The Official Russian Invasion of Ukraine Thread

1,327,140 Views | 11853 Replies | Last: 1 day ago by bearister
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Just $1 million?? That guy is a saint, by their standards.

Things are heating up in Azerbaijan, tensions rising between Baku and Moscow after the arrest of an alleged Azeri organized crime ring in Russia.

This comes at a time when Israel used Azerbaijani air bases to conduct its raids on Iran. Azerbaijan is a small nation wedged between Russia and Iran, with borders with Armenia and Georgia.
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Colonel MacGregor, Cal88, and others correct again.

Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Colby is a China hawk, not happy to see US missile stockpiles dwindling in Ukraine and Israel.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
sycasey
How long do you want to ignore this user?
tequila4kapp
How long do you want to ignore this user?
sycasey said:


All the while Putin gives Trump the middle finger. I'm all for working for peace and for adjusting our role in this but at some point you have to be realistic about what's happening on the ground. It's time to play hardball with Russia. If we don't want to give Ukraine aid sell it to them, coordinate with NATO, etc. **** Putin.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
tequila4kapp said:

sycasey said:


All the while Putin gives Trump the middle finger. I'm all for working for peace and for adjusting our role in this but at some point you have to be realistic about what's happening on the ground. It's time to play hardball with Russia. If we don't want to give Ukraine aid sell it to them, coordinate with NATO, etc. **** Putin.

How do you suggest we play hardball with Russia, with over 1 million Ukrainian soldiers already killed?

Obama, Mearsheimer, J. Sachs and Macgregeor were right, Russia has escalatory dominance in Ukraine.

NATO just doesn't have the hardware to sell to Ukraine, whatever stuff is left is being sent to Israel. There is not much that NATO can do short of radically changing its whole military procurement, production systems and philosophy, which might yield results several years down the road - after the Russians will have crossed the Dniepr and gone to Kiev.

Unfortunately the hardcore Ukrainian nationalists and anti-Russian NATO elements (UK, and leaders like Merz, Rutte, Kallas etc) are ideologically married to their losing cause, and Ukraine is paying the price. Putin's last offer was reasonable, basically Istanbul plus (freeze the borders, Ukraine neutrality/disarmament, minority rights in Ukraine), but that ship has more or less sailed.

sycasey
How long do you want to ignore this user?
tequila4kapp said:

sycasey said:


All the while Putin gives Trump the middle finger. I'm all for working for peace and for adjusting our role in this but at some point you have to be realistic about what's happening on the ground. It's time to play hardball with Russia. If we don't want to give Ukraine aid sell it to them, coordinate with NATO, etc. **** Putin.
Unfortunately this current administration seems to view Ukraine as more our enemy than Russia.
tequila4kapp
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Gee, I don't know... How about reversing the decision to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine, increasing sanctions, threatening to give Ukraine NATO membership, start re-arming Ukraine, openly discussing NATO troops moving into a demilitarized zone, etc. Basically anything Russia/Putin do not like or want to impart pressure on them to change their behavior.
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This was all predicted 2, 3 years ago. The EU will increase defense spending in 2030... sure. We're being played again.

How about we fire more 4-star Generals who haven't come up with a solution to double or quadruple Patriot missile, 155 shells, and other items in three years time? We have the land, materials, a trillion-dollar a year budget... but can't cover the basics. No surge capacity. Same for Europe.

I'm sure this butts up w procurement norms, the private sector, etc., but can't the President declare an Emergency and create a new production facility in the South on Federal land, maybe on an existing military base, fast-track construction, seek manufacturing professionals being laid off in Germany, pinpoint key supply chain obstacles (electronic components from South Korea?), and crack the whip? There is no urgency or driving force. We want increased manufacturing capabilities domestically, don't some of these areas compliment private-sector electronics and metallurgy needs? Wouldn't this provide Demand to our steel and aluminum mills? Win-win-win? Get NATO, the EU, and London to pay for a large portion. Get money up front. Open a mini trade school for weapon component manufacturing.

In previous years we were told we could fight three simultaneously regional conflicts. Russia's bombardment of Ukraine disproved that. We're involved in two to three wars, but we're not on a war footing while Europe implodes domestically.

This problem is actually a great opportunity. We need a Manhattan Project for military production.

movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
tequila4kapp said:

Gee, I don't know... How about reversing the decision to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine, increasing sanctions, threatening to give Ukraine NATO membership, start re-arming Ukraine, openly discussing NATO troops moving into a demilitarized zone, etc. Basically anything Russia/Putin do not like or want to impart pressure on them to change their behavior.


Putin offered a deal, the Russian-speaking transvestite rejected it. So he'll take Odessa and maybe Kiev.

We're supposed to reward Zelensky / Nazi wing poor decision making with NATO membership?
bear2034
How long do you want to ignore this user?
movielover said:

This was all predicted 2, 3 years ago. The EU will increase defense spending in 2030... sure. We're being played again.

At least Spain was honest enough to say they're not even going to pretend to increase NATO spending in 2030.
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bear2034 said:

movielover said:

This was all predicted 2, 3 years ago. The EU will increase defense spending in 2030... sure. We're being played again.

At least Spain was honest enough to say they're not even going to pretend to increase NATO spending in 2030.


FTR, I won't be posting at BI in 2030.
bear2034
How long do you want to ignore this user?
movielover said:

bear2034 said:

movielover said:

This was all predicted 2, 3 years ago. The EU will increase defense spending in 2030... sure. We're being played again.

At least Spain was honest enough to say they're not even going to pretend to increase NATO spending in 2030.
FTR, I won't be posting at BI in 2030.

FTR, I might not be around after 2034.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You guys are just going to pull a Wags and show up after your dramatic retirement announcements.
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
"The Defense Department held up a shipment of U.S. weapons for Ukraine this week over what officials said were concerns about its low stockpiles. But an analysis by senior military officers found that the aid package would not jeopardize the American military's own ammunition supplies, according to three U.S. officials…….

Suspending the shipment of military aid to Ukraine was a unilateral step by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to three congressional aides and a former U.S. official familiar with the matter. It was the third time Hegseth on his own has stopped shipments of aid to Ukraine, the sources said. In the two previous cases, in February and in May, his actions were reversed days later."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/hegseth-halted-weapons-ukraine-military-analysis-aid-wouldnt-jeopardiz-rcna216790

*I'm confused. As we have learned here from our BI MAGA brothers, and Col. MacGregor, naturally, Ukraine bad, Russia good. Now that Trump has almost completed his lock on Total Control, why would he bother to lie about this, or for that matter, lie about anything? Trump is in the unique position to say,"Yeah, I did that. Don't like it? F@uck you, do something about it."

*Oh, and Hegseth takes zero action unless Trump has told him what action to take.
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention

“I love Cal deeply. What are the directions to The Portal from Sproul Plaza?”
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Read that article, many officials cited disagree with the notion that the stock of strategic weapons is not already depleted.
DiabloWags
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88 said:

You guys are just going to pull a Wags and show up after your dramatic retirement announcements.

I took a 6-month "vacation" from this asylum.
I doubt you could do the same.
It would kill you.

Unit2 has been on "vacation" for 14-months per my suggestion.
I know you miss him terribly.






movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
DiabloWags said:

Cal88 said:

You guys are just going to pull a Wags and show up after your dramatic retirement announcements.

I took a 6-month "vacation" from this asylum.
I doubt you could do the same.
It would kill you.

Unit2 has been on "vacation" for 14-months per my suggestion.
I know you miss him terribly.

I stayed away for a long stretch after covid.

U2Sucks is staying away because he was enormously invested emotionally into two lost causes, Ukraine and Israel, so much so that he stopped posting on the football board too.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
movielover said:



The Russians have gone out of their way to minimize civilian casualties, partly because they genuinely are close to them as a people, it was essentially the same country before the 90s. The average citizen from Moscow is culturally closer to a citizen from Kiev than to citizens from many parts of Russia.

EU leaders like Barot above have lost any credibility they had by attacking Russia for targeting civilians while staying mum or defending Israel for blasting refugee encampments with 2,000lb bombs and mowing down unarmed starving civilians trying to pick up food. They've shot to death over 600 people at food distribution centers just the last coupe of weeks with no comment from the EU outside of Ireland and Spain.
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The Warning Signs for Russia's Economy Are Flashing Red
A slowdown exposes the limits of the country's wartime economy and suggests sanctions may finally be taking a toll
The Warning Signs for Russia's Economy Are Flashing Red - WSJ


https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/the-warning-signs-for-russias-economy-are-flashing-red-ff1658bd

AI Overview

"There are differing views on whether Russia's economy is stalling or experiencing a slowdown.
Evidence pointing to a slowdown or stagnation:

Growth deceleration: While Russia's economy saw some growth in 2024, driven by military spending, recent indicators suggest a slowdown, according to a FocusEconomics report.

High inflation: Russia is experiencing high inflation, reaching 9.9% in May 2025, which is well above the central bank's target and can erode purchasing power. The central bank has resorted to increasing interest rates to tackle this, but this also increases borrowing costs for companies.

Labor shortages: Shortages of workers, partly due to the war in Ukraine and emigration, have driven up wages and contributed to inflation, according to Yahoo Finance.

Declining energy revenues: Sanctions and weaker global prices have led to a decrease in Russia's oil and gas revenues, impacting the government's budget.

Conclusion:
While Russia's economy has demonstrated some resilience and even growth in recent years, largely driven by wartime spending and a shift in economic focus, there are increasing signs of a slowdown. High inflation, labor shortages, and potential fiscal pressures are significant challenges. The long-term sustainability of the current growth model is questionable, particularly given restrictions on technology access and potential further impacts of sanctions."*

*There are counterarguments. I just posted the ones that made me tingly all over.
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention

“I love Cal deeply. What are the directions to The Portal from Sproul Plaza?”
movielover
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
^Their oil and gas export revenues have dropped mostly because the Ruble has gained a lot of value vs the USD and other currencies in which these exports are priced.

Meanwhile in Ukraine -
bear2034
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bearister said:

I'm confused. As we have learned here from our BI MAGA brothers, and Col. MacGregor, naturally, Ukraine bad, Russia good.

Reposted with permission from helltopay1:

Remember when Biden held up millions of dollars to Ukraine because a Ukraine prosecutor was investigating Burisma, the energy company which had Hunter Biden on its board????
Biden actually went on TV and said, "you are not getting a penny unless the Ukraine prosecutor is fired...Son of a *****...they fired the prosecutor..."

The money was restored...How is this not an impeachable offense????Obama was President at the time.....How did Obama escape responsibility for this?????I used to think Bill & Hillary were the most corrupt couple in American history...If Barack and Joe can be defined as a couple, maybe they can split the trophy...
DiabloWags
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned last month that Russia was teetering on the "verge of a recession"

Q1 2025 GDP was 1.4%
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bear2034 said:

bearister said:

I'm confused. As we have learned here from our BI MAGA brothers, and Col. MacGregor, naturally, Ukraine bad, Russia good.

Reposted with permission from helltopay1:

Remember when Biden held up millions of dollars to Ukraine because a Ukraine prosecutor was investigating Burisma, the energy company which had Hunter Biden on its board????
Biden actually went on TV and said, "you are not getting a penny unless the Ukraine prosecutor is fired...Son of a *****...they fired the prosecutor..."

The money was restored...How is this not an impeachable offense????Obama was President at the time.....How did Obama escape responsibility for this?????I used to think Bill & Hillary were the most corrupt couple in American history...If Barack and Joe can be defined as a couple, maybe they can split the trophy...

What I remember is that helltopay1, may God rest his soul, was always full of sh@it.

Fact check: Joe Biden leveraged Ukraine aid to oust corrupt prosecutor


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/21/fact-check-joe-biden-leveraged-ukraine-aid-oust-corrupt-prosecutor/5991434002/

"Despite a recently concluded investigation by Senate Republicans that found no wrongdoing by the Bidens, claims to the contrary have continued to circulate on social media.

As a result, Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid as "a stick to move Ukraine forward," Kupchan said. "He was acting alongside our European allies. Everybody was of a single mind that this prosecutor was not the right guy for the job."

Daria Kaleniuk, the co-founder and executive director of the Anti Corruption Action Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, credited Biden, the International Monetary Fund which threatened to delay $40 billion in aid for similar reasons and others with the prosecutor's removal."
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention

“I love Cal deeply. What are the directions to The Portal from Sproul Plaza?”
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
^Those articles are more like political commentaries branded as "factchecking".

Quote:

Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned last month that Russia was teetering on the "verge of a recession"

Q1 2025 GDP was 1.4%

bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Rebutting the gish gallop of MAGAs like the late helltopay1 and his progeny is like shooting fish in a barrel …….but in the final analysis is an utter waste of time.



Republican senators echoed Biden in urging Ukrainian president to reform prosecutor general's office | CNN Politics


https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/politics/gop-senators-echoed-biden-on-ukraine-reforms-kfile
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention

“I love Cal deeply. What are the directions to The Portal from Sproul Plaza?”
sycasey
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bearister said:

bear2034 said:

bearister said:

I'm confused. As we have learned here from our BI MAGA brothers, and Col. MacGregor, naturally, Ukraine bad, Russia good.

Reposted with permission from helltopay1:

Remember when Biden held up millions of dollars to Ukraine because a Ukraine prosecutor was investigating Burisma, the energy company which had Hunter Biden on its board????
Biden actually went on TV and said, "you are not getting a penny unless the Ukraine prosecutor is fired...Son of a *****...they fired the prosecutor..."

The money was restored...How is this not an impeachable offense????Obama was President at the time.....How did Obama escape responsibility for this?????I used to think Bill & Hillary were the most corrupt couple in American history...If Barack and Joe can be defined as a couple, maybe they can split the trophy...

What I remember is that helltopay1, may God rest his soul, was always full of sh@it.

Fact check: Joe Biden leveraged Ukraine aid to oust corrupt prosecutor


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/21/fact-check-joe-biden-leveraged-ukraine-aid-oust-corrupt-prosecutor/5991434002/

"Despite a recently concluded investigation by Senate Republicans that found no wrongdoing by the Bidens, claims to the contrary have continued to circulate on social media.

As a result, Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid as "a stick to move Ukraine forward," Kupchan said. "He was acting alongside our European allies. Everybody was of a single mind that this prosecutor was not the right guy for the job."

Daria Kaleniuk, the co-founder and executive director of the Anti Corruption Action Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, credited Biden, the International Monetary Fund which threatened to delay $40 billion in aid for similar reasons and others with the prosecutor's removal."

Yes, this claim has been debunked over and over and over again (in fact, the Ukrainian prosecutor was fired because he wasn't investigating ENOUGH, and this was the common view across the US government and in Europe). Doesn't matter. The same bulls**t will keep being repeated.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bearister said:

Rebutting the gish gallop of MAGAs like the late helltopay1 and his progeny is like shooting fish in a barrel …….but in the final analysis is an utter waste of time.

Republican senators echoed Biden in urging Ukrainian president to reform prosecutor general's office | CNN Politics

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/politics/gop-senators-echoed-biden-on-ukraine-reforms-kfile


Contrary to what Trump says, the Ukraine policy was largely bipartisan. People like Nuland implemented that policy through Democrat and Republican administrations, with Reps like McCain or Graham being their main proponents in DC. You also had people like Romney who were in on the grift.

And the notion that Ukraine became less corrupt after the firing of Viktor Shokin is laughable. He was fired because he dared start an investigation of Burisma, which was part of the Biden family grift, with Hunter officially being on their board.

Quote:

In an August 2023 Fox News interview, Shokin said he was fired as prosecutor general "at the insistence of then-Vice President [Biden] because I was investigating Burisma." One month later, Poroshenko was asked on Fox News for his reaction to Shokin's assertion. Poroshenko responded:
Quote:

First of all, this is a completely crazy person. There is something wrong with him. Second, there is not one single word of truth.


So Ukraine appointed "a completely crazy person" as their AG, says the prototypical corrupt Ukrainian oligarch...
sycasey
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Cal88 said:

bearister said:

Rebutting the gish gallop of MAGAs like the late helltopay1 and his progeny is like shooting fish in a barrel …….but in the final analysis is an utter waste of time.

Republican senators echoed Biden in urging Ukrainian president to reform prosecutor general's office | CNN Politics

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/politics/gop-senators-echoed-biden-on-ukraine-reforms-kfile


Contrary to what Trump says, the Ukraine policy was largely bipartisan. People like Nuland implemented that policy through Democrat and Republican administrations, with Reps like McCain or Graham being their main proponents in DC. You also had people like Romney who were in on the grift.

And the notion that Ukraine became less corrupt after the firing of Viktor Shokin is laughable. He was fired because he dared start an investigation of Burisma, which was part of the Biden family grift, with Hunter officially being on their board.

Quote:

In an August 2023 Fox News interview, Shokin said he was fired as prosecutor general "at the insistence of then-Vice President [Biden] because I was investigating Burisma." One month later, Poroshenko was asked on Fox News for his reaction to Shokin's assertion. Poroshenko responded:
Quote:

First of all, this is a completely crazy person. There is something wrong with him. Second, there is not one single word of truth.


So Ukraine appointed "a completely crazy person" as their AG, says the prototypical corrupt Ukrainian oligarch...

Well, if Shokin says Shokin wasn't corrupt, who am I to argue?
First Page
Page 338 of 339
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.