from Almaydeen
Merkel: Minsk agreements were meant to ‘give Ukraine time’
German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel reveals that in 2014, the Minsk agreements aimed to give Ukraine time to get stronger and for NATO to increase its support to the country in the face of Russia.
Merkel said “The 2014 Minsk agreement was an attempt to give time to Ukraine. It also used this time to become stronger as can be seen today. The Ukraine of 2014-2015 is not the modern Ukraine.”
According to her, “it was clear to everyone” that the conflict had been put on hold, noting that the issue had not been settled, “yet this was what gave Ukraine invaluable time.” 
She voiced doubt that NATO states could not have supported Kiev to the level that they do today at the time. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 9 2022 3:15 utc | 203

… One point five million jews killed in Ukraine. One quarter of the European genocide.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Dec 8 2022 23:10 utc | 137

Sorry… mathematical impossibility. The global jewish population after the war was higher than before, according to the World Almanac, then a jewish publication. If you do the math and allow for a “natural” population growth rate of 1% to 1.2% per year, the number of excess deaths were somewhere between 600,000 and 1 million. Obviously not all of those were in forced labor camps or local exterminations.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Dec 9 2022 3:32 utc | 205

Does anyone know the status of the Kinburn split?
Posted by: Neofeudalfuture | Dec 9 2022 2:27 utc | 215

It is still made from the sand/silt deposited when the flow of the Dnieper River meets the littoral currents of the Black Sea.

Posted by: Opport Knocks | Dec 9 2022 3:40 utc | 207

@ Bill Smith 167
A moving system (like a missile) can use inertial guidance to determine it’s location. Before GPS came along, this was how things were done.
A short range radar guided missile (either its own or another) doesn’t need a very “tight” inertial guidance. It relies on the radar returns, and inertial guidance is for dropouts, jamming attempts, etc.
Short range laser guided missiles need tighter IG because there is a greater chance of dropout, for various reasons.
I use to word tight, which really means the drift rate of the sensor package combined with software.
Drift rate, from Britannica.com
In many modern inertial navigation systems, such as those used on commercial jetliners, booster rockets, and orbiting satellites, the turning rates are measured by ring laser gyroscopes or by fibre-optic gyroscopes. Minute errors in the measuring capabilities of the accelerometers or in the balance of the gyroscopes can introduce large errors into the information that the inertial guidance system provides. These instruments must, therefore, be constructed and maintained to strict tolerances, carefully aligned, and reinitialized at frequent intervals using an independent navigation system such as the global positioning system (GPS).
The longer the flight of a missile is, the more the drift rate effects its IG. If you go 1000km, even a tight drift rate keeps you is a very large probable impact area.
Combining GPS with IG provides the best results. Neither are perfect, but the two strengths balance each other out.
Why would NATO use GLONASS, a Russian system for guidance?
Lots of other details that can effect ultimate accuracy.

Posted by: BroncoBilly | Dec 9 2022 3:40 utc | 209

SeanAU | Dec 9 2022 1:28 utc | 190
Methinks thou dost protest too much

Posted by: Cyberhorse | Dec 9 2022 3:53 utc | 211

@KLATU 183
I understand that.
Who I am trying to get through are eventually the “normal” people who are in fear because they believe what “experts” say, not out of stupidity but simply because they are not political folks and won´t spend time questioning the MSM surrounding them.
They want sound explanations.
Like my Mum.
They have kids, they have jobs, they have free-time, they want a normal life.
And they decide elections.
If you don´t deliver them a sound explanation that will prove to them why NATO poses a grave danger they will simply go the other way. And why blame them?
However if you manage to convince them with proper transparent arguments, there is something to be gained.
It would be “our” job to collect those arguments and put them out there.
(sry for being so naive…)

Posted by: AG | Dec 9 2022 4:05 utc | 213

@ Uwe | Dec 9 2022 1:32 utc | 191
thanks uwe.. i appreciate the update and perspective as i know you are based in germany.. thanks..
————–
bacon fat and sean au agree…. james disagrees with both of them and their myopic view of lavrov or their understanding of how the corporate media works in the world today…

Posted by: james | Dec 9 2022 4:29 utc | 215

Several comments talk about Merkel and her deceptive policy vis-a-vis Russia re. Ukraine; It occurs to me that Putin and Russians got again ‘gaslighted’ by the West, for the second time , first time with verbal promises that there will be no East Expansion of NATO – given to Gorbatschov by Bush (the Elder) and in 2014 by Merkel and company – in writing! That must be galling to Russians. And Thousands of people died, many more wounded, millions made homeless – for those false promises, it is mind boggling.

Posted by: fanto | Dec 9 2022 4:54 utc | 217

The Svatovo direction became so active, complex and informationally “attractive” because it has the attention of many media sources. One of the main reasons is that an active involvement of mobilised RF citizens precisely takes place in this direction.
That’s a true fact that there are many mobilized there. Some are fulfilling combat tasks directly on the front line, the majority is still at some distance from the front lines (which does not exclude the risks of artillery fire, as the enemy shoots far and accurately). Regarding the mobilized men, we have seen both positive things (many guys are well dressed, well armed, commanders are aware of the situation, the mood is combative), and negative ones (in some units there is management chaos, irregular supply, complete absence of communication, low motivation of personnel). According to our subjective observations, there are more good than bad issues.
But some cases of negligence and idiocy are simply blatant. For example, we know of a situation in which several military personnel froze to death when frosts came. For the 9th month of the SMO, after all the possible mistakes were made already. The LNR soldiers know by themselves what it takes to ford a river swimming in February while freezing temperature, then march about 30 km in summer shoes… That made them lose whole companies to pneumonia. Such situations are unacceptable. 
Against this background we want to draw special attention to humanitarian aid: people are doing a great job, they bring things from all over Russia. And it is very unpleasant to read when someone is trying to smear humanitarian workers. Short-sighted people simply do not understand or deliberately harm by saying such things. 
On the military side, the situation is difficult. The enemy is constantly probing the defenses. Enemy artillery poses a very serious threat. In Svatovo itself, practically any large buildings in which, in the opinion of the Ukrainians, the military could be housed, have been spot-cleared. But the front is firmly in place at the moment. Moreover, our guys have made several small but successful advances in the past week.
And another interesting topic that should be mentioned: enormous work is being done to build defensive lines. Huge convoys of equipment are bringing in materials, hundreds of people are working on quite a wide area – the scale is impressive.
But we note with regret that the workers who take part in this construction site are taking serious risks. Recently there have been casualties among civilian construction workers and truck drivers as a result of artillery fire. People deserve awards and encouragement because they are doing difficult and dangerous work for the good of the homeland.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/24194

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 4:59 utc | 219

‼️🇷🇺Russian troops have now completed an almost continuous trench system along 60km between Svatovo in Luhansk Region and the Russian border- British Intelligence
We are talking about the trench system located between Svatovo and the Russian border. Units of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Russian Federation have also been moved into the area of Svatovo, according to a British Ministry of Defense report.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/24233

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 5:04 utc | 221

The Minsk agreements were negotiated between Kiev and the breakaway regions of Lugansk and Donetsk with two variants in 2014 and 2015. In essence they agreed to a ceasefire and the start of negotiations on some form of autonomy for Lugansk and Donetsk inside the borders of Ukraine. The second version had big involvement by France (President Hollande) and Germany (Chancellor Angela Merkel) – they were its guarantors. Russia’s role was to force Lugansk and Donetsk to the table (they would have preferred independence or joining Russia.) The agreements never took effect.
Kiev never pretended to try and then-President Poroshenko has recently admitted that Kiev only saw it as a mechanism to buy time and Donetsk and Lugansk could “hole up in basements“. Western consumers/dupes of their media would only have heard of it in the context of “In Ukraine, we have maintained an effort under Ambassador Kurt Volker to provide the means by which Russia can live up to its commitments under the Minsk Agreements.”
More lies – Russia had no commitments in the agreement, the obligations were entirely on the part of Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk. Russia delivered the latter two to the signing table and France and Germany were supposed to deliver the first. Had the agreements been lived up to – had France and Germany pressured Ukraine – Kievans would be cooking their meals in lighted rooms after a hot shower and sleeping in their own beds. Thousands of people would be alive and healthy today.
Putin recently told a group of soldiers’ mothers “In hindsight, we are all smart, of course, but we believed that we would manage to come to terms, and Lugansk and Donetsk would be able to reunify with Ukraine somehow under the agreements – the Minsk agreements… We were sincerely moving towards this.”

https://sonar21.com/untrustworthy-by-helmholtz-smith/

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 5:13 utc | 223

Brian Berletic and The New Atlas:
Mark Sleboda: Russia-Ukraine SITREP, Missiles & What Comes Next
Nothing terribly new, but good to hear. Brian and Mark Sleboda’s usual sober look at the bigger picture – Ukraine’s lost opportunities, hopeless position; Russia’s mistakes but advantageous strategic position. Loss of US/NATO strategic depth regarding munitions supplies vs. Russia which can pump out shells forever. Logistics, etc. Missile strikes inside Russia. Mark says what I felt was true all along: Russian strikes on Ukraine shortly after were not retaliatory, but just part of the pre-planned daily strikes. Russian strikes also targeted Zaporizhzhia Transformer (ZTE), a huge supplier for Ukraine and eastern Europe. Also hit Krivoy Rog’s diesel locomotive works. Russian winter offensive.
Just over an hour, but (IMO) worth it if you’ve not been watching Ukraine day-by-day and want the current overall view. I had to view it in chunks, but recommend the whole thing.
https://youtu.be/Ew6HVVGaa-U

Posted by: PavewayIV | Dec 9 2022 5:31 utc | 225

Posted by: SeanAU | Dec 9 2022 5:29 utc | 250
Usually when someone has a valid point it doesn’t take a bunch of words/comments to explain it. Don’t disagree with some of your points, just sets off alarm bells when someone uses so many words to explain them.
If I’m wrong. Apologies…

Posted by: dust | Dec 9 2022 5:41 utc | 227

My main pov is not about who is winning the Ukraine war or the propaganda, but that Russia got itself into this spot to begin with …. by playing their silly games with the USA all along. They have allowed the USA and NATO, and Merkle et al to walk all over them since Putin came to power (and before.)
Posted by: SeanAU | Dec 9 2022 2:45 utc | 220
Allowed???
Your immaturity continues to shine through with that obviously limited view
of how power really works in a world-around historical context.
You may become a better teacher some day when you have become a more accomplished learner.
Until then your rantings and pontifications are easily scrolled by.
It truly is a shame that ‘youth’ is wasted on the young.

Posted by: waynorinorway | Dec 9 2022 5:50 utc | 229

Shopping mall on fire outside Moscow. Started in the home improvement store. Explosions possibly from paint department.

Posted by: HelenB | Dec 9 2022 6:22 utc | 231

@Jack Gordon | Dec 9 2022 1:21 utc | 189

The smart but perhaps less sexy strategy is to sit back and let Kiev depopulate its territory through mass emigration to the West and wholesale slaughter by artillery in the east of its own country. This will create a natural buffer zone between Russia and unfriendly states in Europe.

Indeed, that is probably close to the real strategy.

Posted by: Norwegian | Dec 9 2022 7:03 utc | 233

Speech and answers to the questions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov at the international forum “Primakov Readings”, Moscow, December 7, 2022
About one third down the page – https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1842506/
As promised I would do –

We are undergoing a reorientation of our foreign policy and foreign economic activity. It is obvious. We no longer want to be under the illusion that the West, which has proved its complete unreliability, non-negotiability and deceit, will conscientiously participate in the processes and mechanisms of globalization that it itself has created.
And also he will not abuse them rudely and shamelessly, as happens with the dollar, the euro, with the international monetary and financial system, with the blocked activities of the WTO. Perhaps American-style globalization is over. Yes, some residual processes will inevitably have to be experienced.
In parallel, a new financial and logistical system is being built, which should not depend on the whims and feelings of superiority of our former Western colleagues. We have real partners. These are BRICS, SCO, EAEU, CIS. And the CSTO is an important mechanism that contributes to ensuring security in its part of the post-Soviet space.

My understanding of that is this:
– To “no longer want to be under the illusion” means (unsaid) that before the present time Russia “was under the illusion” “that the West […] will conscientiously participate in the processes and mechanisms of globalization that it itself has created.”
– Today Russia now knows that the West/US “has proved its complete unreliability, non-negotiability and deceit” beyond all doubt.
– Before now, Russia thought otherwise.
– Russia only now considers the leaders/officials from the West/US are no longer their “colleagues”
– Before now they had been considered as “colleagues” – where they were always referred to as colleagues and/or partners by Lavrov and Putin especially.
– Today Russia feels “We have real partners.”
– Before today the West/US were not “real partners.”
– Currently Russia is now working to create a new international monetary and financial system / a new financial and logistical system (with partners) which is only now “being built” and not yet completed.
– Noting Putin and Lavrov have been in their positions for over 20 years.
– Lavrov’s speech denotes a significant change of epic proportions in Russian geopolitics and policy.
– Lavrov’s speech overall simultaneously signifies a major admission of serious errors in it’s previous “illusory” understanding of Russia’s relationship with the West/US.
— —

Russian original from the website:
У нас проходят переориентации нашей внешнеполитической и внешнеэкономической деятельности. Это очевидно. Больше не хотим оставаться в иллюзиях, что доказавший свою полную ненадёжность, недоговороспособность и лживость Запад, будет добросовестно участвовать в тех процессах и механизмах глобализации, которые он сам создал. А также он не будет ими грубо и беспардонно злоупотреблять, как это происходит с долларом, евро, с международной валютно-финансовой системой, с заблокированной деятельностью ВТО. Наверное, глобализация по-американски закончилась. Да, какие-то остаточные процессы неизбежно придётся ещё пережить. Параллельно выстраивается новая финансовая и логистическая система, которая не должна зависеть от причуд и от чувства собственного превосходства наших бывших западных коллег. У нас настоящие партнёры есть. Это БРИКС, ШОС, ЕАЭС, СНГ. И ОДКБ является важным механизмом, который вносит вклад в обеспечение безопасности на территории своей части постсоветского пространства.

Posted by: SeanAU | Dec 9 2022 7:14 utc | 235

Germany announced the provision of a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. The help package includes:
…
▪️2 tank tractors M1070 Oshkosh
Posted by: Jo | Dec 8 2022 16:22 utc | 4
The primary purpose of this combination for the U.S. Army is the transport of the M1 Abrams tank (Wikipedia).
Salami slicing tactics. We are inching towards full NATO involvement.

Posted by: Passerby | Dec 9 2022 7:27 utc | 237

«the SPIEGEL-interview with Merkel was not published word-for-word, only summarized. Online issue 48/22 translated with Google: “Angela Merkel […] believes that she bought the time, then and later in the Minsk negotiations, that Ukraine could use to better resist a Russian attack. It is a stronger, more resilient country now. Back then, she is sure, she would have been overrun by Putin’s troops.”»
That is itself just propaganda, because it was Poroshenko, the ukrainian president appointed by the USA government, who started a war of aggression against the Donbas on 9 May 2014 with the attack on Mariupol:
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/least-among-us-war-donbas-terrorizing-ukraines-most-vulnerable-citizens/
«The deep anger toward both Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (I was told by one young woman, a native of Donetsk, that “this is Poroshenko’s war”) and an equally deep sense of alienation from the Ukrainian state in Kiev are equally unmistakable. One young mother told us “there is no ‘back’ to Ukraine for Donbas.” If Poroshenko and his cheerleaders in the Obama administration and the US Congress believe that an economic blockade, Kiev’s deployment of snipers, the shelling of Donbas’s civilians and a proposal to send American weapons with which to facilitate the shelling is the recipe for winning eastern Ukrainian “hearts and minds” they couldn’t be more wrong.»
There was no intervention by Putin except for some humanitarian supplies to the population:
https://www.thepostil.com/the-military-situation-in-the-ukraine/
«In 2014, when I was at NATO, I was responsible for the fight against the proliferation of small arms, and we were trying to detect Russian arms deliveries to the rebels, to see if Moscow was involved. The information we received then came almost entirely from Polish intelligence services and did not “fit” with the information coming from the OSCE — despite rather crude allegations, there were no deliveries of weapons and military equipment from Russia. The rebels were armed thanks to the defection of Russian-speaking Ukrainian units that went over to the rebel side. As Ukrainian failures continued, tank, artillery and anti-aircraft battalions swelled the ranks of the autonomists. This is what pushed the Ukrainians to commit to the Minsk Agreements.»
Indeed Putin *refused* to take the Donbas:
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vladimir-putin-turned-down-petro-poroshenko-offer-take-donbass-east-ukraine-1495181
«Poroshenko made the offer during a peace summit in Minsk in February 2015, Putin reportedly told a senior member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on 19 March. An anonymous source present at the closed door meeting revealed to Forbes Russian edition that Putin told the summit: “[Poroshenko] told me directly: ‘Take the Donbass.’ I replied: ‘Are you out of your mind? I don’t need the Donbass. If you don’t need it, declare it independent.'” Poroshenko reportedly asked Putin to take financial responsibility for the region, where the city of Donetsk called itself a ‘People’s Republic’ after the Maidan Revolution last year. Putin replied that the region was Kiev’s financial responsibility, as long as it remained part of Ukraine.»

Posted by: Blissex | Dec 9 2022 8:10 utc | 239

SeanAU | Dec 9 2022 7:14 utc | 262
War is Hell. Literally hell.
You must give peace every chance. Every time.
Only when you have exhausted every option then war can be considered.
The RF did the right thing.

Posted by: Klaatu | Dec 9 2022 8:21 utc | 241

It seems to me that there are two competing narratives about the state and current posture of the respective Russian and Ukrainian militaries.
The first is essentially that promulgated by the Western establishment and is that the RF are pretty well fought out with low morale, bad leadership and dwindling stocks of weapons and supplies. The UAF in contrast have suffered fewer losses and have been substantially rebuilt and retrained, and benefit from western [advice] and 3CII. In this world view a few more UAF offensives will secure a military victory.
The second is essentially the opposite and that – in spite of reverses in September and a [humiliating] retreat at Kherson – the RF has been reinforced and now is simply waiting for the ground to harden [end of Dec?] before taking offensive action against a now outnumbered UAF. In this world view the smaller forces used by Russia in the “SMO” have been relatively skilfully employed thus far, and used superior firepower to inflict severe losses on the UAF. The gloves have not yet come off.
It is clear that whilst the truth probably lies somewhere between these positions, these views are genuinely held by people and I think that those leading the West really do consider the first to be the situation.
My view lies much closer to the second view. Living in the West this is hard to maintain as people are flooded by media reports telling them that I must be crazy!
Taking the second view, there appear to be some commentators who seem to me to be claiming that the RF is fighting an attritional positional war on purpose and that this, combined with the occasional tactical, withdrawal, will delivery a military victory.
Personally I think this is an example of post-event rationalisation. The Russian goals orignally I think were to secure a subdued and demilitarised Ukraine, and one which was neutral. They believed this could be achieved through a significant but all the same limited military operation. The opposite has so far been the result and so the SMO must be deemed a failure in these terms.
As events have unfolded and largely due to NATO support for Ukraine, and an economic and cultural war against Russia – and let us be honest also due to UAF fighting abilities – Russia now finds itself in a real war. In my view this is existential for Russia in both immediate security terms, but also as the key facet of the wider geo-political and economic struggle and realignment taking place.
Russia simply cannot afford to lose. Even if the fantasy of a coup against Putin came true, it is highly likely that a harder line regime would come to power. So IMHO Russia will prosecute the war until a victory is won.
In WW2 Russia did not secure peace on the Volga but once they had crossed the Oder. Russia needs to both destroy the UAF and take ground to be able to claim victory. Indeed it probably now needs to dismantle Ukraine as a nation. All of this means that I expect offensive action to be taken over the winter as soon as conditions allow.
Predictions are hard, especially about the future. However if over the winter we see a continuation of positional warfare then I think you have to conclude that the Russian Army is not acting out of choice but necessity.

Posted by: marcjf | Dec 9 2022 8:37 utc | 243

Wow! Until I came to this site I had know idea that there were so many experts on all things Geopolitical.
Still, as has been said before, opinions are like arseholes, everybody has one…

Posted by: Ken Tucky | Dec 9 2022 8:55 utc | 245

marcjf | Dec 9 2022 8:37 utc | 271
Much depends on who we view RF is fighting. Everything has to be taken into account – The Russian security proposals, the Russia China joint statement… Ukraine takes up very little of Putin and Lavrovs time yet for the west it is the be all and end all. Though in saying that, the US sees it has lost and is pulling out of the war against Russia. Ammo is replaced by political noise.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Dec 9 2022 9:10 utc | 247

[276]
I very much doubt European airlines will ever again have access to Russin airspace. There is simply no reason for Russia to ever trust a “civilian” airline under the influence of the USA no matter what livery it carries.
This war is a long war – the European Continent has experienced a Seven Year War; a Thirty Year War; Eighty Years War; Hundred Years War – why people cannot see this is going to be “Permanent War” I do not understand…….
The fringes of Europe where Oceania meets Eurasia will be burning for decades and Poland, Romania and the Baltics will have to learn to live with the economic consequences of being battleground frontier states
The Fulda Gap was never economically developed which is why today it probably only has a giant Amazon warehouse for inward investment

Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Dec 9 2022 9:21 utc | 249

Was not the argument here that US did not have any aid left for Ukraine LOL
US to unveil new military aid package for Ukraine – Reuters
The $275 million allocation reportedly puts the focus on air defense
From RT
US House passes bill backing record military spending, includes support for Taiwan, Ukraine.
It provides Ukraine at least 800 million dollars in additional security assistance next year and includes a range of provisions to strengthen Taiwan amid tensions with China.
From Defensenews

Posted by: Za_n_on | Dec 9 2022 9:30 utc | 251

Highlights of Russian Military Operation in Ukraine on December 8, 2022
▪️Ukrainian units hit a village in Yakovlevsky District, Belgorod Region.
As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out, projectiles fragments damaged a power line. No casualties.
▪️In Lyman Sector, heavy counter-fighting continues at the Ploshchanka- Chervonopopivka line. Artillery and aviation are intensively operating.
Russian troops are trying to dislodge the entrenched AFU units from Zhuravka Balka.
▪️In Lysychans’k Direction, Russian Army continues to push through the AFU defences in Bilohorivka and Spirne.
Army aviation and artillery strike the spotted targets grinding out the incoming enemy reinforcements.
▪️AFU once again used the US-supplied HIMARS MLRS to hit civilian objects.
In Pervomais’k, residential buildings, communication facilities and a petrol station were damaged as a result of the strike.
▪️Bakhmut remains one of the hottest points on the front line. In street fighting, the enemy suffers heavy losses in personnel.
Despite this, the AFU Command is not going to surrender the city and is redeploying reserves to strengthen their defences.
▪️Ukrainian units continue massive shelling of Donetsk and nearby towns.
Residential areas are shelled indiscriminately. Several residential buildings are destroyed. There are injured people, one killed.
▪️AFU units tried to attack the positions of Russian marines in the direction of Nikolske.
All counterattack attempts were repelled. Ukrainian units suffered losses in personnel and equipment.
#digest #Russia #Ukraine #video
@rybar
https://t.me/CyberspecNews/14032
It’s pretty obvious that the Ukrainian troops which reached Kherson a month ago are redeployed to Zaporizhe and Bakhmut regions, albeit mostly to the latter, fed in as continuous replacements. I guess they are soon plowed through, if not already – hence the news of green recruits in that area.
Nato is “retraining” another ukro force somewhere, but with the rate of 50000 / 24 months, it’s very slow and will take a very long time to make any impact or another real offensive attempt viable. In fact it might not ever be viable with the way things are going.

Posted by: unimperator | Dec 9 2022 9:31 utc | 253

Pope believes the Chechen’s and Buryat’s are barbarians committing war crimes. It is something he should discuss with Tuvan Shoigu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Dec 9 2022 9:39 utc | 255

Za_n_on | Dec 9 2022 9:30 utc | 279
“Was not the argument here that US did not have any aid left for Ukraine LOL
US to unveil new military aid package for Ukraine – Reuters
The $275 million allocation reportedly puts the focus on air defense
From RT
US House passes bill backing record military spending, includes support for Taiwan, Ukraine.
It provides Ukraine at least 800 million dollars in additional security assistance next year and includes a range of provisions to strengthen Taiwan amid tensions with China.
From Defensenews”
By now we’re well into the realm of US war-gravy votes being little more than a direct handout to the weapons racket with propaganda accompaniment. By now it’s probably for stuff slated to be delivered in 2040 while the propaganda implies it’ll be delivered to the front line tomorrow.
The pedo-Satanist neocons (who want nuclear war, which they think they can win), the collectively suicidal pedo-Eurotrash (who want nuclear war, so they all can die in it), and the front line soldiers are those taking the war for real. For everyone else it’s a sham.

Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Dec 9 2022 9:50 utc | 257

DunGroanin | Dec 9 2022 10:13 utc | 286
Fact check spell check. WhoteHouse. You spelt it wrong. Correct spelling is Whorehouse. Not to worry. You were just one letter out.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Dec 9 2022 10:19 utc | 259

@fanto | Dec 9 2022 3:59 utc | 237
Thx Mate! However I am not so convinced that the West will step back. A wounded animal is the worst one and they have gone all in. They simply want blood… and payback on the 60B USD invested in this war.

Posted by: Metallist | Dec 9 2022 10:30 utc | 261

Posted by: marcjf | Dec 9 2022 8:37 utc | 271
Well I have no clue, but it makes sense to me that the objective in a war is to destroy the other guy’s army without losing one’s own. While the other army exists there will be fighting; when the opposite army is gone you can take what you like. So the Russian strategy should be to achieve that without regard for time or territory.

Posted by: Tim | Dec 9 2022 10:39 utc | 263

karlof @ 38
Vintage Red brings this to my attention. Sometimes “escalating to nuclear war” just reads as rhetoric and we pass over that. Plenty of us here are aware of the prospect of nuclear annihilation.
The West has become completely irrational and is behaving badly, likely to continue behaving badly. In terms of your post @ 38, NATo has zero possibility of re-arming. For quite a long time all advanced and some simple weapons systems rely on Chinese and Russian materials and components. Russia and China are both still playing stability and letting the Empire go down slow.
At another level the Empire is deep in process of suicide. Gender dysphoria is actively promoted and preferred. We read that of those in prime reproductive years 21% consider themselves LGBTQetc. Those young people are not reproducing. At same time sperm count and fertility are crashing. No one at all is prepared to even look for causes of crashing sperm and infertility. I will tell you the damn vaccines are a big contributor to those problems and right away no one is going to want to even talk about it.
Read the curent issue of The Atlantic. Anti-humanism and transhumanism are on the table. The west does not even want to survive. Harari and Gates and Schwab, not to mention Obama and Hillary are all ready to reduce the population. By any means necessary. They are succeeding in that. They could very possibly succeed in a large way. Ukraine is a trial run.

Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 9 2022 10:55 utc | 265

oldhippie | Dec 9 2022 10:55 utc | 293
“No one at all is prepared to even look for causes of crashing sperm and infertility. I will tell you the damn vaccines are a big contributor to those problems and right away no one is going to want to even talk about it.
Read the curent issue of The Atlantic. Anti-humanism and transhumanism are on the table. The west does not even want to survive. Harari and Gates and Schwab, not to mention Obama and Hillary are all ready to reduce the population. By any means necessary. They are succeeding in that. They could very possibly succeed in a large way. Ukraine is a trial run.”
It’s a one-two punch, physical and psychological. For decades pesticides and other industrial poisons have been depressing fertility, and one of the deadly effects of the “Covid” injections is to radically escalate this poison-acquired sterility.
At the same time the exact same power-mongers that deployed the physical poisons are deploying the “wokeness”/trans-mutant propaganda onslaught which, among its other deadly outcomes, is designed to demonize natural procreation.
The general campaign of economic immiseration also depresses reproduction.
And if all else fails, they stand poised to use the Borderland war as the pretext to let the missiles fly.
This is the time of the terminal Western Death Cult.

Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Dec 9 2022 11:04 utc | 267

The West has become completely irrational and is behaving badly, likely to continue behaving badly. In terms of your post @ 38, NATo has zero possibility of re-arming. For quite a long time all advanced and some simple weapons systems rely on Chinese and Russian materials and components. Russia and China are both still playing stability and letting the Empire go down slow.
—
Posted by: oldhippie | Dec 9 2022 10:55 utc | 293
The use of commercial products (COTS — “Commercial Off-The-Shelf”) products in defense got big in the 1990s, and was obviously a stupid idea even then, but has been great for the defense bidness profits.
And then they offshored production, so it all comes overseas.
And these are our “elites” who did this.
I had some exposure to that back in my working life.

Posted by: Bemildred | Dec 9 2022 11:23 utc | 269

First impressions from Viktor But after liberation, he talks to another victim of the US hunt for Russian nationals Maria Butina. Viktor But says that there was no rusophobia in the detention center he spent 14 years in, he figures this is due to the fact that the prison was located in red fly over US, I would add that plain US citizens and plain Russians have a lot in common and if not for imperial politics they would get along really well, I’ve been witness to that. He also says the following, machine translated:
“The West believes that they did not finish us off in the 90s, when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate. And the fact that we are trying now, you know, just, how to say it, to live and, as it were, not to be somebody, you know, to rule and not depend on anyone, to be a truly independent power and develop the way our people choose, this is, of course, such shocking news for them”, — he said in a conversation with Maria Butina.
Asked about the Hollywood film about him:
you see, if they had come to me and asked, at least somehow, maybe I would have come up with a more interesting story,” Bout said.

Posted by: Paco | Dec 9 2022 11:33 utc | 271

A final post for this morning.
Mass media narrative tanker being turned –
e,g1 Elons twatter cleaning of the stables – very handy ‘furyners and Yankee Commies‘ (lol) and weird transhumansexplainer kiddies running the billion dollar businesses to blame and scapegoat – almost as if they were built to be such easy targets.
He is admitting shadow banning but not yet mass interference in elections through out the world especially even in ‘friendly’ countries.
There are many installed western puppets who should be shown as having been election interfered into office. illegitimately.
Eg2 Newsweek opening the new narrative of evil Ukraine with despot leader of Nazis and admitting defeat and fall in Bakhmut with thousands and thousands of Nato boots on the ground in a illegal war against Russia – these dumb fucks don’t want to be caught and be declared as mercenaries because they were FOLLOWING ORDERS.
Arlington is busy as are many Polish military cemeteries where many a nato boot will forever be a piece of their imperial hubris. Haven’t seen any military notices in the U.K. yet, but we should look out for the NewYears ‘gongs’ list from the Palace and see how many posthumous awards were made to military and ‘civil service’ ie 007’s licensed to be killed in the Ukraine mincer.
Final score prediction as the British media goes into full tailspin-
Bahkmut, Nulled- Artemovsk, Won.
Time to warm up the bangs for the 1812 Overture.
Urrrrra!

Posted by: DunGroanin | Dec 9 2022 11:38 utc | 273

Posted by: Blissex | Dec 9 2022 8:10 utc | 267
and others
..the SPIEGEL-interview with Merkel ……
the SPIEGEL-issue is a Cover story at spiegel 48/2022
in this Edition the author only summarized a conversation in june 2022 in berlin

“.. Sie glaubt, damals und auch später bei den Verhandlungen von Minsk die Zeit gekauft zu haben, die die Ukraine nutzen konnte, um sich einem russischen Angriff besser widersetzen zu können. Sie sei ein stärkeres, wehrhafteres Land jetzt.
Damals, da ist sie sicher, wäre sie von Putins Truppen überrollt worden…”

BUT in an interview in the magazine “ZEIT” from 07.12.2022 there IS a part witch has the same meaning

“…Und das Minsker Abkommen 2014 war der Versuch, der Ukraine Zeit zu geben.
Sie hat diese Zeit hat auch genutzt, um stärker zu werden, wie man heute sieht. Die Ukraine von 2014/15 ist nicht die Ukraine von heute. Wie man am Kampf um Debalzewe (Eisenbahnerstadt im Donbass, Oblast Donezk, d. Red.) Anfang 2015 gesehen hat, hätte Putin sie damals leicht überrennen können. Und ich bezweifle sehr, dass die Nato-Staaten damals so viel hätten tun können wie heute, um der Ukraine zu helfen. ….”

in the end we don’t need merkel or poroshenko ( these two only underscores the “west” is not trustworthy )
already the MFA from November 18, 2021 shows that the “West” will not
adhere to the the Minsk Package of Measures from 2015;
in a lawrow letter

“..For this reason, your statement that direct dialogue between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk would not “find acceptance” serves to discredit the co-authorship of the leaders of Germany and France under the February 12, 2015 document.”

Posted by: ghiwen | Dec 9 2022 11:42 utc | 275

Sorry, finger must have hit the post button
Picking up from #304
wood resources doesn’t count the woodlands like 3-4 m tall mesquite and other tall “shrubs” say in s TX and other parts of the southwest.
About 20% of the CONUS is in cropland. I know most people don’t eat out of the field ag commodities but people could with some preparation. A bushel of wheat weighs 60 pounds (you all will have to convert to metric), corn 56 pounds, soybeans 56 pounds. Wheat and corn are fairly easy to eat from its whole self, soybeans takes a bit more processing but still fairly simple.
There’s a 100 million head of cattle at any one time in the CONUS, and high numbers of pork and poultry– there are a few individual U.S. counties that process 100 million meat chickens a year. Would industrialized food work without wide-spread power, no, but don’t write off 300 million people in not figuring out how to raise food to eat.
Once people get past the basics of shelter, food, and water, and various low-tech fuels, people can figure out how to live. There was life before electricity and there will still considerable human life after the current grid system.
P.S. There are 500 million privately owned firearms in the USA and billions upon billions rounds of ammo.
P.S.S. How many of you have cut up big game animals, from being fresh dead on the ground until you grilled steaks and roasts? A person can get fast it at it. Lots of things will have to be re-learned but I doubt 95% of Americans will be dead. Sorry…

Posted by: DakotaRog | Dec 9 2022 11:52 utc | 277

Meta
Having finished reading this entire thread, minimum 21% was trolling rubbish, IMHO. But, wading through the muck given the extent/volume/vitriol, felt more like 42%. Yet the other 79% was more than worth the effort. Thanks b & contributors.
All the same, think I’ll go take another shower & change into a new set of clothes. Phew, yuck …
&

Putin: West’s desire for hegemony risks triggering more conflicts
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the West’s desire to maintain its hegemony on the world stage is increasing the risks of conflict, slamming the US and its allies for using Ukraine as “cannon fodder”.
…

Posted by: Outraged | Dec 9 2022 12:26 utc | 279

https://tlgrm.ru/channels/@rybar/41870
So, Ukr. puts together a small offensive. While there are a number of armored vehicles, tanks don’t seem to be mentioned. They got killed as usual. Rope a Dope continues…

Posted by: Eighthman | Dec 9 2022 12:44 utc | 281

Imagine you are Zelensky
and Nuland tells you that “of course, Ukraine must make it’s own decisions on the conduct of the conflict and in any choices regarding negotiations”.
What do you do? (IQ test)

Posted by: jared | Dec 9 2022 12:54 utc | 283

Shelling comes because of this:Wargonzo announces the withdrawal of units of the 93rd brigade from Soledar.
The operational sources of the @wargonzo project confirm the information about the withdrawal of the remnants of the 2nd battalions of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Soledar.
According to incoming intelligence, the neo-Nazi command plans to withdraw units to Slavyansk for regrouping. For this, the Kiev division of “Aidara” was sent there as part of the 53rd mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 112th brigade of the territorial defense of Kyiv.
The withdrawal is associated with catastrophic losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the Seversk-Soledar-Bakhmut line.
Meanwhile, it is impossible to talk about the complete withdrawal of troops from Soledar at the moment: parts of the 53rd separate mechanized brigade, the 71st Jaeger brigade and the remnants of the 65th brigade of the Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain in the city.

https://t.me/azmilitary11/30427

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 13:06 utc | 285

#layout
Colleagues, everything is very simple.
You take the body of the Soviet UAV Strizh and fill it with new electronics and Western developments.
It’s like in the ZAZ Zaporozhets of the 1970s, to cram everything from the Ferrari of 2022, but to tell the public that this is the same Zaporozhets.
All sabotage/terror attacks in Russia on behalf of Ukraine are carried out by Western intelligence services, we have been inside about this even earlier. Mostly Brits and NATO instructors/advisers. Each operation is developed for 3 months. Many fail, but those that are obtained sound loudly informationally. But the Ukrainian people pay for this, as the answer flies through energy / infrastructure facilities.
This war is beneficial for Western partners, because they use the Ukrainian crisis as a living testing ground, they can test the necessary algorithms and developments, but there will be no need for this, or Ukraine will become too “expensive to maintain”, they will immediately merge, leaving the Ukrainian people on the “ruins” and in debt.

https://t.me/legitimniy/14288

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 13:08 utc | 287

Apocalypse in Bakhmut — Ukrainian public opinion is being prepared for Ukrainian retreat
Something clearly did not go according to plan with the Ukrainian Army near Bakhmut. Information about huge losses in the ranks of the Ukrainian militants is increasingly leaking to both the Ukrainian and Western press. It is likely that in this way the enemy’s information machine is preparing society for the surrender of the city.
In the second half of November, the position of the Ukrainian Army in the Bakhmut direction became dramatically more difficult — first, Western publications, such as the New York Times, began one after another to publish gloomy reports about overcrowded Ukrainian hospitals, and then the officials of Ukraine, including Zelensky himself, were forced to admit the gravity of the situation. Ukraine threw more and more units, consisting of untrained infantry, under the Russian artillery, which died before even deploy.
Western mercenaries, many of whom fight and die for the Ukraine, also talk about Bakhmut horrors. Thus, the head of the US Mozart PMC Andrew Milburn recently reported in an interview with Newsweek about the “incredibly high losses” of the Ukrainian Army in this area. Besides, Wagner group is developing an offensive on Soledar, which in the long term could provoke the encirclement of Bakhmut.
Under such conditions, the holding of the city costs the Ukrainian side enormous forces and means, which are also being wiped out by Russian forces with enviable consistency.
Apparently, it is through the media that they began to prepare the people of Ukraine for retreat — that they tried, but failed, as you can see for yourselves. The usual cry about Ukrainian heroes fighting for freedom and etc. was prepared for Western audience.
The Ukrainian PR-machine has recently accelerated to such an extent that the society’s acceptance of the red pill of reality and the exit from the matrix of permanent victories can be more than painful.

https://t.me/sitreports/1877

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 13:10 utc | 289

Paco – “I would add that plain US citizens and plain Russians have a lot in common”
The American dream moved to Russia. Russia now is what america thought it was.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Dec 9 2022 13:28 utc | 291

Aside: Hysterical predictions by the MoA troll contingent that Russia would yield Zaporizhye without a fight have failed to come true.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 9 2022 12:55 utc | 312
Be patient. Didn’t Baldie retreat from Kherson without a fight, losing Russian territory? Zap retreat is 50% possible. And 100% if nato really wants to hit the reactor. All they did today was to complain to UN for civilian deaths in Donbass. That is not “winning”

Posted by: rk | Dec 9 2022 13:43 utc | 293

🛢 🇷🇺 #oil #ceiling
▫️”We will not sell oil to those countries that support the price cap, we will also think about the possibility of reducing production”
▫️There are no decisions on reducing production, this is still speculation; concrete steps in connection with the ceiling will be spelled out in the decree, it will be released in the coming days”
▫️The proposed price ceiling is commensurate with the prices at which we sell oil, we will not lose under any circumstances
▫️The President of the Russian Federation noted that this applies to all manufacturers, because if someone agrees that the consumer will determine the price, this will lead to the collapse of the industry itself.
▫️“This investment will come to naught, all this will lead to a catastrophic surge in prices, this is a stupid, ill-conceived and uncalculated proposal. It’s not about us, it’s about the general state of the world energy markets, it’s bad for them,”Russian President Vladimir Putin said

https://t.me/azmilitary11/30432

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 13:51 utc | 295

@ Ursula Zandt | Dec 9 2022 13:33 utc | 320
How long will their training be?
2 months refresher & update training with emphasis on lessons learned by veterans of the last ten months. Already completed.
Are they being trained now? (and another question, ‘What are they doing now?’)
See above. Excluding the ~70-90k additional volunteers funded & sponsored via individual republics, ~26,000 were used to reinforce the existed ~100 BTGS with two full infantry companies each, so as to better take & hold ground.
The remaining ~276,000 have already been formed as:
~300 reinforced BTGs, or
25 Divisions, or
6 Armies (comprising 4 Divs plus supplementary units each), or
A combination of the above as STAVKA re Strategic/Operational Plans, sees fit.
Are they destined exclusively for support roles or will they be sent to the front?
The front. Elements already in combat. Elements already identified in Belarus & Nth & Sth of FEBA, likely majority in near rear, on alert.
I fear that people feel the recruits will be a game changer when…well…recruits are recruits.
Your ‘fears’ are utterly unfounded.
They are NOT recruits. They are all recalled active reservists, young, fit & healthy, who have all previously completed a minimum of 1 years prior full-time service (obligatory conscription or contracted professional) within the last 5 years.
They are recalled veterans with updated refresher training from current combat veterans re SMO. NOT recruits.

Posted by: Outraged | Dec 9 2022 13:52 utc | 297

According to enemy reports – there is still no confirmation from our side – in the east of Artemovsk (promka, along Lumumba Street) we advance. Ukros declared our control over the furniture factory and part of the building ceramics plant.
Ours are slowly pressing the Ukrainians in the east of the city to provide a flank for operations in the northeast of Artyomovsk, on Podgornoye in the first place.
In the Kleshcheevka area, the enemy still holds positions, but the direct Kleshcheevka-Artyomovsk road is no longer accessible to the Ukrainians. They, however, cling to these positions. after the loss of these defenders, holding Artemovsk will not be a trivial task, eating excessive resources.
And these resources are already needed west of Kurdyumovka and Ozaryanovka, where, according to preliminary information, our troops have crossed the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and are probing the enemy’s defenses in the direction of Belaya Gora and Dyleevka. And the “troika” hammers along the Mayorsk-Dzerzhinsk road.
Considering the stated goals of the Russian army here – pinning down the enemy forces and defeating his manpower – an offensive south of Artyomovsk may turn out to be more important than fighting for Artyomovsk itself.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/24275

Posted by: Down South | Dec 9 2022 13:53 utc | 299