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#78401
13 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

You know that Ford Ranger put up a hell of a fight !!!!

Yeah, that's no ordinary Ranger. Looked like the Commando LTD trim, Ford's belated answer to the Chevy Silverado "RV from Hell" edition as featured in Tango & Cash.

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  • AUS-97HORN
    AUS-97HORN

    For the love of Christ woman,  stop posting the same fucking thing every 20 mins just to make your neurotic self feel better.     Bring something useful to the thread other than your inane babbli

  • Im_smarter_then_you
    Im_smarter_then_you

  • InkaUtexas
    InkaUtexas

    I volunteered today. Log/Admin role to replace people for 30-60 days. The operation is in the west, or should the Orcs win will be pulled back behind the NATO wall. Either way the humanitarian effort

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#78403
1 hour ago, statsman said:

Yeah. The problem is- the EU does have a lot of military weapons/munitions aid to give. They’re willing, but their militaries are horribly hollowed out after decades of prioritizing butter over guns. 
 
Now, the bear is roaring again, and they’d really like to give Ukraine what it needs to fend him off- which is artillery shells and lots of them. They just don’t have them. 
 
The U.S. has more to offer, but one party is holding stuff up. 

The combined West is close to a billion people, maybe a bit more to include Japan, ROK, and Australia.  It’s the wealthiest places in the world. It’s embarrassing to be in this situation. 
 

Democracy has to be armed better than tyranny. We’ve had a generation of leaders who don’t get that. 

#78404
48 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

The combined West is close to a billion people, maybe a bit more to include Japan, ROK, and Australia.  It’s the wealthiest places in the world. It’s embarrassing to be in this situation. 
 

Democracy has to be armed better than tyranny. We’ve had a generation of leaders who don’t get that. 

Are you including central and south america?

#78405
Just now, Bevo said:

Are you including central and south america?

I hope so, eventually.  For them it’s a question of capacity and democratic consolidation.  It’s for a separate thread but I have strong thoughts about what I see as US neglect to Latin America and the costs we pay for not being able to count on that region as a real strategic partner. 

#78407
In a field outside occupied #Bakhmut, 9 surrendering Ukrainian soldiers were executed near the mouth of their trench. https://t.co/rtGSrzNqib
⚡⚡⚡ 4 brigades that were preparing for a counteroffensive did not receive the promised Western equipment. They simply did not participate in the counteroffensive. The partners shook hands, but in fact the equipment simply did not arrive, - Zelensky
Important message from NATO:“Ukraine will join NATO, it’s not a question of if but when”🇺🇦

 

Edited by KYHorn

#78409
14 hours ago, troph said:

CFR panel discussion they sent around by email was depressing as hell. Basically Putin is sitting pretty, Ukraine fucked, territorial compromise likely the only way out and Ukraine is still subject to the pressure of Putin whose goal is likely now to create a failed state in order to prop up and ally as opposed to outright conquer. And that absent continued military support not only is restoring territorial integrity impossible, preserving the rest of Ukraine may be too.

https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-losses-avdiivka-exceed-10-year-soviet-afghan-war-isw-2024-2

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#78410
2 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I hope so, eventually.  For them it’s a question of capacity and democratic consolidation.  It’s for a separate thread but I have strong thoughts about what I see as US neglect to Latin America and the costs we pay for not being able to count on that region as a real strategic partner. 

The reason I ask is that the population of Europe is 600M and the US is 300M. But a lot of Europe's 600M is composed of countries such as Turkey, France, Serbia, Albania, and Hungary which probably provide limited help compared to Germany, the UK, the former Eastern Europe, and northern Europe. Turkey plays both sides pretty well as they act tough against Russia but help Russia significantly by skirting sanctions.

 

As for the US, as much as Congress has done to screw up the war effort, the administration has been taking it easy on Russian oil sales which is pretty much the majority of Russia's economy.

 

Exclusive: Turkish-Russian trade hit by fresh US sanctions threat

By Can Sezer, Nevzat Devranoglu and Dmitry Zhdannikov

February 19, 20246:31 AM CST

Updated 6 days ago

https://www.reuters.com/markets/turkish-russian-trade-hit-by-fresh-us-sanctions-threat-2024-02-19/

            Summary

            December executive order complicated payments in both directions

            Turkish banks reviewing business, tightening compliance

            Crude supplies not disrupted, few cargoes delayed, sources say

            U.S. official says encouraged by reports of tightened compliance

ISTANBUL, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A U.S. threat to hit financial firms doing business with Russia with sanctions has chilled Turkish-Russian trade, disrupting or slowing some payments for both imported oil and Turkish exports, according to seven sources familiar with the matter.

The U.S. executive order in December did not explicitly target energy but it has complicated some Turkish payments for Russian crude as well as Russian payments for a broader range of Turkish exports, the sources said.

U.S. sanctions aim to reduce the Kremlin's revenue and disrupt its war in Ukraine without choking Russian oil flows to global markets, to avoid a politically sensitive jump in U.S. gasoline prices with President Joe Biden seeking re-election in November.

However, similar payment problems to those now faced by Turkey have already disrupted Russian oil supplies to India and complicated those to the United Arab Emirates and China, according to oil traders.

Russia is the top crude and diesel exporter to energy-poor NATO member Turkey, supplying 8.9 million metric tons of crude and 9.4 million tons of diesel to its Black Sea neighbour in the 11 months to November.

The emerging payment issues are due to Turkish banks reviewing business and tightening compliance with Russian clients, four of the sources said. They have not disrupted Turkey's crude supplies, delaying only a small number of cargoes, two oil industry sources said.

A source with a Russian oil major said Russian oil exporters have not received payments from Turkey for two to three weeks.

"It has become difficult to make some energy payments to Russia, especially after the new sanctions (threat) at the end of December. Some payments were disrupted," a Turkish source familiar with the payments issue said.

"The originally agreed upon method had to be changed or the payment had to be postponed, but the shipment continued. There may be problems on a cargo-by-cargo basis," the source said.

The industrial and financial sector sources discussed the payment and trade disruption under condition of anonymity given they are not authorised to speak about the sensitive matter.

"Payment issues began after December. The focus is not on oil imports, but it is unsettling. It has not impacted day-to-day functioning but reminds us that a problem could arise any time," a Turkish oil industry source said.

The Turkish Treasury declined to comment when asked about the issue. Turkey's banking watchdog BDDK did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ankara opposes Western sanctions on Moscow even as it has criticised Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago. It has managed to maintain close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the conflict.

Though Ankara has said the sanctions will not be circumvented on Turkish soil, Washington ramped up pressure last year to halt the transit of dual-use goods that Russia could use on the battlefield, and has warned that Turkish banks and companies could be hit by secondary U.S. sanctions.

"EXTREMELY METICULOUS"

The disruption to Russian-Turkish payments began when Biden signed the executive order on Dec. 22 threatening firms helping Russia circumvent sanctions with the risk of losing assess to the U.S. financial system.

Financial institutions doing business on behalf of those targeted by U.S. sanctions are at risk, the order said.

On Feb. 1, the Kremlin said it was aware of Turkish banks tightening rules on Russian clients due to "aggressive" U.S. pressure, and that it was working with Turkey to find solutions.

Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Friday that there were additional difficulties in foreign trade transactions related to settlements and logistics.

One Turkish banker said banks carry out "extremely meticulous" procedures regarding sanctions, with compliance departments closely examining all transactions.

"This issue is very sensitive and banks' compliance departments are on top of it," another banker said.

A senior U.S. State Department official told Reuters it was encouraged by reports that Turkish banks are reviewing existing business and tightening their compliance programmes for Russian clients.

"The President's Dec. 22 amendment to our Russia sanctions authority re-affirmed what we've said previously: that foreign financial institutions are responsible for ensuring they do not process transactions that benefit Russia's military or otherwise enable circumvention of our measures."

"We have had extensive discussions with our Turkish partners over the last year. We will analyse January trade data once available and look forward to continuing those conversations," the official said.

Initial data showed Turkish exports to Russia fell 39% year-on-year to $631 million in January, having increased 16.9% last year to $10.9 billion. Imports from Russia fell 20.2% in January to $4 billion, having dropped 22.5% in 2023 to $45.6 billion.

Crude imports from Russia jumped more than two fold to 12 million tons in 2022. It supplied 8.9 million tons of oil to Turkey in Jan-Nov 2023, down 20% from the year before but still above the pre-war average.

But much of the impact was on non-oil trade, sources said.

"Exports of machinery, in particular, stopped simply because of the similarity with military equipment," the first source familiar with the issue said.

"The real problem arises not with the payment that Turkey should make, but with the payment that Turkey will receive. This shows the high level of hesitation Turkish banks have towards sanctions," the source said.

Reporting by Can Sezer, Nevzat Devranoglu, Ebru Tuncay, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Jonathan Spicer, Daphne Psaledakis Writing by Jonathan Spicer and Daren Butler; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

 

 

 

Edited by Bevo

#78413
11 minutes ago, troph said:

Ukraine did not really move Russia off entrenched positions during the counteroffensive. That points to an extremely prolonged war if the goal is restoring territorial integrity, and Russia can retool and attack infrastructure beyond the front lines hoping to topple the Ukraine government through other means, not an invasion. I don’t think Putin is stopping if he hasn’t already.  

We talk a lot about shaping the battlefield and Russia has and continues to successfully do so at the theatre level. Russia’s ability to set entrenched positions and defend them is a result of their shaping of the battlefield stretching back to before 2014.

#78414
48 minutes ago, troph said:

Ukraine did not really move Russia off entrenched positions during the counteroffensive. That points to an extremely prolonged war if the goal is restoring territorial integrity, and Russia can retool and attack infrastructure beyond the front lines hoping to topple the Ukraine government through other means, not an invasion. I don’t think Putin is stopping if he hasn’t already.  

The biggest issue to Ukraine holding territory is artillery ammo.

In terms of the counter offensive, we never set Ukraine up to do a combined arms offensive the way any western nation would. We didn't deliver enough tanks and AFVs and no air superiority. We also took so long delivering the equipment that the Russians had ample time to build extensive defenses. 

#78416
Sweden and Denmark have announced the joint production of 35 new CV9035NL Mid-Life Update infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine. Denmark will pay, Sweden will build. @forbes #ukraine @Pion_2S7 https://t.co/9E0bLAAg6n

The French are discussing sending Mirage aircraft to Ukraine.

Which Mirage 2000 model the Ukrainians might prefer -- C or D -- depends on what they want to do with the jets: shoot at Russian jets or strike Russian targets on the ground and at sea. @forbes #ukraine https://t.co/47tYCfVg66
#78418
3 hours ago, Bevo said:

Turkey plays both sides pretty well as they act tough against Russia but help Russia significantly by skirting sanctions.

Interesting thing is that Turkey helped keep Ukraine in the fight early on with their drones/UAVs.  They were, for all intents and purposes, Ukraine’s long-range aerial capability. 

#78419
21 hours ago, troph said:

CFR panel discussion they sent around by email was depressing as hell. Basically Putin is sitting pretty, Ukraine fucked, territorial compromise likely the only way out and Ukraine is still subject to the pressure of Putin whose goal is likely now to create a failed state in order to prop up and ally as opposed to outright conquer. And that absent continued military support not only is restoring territorial integrity impossible, preserving the rest of Ukraine may be too.

Ukraine will continue to be supplied by us and other NATO countries. What would be of zero shock to me is that eventually we do not just have the CIA and Special OPS being the only US presence there. I think war is a terrible thing, but we’ve crossed a bridge in this situation to where we are not going to let Ukraine fall. 

#78420
4 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

 I think war is a terrible thing, but we’ve crossed a bridge in this situation to where we are not going to let Ukraine fall. 

Perhaps you're right.  But it seems to me we've decided to make them suffer in painful manner as opposed to stepping on Putin's throat.

#78421
14 minutes ago, PhillyD said:

Perhaps you're right.  But it seems to me we've decided to make them suffer in painful manner as opposed to stepping on Putin's throat.

It's true and we are one of many countries involved in the slow roll. There are many more backslaps and photoshoots than supplied weapons and implemented Russian sanctions.

#78423

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-deliver-state-union-address-110214267.html
 

Quote

Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his state of the nation address on February 29, two weeks before the presidential election in which he is seeking another six-year term.

Putin will address the Federal Assembly about his goals for the coming year, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Quote

The war in Ukraine is expected to loom large in the speech that will be broadcast on state television. February 29 is just five days after the two-year anniversary of Putin's all-out invasion.

If he was going to start shit in Moldova as some are claiming, this would be the time to announce it.

#78424
12 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

We are already seeing a ramp up of hybrid activities in the Baltics.  I compare the Kremlin playbook to Leach’s Air Raid.  There are only a few actual plays and concepts they use, out of a huge mix of formations and camouflage. 
 

In the Baltics, I think a lot about a modified Donbas play.  Suddenly a bunch of Russian speakers near a border  mysteriously begin whining about rights. Russia reinforces their border. Soon unmarked equipment and unacknowledged advisors turn up across the border, autonomy is declared.  Russia declares its interest but not involvement in this “internal crisis.” 

In 2014 most of the world was prepared to abide by this fiction to avoid admitting that Russia invaded Ukraine.  We see in our own discourse that the ground is being prepared in the information space for the largest NATO Ally to take a skeptical stance towards Article 5 and to look for ways to discuss responsibility. 
 

A lot of CFR folks would advocate for us to sit out that scenario. 

I thought last year that the Russian military losses were so severe that they would be 4-5 years before they could attempt any serious threats by tangling with NATO in the Baltics. We all know that is where Putin would like to strike next but I didn't think he would have enough popular support nor the military might to properly intimidate us into inaction. 

However Russia's shift to a war time economy is going to make them even more dependent on wartime profits. As soon as the Ukraine war ends their true economy is going to be plain to see. Putin is hallowing out their peacetime economy to feed his war machine. That social pressure he has been keen to avoid will be even hotter once the apathetic masses realize "winning" this war is not going to end up adding money to their pockets. It will not be business as usual.

So I could see Putin continuing to triple down on his bets and keep up the war angle. Especially if EU/USA keep up the sanctions. Putin might be able to convince enough of his serfs that the only way to keep food on their table is being able to keep working in his manufacturies cranking out shells and drones.

Plus with our own inability to really commit to ammo production means that we may look weaker than needed to stave off the little green men if they start showing up in Estonia. It's not something I thought was seriously possible but now it is becoming a bit more plausible. Especially thinking about Putin's own crazy psychological reasons for recovering their lost land and building his own legacy in history. Giving his subjects a financial reason for joining his megalomania is just the cherry on top of the shit sundae he is trying to serve up.

#78425
1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

https://news.yahoo.com/putin-deliver-state-union-address-110214267.html
 

If he was going to start shit in Moldova as some are claiming, this would be the time to announce it.

since the US has political ramifications surrounding the funding, starting shit in Moldova would be good for the US Shifting toward the good guys.  all the talk about Putin not stopping if he gets Ukraine would get some juice from that.  

#78426
1 hour ago, dimyh said:

I thought last year that the Russian military losses were so severe that they would be 4-5 years before they could attempt any serious threats by tangling with NATO in the Baltics. We all know that is where Putin would like to strike next but I didn't think he would have enough popular support nor the military might to properly intimidate us into inaction. 

However Russia's shift to a war time economy is going to make them even more dependent on wartime profits. As soon as the Ukraine war ends their true economy is going to be plain to see. Putin is hallowing out their peacetime economy to feed his war machine. That social pressure he has been keen to avoid will be even hotter once the apathetic masses realize "winning" this war is not going to end up adding money to their pockets. It will not be business as usual.

So I could see Putin continuing to triple down on his bets and keep up the war angle. Especially if EU/USA keep up the sanctions. Putin might be able to convince enough of his serfs that the only way to keep food on their table is being able to keep working in his manufacturies cranking out shells and drones.

Plus with our own inability to really commit to ammo production means that we may look weaker than needed to stave off the little green men if they start showing up in Estonia. It's not something I thought was seriously possible but now it is becoming a bit more plausible. Especially thinking about Putin's own crazy psychological reasons for recovering their lost land and building his own legacy in history. Giving his subjects a financial reason for joining his megalomania is just the cherry on top of the shit sundae he is trying to serve up.

if little green men show up in Estonia, the Finns and Poles will be fighting each other to see who gets to destroy all of them.  They can get their NATO on even without our help - and will. 

#78427
if little green men show up in Estonia, the Finns and Poles will be fighting each other to see who gets to destroy all of them.  They can get their NATO on even without our help - and will. 

And the Estonian Forest Brothers will be back in the game as well. Those folks still have a score to settle.
#78428
10 hours ago, Parliament said:

There aren't used Humvee's we can give them?  

We've given them a good amount of Humvees. Ukraine producing their own vehicles is a good thing IMO.

In Russia, a drunk "veteran of the SMO" tried to chat up, and then insulted random guys in a shop. But it didn't go as planned for him, just like the said "SMO".#FAFO
Russian serviceman holds up an EW device to suppress the drone operator monitoring him (unsuccessfully).
#78429
#Ukraine has reached the same level as #Russia in the production of kamikaze drones - analogs of Iranian UAVs of the Shahed type, Strategic Industry Minister Kamyshyn has saidAccording to him, the Ukrainian models are similar to the Iranian ones "both in terms of the amount of…
Dozens of Russian T-62s at the railway station in Yevpatoriya, Crimeahttps://t.co/hYeMzuBPaV

 

#78431
"Over 40 US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles arrived on the front with bad batteries and poor wiring. Ukrainians near the front relayed to us that many M777 155mm howitzers arrived without the prerequisite aiming equipment." https://t.co/jtlO1f1u40

 

 

#78432
On 2/24/2024 at 3:40 PM, Schulz2.0 said:

For @Brisketexan

Separately from the general European delegation, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Ukraine today – DWThe minister arrived in Odesa from Moldova on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.Together with her Ukrainian counterpart Kuleba, she visited…

I'd give here a little Baerbock action...

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#78433

 

As the last country of all NATO member, Hungary’s parliament has approved Sweden’s accession to NATO.What the 19th century, WW1, WW2 and Cold War couldn’t achieve, Putin achieved in a mere few years. After 200 years Sweden’s neutrality ends.Source: The Guardian— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar)

Glorious

#78435
BREAKING:Hungary ratifies Sweden’s NATO membership.Sweden becomes NATO’s 32nd member state.Congratulations to Sweden and congratulations to NATO for getting these axe-armed Viking super soldiers!🇸🇪

Because ax 

#78439
3 hours ago, Zonahorn said:

 

As the last country of all NATO member, Hungary’s parliament has approved Sweden’s accession to NATO.What the 19th century, WW1, WW2 and Cold War couldn’t achieve, Putin achieved in a mere few years. After 200 years Sweden’s neutrality ends.Source: The Guardian— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar)

Glorious

Zeihan says Sweden will bring serious heat to NATO.  A Navy built to fight in the Baltic and one of the best at amphibious invasion.  They will bring instant gravitas to NATO debates over how hard to fuck Russia.

#78440
3 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Zeihan says Sweden will bring serious heat to NATO.  A Navy built to fight in the Baltic and one of the best at amphibious invasion.  They will bring instant gravitas to NATO debates over how hard to fuck Russia.

picard-facepalm-meme-with-various-charac

  • Popular Post
#78441

 

February 2024- Sweden joins NATO-Avdiivka joins RussiaSee if you can guess which is which.

 

#78442
On 2/25/2024 at 9:49 AM, 956 Worldwide said:

We are already seeing a ramp up of hybrid activities in the Baltics.  I compare the Kremlin playbook to Leach’s Air Raid.  There are only a few actual plays and concepts they use, out of a huge mix of formations and camouflage. 
In the Baltics, I think a lot about a modified Donbas play.  Suddenly a bunch of Russian speakers near a border  mysteriously begin whining about rights. Russia reinforces their border. Soon unmarked equipment and unacknowledged advisors turn up across the border, autonomy is declared.  Russia declares its interest but not involvement in this “internal crisis.” 

classic-back-to-the-future.gif

#78445
Strike on what is said to be the base of Russian UAV operators. Radensk, Kherson region. ~18km from the frontline. (46.5605098, 32.9506383)
The face of today’s Putinist Russia.And this piece of scum has a direct role in Russia’s extermination of Ukraine that it calls “denazification”.
#78446
First US-supplied M1A1 Abrams MBT in Ukrainian service seen damaged/destroyed. Blowout panels can be seen deployed

 

US-supplied M1126 Stryker ICVs have now entered service with the Ukrainian 80th Air Assault Brigade.

 

 

#78447

Interestingly, a small part of the ammo shortage problem might attributed to European unwillingness to source ammo from outside of Europe.  Germany, Czechia and now France are among those willing to find the tools the Ukrainians need wherever they may be. Germany's looking to procure some from India.

Good. https://t.co/Ea1ntpmVjP

 

#78448

Anybody seen a bingo card for Putin’s state of the nation address on Thursday?  This is an older one, but not too bad given that it’s missing a column,

putin-speech-bingo.png
another, older but fitting

putin-speech-bingo.png

 

Edited by atomheartbevo

#78449
4 minutes ago, 27-25 said:

Interestingly, a small part of the ammo shortage problem might attributed to European unwillingness to source ammo from outside of Europe. 

Were they trying to keep the money in Europe?

Edited by atomheartbevo

#78450
33 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Anybody seen a bingo card for Putin’s state of the nation address on Thursday?  This is an older one, but not too bad given that it’s missing a column,

putin-speech-bingo.png
another, older but fitting

putin-speech-bingo.png

 

Hmm...

No reference to Yaroslav the Wise or Dmitri the Dyslexic.

 

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