Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Barrister]

Protocol for even routine visits is carefully planned in advance. And this one is most definitely not one of those.

Zelenski's attire is a statement, but not just from the Ukrainian side.

Have you guys not been watching Zelenskyy for the last 10 months?  He hasn't wrong a suit that whole time.

I would say he actually dressed up for addressing Congress yesterday.  Normally he's just wearing a t-shirt.  Yesterday he seemed to be wearing his nicest green-coloured sweatshirt with a tasteful little tryzub.

[celedhring]

When I thought I had seen everything: drone-on-drone medevac.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1605924243153223682

(and this made me break my twitter boycott )

[The Larch]

When I thought I had seen everything: drone-on-drone medevac.

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1605924243153223682

(and this made me break my twitter boycott )

It's for a good cause. 

No drone left behind!

[Legbiter]

Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Region, Pavel Antov, died after falling out of a third floor window in a hotel in India. Apparently he was also one of the richest deputies.

Another Putin critic 'falls out a window' to his death

[Syt]

Medvedev engaging in some wishful thinking:

https://twitter.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1607487338401206273

Dmitry Medvedev
@MedvedevRussiaE
Russia government official

On the New Year's Eve, everybody's into making predictions

Many come up with futuristic hypotheses, as if competing to single out the wildest, and even the most absurd ones.

Here's our humble contribution.

What can happen in 2023:
1.  Oil price will rise to $150 a barrel, and gas price will top $5.000 per 1.000 cubic meters

2. The UK will rejoin the EU

3. The EU will collapse after the UK's return; Euro will drop out of use as the former EU currency

4. Poland and Hungary will occupy western regions of the formerly existing Ukraine

5. The Fourth Reich will be created, encompassing the territory of Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kiev Republic, and other outcasts

6. War will break out between France and the Fourth Reich. Europe will be divided, Poland repartitioned in the process

7. Northern Ireland will separate from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland

8. Civil war will break out in the US, California. and Texas becoming independent states as a result. Texas and Mexico will form an allied state. Elon Musk'll win the presidential election in a number of states which, after the new Civil War's end, will have been given to the GOP

9. All the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia

10. The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead

Season greetings to you all, Anglo-Saxon friends, and their happily oinking piglets!

Musk's initial response:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
11h

Replying to @MedvedevRussiaE

Epic thread!!

To be fair, he added 5 hours later:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
6h

Replying to @elonmusk and @MedvedevRussiaE

Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I've ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy.

[Legbiter]

Interesting article on American support for Ukraine.

The list of American security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked and brutal invasion" is impressive. What is more impressive is that $21.9 billion in U.S. military aid has been dominated by largely second-string gear, comprised of unpopular or lower-tech systems that were, in many cases, on the way to the scrapyard.

Ukraine Converts $21.9 Billion In U.S. Military Surplus Into Fearsome Force

TLDR: The US military aid being provided is mostly obsolete surplus that the Ukrainians are geniuses at turning into stacks of dead Russians.

[The Larch]

Another way to see it would be that the US army is so ridiculously overpowered that even their lower grade stuff is really effective in the battlefield.

[Legbiter]

That has to sting for the Russians...

[Syt]

So apparently during an informal meeting of CIS members, Putin presented members with a ring wishing all the best for the new year:

https://en.newizv.ru/news/2022-12-27/brotherhood-of-the-ring-putin-presented-the-heads-of-the-cis-countries-with-new-year-s-rings-391772



9 rings total. "Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die"?

(Though I guess technically he gave out 8 rings, one was for Russia, i.e. himself.)

[HVC]

Combo of 2 and 3 made me actually chuckle.

[Syt]

Combo of 2 and 3 made me actually chuckle.

FRIENDSHIP!

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Interesting article on American support for Ukraine.

The list of American security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked and brutal invasion" is impressive. What is more impressive is that $21.9 billion in U.S. military aid has been dominated by largely second-string gear, comprised of unpopular or lower-tech systems that were, in many cases, on the way to the scrapyard.

Ukraine Converts $21.9 Billion In U.S. Military Surplus Into Fearsome Force

TLDR: The US military aid being provided is mostly obsolete surplus that the Ukrainians are geniuses at turning into stacks of dead Russians.

and giving is to the Ukrainians is probably cheaper for the US taxpayer than scrapping it and paying for that.

[Josquius]

Or giving it to cops...
Real two birds one stone stuff

[Admiral Yi]

What's interesting to me is that Forbes has, at least according to my youtube feed, been trying to position itself as the thinking man's Republican media.  Lots of clickbait about Biden's gaffes and stumbling around.  This could be seen as a shot across the bows of Republicans who are trying to politicize aid to Ukraine.

[Admiral Yi]

and giving is to the Ukrainians is probably cheaper for the US taxpayer than scrapping it and paying for that.

Still have to ship it and train people.