The Ukraine / Russia standoff - How bad is this going to get?

[bl8d]

this is Vexler on the Drone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocVeOiYBkw0

60% of Russians have consigned their daily fate to the State and it's not because of apathy, it's just an easier reality for them to live in.

His conclusion, that Putin's Russia is steadily becoming more fascist than communist, is another.

Xi's China s only a wonton throw from that change too.

and if the cult of one is elected in the States, we are in for Interesting times.

[Fredk]

And a day later Pregozhin says "I gots amo, changed my mind, I'm staying."

Do you suppose he got a call from Putin? "Hello Pregozhin? Putie here. Nice performance. Now, back to the front and go shoot some Ukrainians."

[bl8d]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/may/14/russia-ukraine-war-live-zelenskiy-arrives-in-berlin-after-germany-announces-further-27bn-of-military-aid

looks like Germany is stepping up its game, and sending Putin an indirect message about the consequences of withholding Gas supplies to Europe.

[bl8d]

interesting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0X3-lDQts

[Fredk]

interesting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0X3-lDQts

So he was paying attention in all those meetings. Interesting that Nixon understood what was happening, but subsequent administrations seemed completely clueless

[Fredk]

It looks like the counter offensive is proceeding rather well. Ukraine's shaping operations in Bakhmut are forcing a decision on the Russians. Give up Bakhmut or commit reserves to hold on to what they have gained. Putting more reserves there means somewhere else becomes more vulnerable

At this point it seems like time is on Ukraine's side. With much better intelligence gathering capabilities, Ukraine is better able to target weapons and equipment behind the front lines.

[High cut]

It looks like the counter offensive is proceeding rather well. Ukraine's shaping operations in Bakhmut are forcing a decision on the Russians. Give up Bakhmut or commit reserves to hold on to what they have gained. Putting more reserves there means somewhere else becomes more vulnerable

At this point it seems like time is on Ukraine's side. With much better intelligence gathering capabilities, Ukraine is better able to target weapons and equipment behind the front lines.

Agreed, time is now on UK's side as the west has truly bought in to them. Early on there was a lot of hedging and posturing going on.

[bl8d]

My concern is that Xi will foist a major distraction to the war in Ukraine if he launches an invasion on Taiwan to split off Nato.
I would be surprised if Xi and Putin had not discussed this.

[Arthur Dailey]

Published today by the AP

SUSIE BLANN AND JOANNA KOZLOWSKA

The head of the Russian private army Wagner has again broken with the Kremlin line on Ukraine, saying its goal of demilitarizing the country has backfired, acknowledging Russian troops have killed civilians and agreeing with Western estimates that he’s lost more than 20,000 men in the battle for Bakhmut.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said about half of those who died in the eastern Ukrainian city were Russian convicts recruited for the 15-month-old war. His figures stood in stark contrast to Moscow’s widely disputed claims from that just over 6,000 of its troops were killed throughout the war as of January.

Prigozhin said Russia’s goal of “demilitarizing” Ukraine has backfired because Kyiv’s military has become stronger with Western weapons and training.

In the interview, Prigozhin also challenged Moscow’s vehement denials that Russian forces had killed civilians.

“A pessimistic scenario: the Ukrainians are given missiles, they prepare troops, of course they will continue their offensive, try to counterattack,” he said. “They will attack Crimea, they will try to blow up the Crimean bridge (to the Russian mainland), cut off (our) supply lines. Therefore we need to prepare for a hard war.”

Prigozhin’s admission of heavy losses appears to show the impact of Ukraine’s strategy. Ukrainian officials have said their goal in Bakhmut was to exhaust and deplete Russian forces, distract them from protecting territory they occupy elsewhere, and buy time for more Western weapons and ammunition supplies to arrive, and training to be completed.

[Fredk]

Here's an interesting interview with a guy who walked away from everything during the first Russian conscription.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71CgzWpxf4Y

[mpare]

That Russia would issue an arrest warrant against Lindsey Graham is laughable given their criminal invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-russia-issues-arrest-warrant-for-lindsey-graham-over-ukraine-comments-2/

[Marty Canuck]

That Russia would issue an arrest warrant against Lindsey Graham is laughable given their criminal invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/worl...ne-comments-2/

Russia would be doing a favour to American citizens were they to actually arrest that POS.

[duffer_mcmulligan]

This is a fascinating story of a group of reporters who investigated and exposed a Russian hybrid war currently being undertaken in the Nordic countries. It plays like a spy mystery, but once you get past that, it really is well done. The information is damn scary. And Russia isn’t just doing it in the Nordic arena, they are doing similar programs around the world to a lessor degree.

Another very worthwhile couple of reads, just to get a perspective of how deeply corrupt the Russian government and oligarch system is, are Bill Browder’s books: Red Notice and Freezing Order.

The powers that be in Russia are pure evil, from a Western perspective (my opinion) , totally corrupt, and exceedingly committed to staying power, no matter what or who has to die to ensure it. when you combine these books with what we see playing out at Russia’s behest in Ukraine, it paints a very clear and brutal picture of what and who Putin and his supporters are.

[bl8d]

I listened to Browder's talk at the Aspen Institute and the man impressed me tremendously.

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TDI3yTMoqcgxYPQST8rMyVFIKsovT0ktUihKTVHIyy_JTE4FAPyJDUk&q=bill+browder+red+notice&oq=bil+browderds&aqs=chrome.5.69i57j46i13i433i512j46i13i512j0i13i512l2j46i13i340i512l2j0i13i512l2.17357j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b4a86066,vid:MZAtHN6tfBU

It's long but engrossing.

Putin's personal wealth is larger then Elon's and Zuckerberg combined and explains why he wants to stay in power for life.