The purported association with Ukraine is unusually suspicious.
However, I agree with the comments that Russia has limited its actions. With the media hyping this war, critical aspect of such limitations get ignored. From the beginning, due to Russian domestic considerations there have been limitations on the number and type of troops involved. And then we have the limitations on tactics noted above.
On the question of Russia pulling its punches, one need look no farther than the equipment deployed. The. armor is very old model tanks. The troops are mostly conscripts with little to no combat knowledge or experience. Air power, which Russia has plenty of, is almost non-existent. None of that seems like the Russia we all know and love so much.
Iâve been wondering about this, too. I have been thinking Russia could have long ago leveled population centers if it had wanted to do so. In my imaginings, theyâre thinking long term and hoping for eventual (at least tepid) peace if not fraternal relations. Given my memory of the âCuban Missile Crisisâ of 1963 - where the US believed it to be an existential threat - I can see Russia (and not just Putin) believing that Ukraine membership in NATO is exactly the same existential threat; a hill worth dying on. We came close in 1962. Itâs. A âsauce for the gooseâ situation. It was avoidable had NATO not moved aggressively east AND then stirred the pot in Ukraine.
Serious question about that. Conventional reporting says that Russian conscripts serve for a limited period of time and are legally restricted to serving within the borders of the Russian Federation. The conscripts have mostly been stationed far from active fighting. Russia also has âcontractâ soldiers, volunteers who sign up for a period of time and can serve wherever â those constitute the bulk of the military which has been deployed in the Donbas.
Is that conventional reporting in error?
I kind of donât think NATO had any real part to play but straw man. MY opinion is that this whole Ukrainian âproblemâ was a CIA operation. Go back to the original overthrow of the pro-Russian government - the so-called âflower revolutionâ I believe. There is NFW âstudentsâ organized that overthrow. Too widespread, too organized, too targeted. THAT was the CIA looking to discomfit Russia. But Russia took it in stride, working with the new corrupt, now pro-West, government. Letâs face it - theyâre a lot closer than we are to the area in question. It was the potential inclusion in NATO that was the straw that broke the camelâs back. And that was NOT a NATO decision, or at least the European part of NATO. Europe is willing to abuse any nation to the last American dollar or soldier. Just not THEM. Review the last Balkan War for details of our meddling.
Who really knows what is correct reporting and what is propaganda. In todayâs world one needs to assume most of what you hear from other nations is spin at the very least. Russia may, indeed, have all kinds of rules about where conscripts can or canât go, but ?do you seriously believe for even a NY minute that Putin feels at all constricted by laws. He has had opposition reporters killed with no qualms OR repercussions. Donât think laws about where conscripts can be used would slow him down for an. instant. The only question is what Putin thinks is useful and appropriate for the situation.
It was Victoria Nuland and her minions. She was caught on an intercepted mobile call saying as much. The CIA may have also been involved. Full conversation:
In this case, the color revolutionâs name was Euromaidan or, more pompously, the Revolution of Dignity.
I have the perfect solution: pre 1917 borders
Disclaimer: thereâs very little unbiased information from the battlefield. Iâm relying on this esteemed audience to know how to separate information from propaganda.
Belarusian volunteers against Russia in Ukraine
Russiaâs campaign around Kupiansk has entered a phase of exhaustion, with commanders forced into reckless stunts and wasteful infiltration operations that reveal more weakness than strength. Misallocation of forces and symbolic âflag plantingâ theatrics have left frontline units exposed, undermanned, and vulnerable to counterstrikes. Into this vacuum, Ukrainian formations have not only held firm but also expanded their operational toolkit by integrating allied foreign fighters. Among the most effective are Belarusian volunteers, whose ideological commitment and special-forces-level training allow them to execute precision raids, sabotage, and tailored strike missions. Their presence underscores how Ukraine is leveraging both innovation and international solidarity to offset Russian mass with skill and adaptability. The battle for Kupiansk now reflects a wider truth: Moscowâs offensive power is dissipating, while Ukraineâs defense is evolving into a campaign of resilience, deception, and targeted counterblows.
If you actually believe that, I have some bridges to sell you.
There is no international solidarity for Ukraine. There is only avarice. The Europeans want the raw materials, much as they desired them in the Balkans. This is a manufactured war, in which the poor Ukrainians have been duped by both the Western powers and their leaders to think of this as some great revolution, some regeneration of the Ukraine. No such answer is anywhere on the board. Putin is far from exhausted, and the Ukrainians better hope he doesnât give up hope to settle this in some semi-peaceful way.
NOT propaganda, just observation. Look at the armor the Russians have committed. It is roughly Post-Korean War stuff. They have far better materiel that they could use, but Putin has chosen not to. Perhaps heâs trying the LBJ approach of âguns & butterâ. That mostly doesnât work as no nation can really fight a âlimited warâ. War is war, and you either fight it or you donât. WE of all people should recognize the error in all this. I believe DJT has figured it out. He sees no percentage in supporting this half-assed war that only chews up Ukrainians, demolishes what they have of a nation, and forces the population into choosing to die or escape.
But if Ukraine were to join the EU, wouldnât it have to largely close its resource extraction sector. IIRC, thatâs why Norway wonât join the EU.
I donât think Europe is being selfish, but itâs disorganized and the military has not been a priority.
It does seem Russia is pretty depleted https://www.facebook.com/financialtimes/posts/logistics-data-shows-russia-has-depleted-its-once-vast-stockpiles-during-the-ful/1142767167896659/:
Since 2022, Russia has sought to refit mothballed equipment so they can be sent to the front lines. Large numbers of T-72 and T-80 tanks, which were first used in the 1970s, have been deployed in Ukraine. Even some T-54 tanks, which entered production in the late 1940s, have seen combat.
[âŚ]
Measured by weight, some 52 per cent of shipments marked as âexplosive materialsâ to Russiaâs arsenals in 2024 came from Nakhodka, a port region on the Sea of Japan used by North Korea. Shipments from that area rose from zero prior to the war to 250,000 tonnes by 2024.
[âŚ]
The KSEâs analysis supports the analysis of Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraineâs military intelligence chief, who said this month that 40 per cent of Russiaâs ammunition was sourced in North Korea.
Not sure that Facebook counts as a reliable source of military intelligence.
click through - itâs a financial times article
Not sure that FT counts as a reliable source of intelligence
I guess approaching 100% of the Zelensky regimeâs ammunition was sourced from abroad â mostly US and EU. Along with about 100% of government pensions and salaries paid by foreigners (mostly us).
If the proxy war is a contest to see who gets exhausted first, I know which way I am going to bet.
About EU military weakness:
This may be true, but Russia has probably already lost. War is a terrible waste in economic resources. To exchange their oil to blow up bombs will not end well for them. In place of building assets, you fritter away your resources both economic and human.
The winner is likely China.
Wholeheartedly agree! The US has deindustrialized and run up debts we can never repay supporting Zelensky. The EU and European countries have been exposed as incompetent anti-democratic has-beens. Russia has diverted massive resources from developing their country into building the needed war machine. And China smiles!
Maybe NATO should have thought through the consequences before breaking its commitment against expanding towards the East? Not that those of us who are citizens in the âdemocraticâ West were ever asked if we wanted war with Russia.
