. You do not accept that small countries can have agency, or rights. You see them only as clients of big states, obeying their masters, & if they act against Russia's wishes that must be because they are obeying an enemy of Russia.

 

[crest]

As cynical as it may sound, what looks like a swap of Venezuela for Ukraine is underway.

I don't know if it's a swap the situation is different as if the us decides to blockade Russia cannot support Venezuela well the same is not true in Ukraine. That is to say the u.s doesnt need to swap not to mention it was quite clean the u.s was looking to get out of Ukraine well before the Venezuela issue took shape

 

[personaldesas]

It wouldn't be the first time, it's not just propaganda either there is financial rewards for taking territory and other actions. That has of course resulted is what I guess is fraud technically. Also a good reason to wait for multiple sources of confirmation in these situations

Before @rsemmes says it: McNamara fallacy! We have seen it all before by the Americans!

 

[rsemmes]

Before @rsemmes says it: McNamara fallacy! We have seen it all before by the Americans!

Still, you should provide a link. Maybe some people don't "want" to do a search or didn't read about Vietnam. (McNamara's fallacy sounds like Philosophy.)