Putin Invades the Ukraine

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by BigElCat

I'm wondering why the West doesn't pay G4S to enter the fray.

G4S in the mercenary counter-part to the Wagner Group. Except it's much larger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywau962heSI

Who wants to enter a meat grinder?

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Good choice.

[BigElCat]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Who wants to enter a meat grinder?

Some guys do it for nothing (freedom).

G4S is paying $400k according to that media link, but not in the Ukraine.

[Chicks]

In acceptance speech, Russian Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate condemns Ukraine war
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/10/11420...al-war-ukraine

Bravo!

Meanwhile, Donny and the Repukes continue to play footsie with Orban and other Reich-wing authoritarians. Whell's World. Sad.

[donquixote99]

But now he can't go home again.

[BigElCat]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

But now he can't go home again.

Unless he gets caught with some marijuana.

Then we could swap him for one of our boys in Russia.

[Dondilion]

FIFA rejects Zelensky's request to deliver a peace message at World Cup final.

https://timesofisrael.com/fifa-rejec...-final-report/

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

FIFA rejects Zelensky's request to deliver a peace message at World Cup final.

https://timesofisrael.com/fifa-rejec...-final-report/

You mean the corrupt organization, flush with Russian and Gulf State kickbacks for choosing Russia in 2018 and Qatar 2022 as World Cup venues, didn't want to piss off its patrons. I'm shocked, shocked, I tell ya.

[bobabode]

President Zelensky addressing the US Congress this evening -

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukraine is “alive and kicking” and has defeated invading Russia “in the battle for minds of the world.” In his address to a joint meeting of Congress, where he received a rousing welcome, Zelensky thanked the United States for billions of dollars in military aid. “Your money is not charity. It is an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

Here’s what to know

President Biden announced a new $1.85 billion security assistance package that will include the Patriot missile system, the most advanced ground-based air defense system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting Wednesday with the Defense Ministry, spoke of “new” Russian territories and claimed that what is happening in Ukraine “is not the result of our policies but the result of third countries.”
Both Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on their colleagues to approve additional aid to Ukraine. McConnell said defeating the “Russian invaders” is in “cold, hard, practical American interests.”" WP

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...DMAPGB7CJK6GIQ

Of course, Floriduh-man, Matt Gaetz sez he showed up just for drinks and canapes. He will still be voting to leave our ally, Ukraine, swinging in the cold & bitter winter wind off the Russian steppes.

Sláva Ukrayíni! Heróyam sláva!
Fuck you Putin.

[finnbow]

The Ukrainian armed forces have already killed or wounded upwards of 100,000 Russian troops, half its original fighting force; there have been almost 8,000 confirmed losses of armored vehicles including thousands of tanks, thousands of APCs, artillery pieces, hundreds of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, and numerous naval vessels. US spending of 5.6% of its defense budget to destroy nearly half of Russia’s conventional military capability seems like an absolutely incredible investment. If we divide out the US defense budget to the threats it faces, Russia would perhaps be of the order of $100bn-150bn in spend-to-threat. So spending just $40bn a year, erodes a threat value of $100-150bn, a two-to-three time return.  Actually the return is likely to be multiples of this given that defense spending, and threat are annual recurring events.

The US military might reasonably wish Russia to continue deploying military forces for Ukraine to destroy...

In conclusion, on so many levels, continued US support for Ukraine is a no-brainer from a bang for buck perspective. Ukraine is no Vietnam or Afghanistan for the US, but it is exactly that for Russia. A Russia continually mired in a war it cannot win is a huge strategic win for the US. 

https://cepa.org/article/its-costing...defeat-russia/