Russian invasion of Ukraine | Fewer tweets, more discussion

Situation looks kinda dire. Uncertainty about Western long-term support isn't helping either.


After Two Years of Bloody Fighting, Ukraine Wrestles With Conscription

Conscription means fewer taxpayers covering a bigger army payroll. Mr. Zelensky said last month that mobilizing more than 450,000 people would cost 500 billion Ukrainian hryvnias, about $13 billion — when continued Western financial aid is in doubt.

“Where will we get the money from?” Mr. Zelensky asked.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/world/europe/ukraine-conscription-mobilization-bill.html
 
Just an absolute disgrace and total embarrassment when one of the supposedly largest military production wise EU states can only provide so little after 2 years of full scale invasion:



This will barely last a day at the front, and this is the reason Putin believes he can outlast the west and then eventually challenge NATO when he gets the signals of complete impotence from Europe.
 
Isn't EU supposed to give Ukraine a lot of money in the near future, so Ukraine can afford further conscription, or is the economic aid that's being discussed not enough to make up the gap?
 
Morty_ said:
Isn't EU supposed to give Ukraine a lot of money in the near future, so Ukraine can afford further conscription, or is the economic that's being discussed not enough to make up the gap?
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I don't know about whether the gap can be filled but yes, Ukraine needs funding for different goals.
 
More info on the Zaluzhny situation:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...asked-top-general-to-step-down-but-he-refused

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/zelensky-valery-zaluzhny-ukraine-war-general-lp9wdp3l2


The gist is that Zelenskiy wants Zaluzhniy gone. Zaluzhniy in his turn has been trying to tell Zelenskiy that his panoply of 'advisors' (useless political operatives trying to avoid the frontline) are not giving him realistic information about the battlefield. Zaluzhniy is very popular among the Ukrainian people and firing him will be very, very difficult for Zelenskiy.

For a little more context here's a Ukrainian Youtube channel that I follow where they ask Ukrainians their opinion about various parts of this war. Here's the segment on Zelenskiy 'vs' Zaluzhniy from late last year, following the fallout from Zaluzhniy's interview with The Economist:

 
People have been wondering about the situation with the artillery ammunition production in EU and this article has some interesting quotes
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-...ter-than-nothing-when-it-comes-to-ammunition/

“This is a work in progress, the whole machinery is working and member states are passing commands,” EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told reporters after an informal meeting of member-country defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday.


“Every day, it keeps evolving and increasing,” he said, specifying that Ukraine will get 524,000 shells by March.
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“We are already at this level today, in other words — we are two months ahead of schedule in our capacity to produce more ammunition in Europe, of course for Ukraine but also for our own security,” Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on the sidelines of the defense ministers’ meeting.


According to the commissioner from France, the EU's ammunition production capacity should hit 1.4 million rounds in 2024 before rising to 2 million rounds in 2025.
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VorZakone said:
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Part of Putin's purpose of taking Crimea was to allow the Russian Navy unfettered access to Crimean ports (beyond just Sevastopol) so it could dominate the Black Sea. Instead its had the opposite effect where Russian ships are fleeing the area for safety and to avoid being sunk.
 
Raoul said:
Part of Putin's purpose of taking Crimea was to allow the Russian Navy unfettered access to Crimean ports (beyond just Sevastopol) so it could dominate the Black Sea. Instead its had the opposite effect where Russian ships are fleeing the area for safety and to avoid being sunk.
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While NATO fleets from Romania to Bulgaria are getting stronger. Same situation with NATO on a wider scale; expansion bad? 2 more powerful European nations are joining.

I think Putin will be remembered as one of the worst strategists in history.
 
jackal&hyde said:
While NATO fleets from Romania to Bulgaria are getting stronger. Same situation with NATO on a wider scale; expansion bad? 2 more powerful European nations are joining.

I think Putin will be remembered as one of the worst strategists in history.
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Its also allowed the Ukrainians to organize grain shipments, which benefits them and the rest of the world in need of the grain.

As for Putin, I'd say he's not the best foreign strategist, but is probably a very good domestic one, at least in terms of doing what was necessary remain in power for well over 2 decades. And since he can't leave office without dying shortly thereafter, he will likely stick around until he dies of old age (possibly eclipsing Stalin's 30 year mark at some point).
 
Raoul said:
Its also allowed the Ukrainians to organize grain shipments, which benefits them and the rest of the world in need of the grain.

As for Putin, I'd say he's not the best foreign strategist, but is probably a very good domestic one, at least in terms of doing what was necessary remain in power for well over 2 decades. And since he can't leave office without dying shortly thereafter, he will likely stick around until he dies of old age (possibly eclipsing Stalin's 30 year mark at some point).
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He is not good at the domestic war. He appears so because there is no alternative. Do you support the special operation yes or no? The nation needs to make sacrifices to fight NATO. Are you ok with being poor while we are fighting NATO but we are winning?

The national support is not down to a chosen idea, is down to any other idea being suppressed. If you give the Russian people the real option of being a European nation they will take it with 3 hands.
 
I wonder who would replace him. I hope it's not a bad move if true.
 
VorZakone said:
It does look like a monumentally stupid decision. I guess we'll see how it plays out.
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I think Zelensky will look for someone who can be what Ulysses Grant and William Sherman were compared to George Meade in the US Civil War.

Regardless, a stalemate will never look good for any general in any side of a war, no matter how popular he is.
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
I think Zelensky will look for someone who can be what Ulysses Grant and William Sherman were compared to George Meade in the US Civil War.

Regardless, a stalemate will never look good for any general in any side of a war, no matter how popular he is.
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Like burning shit loads of resources and manpower to get to the point? Except that the UKR does not have that compared to the Russians.

If anything, they need someone similar to Robert Edward Lee for now.
 
VorZakone said:
It does look like a monumentally stupid decision. I guess we'll see how it plays out.
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Hard to say if we're not being given any context really. Zaluzhny has probably had the most stressful job on earth for the past two years. Could be any sort of reason behind it, its nothing unusual, but he seems to have the support of the troops on the whole, so always risky.
 


The treason continues, dems needs to vote this down, not only does Israel not need aid, dems have to make it clear that Israel doesn't get anything if Ukraine doesn't get anything.

Unfortunately, dems love Israel to much to vote against it, and so, they will have no leverage for Ukraine.
 
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