BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
looks like China has picked a side, it seems
War
- Thread starter captainmorgan
- Start date
Sativied
Well-Known Member
Rutte visits "good friend" Erdogan in "crucial ally" Turkey in bid for NATO leadership.
Serious matter but got to love the facial expressions, the palpable reluctance.
Erdogan took the opportunity to complain about US sanctions for buying Russian rocket systems and Canada no longer wanted to sell arms to them. Seems worried NATO won't let him start or back him up in a war with "terrorists"... Basically he's got nothing Rutte could change anyway, who made no concessions or promises just reiterated the importance of Turkey in NATO and acknowledge they got some shitty neighbors. Erdogan got his show again.
No visit to Hungary to give Orban the same satisfaction is planned, nor likely atm. Aside from the power difference, the difference is loyalty. Despite his politics, authoritarian tendencies, I trust Turkey/Turks even Erdogan himself to be on the right side of history if the shit really hits a NATO member's fan. Orban can't be trusted, his loyalty lies at least partly in Moscow. Locked in a box with pictures of Orban taking a Russian shower...
Serious matter but got to love the facial expressions, the palpable reluctance.
Erdogan took the opportunity to complain about US sanctions for buying Russian rocket systems and Canada no longer wanted to sell arms to them. Seems worried NATO won't let him start or back him up in a war with "terrorists"... Basically he's got nothing Rutte could change anyway, who made no concessions or promises just reiterated the importance of Turkey in NATO and acknowledge they got some shitty neighbors. Erdogan got his show again.
No visit to Hungary to give Orban the same satisfaction is planned, nor likely atm. Aside from the power difference, the difference is loyalty. Despite his politics, authoritarian tendencies, I trust Turkey/Turks even Erdogan himself to be on the right side of history if the shit really hits a NATO member's fan. Orban can't be trusted, his loyalty lies at least partly in Moscow. Locked in a box with pictures of Orban taking a Russian shower...
Sativied
Well-Known Member
Belgium may deliver first F-16 jets to Ukraine in 2024
"In coordination with our partners in the F-16 coalition, our country will make every effort to speed up deliveries, if possible, by the end of this year," Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said.
Good on Belgium, let's see if that pushes the others (Denmark, NL, Norway).
Spain is going to supply an unknown number of Patriot missiles. Greece is not, cause they don't feel safe without them and with Turkey as their neighbor. I don't know how good of an argument that is. Not like Erdogan could afford it, politically or economically atm. Both NATO and Greece could probably do some backroom bargaining for it with EU.
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
Belgium may deliver first F-16 jets to Ukraine in 2024
"In coordination with our partners in the F-16 coalition, our country will make every effort to speed up deliveries, if possible, by the end of this year," Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said.kyivindependent.com
Good on Belgium, let's see if that pushes the others (Denmark, NL, Norway).
Spain is going to supply an unknown number of Patriot missiles. Greece is not, cause they don't feel safe without them and with Turkey as their neighbor. I don't know how good of an argument that is. Not like Erdogan could afford it, politically or economically atm. Both NATO and Greece could probably do some backroom bargaining for it with EU.
if i'm right, and i could be wrong too...delivery will be end of spring, early summer is what i've been reading?
Sativied
Well-Known Member
The Danish promised, and reiterated, 'this summer'.
NL will be sending 24 instead of 18, and include 150million euro of ammo for them. 11 are already in Romania in the training center, I don't know when they will be handed over to Ukraine and actually used.
Looks like they should have at least 40-50 in the summer?
Belgium will also hand over more than initially planned. They got 50 total, and it's expected they will all 50 go to Ukraine (and get more F35 as replacements). But no exact date, just "before the end of the year".
Greece, is 'almost certain' to deliver 32 F-16s, and possibly 24 French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets.
printer
Well-Known Member
$20k could buy you a unique lawn ornament.
US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
The US has acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported.
Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter bombers, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 bombers from the 1970s and 1980s.
The declared sale value was one billion Kazakhstani tenge, said the Post, or $2.26 million, equalling an average value for each plane of $19,300.
The US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post.
The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, but it raised the possibility of their use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service.
The sale was made through offshore companies, said Reporter, a Russian English language news site.
Given Ukraine's continued reliance on Soviet-era weapons, the aircraft could either serve as a source of spare parts or be strategically deployed as decoys at airfields, said the Post.
The Mikoyan MiG-31 was a supersonic interceptor designed to defend Soviet airspace, according to Airforce Technology. It played a critical role during the Cold War.
Derived from the MiG-23, the MiG-27 was a ground-attack aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War. The MiG-29 excelled in air-to-air combat. It was widely exported and remains in service with some air forces.
Despite its age, the Su-24 — an all-weather tactical bomber — remains in service with several air forces, including the Russian Aerospace Forces and Ukrainian Air Force.
Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. But the relationship has shifted since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Kazakhstan aligning itself more with the West, drawing the fury of some in Russia.
The Central Asian country's efforts to upgrade its military capabilities coincide with its increasing engagement with Western nations, signaling a shift away from historical ties with Moscow, per the Kyiv Post's analysis.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan in March 2023, where he said that the US strongly supports "its independence, its territorial integrity," according to news agency AFP.
Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.
One Russian TV commentator, Vladimir Solovyov, said that his country "must pay attention to the fact that Kazakhstan is the next problem because the same Nazi processes can start there as in Ukraine."
Agreements on trade, education, environment, and mineral supplies reflect the deepening ties between Kazakhstan and Western nations as it navigates geopolitical challenges posed by neighboring countries like Russia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.
ca.yahoo.com
US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
The US has acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported.
Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter bombers, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 bombers from the 1970s and 1980s.
The declared sale value was one billion Kazakhstani tenge, said the Post, or $2.26 million, equalling an average value for each plane of $19,300.
The US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post.
The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, but it raised the possibility of their use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service.
The sale was made through offshore companies, said Reporter, a Russian English language news site.
Given Ukraine's continued reliance on Soviet-era weapons, the aircraft could either serve as a source of spare parts or be strategically deployed as decoys at airfields, said the Post.
The Mikoyan MiG-31 was a supersonic interceptor designed to defend Soviet airspace, according to Airforce Technology. It played a critical role during the Cold War.
Derived from the MiG-23, the MiG-27 was a ground-attack aircraft and saw action in conflicts like the Soviet-Afghan War. The MiG-29 excelled in air-to-air combat. It was widely exported and remains in service with some air forces.
Despite its age, the Su-24 — an all-weather tactical bomber — remains in service with several air forces, including the Russian Aerospace Forces and Ukrainian Air Force.
Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has maintained close ties to Russia and historically was one of its strongest allies. But the relationship has shifted since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Kazakhstan aligning itself more with the West, drawing the fury of some in Russia.
The Central Asian country's efforts to upgrade its military capabilities coincide with its increasing engagement with Western nations, signaling a shift away from historical ties with Moscow, per the Kyiv Post's analysis.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan in March 2023, where he said that the US strongly supports "its independence, its territorial integrity," according to news agency AFP.
Some of Russia's outspoken propagandists have suggested that Russia should look to Kazakhstan following its invasion of Ukraine.
One Russian TV commentator, Vladimir Solovyov, said that his country "must pay attention to the fact that Kazakhstan is the next problem because the same Nazi processes can start there as in Ukraine."
Agreements on trade, education, environment, and mineral supplies reflect the deepening ties between Kazakhstan and Western nations as it navigates geopolitical challenges posed by neighboring countries like Russia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.
US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
The US bought 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported.
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BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
yeah i came across that story too, they're in talks with Exonmoble for LNG......be interesting to see what happens with this
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
interesting analysis we have, hmmmm
If you combine both data streams I have showed in the previous posts then it means that Russia loses up to 45 pieces of hardware a day (destroyed and damaged) to gain 0.7 square kilometers a day.
To put things into perspective I have added this map. There are still around 10,700 square kilometers of the free Donetsk Region, which are under Ukrainian control. If we round this up to 1.0 square kilometer, which Russians take a day, then it will take them 10,700 days (29,3 Years) to only take this single Ukrainian region, of course if things stay this way.
That are pure numbers and they illustrate vividly what is the difference between a tactical or incremental gain compared to a strategic break through. Russia has undoubtedly the upper hand, at least currently, and there is always the risk for a dramatic change. But it is not here. Instead, even this decisive advantage for the Russian side has not materialized in a noteworthy fashion on the battlefield. What Russia does is pure burning down of men and material in exchange for tiny strips on a map.
This is why Russia and its lesser minions continue to obstruct all help for Ukraine. Russia cannot sustain a prolonged war, especially when Ukraine is continuously supplied. Moscow cannot even properly exploit the current situation. Ukrainians are doing near superhuman things to keep that onslaught at bay, but even the best army and the best morale cannot fight without weapons and ammunition.
The incoming supplies are not far away, but it is necessary to avoid any repeat of what happened in the last 7 months. Moreover, it is necessary to learn from the shortcomings of last summer, when Ukraine got only a fraction of material what was promised, though still caused immense havoc among Russian ranks.
This is where I primarily see Europe's responsibility and that has to be the primary agenda of all major European capitals for as long as Russia hasn't been defeated. It is still in our hands to make this happen.
If you combine both data streams I have showed in the previous posts then it means that Russia loses up to 45 pieces of hardware a day (destroyed and damaged) to gain 0.7 square kilometers a day.
To put things into perspective I have added this map. There are still around 10,700 square kilometers of the free Donetsk Region, which are under Ukrainian control. If we round this up to 1.0 square kilometer, which Russians take a day, then it will take them 10,700 days (29,3 Years) to only take this single Ukrainian region, of course if things stay this way.
That are pure numbers and they illustrate vividly what is the difference between a tactical or incremental gain compared to a strategic break through. Russia has undoubtedly the upper hand, at least currently, and there is always the risk for a dramatic change. But it is not here. Instead, even this decisive advantage for the Russian side has not materialized in a noteworthy fashion on the battlefield. What Russia does is pure burning down of men and material in exchange for tiny strips on a map.
This is why Russia and its lesser minions continue to obstruct all help for Ukraine. Russia cannot sustain a prolonged war, especially when Ukraine is continuously supplied. Moscow cannot even properly exploit the current situation. Ukrainians are doing near superhuman things to keep that onslaught at bay, but even the best army and the best morale cannot fight without weapons and ammunition.
The incoming supplies are not far away, but it is necessary to avoid any repeat of what happened in the last 7 months. Moreover, it is necessary to learn from the shortcomings of last summer, when Ukraine got only a fraction of material what was promised, though still caused immense havoc among Russian ranks.
This is where I primarily see Europe's responsibility and that has to be the primary agenda of all major European capitals for as long as Russia hasn't been defeated. It is still in our hands to make this happen.
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
nice write up....
www.pbs.org
Who is part of Iran's regional armed network and what are their aims?
Fighters from Shiite Muslim-majority countries such as Iraq and Lebanon compose Iran’s main proxies, but groups in Sunni-majority Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen have also formed associations with Iran.
www.pbs.org
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
and tonight Georgia is still protesting, which is good, keep in mind they have had run in with the law enforcement (if you can call it that), yesterday there was water cannons, and today i have seen clips of gas canisters being thrown to disperse crowds....but the people of Georgia are still going at it.....imo i have a feeling this law will pass, there have been already 2 readings of it with no change, there is a third reading coming and that will be either this week or next week.....so we'll see what happens....
Sativied
Well-Known Member
A very insightful opinion piece on the situation in Georgia:
www.themoscowtimes.com
Georgia’s ‘Foreign Influence’ Law Isn’t What You Think - The Moscow Times
Opinion | There is a major problem at the heart of Georgia’s peculiar political economy.
compassionateExotic
Well-Known Member
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
But will Israel accept this deal brokered by Egypt-Qatar?
BudmanTX
Well-Known Member
it's getting there, IDF is still bombing in the north with targeted strikes.....we should know or hear something within 24 to 48hrs.....
Sativied
Well-Known Member
Brussels agrees to send €3bn from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine
Diplomats agreed the controversial plans at a meeting on Wednesday – but some say they don’t go far enough. #EuropeNews
www.euronews.com
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