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December 24, 2023
Ukraine Open Thread 2023-316
Comments
shаdοwbanned | Dec 26 2023 15:29 utc | 199
*** It was clearly full of ammunition. Lots of secondary explosions were visible.
Hopefully it was just regular shells, but quite possibly a lot of Kalibrs and AD missiles were destroyed.***
Seems rather unlikely that a ship being repaired in dry-dock would have any ammunition on board it at all.
Posted by: Cynic | Dec 26 2023 16:58 utc | 201
Posted by: Cynic | Dec 26 2023 13:38 utc | 195
That’s because his outsider status was ruthlessly exploited, look at Pence his VP, who his ‘advisors’ suggested was the perfect pick. Trump was naive, allowed deep staters to be at the root of his organisation. This time, through bitter experience he’s learned who he can trust, already gathering a transition team, who are going to vet any appointments. It’s also why the DS are panicking, trying to pass legislation protecting the Obama stay behinds, seeded in the institutions top ranks, or prevent a pull out of NATO, all the while whilst pretzeling the Constitution to try and remove him as the Republican nominee in 2024 (virtually guaranteed).
Trump is the head of a battering ram wielded by a large army of hard-core MAGAites, periphery supporters and I’d wager a growing number of temporary supporters, who see him as the only hope of affecting real change in their corrupted country. The corrupters of these institutions are now living the Shakespearean adage about not killing the snake, only ‘scotching it, whilst watching every attempt at removing their nemesis rebound spectacularly.
Posted by: shаdοwbanned | Dec 26 2023 15:29 utc | 199
Doubt very much that those items would all be conveniently stored in one vessel, even if it was then how will it help Ukraine operationally. It seems like it was just one in a long line of Crimean ‘spectaculars’ to obfuscate the real situation on the ground in the contested oblasts.
Posted by: Milites | Dec 26 2023 17:19 utc | 202
The money will KEEP FLOWING TO UKRAINE in 2024.
Because Ukraine funding is now caught up in a political fight heading towards the next election.
The Republicans will want to use the Money Spigot to keep Biden on a short leash.
Just enough support for Ukraine to keep them going, but hanging their failures around Joe Biden’s neck – where they certainly belong.
Posted by: Julian | Dec 26 2023 16:57 utc | 200
Maybe … or the Republicans just cut Ukraine off and rub Bidens nose in the failure for the next 11 months. Bungling 2 wars in one term not including Israel is one hell of a record for a first term president. Throw in the southern border, homelessness and “bidenomics” and it becomes one hell of a mess to defend.
Aside from that the democrats tried to impeach Trump over Ukraine … you don’t think for a moment that Trump supporters in the Republican party might bear a grudge over that do you?
I don’t think the Russians are counting on the USA cutting funding … I believe the plan according to is the SMO would be complete by the end of 2024 according to Russian plans. That estimate was made early this spring as I recall and at that time the US money tap looked endless. I think they expect to destroy NATO weapons as they arrive until Ukraine runs out of people.
Now I realize this is not according to that mysterious “Russian playbook” the pentagon appears to have in their hand but that’s the case none the less.
All cutting off funding means is a quicker end to the war.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Dec 26 2023 17:29 utc | 203
Posted by: HB_Norica | Dec 26 2023 17:29 utc | 203
Agree, as I said in an earlier post, the Russian plan for Ukraine will be contingent on who wins in 2024, with the expectation of a Trump victory As for the ‘Deplorables’ there’s been a marked change in attitudes, regarding revenge, since the legal prosecutions started, ‘out for blood’ would be a good description of the present mood, or more accurately ‘they smell blood’.
Posted by: Milites | Dec 26 2023 20:01 utc | 204