Now that Congress rammed through a huge weapons package for Ukraine, what will Ukraine do with the weapons and how long will they last?
Ukraine’s Real Bottleneck
Ukraine touts Russian casualties, no doubt exaggerated, while Russian published accounts of Russian losses are no doubt understated.
But what about Ukraine’s losses? Those are a military secret.
Despite a full understanding of how bad the situation is in Ukraine, we do know that it’s not a pretty setup. Please consider Ukraine’s Bottleneck.
The main reason why opinion in Washington has shifted over Ukraine is the assessment that the country will lose the war because it does not have enough troops on the ground.
We saw a story in Bild yesterday that would confirm this story line. Of all German newspapers, Bild has been the strongest supporter of Ukraine, so we don’t think we are dealing with a case of news selection bias. We know about shortages. This story goes further. Ukrainian commanders are saying that the bottleneck is no longer western weapons, but people who can use them.
We should not extrapolate that information. They may overstate their case to force a change in policy. For all we know, Russia may have the exact same problems, or worse.
Many young Ukrainian men have left the country to avoid the draft. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hesitant to order a general draft of all Ukrainians. His government recently suspended consular services for Ukrainian males aged 18 to 60 years old, and reduced the age for the draft from 27 to 25 years. There is clearly more they can do. Only 15% of its male population is in active service.
But what made us listen up is the assertion about bottlenecks. It quoted one brigadier general as saying that he used to think that the lack of artillery shells was the biggest problem, but now it was the lack of human resources. The question is whether the general mobilization has been delayed for too long. The problem is not only the headline numbers. If you started a general mobilisation today, you would still not have the numbers of people trained to use the weapons.
Bild quoted Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU defence expert and a former Bundeswehr general, as saying that the best-trained soldiers in Ukraine had been killed or injured, and those still active have been deployed without a break for two years. Exhaustion is becoming a factor in this war. He said Ukraine was lacking a predictable recruitment strategy. Another expert, from the Munich Security Conference, also believes that the right response is to start the draft immediately.
We are more sceptical. Young Ukrainians men who live abroad have means to resist a draft. EU countries cannot just deport them without recourse to legal processes. Nor will all EU countries want to do that. An army of draft dodgers who experienced the comfortable life abroad, and who are recruited against their will, are not going to win this war. Zelensky could lower the age of the draft to 18. But you would be training an essentially new army from scratch in the middle of a war.
So then, we ask, what is the strategy? That is also a question for the western countries that support Ukraine, who don’t have any strategy whatsoever.
No US Strategy, No US Goals
No strategy and no goals are two things I have been writing about for months.
The US has no goals or strategy, except perhaps perpetual war.
Ukraine’s Goal
Zelensky has a ridiculous goal, 100% of all territory lost including Crimea.
And Ukraine will badger the US and Europe forever to achieve them. So how much are we willing to pay?
Biden is unwilling to say. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is unwilling to say, and he cast the deciding vote for a massive $61 billion weapons delivery to Ukraine.
The total to date is $175 billion. But where does that money really go?
What Is in the Ukraine Aid Package
The Center for Strategic and International Studies explains What Is in the Ukraine Aid Package
Q4: Where will this money be spent?
A4: The notion of “aid to Ukraine” is a misnomer. Despite images of “pallets of cash” being sent to Ukraine, about 72 percent of this money overall and 86 percent of the military aid will be spent in the United States. The reason for this high percentage is that weapons going to Ukraine are produced in U.S. factories, payments to U.S. service members are mostly spent in the United States, and even some piece of the humanitarian aid is spent in the United States. The major element of funding going to Ukraine is the economic support to the Ukrainian government, which the World Bank handles.
Is it any wonder why Johnson was pushed so hard by military intelligence to vote for the deal? Here’s another interesting Q&A.
Q7: How long will the $61 billion last?
A7: Until funding started to dry up, the United States had been spending about $5.4 billion per month as a result of the war. At that spending rate, $61 billion would last for nearly a full year. Indeed, the original intention was that the funding would last through fiscal year 2024 and run out in September or October. However, half the fiscal year has passed, and the money may last until about January 2025 as a result. Because most of the appropriations are multiyear, the administration can use the money into FY 2025.
That suits the political calendar. The administration will not want to send another aid request to Congress in the fall when the presidential election campaign is in full swing. If the Biden administration wins reelection, it will send a request to Congress either during the lame duck session or, if Democrats do well, after the new Congress takes office. If the Biden administration loses, it may send a request anyway to make a political statement, not expecting Congress to take action. The Republicans would want to wait until the new president took office.
How Does This End?
I can tell you how this will end, and I have already several times: A negotiated settlement in which Ukraine loses territory in return for being allowed to join NATO, perhaps with some restrictions.
No one will be happy, especially those who would prefer perpetual war. But it won’t be perpetual war because Ukraine will eventually run out of men.
Zelensky may be willing to kill them all, but can he stay in power long enough to do that?
Mike Johnson Goes Full Neocon
On April 18, I commented Mike Johnson Goes Full Neocon, Nikki Haley May as Well Be House Speaker
“I really do believe the intel and in the briefings that we’ve gotten,” Johnson said. “I believe Xi [Jinping] and Vladimir Putin and Iran really are an axis of evil,” warning that Russia could march west across Europe if not stopped now. “To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.”
That is a false dichotomy.
One does not have to make a choice between sending bullets or men to Ukraine. One could easily do neither or both.
Sending bullets does not preclude further stupidity such as sending troops.
No Skin in the Game
Since the critical shortage is really manpower, not weapons, I have a suggestion: Mike Johnson and everyone who voted for this package should be forced to serve in Ukraine.
Skin in the game should be a prerequisite for all of these war fundings.
Lindsey Graham Tells Ukraine to Force More Young Men Into War With Russia
On March 19, I commented Lindsey Graham Tells Ukraine to Force More Young Men Into War With Russia
I’ve Changed My Mind on Aid to Ukraine
I now support aid to Ukraine if Senator Graham and all the Senators who support aid personally lead the charge.
I suggest we put Graham on horseback with a sword and a Ukrainian flag to lead the other Senators into battle.
What is the Best Way to Help Israel and Ukraine?
On April 16, I asked What is the Best Way to Help Israel and Ukraine?
See if you agree with my answer.
The language here is getting way out of hand. Knock it off.
I deleted a bunch of comments by FromBrussels
You’ve now ruined this, by caving into the non-adults who can’t just ignore something that doesn’t interest them, by adding this stupid “hide” button – why bother having comments at all? Is it just for monetisation?!
Problem is some of the idiots have something intelligent once in a while.
Even the Russian dude from Brussels sometimes speaks somewhat coherently about Israel.
I’m glad you’re doing this. I don’t want this site looking like Zerohedge.
The problem is one of gender discrimination and chauvinism. Be fair and start drafting young women to fight on the frontlines in combat. There are more women than men in Ukraine The reaction from the gender equality west would be interesting. If I was a young Ukrainian man, I would say I’m willing to fight for my country with the same effort expected of young women. If not, I would identify as a woman and head to the beach.
Exactly – was thinking the same thing.
There are a lot of Ukrainian woman who didn’t leave the country that are working to help the country fight Putin. Some are on the front lines, many are helping in other ways. There have been a variety of stories over the past couple of years. I am sure you can find stories if you search.
Macron Says He’d Send Troops To Ukraine If Russians Advance & If Zelensky Asks
Friday, May 03, 2024 – 06:25 PM
French President Emmanuel Macron has once again brought the possibility of Western ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine back into international headlines, after first controversially floating that the idea can’t be ruled out months ago.
…
link to zerohedge.com
The printed money will support the Ukrainian national health system, something US tax-payers don’t have. And civil servants and pensioners.
The rest of the billions they can spend at the artillery store.
O wait. They’re all out of stock.
This time I find comment section kind of funny.
For two years, no for 8 years since 2014 our dear Mish refused to understand that Russian goals in Ukraine are NOT some kind of limited protection of “Russian minority”, but to overthrow popular Ukrainian government.
Now Russian trolls in comment section are busy to explain that yeah Russian goal is to occupy all Ukraine and effectively destroy Ukraine as state completely.
Russian trolls? Are you certain about that bud
This is an oil war, why should the average joe want to die for that?
Not the average joes war, why die for oil…
Q: why would Russia ever agree to any negotiated settlement that allows NATO next door? That means no settlement at all. Putin has zero reason to trust anything the US or EU puts on paper (see Minsk Accords), and has repeatedly said there will be no weapons in range of any Russian territory, period. The US cannot counter long range Russian weaponry or match their armed forces, not even close. So logically, the operation ends with total capitulation of Ukraine, or NATO defeat.
Why would Ukraine ever agree to give up territory?
The war ends when both sides are willing to say enough is enough.
There will NOT be a winner.
Why did Ukraine agree to murder 12,000 Ukrainian citizens in the Donbas under the direction of the US State Dept?
Oh, there’s a winner – the US MIC is going to come out smelling like a rose.
ukraine had a choice in 2014… and again in 2022. they chose poorly.
but now, ukraine has no choice at all – “ukrainian territory” is now russian territory, period – end of discussion.
ukraine’s fate is now in russia’s hands – ukrainian “agreement” is a moot point.
Russian trolls should remember the threat of Nikita Kruschev, “We will bury you”. Thanks for the heads up. What goes around comes around harder.
So when will it come around for the USA and its 25+ years of illegally waged military campaigns resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians?
Careful – you live in a glass house, you hypocrite.
Don’t be dumb. There are no shortages of such threats from wannbe contenders for a real power countries. e.g. Iran, Yeman, Hezbollah and Hamas recently.
Speaker Johnson is worried about Russia marching across Europe? They’ve basically been in a stalemate with Ukraine for 2 years. No doubt Poland would love to see Russia make a move on them. They’d beat the crap out of the Russian army, take back the Polish territory Russia stole after WW2 and tell Putin where to go.
Reminds me of Barbarossa and the Illusions of Adolf. On the other hand, it was not a question of “stolen Polish territories” but of Polish colonies, where Belarusian peasants worked for large Polish landowners. This is also what was happening in Western Ukraine, which partly explains the massacres of Poles in these territories in 1940-45. In France we also experienced this with the end of the colonies.
I think that one of the most important subjects in the coming months will be that of Ukrainian losses. They are currently considerably undervalued by Ukraine (which is normal) and also by the Western mainstream press, where they are sometimes even not taken into account.
They are in my opinion enormously higher than Russian losses, if only because of Russia’s overwhelming superiority in various projectiles (bombs, shells, drones, missiles), probably at least a ratio of 1 at 5.
These Ukrainian victims (hundreds of thousands) will have to appear one day, and will be blamed on Westerners, who have continued to favor the war (politicians, governments, press).
I don’t understand why someone has not assassinated Zelensky yet. A new leader not a puppet of the cia and mic would hopefully end the war.
The same could be said of Putin. Or Trump.
A good estimate of Ukrainian losses is imply to take their estimate of the Russian losses as a cryptic way of tallying their own.
The number of Ukrainian losses will be meaningless if they manage to recover the territory Russia has annexed and remain an independent country. All of those who lost their lives in the war will be considered heros and appropriately memorialized.
Hopefully, the families of the dead will be compensated for their loss out of money given by or if necessary, taken from Russia.
pure delusion,
ukraine might survive (on paper) as a “rump state”, likely administered & managed by a neighbor… probably Poland.
the ukraine we knew prior to 2014 is finished – never coming back. This result is a mathematical certainty – a function of irreversible demographic collapse.
“pro-ukraine” sentiment has guaranteed the death of that nation. the irony will likely never register w/ flag-waving virtue-signaling warmongers.
Imagine if you are a young Ukrainian, with your whole life ahead of you, and you are being demanded to go and die in a trench for a war you had no hand in starting. They are running to the hills.
Patriotism only really works when you have a real country, rather than a made-up one, and when there is something worth fighting for. For regimes who don’t care about their own borders to care about the borders of a faraway place makes no sense to anyone.
Nobody buys the rhetoric of expansionist Russia, we can all see that this war was NATO’s lie; just like the lies about the economy.
I see many young Russians and Ukrainians have fled to holiday destinations to try and escape the completely unnecessary mess in the former Ukraine. I know some I work with some. I have never met one who wants to die for a line on a map (that has changed frequently over the decades). They want to be enjoying their youth, making a career, having loving relationships, all the obvious stuff.
I don’t see any stirring of emotions from the glib calls to action by American and European politicians – only those with no brains and nothing to live for are volunteering for this money-laundering weapons-testing indulgence by large American weapon systems and ammunition manufacturers. Nobody cares about Ukraine.
This war is the Democrats’ war, and it’s a worse tragedy and embarrassment for the USA than Vietnam or Afghanistan.
Let me summarize for you: Life is a bitch and then you die.
This is what I see.
The present robbing the future blind on the MIC’s behalf.
What do you see?
Mish, Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO. That is Russia’s red line, and they will grind out the war forever to prevent it. Imagine it is 1960 and Mexico tries to join Warsaw Pact. It would not be allowed to happen.
Never say never
I expect eventually both sides will be so tired of war that they will both give up something very big
There’s no real incentive for Russia to stop at the Dneiper now, they can’t trust anything that happens in the states that border NATO, they have no choice to but to take it all.
Putin will eventually die or be assassinated. Hopefully, Ukraine can win sooner and not have to wait for his death.
Booze Allen right
If Putin dies, his successor would be less moderate and will likely act with more rashness and less patience than Putin.
Very. Accurate name there Jaba
That’s what shows the propagandized nature of most Americans, when they invoke the “Putin is trying to re-create the Soviet Union” tripe – the communists in Russia, who number around 9-10% of the voting block, absolutely despise Putin because he’s not a Soviet-style, communist-leaning leader.
Putin wanted to join the globalist club, and found out the Global Elites only wanted to plunder his country and wanted nothing to do with him.
Could be the same with Netanyahu.
Do you work for a defense contractor?
I heard he’s a janitor at Boeing
Great. With people like Navalny and Prigozhin, of which there are many, at the helm, we might see a Russia actually doing some of the things many fear.
I read somewhere that at one point, right after the fall of the USSR, Russia asked to join NATO but was flat out denied. Not sure if this is true, but if so WTF many lives would have been spared.
The MIC wouldn’t want that No money in getting along for them anyway
The globalists (which include the MIC) don’t want that because they demand a uni-polar world with them controlling EVERYTHING.
Yes, with Yeltsin. But then they agreed that NATO should not expand into the former Soviet Union and to denuclearise a neutral Ukraine. Then we did two of those anyway, sort of thinking Russia would just stand idly by as the US would if Canada and Mexico formed a military alliance with China after China solemnly agreed not to try…
The USA is bankrupt. It has wasted tons of resources policing (sic) the world. It is going the way of all empires. However, Rome is still a nice place to visit. Lets see if 20 years from now people say: “NYC is a nice place to visit.”
The USA can’t go bankrupt since all debt is denominated in its own currency. It is insolvent however and not in a small way.
The US government is still meeting all of its principal and interest obligations as they come due but eventually investors will lose confidence in the government’s ability to manage its budget. Then only the Federal Reserve will be willing to buy US Treasury debt and the US dollar will become virtually worthless. That is what happened to the old German mark which was worth about $0.25 US in 1913 under the gold standard and about 4 trillion marks to the US $ in late 2023, when the old currency was replaced by a new version of the mark. When the Nazis took power in 1933, they repudiated the debt issued during the Weimar years and Weimar bonds traded at steep discounts among speculators. Eventually, the post war German government redeemed the defaulted debt.
We will eventually default. Of course, the government and its presstitutes won’t CALL it a default. And anyone who does will be considered unpatriotic, censored, marginalized, or even jailed.
If Ukraine can’t hold back the Russians they’re going to take the entire country. After that, the Baltics, perhaps? This was is a consequence of American meddling in Ukrainian politics. No Russian leader would ever tolerate a Westward-leaning Ukraine, let alone Ukraine as part of NATO, they, and most likely the vast majority of the Russian people would view that as an existential threat. Look at the from the Russian point of view. It doesn’t matter if their view is correct, this is Realpolitik and are the cards we’ve been dealt. 1) Ukraine is where the Russian state was founded and they were basically a single country for the past 1000 years. It would be like the 13 colonies becoming part of the Warsaw Pact. 2) Europe invades Russia constantly (although Russia returned the favor in 1945). In WWI Germany occupied more of Russian that Hitler did. 3) Stalingrad: Russians take a dim view of threats what they perceive as threats to their country.
I have no idea of how this is going to pan out. I expect the entire world looks at the US and sees helicopters leaving the embassy roof in Saigon and the delightful party in Afghanistan. If the Europeans feel the US doesn’t have their back they’ll have no choice but to basically be Russian satellites. So long, West, it was fun while it lasted.
I think what you’ll actually find is Europe aligning with Ukraine (with or without he USA) against Russia and then the Russian ass-kicking starts.
So how should Russia be divided up among European countries when this is all over?
Jojo, just say no to drugs! You’re hallucinating.
You really ought to read up on how that panned out for the Nazis in WW2 and Napoleon 200 years or so ago. Russia threw off the Tatar Yoke, and has been pushing back since.
Jojo obviously doesn’t study history and has no grasp on reality
Wait…one second Russia is a military laughing stock and can’t do anything right, the next minute they are going to take over Europe.
The truth is that both of these are BS.
This is the USA stepping on its own (and Europe’s) pecker again.
Vlad is not a slumlord.
Obviously Russia has to take the whole of TheUkraine (translation: The Russian March) now, otherwise NATO will be running border operations from NATO-occupied TheUkraine.
The situation in the Baltic states is obviously completely different, with those states not bombarding, attacking, murdering, and ethnically cleansing ethnic Russian citizens, so there’s no causus belli as in the Bosnia-style Donbas ethnic cleansing by TheUkraine fascists.
This is aside from the fact that Baltic states are in the EU and NATO, and TheUkraine is not. So your proposition is not based on any reasonable rational conjecture, just hysterical Russophobia.
Exactly correct on all counts
Nonsense The Baltics are members of EU and NATO Putin isn’t suicidal as far as we know
Agreed except you don’t explain how Russia will be able to control Europe.
The faster Europe figures out the USA doesn’t give a shit about them, the better it will be for them. But that will never happen with the current crop of corrupt losers piloting most EU nations and the EU itself.
As a dual US-EU citizen, it really pisses me off. EU citizens are going to see their social programs gutted and destroyed as money is shifted to Project Ukraine, military hardware purchases, and the corporate lobbyists descend on Brussels and get legislation passed making everything worse, especially food and medical care.
In 15-20 years Europe will be nothing more than a museum.
can WE THE PEOPLE suggest that every member of CONgress that voted for funding
be required to board same shipments and be required to enlist for period of 1 year in Ukraine
You can suggest whatever you want but no one is going to pay any attention to you. So hopefully making sarcastic comments here makes you feel good.
ditto for yourself.
ZING! [rotflol]
Here’s an example of the continued motivation in Ukraine to fight against Russia:
H had middle schoolers in 1945.
Good luck to them. If they are outgunned, at least they will die old.
I have encountered people that ‘resumed smoking’ after turning 70, perhaps will write an article on the subject sometime.
It’s an irony that TheUkraine regime started this by trying to ethnically cleanse the 7m ethnic Russian citizens of TheUkraine, only to ethnically cleanse themselves in a futile war.
This is reminiscent of CCP and DPRK propaganda, and completely delusional, like Chemical Ali. If you were 60 years old you would know better than to make such a silly and demented comment.
🤣😂🤣😂 it’s another made up GHOST of KIEV fantasy feel good story
This time it’s a team of boomers to keep the American boomers and old warmongers on the hook sending money for whorekraine to launder…. just….. a ….. little …… longer
Does Mike Johnson really think that Russia, Iran, and China want to invade Europe? What for? Make money off them while they destroy themselves with rampant immigration.
Doubt he believes such dribble He just parrots the MIC playbook is all
You’ve got it all figured out! You must be very wealthy with all your knowledge.
Was in the top 1% before my divorce in 2008 Worked my way back and I’m doing OK thanks Other than spinal stenosis and myocarditis I’m living quite well
Doesn’t sound like you have loing to go. So sorry…
Meanwhile, I did an 8.5 mile hike yesterday, climbing 2000 ft with a moving time of 2:42. I have a 49-51 BPM resting heart rate.
You must be very impoverished with all your ignorance.
Sorry, I’m not either (impoverished or ignorant).
You sure had me fooled
That’s the idea.
no western countries doing fine job of imploding from within
destroying each country in RECORD TIME
consider merika, borders-illegals, free money to big corporations and now huge money to MIC
all while draining SPR and setting up 20% annual inflation
What a juicy demographics post, I love it! Now let’s apply this scenario to say an undisclosed place in the middle east where country x has a population of 10 million and countries a, b, c, d, e, f, g have a different population of 500 million and an extended population of 1 billion.
Which one will win in the long run demographically speaking? Which one will run out of fighting men first? The only function needed to answer the question is called time.
Now imagine another country in the far west whose population is 300 million but sadly 80 million are over the age of 65 and there are 1,2,3,4 million new non-native people moving into this undisclosed country. What do you think the outcome will be under the function (f) time.
Math if fun, it tells you what’s going to happen even before it happens!
One thing is for sure, the college campus antics will not result in a baby-boom in the country in the far west.
neoCons are (almost) exclusively >60yo.
good luck finding a neoCon warmonger <55yo.
warmongering globalist neoCon policy will be buried in Boomer graves.
Hounddog I REALLY hope you’re right but I don’t think it will play out that way. The 60-75 year old warmongering murdering boomers are “training” and propagandizing the younger inexperienced and life ignorant ivy league nitwits coming up behind them. They gotta breed self job security and MICMICC love ❤️
First of all not all of us Boomers are warmongers and my son was captain of the HS basketball team and a Georgetown graduate raised by my very strict Polish wife so he’s no typical Milleniel
I’m 73 and do not know a single warmongering neocon. I think they are all in WA DC working for the military contractors.
Many boomers dodged the draft. Look at the boomers on Fox News, some brag openly about attending Woodstock while less privileged soldiers died in the mud. I’ve read Kudlow was an officer in SDS, the commie front that organized protests and also spit on troops returning from ‘Nam..
you know anyone who watches Fox?
you know anyone who watches CNN, MSNBC, or MSM in general?
Yes?
Then you know plenty of neoCon warmongers… they won’t describe themselves in such terms, and/or you may want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but anyone who watches & parrots cableNews/MSM in the USA without vomiting is a neocon warmonger, whether they realize it or not.
Hey, people get stuck in airports all the time…
lulz… well done.
I watch all of those channels!
obviously.
thank you for proving my point.
You’re missing the entire “2nd generation” of neocon warmongers.
i doubt that I’ve missed them… because I’ve been looking far & wide.
the neoCons under 55yo that I’ve met are all progressive Democrats. I guess i’m now admitting that such people DO exist.
I’ve been to countless GOP events – local & national – and I can count the number of (pro-Ukraine/pro-Israel) neocons under 55yo I’ve met on one hand.
the foreign policy/globalist/warmonger divide in the GOP is absolutely generational. If there are a quantifiable number of under 55yo neoCons in the GOP, then they are better hidden than Israel’s nuclear arsenal.
I’m talking in the gummint – the likes of Blinken, Jake the Snake Sullivan, et al.
Neolibs have become neocons, that I agree.
Will the people working for peace please stand up. Buehler….? Buehler…?
Hey MAN that’s a beverage
Reference to “ the dude abides”
“The US has no goals or strategy, except perhaps perpetual war.”
That’s it.
Their respective MICs are the only sector of both the US and Russia still all that relevant. Hence, making excuses for militarizing everything and everywhere, is all either have left.
Except for the “and Russia” part I agree. However, I can guarantee you the Russian government gets much more bang for its military buck than the MIC here, ripping off the American taxpayers blind and shoveling cash to corrupt politicians.
But that’s why we have the best government money can buy.
Russia is as least as MIC dependent as the US. All their revenue is natural resources and military related. The former always increases in price with increased instability and militarization.
They’re heavy in both ME and Africa, specifically to make it riskier and more expensive for China (also others, but China is the big spender) to obtain and depend on resources from there. Leaving Russia the most stable and secure provider….
And oh,yes; they get much better bang for their buck. In no small part because that is one of their goals. While in the US, the goal itself is specifically to transfer wealth to connected leeches by grotesquely overpaying.
But the notion that Russia somhow benefit from stability and peace; anywhere aside from perhaps its immediate neighborhood, is just preposterous. The more war, chaos and mayhem elsewhere: The more of a relative oasis of calm wrt resource supplies Russia appears.
The saddest part is: America is now so far behind China is every other area than military; that they are playing the exact same game. Propping upand taking sides, “you are either with ‘us’ or ‘them’” blah, blah. Since, in fair and square commercial competition: China offers better quality for less. In pretty much every area.
Lindsey will fight to the last drop on Ukrainian blood is shed.
He sure is a pathetic human being
He is a homosexual, isn’t he?
Who cares. He’s human garbage; that is his problem.
When the facts of reality changed Johnson changed his mind on Ukraine as did Trump. He has Trump’s support on this and Marjorie Greene and her two allies no longer do so Johnson’s chair is secure. As to how many have died on either side is not published and won’t be so any numbers coming out are pure speculation and pure propaganda.
The aide bill frees up the immediate transfer of weapons, many of which are already in storage in Europe, into Ukrainian hands. More importantly it does underline that more will be on the way from the US and Europe because all the important actors have realized the danger and are now willing and able to counter it. This is a huge change from two years ago.
Ukraine should have enough manpower to defend easily. To counterattack and regain the territory that Russia took is another matter but one thing at a time.
hey Doug, there’s a rifle & a one-way ticket to Kyiv waiting for you @ the airport.
not interested? then STFU.
You wouldn’t know what to do with a rifle if someone whacked you over the head with it to get your attention and then put you on the Front Lines. Move along Troll.
Why is Hounddog a troll because he can’t stand the BS
warmongering cheerleaders hate being called-out… it pops their bubble.
Obviously
You and your sock puppets are the trolls here. Move along Troll.
Hilarity ensues.
I hope you are here in the US and have some 18 years oldish kids because this is just getting started. No one will join.
Draft in 3-2-1
They may try to restart the draft. But there is a prior court decision already on the books that the draft law as written is unconstitutional because it is male only. Certainly no man should submit to the draft unless and until women are included.
As soon as they include women the feminists will try to block it, and many women not willing to trust a court decision will suddenly be pregnant solving the pending demographic problem.
Constitutional? How quaint
cue a million self-identifications as whatever diversity box gets them out of it.
Love the hide button!
Speech is free, but nobody is compelled to listen to you.
Maybe that should be a clue…
It’s free speech until someone supports Palestine then its anti semitism that our dear leaders want to outlaw. Ifs funny how it ok to be anti white but god forbid you say anything against the JEWs. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid. They have bought and paid for our govt and corrupt politicians.
Sticking your head in the sand like a child is not helping you.
Doug, the last number I heard was from February ’24. 441,000 dead or injured on the Ukr side. Figure most of the dead are young men. Not nearly enough, right? For a war that can’t be won by the sociopaths asking for money to fight it.
Maybe they need the money to open up more coke clubs in Kyiv.
Heard from whom? Unless you are privy to both Russian and Ukraine military secrets, you know nothing as to the real figures.
As a comparison, the US lost about 58,000 dead in Vietnam and about 8,000 in the Iraq/Afghanistan wars.
Iraq and Afghanistan don’t qualify as wars any more than Mike Tyson beating up a 12-year-old is a “fight.” The USA is going to have to fight a real war someday, not these “sport wars” against vastly inferior opponents they’ve favored for the past 25 years.
Ukraine is beginning the learn the difference between Team Ally (like Israel) and Team Proxy (like them.)
It’s hard to refute that the Jews became that which they most hate.
It is actually very easy to refute.
Your comment here proves that you are not simply ignorant, not simply stupid, but actually mentally retarded or mentally ill. There are no way enough materiel in storage to send to TheUkraine, and still have a remotely viable defensive contingent to supply NATO. The EU desperately needs Russian energy; and TheUkraine simply does not have enough bodies, willing or otherwise, to die for this futile nihilst adventure.
They are both uninformed idiots. Swamp creatures. Trump is a farce and too stupid to effect change. He knows nothing about anything.
But the democrats are so corrupt they are going to run a cognitively impaired fossil who can’t string together 3 sentences.
The Empire is crumbling.
What do you mean no strategy. President Biden has articulated it numerous times — “whatever it takes for as long as it takes”.
/sarc
Mission accomplished! They’ve fought to the last Ukrainian. For what? To strengthen Russia? To weaken Europe? To have the US lose prestige and squander its international relationships? Way to go Brandon!
Because they weren’t cowards, and stood to defend their country from invaders?
It was a neocon instigated war that never needed to be fought. This blood is on Obama’s, Biden’s and Nuland’s hands.
Bingo!
We have a winner!
Doesn’t anyone read books?
Lin YuTang said before ww2 was finished in his book “laughter and tears” in 1942-43?
That:
Britain would instigate WW3 when German mfg. tapped into Russian energy and resources.
He also said Japan would be defeated and then rearmed to use against resurgent China?
The bit players are not the mojo behind the GRAND CHESSBOARD
BULL-oney. People Acting like Russia didn’t invade Chechnya TWICE and Invade Georgia and Moldova and politically take over Belarus, etc.
Putin is trying to rebuild a collapsed Russian / Soviet Empire.The Russians have been doing this for HUNDREDS of years. Nothing New to see here.
This time the Russian Federation will collapse and it’s MUCH smaller and weaker than the Soviet Union was.
It’s been 30+ years since the collapse of the Soviet Union…about time for the next shoe to drop.
People acting like the USA wouldn’t react more quickly and violently to the same threats on its own borders.
Knock it off, it’s so transparently insincere.
The Russians rolled over the border with tanks, headed for the capitol.
Nice to know you’ll be there to drop your pants and bend over should the US be invaded.
BoJo The Clown – dishonorable mention.
I don’t think the Nobel prize committee will ask Obama to return his prize (medal, money and diploma). Nor do I think the committee will apologize for making Obama a Nobel Laureate before he actually did something worthy of the prize. Several years ago, when I asked people I knew if they could identify Victoria Nuland, none of them could. Nuland managed to wield a lot of influence in the Deep State. I presume that she took early retirement at the end of March 2024 because the Senate would not confirm her for the #2 spot in State Department. She had been #3 in the State Department in the Biden Administration prior to the retirement of her former boss. She also served in the Bush 43 Administration but not in the Trump Administration.
Gerald Celente calls it the Nobel piece of crap prize I love that guy in a healthy way of course
suicide = patriotism
got it.
You really believe that nonsense
Zardoz new name but same old BS.
Or because they were duped into being a proxy because the US State Dept. used them like a $5 hooker?
Think back to the Cuban missile crisis. JFK tells Kruschev no way the US will tolerate missiles in Cuba. JFK makes it abundantly clear, no way no deal, not happening.
Imagine this scenario: Kruschev counters by imposing economic sanctions on JFK and wealthy business leaders believed to support JFK. Russia freezes bank accounts, seizes assets and tries to strong arm other countries into doing the same. Kruschev sends billions in weapons to US dissidents and fascist crazies.
Kruschev says he wants to create economic chaos in the USA. To persuade the American people to rise up and overthrow JFK, and allow Soviet missiles into Cuba.
Its not just stupid, it is insane.
That is EXACTLY what the senile wet fart in the White House is doing.
great comment !
Orrrrr
Just imagine:
Russia invading Chechnya TWICE
Invading Moldova
Invading Georgia
Invading Afghanistan back before the collapse
Invading Crimea
Invading the Donbas
Politically “Invading” Belarus
NOW Invading Ukraine
Same thing…Different Decade Same Russians.
Nothing to do with Nuclear Weapons. EVERYTHING to do with Putin Steal Gas and OIL Reserves to make him and his cronies even RICHER, while (attempting to) strike fear in Europe.
Putin screwed up. It was closer to Afghanistan than Belarus in War vs Political Takeover. In another three years, probably less, Russia will lose too many soldiers and tanks and ships and Aircraft to continue to bleed its own people and economy and they’ll withdraw part or all of what they took. OR they’ll collapse the RF sooner and China will become dominant over Central Asia and the Far East and Every Country to the West will align with Turkey, China or Europe.
Can you give us a list of nations the US has “ liberated” over the years Start with Panama please
ALL a direct consequence of the CIA s regime change attempts and failed coups ! Now give us a list with all those far away , none of your fckn business nations the US of A attacked , murdering MILLIONS of innocent people in the process, will you ?
Couldn’t fit the list on this forum Too long
Sounds dire. Putin may soon be backed into a corner and incinerate London and Washington D.C. After all, he is thought by some to be a “madman”.
(((Some)))? Which some are you referring to
Gosh I am glad I’m not as ignorant and propagandized as you are.
Little known fact and hidden by the media (the propaganda tools of the US politburo) was that Russia sent missiles to CUBA in response to the US placing nukes in Turkey. When President Kennedy wisely agreed to withdraw the missiles from Turkey is when the crisis resolved. I never knew that until recently.
Russia screwed up BIG and will ultimately Fail…JUST LIKE the USSR did in Afghanistan. Eventually their population will tire of the War too…it ALWAYS happens.
They’re no longer an elite military power and just throw bodies at it literally and figuratively.
The Ukrainians (and Polish, The Baltic States, Romania, East Germans) and practically everybody else who was under the Thumb of the Soviet Union KNOWS that the Russian Rule will eventually equal MILLIONS of deaths for their Countries. NO WAY they’re going back under that rule. Easier to help Ukraine than fight the Russians in their OWN country in another 5 or 10 years.
Russia will continue to leak Working Age Men like a sieve as they run out of manpower in the less populated Far East and have to start drafting ACTUAL Muscovites and men from St Petersburg.
the fckn Poles , the fckn Balcans , the fckn Baltics, should NEVER have been any of our fckn business, not politically anyway, just like before when the iron curtain was still in place and the world was still a MUCH BETTER and SAFER place
Hey leave the Poles out of this They are just American stooges and don’t know any better
Lots of them yeah sure but also lots of smart Russian kids doing the same here in Turkey Can’t say I blame them after witnessing what being a MD in a MASH unit in Korea did to my father Dead from suicide age 45 War is bullshit let’s be honest and all these blowhards posting their armchair war plans are deluded lunatics like Lindsey
Let’s send a regiment of U.S. military tranny twerkers to distract the Russians – then when they can’t believe what they are seeing 😮 attack them from the rear.
Russia screwed up BIG and will ultimately Fail…JUST LIKE the USSR did in Afghanistan. Eventually their population will tire of the War too…it ALWAYS happens. They won because we allied with Osama bin Ladan. How did that work out. The Russians reluctantly invaded Afghanistan by the request of the Afghan government, an ally, that was going to fall due to Islamic extremists poisoning the country and instigating a civil, religious war. Kabul at one point was a relatively secular cosmopolitan wealthy city.
When will the US population tire of war? I mean, it’s only been 25 years.
“No US Strategy, No US Goals”
You are wrong – the strategy and goals have been very clear from before John McCain and Lyndsey Graham gave a pep talk to the Azov Brigade (Ukrainian Nazi’s) before they unleashed civil war on the Russians in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainians would be used as cannon fodder to kill as many Russians as possible to weaken Russia and allow NATO to waltz into Moscow in order to fulfill a longstanding goal of the globalist Nutjobs – exploit the massive natural resources of Russia; and to satisfy the defunct dream of the Neocons – defeat the Communist’s, which were defeated 35 years ago under their own inefficient/corrupt weight (like the West is doing today).
Now that Ukraine is down to kids and the mentally ill, Poland and other complicit European countries will start shipping back the deserters to make sure they kill every last Ukrainian. The war will NEVER end with Ukraine joining NATO. The only way for the war to end is for the Minsk Agreement to be enforced, but since Merkel already admitted the agreement was just a stall tactic to give time for Ukraine to prepare for their invasion of the east, and Boris Johnson was sent over to nix any peace deal, there is no chance in hell WWIII can be avoided unless a bomb is dropped on DC and London, which the West sadly dismisses – link to armstrongeconomics.com
Johnny “ bomb bomb Iran” McCain and his boyfriend I had almost gotten those two out of my mind thanks
May his should burn in hell for eternity. Obama was the lesser of two evils in that election. I voted for neither.
You clearly learned nothing from history. This is Russia’s Afghanistan 2.0. They’re grinding down ALL their Soviet Stockpiles. Their Demographics were crap BEFORE this Invasion and BEFORE a MILLION + fighting age Russian Men fled the country.
The MUCH larger Soviet Union couldn’t afford to hold and occupy Afghanistan and the MUCH smaller population and military of Russia Russia can’t afford to conquer…much less occupy Ukraine.
Russia is losing its entire Black Sea Fleet, which CANNOT be rebuilt. And it’s losing its most advanced Aircraft and Missile Systems and sending in troops to slaughter in a poorly managed Meat Grinder.
This isn’t Crimea or Belarus, this is the largest losses BY FAR that Russia has suffered since WW2.
Whatever the actual number of soldiers, they’re killing their already terrible Demographic Numbers.
Your facts don’t match reality …
Wrong! Russia never intended to occupy Ukraine, and their growth is outpacing other developed countries – link to armstrongeconomics.com
You mean those Soviet Kinzal and Iskander missiles? The ones we can’t stop?
What I don’t get is why the US was so hung up on bringing Ukraine into NATO. They were repeatedly warned by Russia over the years but kept pushing it. Was Russia really seen as that big of a threat after the cold war ended?
Go ask Google. Learn something by reading.
Google is the most evil entity on planet Earth. No ethical person would EVER ask Google anything
And in any event, this is a CIA op and has been since at least 2008.
Which you will not learn at Google. Or from any American news source
Almost as bad as the BBC
Russia: Invading its Neighbors for HUNDREDS of years.
Nah, don’t need tinfoil hats for this one.
Russia Invaded Chechnya TWICE.
Invaded Afghanistan as the Soviet Union similar reasons.
Invaded Moldova
Invaded Georgia
Invaded Crimea
Invaded The Donbas
Invaded Ukraine / Kyiv The REST of Ukraine.
Old News. Don’t need to pin this on ANYONE but Putin and the Russians / KGB / FSB
If only Napoleon’s troops did not have tin buttons on their coats!
Don’t forget they were French 🙂
Amazing how many spooks are out here today
It seems you do not realize the difference between Russia and the Soviet Uniion
Also that Russia itself has been invaded multiple times from the West, most lately as the Soviet Union.
They have a legitimate security interest in not having NATO in Ukraine. Do you disagree with this?
Had the United States not insisted on that and had the CIA not had a serious regime change op going for a couple of decades (Chechnya and Georgia as well as Ukraine to fulfill Brezinskis old strategy of encirclement from the Soviet days when they were in fact a threat to the world that they are not now) Putin would not have invaded Ukraine. And he is only interested in the parts that are part of the Russki Mir, not in all of the mashup country we call Ukraine.
You trust Google? You need to read and learn something
No I don’t trust Google but it is still the mos tused search engine by far. If you prefer another, then substitute that. [shrug]
What search engine do you use?
Lol yeah sure or maybe ask Zuck
What do you think folks come here to do, listen to audio? I don’t trust Google like you, they’ll just do whatever Joe Biden tells them to.
So use another search engine. Or go to the freaking library and ask a librarian. But You probably think of the library as overrun with CIA plants trying to mislead you, in your “everything’s a conspiracy” worldview, yes?.
Conspiracy theorist = intelligent thinker who can see through all the deception imo anyway
What’s the difference in doing research here as opposed to the library? Many have given me good answers without getting in the car and going to the library. If you don’t feel like answering my question just find something else to do rather than wasting our time.
Most internet posters don’t have a clue what they are posting about. You won’t learn a whole lot that is factual listening to internet howling.
No they just want the gold / resources
Did Russia Invade Chechnya TWICE because it was going to join NATO??? How about Afghanistan?? Russia / USSR built a “Bridge of Friendship” to Afghanistan…and then rolled in Tanks and Helicopters and Troops.
Russia invades its Neighbors on the regular.
Absolutely NOTHING new to see here.
Poland KNOWS.
The Baltic States KNOW.
Romania and Eastern Germany KNOWS that Russia will invade ANYONE that doesn’t have Nuke to back them up.
Smart people in Warsaw know the Russian people are their Slavic brothers My tenant is an Oxford educated international attorney and he doesn’t hold any hatred for the Russian people
Russia was overthrown by outside agitators in 1917, bankrolled by London.
Though true, they also warned multiple times to not to try to bring Ukraine into NATO. We clearly ignored those warnings, and why I just don’t understand.
Because we don’t give a crap about what Russia wants.
The business of the US is war. It has been ever since WWI, just as Major General Smedley Butler stated. The warhawks have been trying to start a war with Russia since the end of WW2. Peace is not allowed, because that is bad for profits of the military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about.
As has often been said, show me the incentives and I’ll show you the outcome. Politicians and their lobbyists make billions from war. Thus we get war no matter the cost.
Ukraine is the most corrupt country on earth. US politicians have been laundering taxpayer dollars into their own pockets through Ukraine for decades. Biden was in the thick of it, but so were many from both sides of the uniparty. However, having leadership sympathic to Russia cut into the graft. Thus, the US helped to engineer a coup in 2014. Adding Ukraine to NATO was just another step down a road the US was very far down.
NATO is a feckless organization, and for NATO, having or not having Ukraine was entirely irrelevant. The important part was goading Russia into war.
The MIC is making hundreds of billions off this war. That’s why it continues.
This
is BS.
Thank you!
And you know this how? Do you have 1st hand knowledge of such corruption?
In point of fact, Ukraine is actually in the middle of the Corruption Perceptions list (below) and has improved significantly over the past 12 years.
They want to balkanize Russia and steal its resources. Ukraine is just an expendable proxy resource to try and accomplish that goal.
i have now come to the realization that ALL federal spending can be simply defined as money laundering
I guess its old fashioned to say that the world needs the little guys (Ukr) to punch the overbearing bigger bullies (Putin) in the nose now and then, even if they lose. Jim Rickards whose books I read seems to always be on the side of the bullies because they are bigger and stronger and will of course always win. Thats just not the America I grew up in, even if we lose a lot.
Ukraine has shown us how poor the mythically powerful Russia army actually was. The USA military has gained a huge amount of valuable intelligence that will be useful in any future engagement against Russia.
A vice versa since lots of NATO weapons captured.
In any case what engagement against Russia are you imagining. There has never been one between USA and Russia and the last one against Europe prior to Ukraine was Russia / Finland in 1940.
hahhahahahhahhahaahah …..the US military must indeed have gained an awfull lot of intelligence from Russian washing machines chips driving the 200 something missiles they had in stock !! LOL…. sorry can t stop laughing ….hey fool , don t you think it is rather the other way round namely that the Russians have learned that American war strategy and its outrageously expensive so called sophisticated arms S U C K ?!
No Fool. The Russians have their Black Sea Flagship doing its best impersonation of a Submarine at the bottom of the sea. The Moskva was supposed to be a “Carrier Killer” and can’t survive a fight with a country with NO Navy.
Russian A-50 AWACs planes blown out of the Sky.
Black Sea Fleet HQ smashed to pieces.
Yes the Russians have shown the world they don’t have any serious Tech advantage and have been bluffing their way through for decades.
Nobody thinks they are the Second most advanced Military Anymore.
You seem incredibly angry for someone defeating Russia. Ukraine is winning!!!!
Lol yeah sure
Winning what? the extermination of an entire generation?
The Moskva was an old outdated battleship; a flaghsip only inasmuch as it was large. And nobody who knows anything thinks that Ukraine is incompetent and isn’t going to have victorious moments; they are motivated, brave, and fierce fighters. But overall they are getting their butts kicked.
What has Russia learned from all the captured US equipment they are parading through Moscow?
Probably not very much
They’ve learned that they have no possibility of duplicating the functionality that our tech has when they have to depend on chips scavenged from washing machines to power their military tech!
Hell, they have probably stripped all the tech from these weapons to keep a few more of their fighter planes in the air!
Yeah sure Mr wiseguy and they’re nothing more than a gas station disguised as a country right
Russia has all that fancy militray tech on display in Moscow Square right now. A little burnt up and full of holes though.
Only a moron believes the washing machine chip meme.
But if the shoe fits…
When was the last time America won a war on it’s own?
The little guys (Donbas Russians) punched the bigger bullies (TheUkraine NATO puppet regime), but it didn’t stop the bullies, so they called momma Russia, to smack their scabby flabby NATO arses.
I guess it depends on who you define as David and who you define as Goliath. NATO has yet to invade anybody … except Bosnia I suppose.
WTF was that action in Libya?
The neocon plan was to bleed and humiliate Russia, leading to regime change and the breakup of the country. Yeah, right. I’ve got to think that is still their plan. Neocon plans NEVER work out right, but somehow they stay in power.
Not a neocon. It is dumb to give in to Russia.
You’re a closet neocon.
Nope. Russia had its Empire. Now it’s crumbling over a third rate country, just like the USSR crumbled over Afghanistan and an Arms Race with the US.
This won’t even take 10 years at this rate.
For a minute I thought you were talking about the good ole USA
it’s better to die, eh?
there’s a rifle & a ticket to Kyiv waiting for you @ the airport, tough guy.
Here’s your sigh “COWARD”. Morons told us Hitler should be appeased. Same stupid lie NOW as it was THEN.
Comparing what happened with Nazi Germany to our encroachment and incitement in the Russians backyard are two totally different subjects You Havent been watching mainstream television again Dave have you
Drinking from the MSM fountain without a critical thought in his head.
It is even dumber to vote for war mongerers.
The politicians are open to the highest bidder. That and stupid people, such as Casual Observer, can be made to believe anything.
Bingo you got it
Ukraine has a lot more available fighters than the Taliban did in Afghanistan, yet thy chased both the Soviets and the USA out of their country, for better or worse.
While bringing in Nato as a whole to help Ukraine may not be possible, perhaps European countries could offer up “volunteers” from their countries to assist.
Putin cannot be allowed to win this war that he initiated.
Taliban believed in their cause (religion) and were willing to live in caves for it.
No one in Ukraine is like that.
GTHOH they’ve been battling the Russians since 2014.
You must be thinking of Belarus. They absolutely have more cohones than ur sorry butt.
No but the neocons have been antagonizing Putin since 2014 by stirring up trouble in Kiev and the Donbass
Since 2003. They went violent when manipulating politics didn’t work any more.
Putin has already won.
Your delusion is thicker than your skull.
Just like he won in Afghanistan Comrade?? Nah, he’s already LOST the War, Just like they did in Afghanistan. The idea was to take Ukraine like Belarus or Crimea.
Losing the Moskva, Top AWACs like Command and Control Aircraft and their LARGEST Customers by far are all foolish and Putin and the RF will collapse JUST like the USSR did 30 years ago.
Comrade? Typical stupidity used in desperation when you have no rational arguement It’s the Russians I tell ya as Hillary likes to babble in her sleep
Well, at least your spelling was correct…
Putin did not initiate this war. George Bush did when he called for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO in 2008 after being told repeatedly that was a red line.
As if China joined with Canada and was to position missiles in Ontario aimed at the United States. Think we would accept that?
Up above you said ask Google and learn something
Apparently you have learned nothing. Nothing true anyway
Liar, Liar, Russian Pants on Fire .
Nobody is putting (Nuclear) missiles in Ukraine.
Russia failed miserably in their invasion of Afghanistan and will have an even WORSE outcome (already HAS been) and losing Missile Cruisers and AWACS like Aircraft that Russia can’t replace anymore.
One big bad party before the Russian Federation collapses just like the USSR did 30 years ago.
You are a ranting WEF-CIA bot.
Get back to us when you have a REAL example, something that might actually be possible.
If we keep going the way we’re going that might be possible indeed
What war he initiated? VP Harris said 2 days before the invasion, that Ukraine should join NATO. The U.S. shouldn’t be provoking war.
Putin rolled the tanks. No one else to blame in a dictatorship.
You are either very simple minded or some kind of paid troll Maybe both but you’re overpaid
Nah, he’s just propagandized and unintelligent.
You mean like the budding dictatorship we have in the West where governments are setting up vast censorship networks, or the US specifically where we are prosecuting a couple thousand dissidents in a fixed court system, or where the current Executive is working with multiple prosecutors to imprison his main political rival?
CIA jojo. Just guessing your license plate.
He’s not CIA Not smart enough Mossad probably
Not stupid enough for Mossad.
I love the US
I despise, with a deep hatred, the government and MICMICC in this country
These people are mostly responsible for the conflict in the world. They have destroyed 7 nations and created the largest human refugee crisis in history. They are 100% responsible for Russia FINALLY acting and going in to Ukraine. They are guilty of coups and stolen elections around the world. They take out anyone that doesn’t toe the line with USD or Petrodollar. They are evil. They are the Great Satan that the Muslim world has named them
While I’m alive, my kids and grandkids will NEVER serve those murdering devils. In fact, should they conjure up the idea of a draft, I have a clear plan in place to take them all to safety. WE MUST STOP their insanity
The US Government has become the most evil government on Earth
Utter Nonsense.
Did the US FORCE Russia to invade Afghanistan???
Or Moldova?!
Or Chechnya TWICE???
Nope. Only ONE country put tanks on the Border and rolled them into Ukraine. Only ONE Dictator in Charge in Russia.
Russian Federation going to collapse like the USSR did 30 years ago. For the SAME reasons.
You seem to have an obsession with tanks
Ukraine passed a new conscription law good enough to recruit another 500,000 men. At the current attrition if weapons are provided that is enough men to exterminate 3 million Ruskies. Arming Ukraine is the best peace investment USA ever made.
The liar press promotes the notion that President Trump will trade land for peace like Neville Chamberlain. I’ve got news for the pencil lickers. President Trump is not stupid like Neville Chamberlain. President Trump was raised an trained for war at a military boarding school where he rose to Commandant of Cadets. He knows that you cannot win a war without overwhelming the enemy with offensive action. He said he would end the war in 24 hours. When faced with the sudden extinction of Russian people bully bold Putin would fold or 24 hours later the Russian culture would be extinct.
Ok Victoria
Vlodymyr?
Yeah, the Angry Orange Mussolini Wannabe is a Coward and skipped out on service because he was chicken. Nobody believes for a second that someone who lies Soooooo Often and Soooooo poorly is going to accomplish anything.
Skipped out on service? Would it have been better if he got killed or psychologically destroyed in an illegal war enabled by false flags and lies for the enrichment of some industrialists? I think NOT
Oh yeah? Where those men from? The Mexican border?
Trump is the stupidest man to ever be president. He knows nothing about anything. That’s why the neocons can push him around like they did in his first term. He hired Bolton, Pompeo, Abrams, and Haley.
Only a moron with no moral compass would do that.
Russia will not allow Ukraine to join NATO, I’m a little surprised at all the people (apparently including Mish?) who refuse to hear this. Biden’s CIA director, and former US ambassador to Russia, explicitly spelled this out before Jake Sullivan / Vicky Nuland launched this war.
NATO has lost credibility, so Ukraine would be foolish to want to join. Its bad when NATO loses in Afghanistan or Iraq or Libya, but it was never meant to fight in those places. Eastern Europe was where NATO was intended and structured to fight against Soviet forces… and they (NATO) are losing badly. Most of the NATO countries have no ability to project military power outside their own borders, and none (not even the US) has the ability to manufacture critical weapons in wartime quantities.
Not only is Ukraine not joining NATO, it is unlikely NATO will continue except on paper. In practical terms NATO is already irrelevant.
Many of Ukraine’s neighbors (Poland, Romania, Belarus and Germany in addition to Russia) have a historical claim to parts of Ukraine. Not saying the claims are necessarily valid, just saying Ukraine has been divided up many times in the past, and could be again. It really doesn’t matter, since the smartest people in Ukraine have already emigrated somewhere else, and they are unlikely to even consider returning. Zelensky himself recently spent millions renovating his vacation villa in Italy – he sees the writing on the wall.
Russia already controls most of the territory to the east of the Dniper River, and it is day dreaming to think Ukraine would get any part of that in a “negotiated settlement”. Russia also looks likely to take Odessa and the entire Black Sea coastline, and there is really nothing NATO can do about that (they can slow Russia down, but can’t stop it).
In the end, NATO is a bunch of fat lazy bureaucrats who’s time has long past. Jake Sullivan and Vicky Nuland have failed, and discredited themselves to the Washington DC establishment — warmongers will continue, but without those two. Ukraine has suffered a devastating brain drain, so even if some portions remain after the neighbors divvy it up, it will not matter.
Meanwhile Washington DC is bankrupt. It has less than 10 years before the social security system defaults. It has its own brain drain problem. And having told the public that the bureaucrats don’t care about the public, the smartest people in the USA are talking about how much (not whether) to downsize the government as a percent of GDP. Back down to 1990s Clinton era size? Or further down to 1960s JFK era size? Keeping the status quo is not economically feasible, so serious downsizing is going to happen, its only a debate of how much.
BRAVO Willy
Social Security will not default. It’s a mathematical impossibility assuming people still work for a living. There is always an inflow of dollars through the payroll tax. What could very well happen is not a default but a reduction in the monthly benefit. That is no small thing. But it is not a default. Words matter here. Social Security has issues. But threat of default is not one of them.
A partial DEFAULT is a DEFAULT. Its right there in the name.
Try paying only 70% of your restaurant bill and see if the restaurant thinks you are in default or if they accept that amount as close enough.
Drug dealers who accept 70 cents on the dollar (the current estimate given by the GAO) wind up dead.
You sam_r could not hack it as a drug dealer.
No, there are plenty of ways to avoid that and when Congress gets pressed hard enough they will do what they should have done ages ago, which is:
Washington DC isn’t bankrupt. They are rolling in dough due to graft and kickbacks. Its the Americzn nation that is bankrupt.
Sorry Comrade! You clearly haven’t been paying attention. Moscow is losing its entire Black Sea Fleet at a rapid clip, with NO way to stop that. NOBODY is taking Odessa without Naval Support and they’re running away to hide because even Sevastopol and further aren’t safe for the Russian Navy.
Simply put:
Russia LOST in Afghanistan and the Losses were MUCH LESS than they’ve already lost here in only Two Years.
They’re going to Lose again because they can’t Occupy Territory THIS large with a hostile people.
Putin has ONE more year to run through OLD Soviet Union Stockpiles then they will flail about and not have the Missile Cruisers and AWACs like Aircraft left to prosecute a Strategic War. Waves of Troops eventually bites you in the arse as more and more Russians die.
The Russians are small and less powerful than the Soviet Union and won’t handle this any better than Afghanistan Debacle.
There’s that Comrade BS again You’re so predictable and pathetic
How much did you earn for that post, comrade?
If brains were dynamite you wouldn’t have enough to blow your nose.
“…if silence was golden. You couldn’t raise a dime”
I’ve forgotten more about geopolitics than you will ever cumulatively know.
Speaking of Biden,
What the hell was that news conference this morning?
Calls India and Japan Xenophobic.
Talks out both sides of his mouth about the University protests that clearly need to be cracked down on.
All at 11:00 AM when middle class working people are at work and the youth of the nation is in class.
Seriously who approved this and why even bother when exactly no one was watching outside of journalists who are paid to watch.
Biden is senile. I think Trump will win in 2024 (lesser of two evils, not an endorsement).
But Biden is done. If the grim reaper doesnt get him first the democrat party really has no choice. The puppet thing is no longer cutting it.
Yup and the most insane part of all is that he is allowed to run in the first place How crazy is that?
The democrats have a big problem. If they replace Joe with anyone other than Kamala the blacks will revolt. If they keep Biden and he croaks the puppets won’t be able to control Harris. Biden is horrible but Harris would be worse.
Do you actually believe the deep state would allow Kamala or whatever her name is to control anything but the menu at the Whitehouse dinners because I don’t
Hillary will ride into the United Center on her broom and will be president before the election.
You are assuming that “black people” only vote for those who resemble them physically, regardless of their competence or charisma, or lack thereof, that’s false.
For all intents and purposes, this war is over … the $61 billion package is possibly America’s offramp for getting out of this war which they cannot do without losing too much face because it will allow them to say they did everything possible … The $61 billion package is really a handout for the military arms complex … to begin to update their technology because they’re so far behind the Russians at this time. Everything the west is done so far has been a failure, but they knew that from the beginning because they knew Ukraine could not win a war against Russia the odds were stacked. This conflict was always about trying to draw Russia into a much bigger Turkey shoot. The difference here is that Russia has stayed true to its red lines, and therefore Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO in any peace negotiations that the Russians participate in and here lies the problem for the west … because they miscalculated and bit off more than they can chew … and economically as well as financially, it’s killing Europe. Quite simply the Russians, do not trust the west and specifically the United States. Therefore, any peace negotiations will be on Russian terms, and not the west. The dumbest thing the US has done now is to double down … The best strategic move for the Russians now is to move to a shock and awe situation and completely wipe out Ukraine’s infrastructure in the next couple of months to end the war before the election which would be devastating to the Biden administration and European politicians.
> end the war before the election which would be devastating to the Biden admin
Why would they want to invest resources into removing a perfect-for-them admin? I wouldn’t be surprised if they LOSE some territory in time for the US election – and gain another 4 years.
I think Russia’s boa constrictor strategy is doing just fine. The strategy seems to be to hold a defensible line, and focus on capturing other defensible lines along the front, to choke TheUkraine supply lines.
Mish, you stated Biden and the neocon’s goal succinctly near the beginning of your piece. Perpetual war. Enough said.
I can’t believe we are falling for the “axis of evil” nonsense again only with different countries. Was Iraq really that long ago that we can’t remember the dishonest branding from the last stupid war?
🎯 Ryan
Who are the warmongering MICMICC lovers down voting you?
Yup Americans are pretty thick indeed
Need the Bush War Crime Family and George M. Cohan – John Philip Sousa music to rally ’round the flag – boys, girls and …whatever.
Wasn’t W in charge when the deep state imploded three buildings allegedly with two planes Yeah I thought so
Henry Kissinger was correct in saying: “Being an enemy of the US is dangerous; however, being a friend of the US is fatal. And what happens if Russia doesn’t stop with the Ukraine? After all, there are Russian speakers in the baltic countries. That’s the same excuse the Germans use to help “save the German speakers” in the Sudetenland. We threw the South Vietnamese overboard when we cut off their ammunition after getting them into a war (Gulf of Tonkin), we cut the Afghans off at the knees several years ago as in “sorry guys…see you around”. How long before we tire of…well just fill in the blank here. If I were European, I wouldn’t trust the US a bit. If it wasn’t for Japan attacking Pearl Harbor, all of Europe would be speaking German. Hell we won’t even defend our own borders. In contrast the Ukrainians are putting their own blood and guts into the fight. And yell, I remember the draft dodgers who fled to Canada and Mexico even if most Americans don’t.
“After all, there are Russian speakers in the baltic countries.”
After all, NATO is in the Baltic countries. It is a defining difference.
Not just that, but the Baltics aren’t trying to ethnically cleanse ethnic Russian citizens, and those ethnic Russian citizens aren’t trying to secede, because they have EU passports.
What was the Vietnam War about? I was only a kid when Walter Cronkite’s tv maps had ‘Vietnam’ (1968) and scary LBJ was on, but the Replogle globe (~1960) in my fourth grade geography class (1968) had ‘French Indo-China’. I heard about the Vietnam draft dodgers from the older guys at the VFW and American Legion bars a few years later. They won Dub Dub 2.
They claimed it was to stop the spread of communism which was total BS naturally It was about maintaining Western hegemony over the world for a little while longer Guess it worked but not for much longer it appears
Plenty of Ukranians and Russians in Georgia … trying to be safe. The good news is that Biden is trying to codify our new national dependent. Since Europe won’t pony up and 90% of it falls on us for this “European” conflict, Biden is trying to make it automatic and quite difficult to get out of huge investment in Ukraine for an indefinite period of time. I am by no means Trump’s biggest fan (I cringe any time one of anti-Trump friends says, “Did you hear what Trump just said” … because I have no doubt his impetuous middle school behavior made him and his core followers look like buffoons again), but I think Zelenski will be convinced if he loses the Biden teet … he will be more likely to negotiate and Trump will likely get all that is “gettable”.
Plenty here in Turkey too We rented a place to two Russians couples over the last two years Nice respectful folks
US would be wise to either quit this circus or go whole hog and grind the Russian army to a nub with US troops. But if this is just an economic war to benefit the MIC, things won’t change. Easy bet.
Do you really think there wouldn’t be massive US losses if US troops entered the war? Including nuclear fallout across American cities? Willing to take that gamble for a corrupt mudhole called Ukraine? I’m not.
Thinning an army of perverts is a net gain.
General Milly, Rear Admiral Levine and Sam Brinton in control of the nuclear football with a designer suitcase. Drag Queen Story Hour.
As long as it remains all volunteer US doing the fighting – it will be of great benefit clearing out the dead wood men in an artillery war with Russia.
It’s like Musk firing 30%
Those who can’t make anything of themselves in the US without the military are truly the lowest of the low – born in America but can’t get it together and create a life with endless opportunity everywhere.
Try being Dalit from a slum in India or be born on Vaghinah Island in the Solomon Islands.
Loser dudes 100%
Imagine if the Democrats decided to offer millions of illegal immigrants citizenship for fighting in a perpetual war with an imaginary enemy?
Ah, so you’d prefer a military comprised of men’s men…like Russia?
It’s not about Ukraine It’s all about weakening Russia and it doesn’t seem to be working very well lately
They (the acronym people) seem to have turned a former Ally into a sustained enemy, kettling them with other regimes, instead of restoring them to be allies.
Get Nuland to start the wipe up effort of the dribbling mud explosion in Biden’s adult diapers and after that’s been cleaned, only then can other discussions of getting the addicts committed can occur.
Which MIC ours or the Russians. The Russians make both us and the Ukes look like pikers when it comes to corruption and/or graft. The Bidens, of course, are in a league by themselfves.
The Zelensky regime is literally the worst government on planet earth – because no other government has the extinction of its own people as an explicit goal, not even North Korea. This is the meaning of ‘to the last drop ( of blood?)’, ‘to the last Ukrainian’ and so on. Observing mass emigration and a very low birthrate plus about a thousand deaths per day, this isn’t just hyperbole.
Now imagine an alternative universe in which this never happened. Ukraine became an armed neutral state – such as Switzerland, Austria, and as Finland and Sweden were. They gave autonomy to Donbass and held on to it. Eventually, prosperity caused complaints from Russia about workers there immigrating to Ukraine for better wages and freedom – just like those neutral states had. Endless wars and hostility are not a solution to the well being of anyone – except corrupt sociopaths in the West.
Ah, that’s the magic formula. Turn neutral and become like Switzerland or Austria?
The saddest part is that Ukraine has been mortgaged and sold out. The idiots and forced conscripts are fighting for international oligarchs. Winning means becoming slave on the new Ukraine plantation.
Stop trying to compare TheUkraine with some other part of the world, there is no historical or cultural or economic comparison. TheUkraine is a recent invention for a historical wilderness crossroads that was not developed until Catherine the Great of Russia built cities there in the 1800s. It’s never been anything comparable to America.
You don’t like the Zelenski regime because it and the Ukrainian people did not surrender thereby really fucking up Putin’s plans.
Nope it’s because Zelensky is such a creep
Have you looked at Putin? Now that is creepy.
Putin is protecting Russia Zelensky couldn’t care less about Ukrainians He’s an “ internationalist” after its all said and done Do you think he will stay and die defending Ukraine Because I don’t
Zelensky has an affinity for pianos. Maybe he will end up like Il Duce.
Wishful thinking but I’m sure he will get spirited away to his holy land or Miami Beach depending on what happens in those dangerous places
Everyone knows what Zelensky is, and you’re not allowed to say it.
Victoria, you can change your name but we see you. Get to cleaning up Biden’s olestra accident, wash up and then we’ll get to talking about institutionalization for all of your Langley buddies.
that you Doug ? …or is one of your grandkids there for the weekend having a go at your keyboard ?
If what you say is actually true (it’s not), then You and Zelensky provide the perfect solution: the demographic extinction of the Ukrainian people – as I point out.
This was always going to be the result. Russian strategy is attrition. The poor Ukrainians have been used but are not used up. Lindsey and the other ghouls can still send more young men to their death.
The negotiated settlement that Mish suggests is no longer on the table. I would guess that the settlement will look more like Russia takes Odessa and the entire coast and the eastern portion up to the Dnipro river. Ukraine doesn’t join NATO but does join the EU as a welfare recipient.
Zelensky and the top people retire to their respective estates and live off the Billions of stolen US funds.
You’ve been paying attention. Tracks with what I hear.
Sad that 600K UKR are dead or permanently disabled.
Agree with Mish that everyone cheering it on from afar should have to serve a month.
100%
Other than forgetting to mention Biden skimming 10% you pretty much summed up how I think it’s going to end.
Absolutely, and even computer wargame players know that it’s wise to secure a suppliable defensible territory, and just absorb the enemy, rather than going for glory like the did at the start by trying to snatch Kiev.
Ukraine’s biggest problem is thinking Biden’s support will help them win. Sadly, US support is only going to result in more death, displacement, and destruction in Ukraine.
This is because Biden, afraid to cross Putin’s many red lines, has chosen to parcel out needed weapons that Ukraine needed so parsimoniously. If Ukraine loses, it will all be on Biden’s shoulders.
Nah, it’s just simple math.
A county of 40 million is never going to beat a country with 150 million.
Unless the country of 40 million has NATO backing it up
Then it’s x,000 nukes versus x,000 nukes, and those odds don’t look any better.
All Ukraine has to do is not lose. Russia on the other has to win but can’t anymore.
The question is what’s losing?
According to Zelenskyy Ukraine is going to fight until it reclaims everything including Crimea. So anything less than that is a loss for Ukraine since that’s the stated goal.
Russia on the other hand hasn’t stated any goal other than some generic ‘get rid of Nazis’. So they can take as little or much land as they want and claim victory since there is no measurable victory conditions. Essentially the same as what the US did in Afghanistan when it proclaimed ‘mission accomplished;.
Methinks Zelensky needs to have a bigger goal, like winning will be taking control of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Youre obviously are mentally challenged to even suggest such stupidity Zelensky will be taking Miami Beach and not much else
Life is not a computer game.
I wouldn’t be so sure The US is collapsing faster than I ever dreamt possible Glad I got outtaDodge when the getting was good
Ukr has already lost. It’s a meat factory now. Happy?
why don’ you jus shut up and call your grandpaw now boy …
That is the complete opposite of the truth.
All Russia has to do is hold the line, and allow TheUkraine puppet regime’s forces to exhaust men and munitions, to reach the point where it is self-evidently NATO forces in TheUkraine facing off against Russian forces, and we’re back in 1962, but the other way around.
Then it’s a matter of which side the MIC decides to let win the US election. Given how volatile things are becoming in the US in the face of unpredictable foreign policy outcomes in West and East Asia, and economic stress at home and globally. The only hope is that economics constrains supply chains.
The problem with starting a global conflagration, is not only the threat of “accidental” launches of serious weapon systems, but of global conflict whack-a-mole starting up as multiple small actors take advantage of the big boys being distracted, and you have the potential for a global mess.
That’s not true, the British regularly beat huge population countries that lacked technology and organisation, and who were basically incompetent.
Who do you think will win a war between the US and China? or between Germany and India? It’s not to do with the size of population as you think, but a combination of national belief in what they’re fighting for, technology level, and supply chains, and then there’s the unexpected events, not just the weather.
Funny how those red lines get crossed when the situation becomes desperate enough
Can you be clearer?
Lots of young Ukrainian men in Warsaw I have a neighbor there who is around 25 and when I took an Uber from IKEA the driver was Ukrainian also with a car seat in the rear They are everywhere in the city frankly
They are the smart ones.
Soon, their options will run out. The Polish government will cancel their temporary visa, and they won’t be able to obtain any documents, unless back in Ukraine.
What then?
AK and a prayer.
Civil unrest in TheUkraine… clearly those who fled do not want to die for the Zelensky puppet regime, and handing weapons to those who don’t want to fight for you is asking for trouble…
The smartest people in Ukraine left Ukraine months if not years ago. Poland (and many other countries) need smart people. I suspect Poland will be more than happy for economically productive Ukranians to stay and build Poland’s economy, regardless of political rhetoric in western media)
If Poland doesn’t allow them to stay, lots of other countries will be happy to import the economic growth. The smart Ukranians are not going to return to Ukraine
Or at the very least they’ll import the hot women 🙂
They have an ample supply of their own but yeah hey you can always use more I suppose A really nice young Ukie girl just opened a little upscale food place around the corner from my apt in Warsaw It’s a pleasant addition to the neighborhood
Well from what I saw they are staying My neighbor asked me if I had any more apartments for rent for his friend