Agreed.

Everything about this deliberate proxy war has also enriched Iran, and helped their alliance with Russia and China.

Quote:

---

Russia, China, and Iran have now formed a de facto military and economic alliance what they prefer to call a "partnership".

In the case of Russia and China, a comprehensive full-spectrum partnership has emerged: military, economic, and monetary.

Trade between Russia and China has exploded both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Importantly, trade settlement is overwhelmingly denominated in rubles and renminbi. Use of the dollar and its international mechanisms is being aggressively deprecated.

Russia and China now conduct regular joint naval and air patrols of the western Pacific, from Alaska to the South China Sea.

Russia, China, and Iran conduct regular joint exercises in the Arabian Sea. Those exercises have increased in both scope and frequency in recent years.

Both Russia and China are investing vast sums of capital in Iran, much of it in the energy sector and in ambitious transportation projects aiming to construct fast and efficient trade corridors linking China, Iran, and Russia as primary nodes of Eurasian commerce.

Arms and technology transfers between the three countries have reached unprecedented levels.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov just concluded several days of talks with Chinese leaders, including both Wang Yi and Xi Jinping. In its report of the talks, the Chinese government's flagship media organ, Global Times, summarized (in the words of prominent CPC commentator Li Haidong) the current state of the Russia/China relationship:

Quote:

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"China and Russia will not target any third party, but if hegemonic forces threaten China and Russia, or threaten world peace, China and Russia will stand together and fight to protect their own interests and safeguard world peace together."

---

It is increasingly evident that Russia, China, and Iran recognize that an attack against any one of them would constitute an existential threat to them all. The strategic interests of all three countries are now inextricably intertwined.

Most importantly, they are united in a single overriding strategic objective: to dismantle the dominion of the long-reigning Anglo-American empire.

Naturally, the rapidly waning global hegemon is not inclined to relinquish its throne without a fight. What form that fight takes remains to be seen. But if the empire attempts to preserve its so-called "rules-based international order" via force of arms, it is essential to understand this incontrovertible reality:

In order for the United States to make war against any ONE of Russia, China, or Iran, it would be necessary to effectively vacate every major US base on the planet in order to concentrate enough military power to undertake the mission.

In a putative war between the United States and Iran, both Russia and China would actively support Iran. I'm not suggesting Russian or Chinese forces would fight alongside Iranians although that could happen. But it would likely not be necessary. Iran would simply be supplemented with arms and other logistical necessities from both its partners and quite possibly taken under their nuclear umbrella in an explicit act of deterrence.

Additionally, in consequence of the US weakening its force posture in Europe and the western Pacific in a bid to militarily subdue Iran, Russia and China would be enabled to apply immense pressure to western logistics, trade, and political influence in those regions. This is not to suggest that China would invade Taiwan or Russia would invade the Baltics or Poland. They would need only to exert their dominant influence in what were previously considered to be unassailable American imperial domains in east Asia and Europe.

The empire is stretched so thin and its potential for power projection is so diluted that undertaking even one Big War would be enough to bring the entire house of cards tumbling down.

This is the harsh reality the Masters of Empire are now facing, and no amount of mythologizing about the "limitless" power at their disposal can change it.

There is a vast difference between imagined power and the actual ability to project and sustain power against the adversaries the United States military must now face and defeat in order to prevent or even meaningfully delay the end of American global hegemony.

And, to the extent Russia, China, and Iran are determined to act all for one and one for all, they represent a combination of global military and economic power that cannot be defeated.

---

The war's impact on global oil prices (aided by a feckless/weakened US unable to even negotiate a truce with the Iranian Yemeni proxies, and as well Zelensky's strikes on Russian infrastructure), as well as pathetic trade impacts from Bidenomics/sanctions etc, have only helped/enriched Valerie Jarrett/Obama/John F Kerry's (who served in Vietnam) pals in Tehran.

So this occurred to me today.

The Iranians have waited a long time to launch a retaliatory attack on Israel for bombing their consulate in Damascus. Meanwhile there have been consistent rumors the Russians are preparing an offensive in Ukraine.

Coincidence? I think not!⬇️

We… pic.twitter.com/4VJ7LROjiC

— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) April 13, 2024

By trying to sanction Russia we literally built the Iron Curtain back up around ourselves.

Sanctions work on economically fragile and politically isolated pariah states. Russia is none of these. https://t.co/e3B3167tCw pic.twitter.com/opVNVwHEB2

— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) April 13, 2024

What the heck? Biden allows nuclear sanctions waivers to expire, but might not enforce them. Good clarity as usual in our soft power against Iran and Russia;

Quote:

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The waivers, which were last renewed in August 2023, expired at the beginning of 2024. They provided upwards of $10 billion in profit for Russian-state controlled firms, such as the Rosatom energy company, for work at Iran's various nuclear plants, including contested military sites suspected of housing the country's atomic weapons program.

Yet the Biden administration will not commit to enforcing those sanctions now that the waivers have expired. A State Department spokesman would not say why the waivers were allowed to expire and told the Washington Free Beacon that officials are still "reviewing the waiver as part of the regular review process" and that a public comment will only be given "once a decision is made as part of that review." The response is fueling questions on Capitol Hill as Iran advances plans to invest at least $50 billion in its Russian-made nuclear plants.

---

"At war until you die' Ukraine scraps service limits, angering vets. Sorry, Biden wants you at the front. And don't try to leave.

Ukrainian border guards did not want to allow a disabled person who had lost both legs to go abroad; they demanded permission from the military commissariat https://t.co/iexfsCXHLm pic.twitter.com/MScBoaerxO

— senore_amore (@SenoreAmore) April 13, 2024

JD Vance: "We lack the capacity to manufacture the amount of weapons Ukraine needs us to supply to win...By committing to a defensive strategy, Ukraine can preserve its precious military manpower, stop the bleeding and provide time for negotiations to commence."

Read more🧵 pic.twitter.com/qfa3s5KWiS

— William Martin (@wsmartin218) April 12, 2024

Quote:

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• The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskii, said the situation on the eastern front "has deteriorated significantly in recent days" in the face of a heightened Russian offensive.
• Ukraine has said the situation around the eastern front-line city of Chasiv Yar is "difficult and tense" with the area under "constant fire". It lies 20km (12 miles) west of Bakhmut, which was flattened by months of artillery fire before it was captured by Russia last May.
• Six people, including a child, have been killed after Ukrainian troops shelled Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia, a southern region of Ukraine. Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-installed official, said 20 people were injured in the strike.

---

Forever war, comrades! The world will just have to keep depending on the wise, competent leadership of Potatus in the wars for freedom and democracy.

Europe being sacrificed. The only question is why.

Conversely, China built an important stock of coal and iron ore.

Steel is key to its military expansion. https://t.co/3c5WDGuQML

— 4n4lisis 🌐 (@4n4lisis) April 12, 2024

Indeed, the Merkel hangover from her long term romance with Russia and China will impact German industry for decades.

US/UK seek to spike metals prices:

Quote:

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Available aluminum stocks in London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses were 91% of Russian origin in March, unchanged from the previous month, LME data showed on Wednesday.

The high share of Russian-origin metal in LME inventories has been a concern for some producers, which compete with Russia's Rusal, and some Western consumers who have avoided Russian metal since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The share of Russian-origin copper stocks rose to 62% in March from 52% the previous month and the share of Russian nickel rose to 36% from 35% over the same period, the LME said.

---

And the enlarged Nato land mass is largely a liability to Americans;

Quote:

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Biden supporters will counter that the president has strengthened NATO in the face of Russian aggression by inviting Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. But increasing the size of an alliance does not always equate with making the alliance stronger. NATO expansion--and this is not just Biden's fault--has merely increased the geographical acreage that America is pledged to defend with fewer troops, and added to allies that continually fail to meet their own defense needs, yet alone those of the alliance.

More fundamentally, there is little sense that among Biden's national security team there are strategic thinkers that view the world with cold, hard-headed geopolitical analysis and an appreciation of America's vital as opposed to peripheral interests. Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, and Lloyd Austin lack the gravitas of more recent, and not so recent, national security policymakers. There are no George Kennans, Dean Achesons, John Foster Dulleses, Henry Kissingers, Jim Schlesingers, Jean Kirkpatricks, George Shultzes, Caspar Weinbergers, Richard Pipeses, Zbigniew Brzezinskis, Mike Pompeos, or Elbridge Colbys in the Biden administration. And Biden's grasp of international politics pales in comparison to Eisenhower, Nixon, and George H.W. Bush. Remember it was Robert Gates, a former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense in both Republican and Democratic administrations who remarked years ago when Biden was vice-president that Biden "has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades." The last three years confirm the accuracy of Gates' assessment.

The first few paragraphs of the administration's 2022 National Security Strategy highlight the challenges of "climate change, food insecurity, communicable diseases, terrorism, energy shortages, [and] inflation."

"These shared challenges," the strategy asserts, "are not marginal issues that are secondary to geopolitics. They are at the very core of national and international security and must be treated as such." If these issues are at the "core" of our national security interests, great power competition is either an equal interest or takes a backseat. Therein lies the problem. Foreign policy is about prioritizing national interests in a concrete way. The Biden administration prioritizes ideology over geopolitics.

---

Air raid alert in multiple regions in Ukraine, including Kyiv city pic.twitter.com/KDn3UwsPBt

— marqs (@MarQs__) April 13, 2024

This entire war is a sham. Europe (especially France) is buying record amounts of Russian gas. Filling the ruskie war coffers while chastising the rest of the West for not sending more weapons of war. They make Russia wealthy while draining the West.

It's all out in the open and no one cares. The world is upside down.

Make love not war!!!!

Ukraine’s situation on the battlefield has deteriorated while Republicans in Congress, for more than six months, have blocked a $60 billion aid package proposed by President Biden. https://t.co/mNX7od4dZF

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 12, 2024

The military industrial complex has not got its way on this one, yet.

Are times changing?

That Vance op-ed is 100%. Hopefully, more Congress critters start acknowledging the reality in Ukraine.

The sooner we shift to a defensive strategy (at least) the sooner we can focus on other foreign matters that are more important.

The idea that Ukraine can get back to 1991 borders is the most absurd goal in foreign politics right now.

twk said:

---

NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

---

We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

Bill Clinternet said:

---

twk said:

---

NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

---

We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

---

Good lord, no.

And Belarus is a Russian ally. WGAS about Belarus.

Bill Clinternet said:

---

twk said:

---

NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

---

We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

---

"We need to go to war now or else we will need to go to war later"

I don't believe war is the only option.

Bill Clinternet said:

---

twk said:

---

NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

---

We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

---

No....that is a DUMB idea.

That COULD actually start the whole WWIII **** that we have been trying to avoid since 1945...

I 100% support Ukraine, but that's a line that we should NOT cross.

9 Ukrainians from their 'elite' 25th Airborne brigade surrender;

Quote:

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The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Saturday that nine servicemen from Ukraine's elite 25th Airborne Brigade surrendered to the Russian Army.

Footage from the ministry shows the moment several soldiers laid down their arms near the settlement of Vodyanoye in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic.

According to the ministry, the servicemen reported atrocious treatment within the Ukrainian Army. In the video, they complain about poor planning of combat operations.

"Our superiors don't care about us, they don't want to go to frontline positions to assess the situation… It seemed better to surrender than to die without understanding why and what for," one of them was filmed as saying.

"The commanders send us to die, like waste material, while they themselves are somewhere on the sidelines… When we were captured, our own people fired at us. I guess it means that no one really needs us there,"another said.

---

I've read many reports of Ukrainian leadership refusing to go near the front lines.

Notoriously corrupt Ukraine energy official; we need weapons to rebuild our energy infrastructure;

Quote:

---

A dramatic rise in European energy prices is inevitable if the Russian destruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues unabated, the former chief executive of Ukraine's state-owned oil company has warned.

Andriy Kobolyev, a former head of Naftogaz, said in an interview with the Guardian: "Russia is trying to wage a global energy war and Ukraine is part of that war and if the markets perceive that Russia is winning that war the consequences will be very serious. You will see a spike in prices all round the globe".

He said there would be no point holding any more Ukraine reconstruction conferences until Ukraine is supplied with weapons to save its energy infrastructure from the wave of attacks by Iranian-made Shahed drones and guided bombs. "There will be no Ukrainian economy to reconstruct," he said.

Last week a massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants and damaged others, as part of a renewed Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure.

The Trypilska plant, which was the biggest energy supplier for the Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, was struck numerous times, destroying the transformer, turbines and generators and leaving the plant ablaze.

Kobolyev, one of Ukraine's energy specialists and the chief executive of Naftogaz for seven years to 2021, has been fighting corruption charges in Ukraine that he claims are politically motivated.

He said the impact on energy prices of the Russian attacks would be twofold a potential increase in Ukrainian demand for gas and electricity in Europe, and an overall market response to the likelihood that Vladimir Putin is winning the war in Ukraine. "If European energy markets start to believe Russians are winning this war it will have a dramatic negative effect on energy prices".

---

pic.twitter.com/35XiyJE4wZ

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) April 13, 2024

❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦 Avdiivka direction
1pm, April 13, 2024

To the west of Avdiivka, Russian troops are advancing, developing success at the Umanske - Yasnobrodivka - Netailove line.

In the area of Umanske, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing westward, with less than a kilometer to go to… pic.twitter.com/Tr3Aaq6ep5

— Rybar Force (@rybar_force) April 13, 2024

nortex97 said:

---

9 Ukrainians from their 'elite' 25th Airborne brigade surrender;

Quote:

---

The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Saturday that nine servicemen from Ukraine's elite 25th Airborne Brigade surrendered to the Russian Army.

Footage from the ministry shows the moment several soldiers laid down their arms near the settlement of Vodyanoye in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic.

According to the ministry, the servicemen reported atrocious treatment within the Ukrainian Army. In the video, they complain about poor planning of combat operations.

"Our superiors don't care about us, they don't want to go to frontline positions to assess the situation… It seemed better to surrender than to die without understanding why and what for," one of them was filmed as saying.

"The commanders send us to die, like waste material, while they themselves are somewhere on the sidelines… When we were captured, our own people fired at us. I guess it means that no one really needs us there,"another said.

---

I've read many reports of Ukrainian leadership refusing to go near the front lines.

Notoriously corrupt Ukraine energy official; we need weapons to rebuild our energy infrastructure;

Quote:

---

A dramatic rise in European energy prices is inevitable if the Russian destruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure continues unabated, the former chief executive of Ukraine's state-owned oil company has warned.

Andriy Kobolyev, a former head of Naftogaz, said in an interview with the Guardian: "Russia is trying to wage a global energy war and Ukraine is part of that war and if the markets perceive that Russia is winning that war the consequences will be very serious. You will see a spike in prices all round the globe".

He said there would be no point holding any more Ukraine reconstruction conferences until Ukraine is supplied with weapons to save its energy infrastructure from the wave of attacks by Iranian-made Shahed drones and guided bombs. "There will be no Ukrainian economy to reconstruct," he said.

Last week a massive missile and drone attack destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants and damaged others, as part of a renewed Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure.

The Trypilska plant, which was the biggest energy supplier for the Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, was struck numerous times, destroying the transformer, turbines and generators and leaving the plant ablaze.

Kobolyev, one of Ukraine's energy specialists and the chief executive of Naftogaz for seven years to 2021, has been fighting corruption charges in Ukraine that he claims are politically motivated.

He said the impact on energy prices of the Russian attacks would be twofold a potential increase in Ukrainian demand for gas and electricity in Europe, and an overall market response to the likelihood that Vladimir Putin is winning the war in Ukraine. "If European energy markets start to believe Russians are winning this war it will have a dramatic negative effect on energy prices".

---

pic.twitter.com/35XiyJE4wZ

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) April 13, 2024

❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦 Avdiivka direction
1pm, April 13, 2024

To the west of Avdiivka, Russian troops are advancing, developing success at the Umanske - Yasnobrodivka - Netailove line.

In the area of Umanske, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing westward, with less than a kilometer to go to… pic.twitter.com/Tr3Aaq6ep5

— Rybar Force (@rybar_force) April 13, 2024

---

Apparently, the "Press United" just copies and pastes stories from rt.com...

Looks the same to me...

Quote:

---

The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Saturday that nine servicemen from Ukraine's elite 25th Airborne Brigade surrendered to the Russian Army.

Footage from the ministry shows the moment several soldiers laid down their arms near the settlement of Vodyanoye in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic.

According to the ministry, the servicemen reported atrocious treatment within the Ukrainian Army. In the video, they complain about poor planning of combat operations.

"Our superiors don't care about us, they don't want to go to frontline positions to assess the situation… It seemed better to surrender than to die without understanding why and what for," one of them was filmed as saying.

"The commanders send us to die, like waste material, while they themselves are somewhere on the sidelines… When we were captured, our own people fired at us. I guess it means that no one really needs us there," another said.

---

Are there any sources that aren't just Russian propaganda that acknowledge that happened?

[You are not answering the criticism of the source material here. Please do not answer a question with just other information. That is misdirection and creates confusion. Answer questions directly with your own words or ignore the question. However, understand that if you ignore these types of questions and criticisms of your posted information, we will start to moderate your posts as trolling and spam. This is a discussion forum, not a dumping ground for information you are reading on the subject. -Staff]

nortex97 said:

---

Is there evidence it didn't?

Remember when neocons told us that funding Ukraine would send China a message? Unfortunately that message is: we're over-extended and our stockpiles are depleted. https://t.co/kXw6bqxkR6

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) April 14, 2024

---

You're asking me to prove a negative?

And what does that Xeet have to do with my comment?

Hearing rumors the aid will pass soon. If it does, it will be interesting to see how much land Ukraine can retake over the coming months. I suspect very little.

BREAKING: Following President Biden’s remarkable leadership in helping defend Israel from unprecedented attacks from Iran, Republicans are finally going to bring the Israel and Ukraine aid bill to the floor. This bill will pass overwhelmingly due to Biden’s leadership.

— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) April 14, 2024

PlaneCrashGuy said:

---

Hearing rumors the aid will pass soon. If it does, it will be interesting to see how much land Ukraine can retake over the coming months. I suspect very little.

BREAKING: Following President Biden’s remarkable leadership in helping defend Israel from unprecedented attacks from Iran, Republicans are finally going to bring the Israel and Ukraine aid bill to the floor. This bill will pass overwhelmingly due to Biden’s leadership.

— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) April 14, 2024

---

We will see. Hopefully they retake none so we can have Russia win and then we can stop funding this crap

I don't know that it really will pass, as a stand alone per the Senate bill. Will be interesting to see/follow along.

Biden and representatives of the US Congress “reached a consensus” on money for Ukraine and Israel.

▪️Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the US President met with representatives of both houses of Congress on Sunday.
▪️Schumer "hopes" this week "something… pic.twitter.com/NGJG3uQwbV

— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) April 15, 2024

Zelensky laments;

Quote:

---

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has admitted that the situation on the front line in the conflict with Russia is deteriorating, blaming the West for its "limited" military assistance.

He echoed an earlier statement by the army's commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, who warned of a significant escalation in recent days, with Russian forces attacking Ukrainian positions near the cities of Lyman and Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut by Ukraine) and advancing towards Chasov Yar.

"The situation on the front during a hot war is always difficult. But these days and especially in the Donetsk areas it's getting harder," Zelensky said in an address to the nation on Sunday.

---

https://t.co/JlFAFHmxab
The rest of the world listens to us rant about China while our trade deficit grows and our manufacturing stagnates, and goes on its merry way to Beijing.

— David P. Goldman (@davidpgoldman) April 14, 2024

Scholz was greeted by…a mayor of a mid-size town. LOL.

Remember when neocons told us that funding Ukraine would send China a message? Unfortunately that message is: we're over-extended and our stockpiles are depleted. https://t.co/kXw6bqxkR6

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) April 14, 2024

⚡️🇷🇺"Rusich veteran Topaz interviewing members of the "Spanish" unit formed by Russian Hooligans at a training camp.

Of interest is the large number of robotic and remote control platforms seen in service with the unit. It is not surprising that this unit of volunteer… pic.twitter.com/C0VciMm5sh

— SIMPLICIUS Ѱ (@simpatico771) April 14, 2024

Bloomberg: Russia is “set to secure 6 million shells this year with ramped-up production and supplies from North Korea and Iran, according to one official.”

I presume this figure includes the ~3 million shells Russia is expected to produce this year (excluding refurbishment?).… https://t.co/FLX4R5ubAR

— John Hardie (@JohnH105) April 12, 2024

A high oil price is the biggest accelerant to an inevitable US economic collapse. That’s why the US Govt can’t afford war with Iran and Ukraine is told to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. Ukraine is now blackmailing the US. “Pay up or we’ll send the oil price to the moon.” pic.twitter.com/wj7D29xUOY

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) April 15, 2024

It's almost like blackmail is part of their culture, or something.

samurai_science said:

---

PlaneCrashGuy said:

---

Hearing rumors the aid will pass soon. If it does, it will be interesting to see how much land Ukraine can retake over the coming months. I suspect very little.

BREAKING: Following President Biden’s remarkable leadership in helping defend Israel from unprecedented attacks from Iran, Republicans are finally going to bring the Israel and Ukraine aid bill to the floor. This bill will pass overwhelmingly due to Biden’s leadership.

— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) April 14, 2024

---

We will see. Hopefully they retake none so we can have Russia win and then we can stop funding this crap

---

Luckily no on one here is rooting for Russia to win...

Ag with kids said:

---

samurai_science said:

---

PlaneCrashGuy said:

---

Hearing rumors the aid will pass soon. If it does, it will be interesting to see how much land Ukraine can retake over the coming months. I suspect very little.

BREAKING: Following President Biden’s remarkable leadership in helping defend Israel from unprecedented attacks from Iran, Republicans are finally going to bring the Israel and Ukraine aid bill to the floor. This bill will pass overwhelmingly due to Biden’s leadership.

— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) April 14, 2024

---

We will see. Hopefully they retake none so we can have Russia win and then we can stop funding this crap

---

Luckily no on one here is rooting for Russia to win...

---

I am rooting for the U.S. Middle Class to win, if that means russia winning its war, so be it. America First. If Ukraine wins that is fine to, as long as WE STOP FUNDING IT

Ukraine working to censor Americans also has me on the side of not giving an F if they fall.

Just to spell it out, I am rooting for someone to win quickly so we can move on.

But only Russia from what you've posted here, over and over again.

[It's best just to not post than to derail a thread with a post to say what you would like to post would get you a ban. -Staff]

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[Characterizing other users motives and other threads is not the purpose of this thread. Stick to discussing the subject of the thread and making your arguments and/or counter-arguments of the subject from your perspective. What you are doing here only serves to jam discussions and derail threads with petty bickering among users. -Staff]

[Cut out the long posts of mostly outside information. Make you own personal point with one or two short pieces of information related to your point. Users can click on what you provide if they want to read further. -Staff]

I'll give my 2 cents.. I may be off base but this is what I think happens. The US and it's Allies are purposely allowing Russia to bring in large amounts of weaponry and troops, they stalled on the money approval on purpose to get Russia to bring and build up troops enough to where once Ukraine is supplied with new weaponry they will put another huge dent in Russia ability to advance, thus further weakening Russia. Now I'm not sure Ukriane will win their land back but all this will weaken Russia more. Look, the EU and US and other Allies have no reason we can't ramp up and provide artillery shells to Ukriane, the Allies have the ability to start making more shells, I'm not sure why they aren't just doing it, I suspect it's coming soon, real soon. I think one of goals is to bleed Russia out over time at the expense of Ukraine men and land, yeah that sucks for them. The same will go for Iran if Israel starts taking them out. Russia Iran and China are the big 3, weakening 2 of them may be the goal? I'm not sure but it sure looks this way.

Now how all this sits in with the middle class and all that, some of you may be correct, I'm just stating what I think happens pretty soon with the war, the funds will be approved and this thing will draw out another year or so till some truce is finally called down the road, I don't see Ukraine getting much of its land back to be honest, unless full blown NATO went in with all the real weapons.. that probably won't happen. NATO absolutely has the weapons and means to shut the Russian advances down, I don't see this going that far. My 2 cents !

I think people mistake Nato for what it was in the Cold War. So much has changed, and the globalists operating the proxy war are not…actually interested in the Donbas/Crimea (or Ukrainians themselves).

this may fit now. Welcome to the Empire. pic.twitter.com/bYg7MLQcQI

— sam (@sama4rtyu7) April 16, 2024

Newsweek article. "Russian advances into fortress cities."

there is something brewing up within Ukrainian forces.
The 3rd Assault Brigade (AZOV) refused to go to Chasov Yar - the 67th Mech Brigade (also a known as a "far right sector unit") refused orders and left Chasov Yar and will be dissolved - same with the 25th Air Assault Brigade…

— -- GEROMAN -- time will tell - 👀 -- (@GeromanAT) April 15, 2024

A waste:

⚡️🇫🇷 I heard rumors the French were terrible fighters, but this timeline takes the cake pic.twitter.com/wyJSbGSrEC

— SIMPLICIUS Ѱ (@simpatico771) April 16, 2024

Yes we all get this but reality is this war will keep going, do you see it stopping anytime soon? We may all want it to stop now but it won't, funding will make sure of that. We all know Ukriane is the sacrificial lamb at play, but I'm just predicting how this plays out. I get all the globalist politics and all, but if NATO was really interested in stopping Russia they could wipe out all the Russian refineries and arms production plants in several weeks with long range missiles.. the war would grind to a halt, but then you have the risk of nuclear escalation, if the globalist are in charge, there is no way they want that type of escalation nor do they want the worlds oil prices to sky rocket. This is not a sprint whether we like it or not, it's a slow grind. And it's going to unfortunately continue with funding

Bill Clinternet said:

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twk said:

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NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

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We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

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Ukraine has lost 1/3 of their country under the auspices of the Obama and Biden regimes. No amount of USD$$ will allow them to regain it. How much more do the Ukes want to lose and at what cost to the people of Ukraine? That's the only calculus to apply. The "grand Spring offensive" was shown to be a sham.

Get a truce and negotiate as favorable treaty as possible. But Crimea, etc., are not coming back. Stop the killing and escalation.

As for troop deployments and a "day of reckoning"; I won't call this post what it really is....but the intellectual rigor behind it smacks of a Common Core, DEI curriculum level of logic. And your Belarus comment shows you're obviously not a student of the region or what is happening.

My family has deployed to Europe four times in the last 108 years to un-**** the messes Europeans keep creating. 108 years, nearly a million American lives and untold Trillions $$$. Enough. If Ukraine is important, the Europeans can deal with it...it's in their back yard and they've got Trillions $$$ they've saved underfunding their NATO obligations for decades to spend on it.

Forever-Wars 7,000 miles from our border with no US interests at stake have to stop.

japantiger said:

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Bill Clinternet said:

---

twk said:

---

NATO has never been a threat to Russia. Period. That's a Russian propaganda line pure and simple.

Giving arms to Ukraine was precisely the right thing to do. An unchecked Russia would be a threat to the rest of the old Warsaw Pact countries had Putin succeeded in rolling over Ukraine. Now that we have crippled the Russian military, how long we want to send aid, and how much, is very much a legitimate question. My view is that we should send them enough to give them a chance for a breakthrough this year. After that, it it's going to be a long term struggle, the Europeans need to carry the bulk of the load.

---

We need to place troops in Ukraine. The world is overdue for a day of reckoning.

End of discussion. Putin will not stop. The Baltic States and Belarus are next.

Do not kid yourselves. They are bombing Odesa daily and took missle shots near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe a few weeks ago.

---

Ukraine has lost 1/3 of their country under the auspices of the Obama and Biden regimes. No amount of USD$$ will allow them to regain it. How much more do the Ukes want to lose and at what cost to the people of Ukraine? That's the only calculus to apply. The "grand Spring offensive" was shown to be a sham.

Get a truce and negotiate as favorable treaty as possible. But Crimea, etc., are not coming back. Stop the killing and escalation.

As for troop deployments and a "day of reckoning"; I won't call this post what it really is....but the intellectual rigor behind it smacks of a Common Core, DEI curriculum level of logic. And your Belarus comment shows you're obviously not a student of the region or what is happening.

My family has deployed to Europe four times in the last 108 years to un-**** the messes Europeans keep creating. 108 years, nearly a million American lives and untold Trillions $$$. Enough. If Ukraine is important, the Europeans can deal with it...it's in their back yard and they've got Trillions $$$ they've saved underfunding their NATO obligations for decades to spend on it.

Forever-Wars 7,000 miles from our border with no US interests at stake have to stop.

---

Well stated. These arguments of whose spending more of their GDP is just a distraction.

Quote:

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Ukraine has lost 1/3 of their country under the auspices of the Obama and Biden regimes. No amount of USD$$ will allow them to regain it. How much more do the Ukes want to lose and at what cost to the people of Ukraine? That's the only calculus to apply. The "grand Spring offensive" was shown to be a sham.

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Exactly. But note that Ukraine is absolutely a totalitarian country with no freedom of movement, speech, press, or commerce. Ukrainians have had essentially no say since the Nuland revolution, and ironically voted for Zelensky on the promises he made to bring peace with Russia and fight corruption.

The greatest victims by far in this Biden proxy war is what is left of the Ukrainian population. The biggest winner from the economic devastation all of the inflation that consequentially and deliberately flowed from it throughout Europe/America is absolutely China. No one should be cheering it all on, if even moderately cognizant of American interests.

fullback44 said:

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Yes we all get this but reality is this war will keep going, do you see it stopping anytime soon? We may all want it to stop now but it won't, funding will make sure of that. We all know Ukriane is the sacrificial lamb at play, but I'm just predicting how this plays out. I get all the globalist politics and all, but if NATO was really interested in stopping Russia they could wipe out all the Russian refineries and arms production plants in several weeks with long range missiles.. the war would grind to a halt, but then you have the risk of nuclear escalation, if the globalist are in charge, there is no way they want that type of escalation nor do they want the worlds oil prices to sky rocket. This is not a sprint whether we like it or not, it's a slow grind. And it's going to unfortunately continue with funding

---

I honestly have thought the same thing. We have the ability to control what happens on that battlefield without sending any troops there.

We don't have the ability to change the direction of this war without deploying absolutely a crap ton of stuff for WW3.

Insert:

The “Experts” are finally admitting that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine, but they are still lying about why. The reason is not congressional inaction over further funding. The reason is that Russia has more manpower than Ukraine; it produces more artillery than the West;… pic.twitter.com/TnE7EuLEII

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) April 16, 2024

Regardless, this bill won't do a damn thing (other than handing the gavel in the House to Jeffries).

Mike Johnson reportedly wants to introduce a $95.34 billion spending package to fund foreign conflict, of which includes:

$48.43 billion for Ukraine
$14.1 billion for Israel
$2.4 billion for the Red Sea
$2.58 billion for Indo-Pacific (Taiwan)

Zero dollars for the border. https://t.co/o4ilRLEACK

— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) April 16, 2024

Edit, wrong tweet. Sorry.

60%+ goes to the industrial military complex, lots of politicians will be able to afford another vacation home if that passes.

Yet not a penny for our own border while we are throwing billions for others to protect their borders

Yep.

And our enemies grow stronger.

Scholtz: "President Xi and I have agreed: China and Germany intend to closely coordinate on promoting the organization of a high-level conference in Switzerland and future international peace conferences."

As the saying goes, "power belongs to those who can make peace". And… https://t.co/IddgwY1opm

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) April 16, 2024

Forever war, comrades!

nortex97 said:

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Yep.

And our enemies grow stronger.

Scholtz: "President Xi and I have agreed: China and Germany intend to closely coordinate on promoting the organization of a high-level conference in Switzerland and future international peace conferences."

As the saying goes, "power belongs to those who can make peace". And… https://t.co/IddgwY1opm

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) April 16, 2024

Forever war, comrades!

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Since when is Germany our enemy?