Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-25

[HVC]

You sure it was a bomb? Those things have a habit of blowing up on their own at the best of times.

[The Minsky Moment]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-people-killed-explosion-moscow-russian-media-report-2024-12-17/

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A bomb hidden in an electric scooter killed a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces

Green tech FTW

[Duque de Bragança]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-people-killed-explosion-moscow-russian-media-report-2024-12-17/

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A bomb hidden in an electric scooter killed a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces

Green tech FTW

Not so soft mobility, however. 

[Norgy]

I am looking forward to Tucker Carlson's piece on Russia's green tech.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I am looking forward to Tucker Carlson's piece on Russia's green tech.

S gonna be pictures of forests, isn't it?

[Norgy]

"Russia, in winter. It is clean and cold. Not like our dirty forests. And they even have proper winter boots here. And there is so much history in these woods. Look, here is a skull from Polish officer. So clean. Not at all being shot in the head from the back. Did you know the Sitka tree is called an 'invasive species' in some woke countries? Here it just a tree. And look at it. It is like Christmas all year, and you can say Christmas in Russia".

[Hansmeister]

It is depressing how things are developing in Ukraine. The combination of the slow trickle of western support just being sufficient to not lose, but not enough to be decisive, combined with the Ukraine's unwillingness to develop proper recruiting system and their failure to develop a proper military leadership might very well doom them. It is utterly bizarre that they have no military echelons above brigade (which are only half the size of a western brigade when at full strength). They do not have divisions, corps, or armies. The over 100 brigades all directly report to the MoD.

[Legbiter]

FT is reporting on what the Trump side is doing.

Donald Trump's team has told European officials that the incoming US president will demand Nato member states increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, but plans to continue supplying military aid to Ukraine.

The US president-elect's closest foreign policy aides shared his intentions in discussions with senior European officials this month, according to people familiar with the talks, as he firms up his policies towards Europe and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

During his White House campaign, Trump vowed to cut off aid to Ukraine, force Kyiv into immediate peace talks, and leave Nato allies undefended if they failed to spend enough on defence — spooking European capitals.
But in a boost for allies deeply concerned over their ability to support and protect Ukraine without Washington's backing, Trump now intends to maintain US military supplies to Kyiv after his inauguration, according to three other people briefed on the discussions with western officials.

At the same time Trump is to demand Nato more than double its 2 per cent spending target — which only 23 of the alliance's 32 members currently meet — to 5 per cent, two people briefed on the conversations said.

One person said they understood that Trump would settle for 3.5 per cent, and that he was planning to explicitly link higher defence spending and the offer of more favourable trading terms with the US. "It's clear that we are talking about 3 per cent or more for [Nato's June summit in] The Hague summit," said another European official briefed on Trump's thinking.

https://archive.vn/qe2PJ#selection-2389.0-3291.365

Not surprising really.   

[Crazy_Ivan80]

The money isn't there. So the blob will have his excuse.

[Threviel]

Of course the money is there. Sweden maintained about 4% during the entirety of the Cold War. 3.5% is a very reasonable number and a good target. The US is at 3.4 now for example and they have very little catching up to do compared to all other freeloaders in Nato.

[Tonitrus]

The money is indeed there, but will come at the expense of being reallocated from other priorities.

So, while the money is there...perhaps the will is not.

[Grey Fox]

Maybe, we could, I don't know, don't freak out, just spitballing here, raise taxes? Especially, the billionaires.

[Admiral Yi]

I think the bigger problem for most Yuro countries is recruitment.  The US is blessed with large numbers of red state farm boys who think it's the coolest thing to join the military.  I don't think you guys have that.

[mongers]

I think the bigger problem for most Yuro countries is recruitment.  The US is blessed with large numbers of red state farm boys who think it's the coolest thing to join the military.  I don't think you guys have that.

In places still, think SW lad joining the Marines, Inner city Scots entering the now amalgamated Scottish regiments, and I think Northern city youths are still much more likely to join up than their southern counterparts* .

*Please note I pulled all of these quaint cameos off the top of my head / out of my arse.

[Sheilbh]

I think the bigger problem for most Yuro countries is recruitment.  The US is blessed with large numbers of red state farm boys who think it's the coolest thing to join the military.  I don't think you guys have that.

Those may be some of the states (the South) but other red states are pretty under-represented:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/demographics-us-military

Similarly from that, I think for the enlisted the US military is less white than the civilian workforce - so it may not be red state farm boys signing up in South Carolina.

Edit: I think I've read somewhere that African-Americans particularly are over-represented in the US military in every war since (and including) Vietnam. I suspect part of it is actually that the US is really good at training people and offering opportunities for people who sign up. Which is not something we are good at at all.