News & views related to the war in Ukraine …
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February 23, 2025
Ukraine Open Thread 2025-036
Comments
@ karlof1 | Feb 25 2025 16:34 utc | 402
“We expressed satisfaction with the fact that the Iranians are taking all the necessary steps before the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line begins. We hope that it will begin in the very near future. For this purpose, a Russian export loan will be provided. The Rasht-Astara section will make it possible to take a very important step, since it is part of the stage necessary for the full launch of the North-South international transport corridor.” (Lavrov)
Key economic supply route – in the planning for quite some time.
Need to sort 3+3 in the South Caucusus as well – hence the interference in this area by the ‘usual suspects’.
Posted by: Don Firineach | Feb 25 2025 16:54 utc | 401
“Overall: A very poor day for the RFA, with only 2.9 kmsq taken.”
Posted by: Anonymous | Feb 25 2025 11:52 utc | 355
According to Dima of MS, Russia gains tend to slow down while western leaders are meeting Zelensky. Then after everyone goes home, suddenly Russian gains turn out to have been larger. Ukrainian deep state maps hold up Russia gains for political reasons, no doubt under pressure.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 25 2025 16:56 utc | 402
USA have won this war without even declaring a war.
They have destroyed two Slavic country.
and now Blackrock, Rothschild,etc are collecting their prizes.
I now understand why the Bolsheviks killed rich people.
Billionaires don’t care about morals,lives or sacrifices.
Posted by: Orthodox Ruscism | Feb 25 2025 17:00 utc | 403
Posted by: Newbie | Feb 25 2025 16:27 utc | 400
##########
In politics, talk is cheap.
Watch what Russia is doing on the battlefield.
International relations, particularly with an egoist like Trump will involve a lot of pleasant phrases.
As the Kremlin speaks kindly they are killing NATO soldiers and officers daily.
The important detail there is that NATO keeps funneling manpower (including sheep dipped Americans) into Ukraine, regardless of what Hegseth said.
After the Minsk agreements debacle, the Russians are wary of anything that anyone says.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 25 2025 17:01 utc | 404
@ Andrew Sarchus | Feb 25 2025 16:56 utc | 407
As an anecdote, since I don’t torture myself so personally, I’ve heard of other pro-banderite war coverage channels bringing up maps and advances less and less often. I wonder why.
Posted by: boneless | Feb 25 2025 17:10 utc | 405
Handing America the spoils of victory in their defeat, while their policy still kills our people daily—for no reason other than naivety, appeasement, and oligarch greed.
He’s like a teen fawning over a pop star.
Pathetic.
Posted by: Dlugaj July | Feb 25 2025 17:11 utc | 406
Oh, and I do appreciate that my call to action was answered so swiftly. It was getting boring without the idiots.
Posted by: boneless | Feb 25 2025 17:12 utc | 407
According to Dima of MS, Russia gains tend to slow down while western leaders are meeting Zelensky. Then after everyone goes home, suddenly Russian gains turn out to have been larger. Ukrainian deep state maps hold up Russia gains for political reasons, no doubt under pressure.
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 25 2025 16:56 utc | 407
The Russians slow down when the weather doesn’t cooperate or they encounter obstacles that have to be dealt with like Ukrainian soldiers, fortifications or land mines or they have problems with logistics.
All it takes in this war is a single squad of drone operators to hold down 20 km of front lineup to 10 km deep. That alone can stop a battalion from moving anywhere near the front
Dima does a great job of mapping and covering the news but his analysis is the product of an overactive imagination. In most cases it’s the simple answer not the conspiracy. Putin is a lifelong servant of the state and understands the military … I don’t see him meddling or micro managing military operations for political reasons.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Feb 25 2025 19:46 utc | 408
Apple is bringing $500 BILLION of investment back into the United States. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/02/apple-will-spend-more-than-500-billion-usd-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years/
Nice try, tough guy. Weren’t you this blog’s “hardass” who was threatening we normal Americans to some violent end? Well, that never was gonna work skippy.
Posted by: NigelTufnel11 | Feb 25 2025 1:12 utc | 303
Whilst this was an inevitable and logical decision under Trump it may have a sting in the tail as it also effects Taiwan.
If the people of Taiwan see their technology and production facilities being marginalised by them being taken over by the US, are they going to start thinking that their future should be with mainland China, not mainland USA?
Posted by: JohninMK | Feb 25 2025 21:14 utc | 409
https://www.flightradar24.com/RCH881/39431360
USAF Globemaster transport coming into Rzeszow from the Middle East region. So presumably still US supplies.
Earlier an RAF Rivet Joint was patrolling the Black Sea coast.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Feb 25 2025 21:18 utc | 410
Asiatic Russian soldier speaks on mercenaries. short video with subtitles
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1894472268916441369
—-
🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russian ambush kills an English speaking, likely American mercenary, unit in Ukraine!
“It’s a f**king trap”
It’s an open secret chat Russians, execute foreigner mercenaries and do not take them prisoner.
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1894472199676805535
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 25 2025 21:18 utc | 411
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 25 2025 21:18 utc | 417
So much wood.
But odd someone yelled “perfect” at the end. Also, soldier walking non chalantly with hand gun seems a bit Hollywood.
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 26 2025 0:41 utc | 412
An order to kill all mercenaries means Putin has no intention of negotiating, or he would want them as bargaining chips.
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 26 2025 0:44 utc | 413
Is it possible, Russia used an American mercenary to bait three ukro American mercenaries?
Posted by: UWDude | Feb 26 2025 0:53 utc | 414
Empire has first occupied Europe, profited from it. And now stripping it economically, to ultimately abandon it militarily.
Posted by: Hankster | Feb 26 2025 3:00 utc | 415
Trump is just about to sign a deal to deliver $350 billion worth of military support to Ukraine and the EU has finalised a deal to send another $700 billion, this doesn’t even include individual countries support from Europe and elsewhere. So I think it’s highly unlikely that Ukraine will agree to any kind of ceasefire allowing Putin to stockpile weapons, conduct rotations safely and catch up on UA drone technology which is their main advantage at the moment. Besides, Putin’s demands are totally ridiculous allowing him to gain more territory than he currently occupies and an end to mobilization in Ukraine without any security guarantees. UA are doing remarkably well in many areas, particularly Pokrovsk and Kursk where Russian and North Korean casualty rates are absolutely massive with no notable success. Why would UA want a ceasefire when their long range drones and missiles capabilities are about to increase by thousands of times taking out not 10% but 90% of Ru refineries and fuel storage?
Posted by: Used Ad | Feb 26 2025 5:20 utc | 416
Melaleuca | Feb 24 2025 5:47 utc | 102
*** Once the U$ has a signed contract (ignore coerced/ illegitimate head of state)…. Once the “deal”/{steal} is done…. Any deposits or infrastructure or anything anywhere in Ukraine…. Including territory currently militarily occupied by Russia “belongs to the U$, according to Trumpers.
I don’t know how Trump intends to “do a deal with Russia” AND commandeer the Ukrainian resources…. But like Trump stated re Syria… just take the oil.
Trump is a Might means Right mafismo.
Decades of NYC real estate deals taught him just take what you want and let the other guy cry.***
Lot of beautiful liquidised minerals and stuff under Yellowstone …
What a pity if they were all to come out at once …
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 5:58 utc | 417
Barrel Brown | Feb 24 2025 12:20 utc | 145
*** Apparently the ex president of Geogia (Sarkoshvilli or something) was very successful as governor of Odessa oblast a few years back … ***
He did try, but eventually resigned saying the whole setup there was already too corrupt from top to bottom for anyone to do the job effectively. Coming from someone with a background like his, that was quite a condemnation.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 6:21 utc | 418
Exactly as I predicted (407) now that the latest Zelensky Na3i orgy is over and the punters gone home, guess what? Russia’s gains in the last 24 hours turn out not to have been 4.9, but 15 km^2, according to Wyatt at Defense Politics Asia:
https://youtu.be/K06l0iZ6G5g?si=hKsL1_kI2Fk1QIhh
Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Feb 26 2025 6:44 utc | 419
Apple is bringing $500 BILLION of investment back into the United States. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/02/apple-will-spend-more-than-500-billion-usd-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years/
Nice try, tough guy. Weren’t you this blog’s “hardass” who was threatening we normal Americans to some violent end? Well, that never was gonna work skippy.
Posted by: NigelTufnel11 | Feb 25 2025 1:12 utc | 303
Read the article not just the bullet points. They are not moving a single product line from China or anywhere else
Apple is building one factory in Texas for a new server product. If your read the details it’s an assembly plant. Where are the components manufactured.
The 24 factories building silicone for Apple products already exist and China is the sole supplier of the silica used to build chips and sets whatever price it wants for that raw material. If they want to make US chips uncompetitive all they have to do is raise the price of silica.
Trump just announced he’s thinking of levying a $500 K charge for any ship built or owned by a Chinese company. China builds 50% of the worlds commercial shipping and the USA builds 0% so US companies owning Chinese ships will pay and that will add to the cost of silica which will be passed on to the consumer making Apple products even more expensive.
Then there is investment into a “school for manufacturers” … that brings zero jobs to the USA except for a few Apple instructors.
last we have money going into R&D which has always been done in the USA so no new jobs for the working man there.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Feb 26 2025 11:14 utc | 421
Jo | Feb 24 2025 22:21 utc | 256 ….
NATO’s persistent lies, and the supplementary lies of its puppet states, are very clear indication that nothing short of the total destruction of NATO (prefereably with the execution of all its leaders) will ever allow there to be peace.
If that means having to have a nuclear war, just get on with it since it is what NATO will certainly do anyway, as soon as it thinks it has the advantage.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 11:22 utc | 422
grunzt | Feb 25 2025 11:39 utc | 352
*** As to (4), I’ve learnt this morning from RT news that Putin offered Trump a cooperation exploiting Russia’s rare earth resources which are larger than Ukraine’s, and are hitherto untouched.***
If that is correct (and keeping in mind that Putin has already expressed desire for foreign “investment” in Russia) then neoliberal Putin of the WEF is actually a traitor.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 11:53 utc | 423
Night Tripper | Feb 25 2025 12:57 utc | 361
*** Starmer has just stated the following in the Houses of Parliament
‘Putin thought he would weaken Nato. He has achieved the exact opposite.’
Good to know.
He has pledged to increase military spending to 3.0% by the ne4xt parliament ***
“Hurrah!” shouted the ecstatic population of Britain, “We ever so much always wanted more austerity, rising prices for everything, an energy shortage and above all to have a government that proudly spends all our money on Kiev-Ukraine and Israel instead of wasting it on essential services and infrastructure in the UK.”
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 12:08 utc | 424
karlof1 | Feb 25 2025 16:34 utc | 402 quotes Lavrov :
*** We will do everything we can to calm down the situation and not create threats to the Syrian people (their fate is extremely important for us) or to the peoples of neighbouring states.” ***
“Your call is important to us” …. aye, sure.
If the Kremlin cared a damn about the population of Syria and the Middle East in general, they’d not have handed Syria over to jihadist mass-murderers run by Israel. Or supported the Zionists.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 12:35 utc | 425
HB_Norica | Feb 25 2025 19:46 utc | 414
*** Putin is a lifelong servant of the state .. ***
Servant of the Gorbachev state.
Servant of the Yeltsin state.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 12:40 utc | 426
MAGA supporters aren’t too thrilled about the Ukraine war, but Europe and the Democrats want to keep it going. Now he’ll probably tell his supporters that he’s signed a deal and everything’s covered, so they need to help Ukraine fight and settle things on their terms. That’ll mean full support from MAGA folks, Europeans, and Democrats all around. It’s a win-win for the USA too, since the military-industrial complex will rake in taxpayer dollars, which can later be recovered through Ukraine’s mineral resources. So really, there’s no reason for America to back off from the war now.
Posted by: Stifmeister | Feb 26 2025 14:30 utc | 427
Servant of the Gorbachev state.
Servant of the Yeltsin state.
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 26 2025 12:40 utc | 432
Puppets and crayons time.
Russia is a state … Gorbachev and Yeltsin are people. If they were kings or emperors you’d be correct but they ain’t that.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Feb 26 2025 14:40 utc | 428
I now understand why the Bolsheviks killed rich people.
Posted by: Orthodox Ruscism | Feb 25 2025 17:00 utc | 408
If only they had stopped there!
Posted by: TheNorthernChef | Feb 26 2025 15:10 utc | 429
With Kash Patel probably investigating the complete corruption by Z and with Ukraine and Boden ….let us hope it shatters the UK and EU continuing support for it, let alone embarrass the heck out of past support so much , that those who had supported are also ruined.That way Europe could rebuild sufficiently a new European architecture with Russia, mistakes admitted. It does seem so important that USA recognises that Russia was provoked by Ukraine NATO and EU, who at the moment still quote russian past behaviours they see as justifying their russophobia(ww2 Novichok, MH17, sabotages,returning to an expanding USSR type empire etc etc)….can USA with Russia expose their narcissistic psychopathic mistakes?
Posted by: Jo | Feb 26 2025 15:35 utc | 430
Posted by: Jo | Feb 26 2025 15:35 utc | 436
############
Kash is going to be too busy investigating Jackson Hinkle for visiting Lebanon.
The FBI is no longer punishing Americans unless they have wrongthink about Zionism.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Feb 26 2025 16:37 utc | 431
As it becomes more likely that the AUK desertion rate will increase, have we seen any reports of the AUK threatening relatives of deserters with punishment to discourage desertions?
In WW2 the Nazis did this under their Sippenhaft doctrine, and back then Russians had a roughly equivalent policy.
Posted by: dadooronron | Feb 26 2025 18:03 utc | 432
430 – Well, there you are. Our living standards are tanking but as long as Zelensky has enough for a new yacht, who are we to complain?
I was in Whitehall yesterday and there was a big Ukrainian flag flying from at least one British government building. If they were really honest it would be a Star of David 🙂
Posted by: Waldorf | Feb 26 2025 18:05 utc | 433
Russians driving an old Mercedes van is testament to the fact that their manufacturing base isn’t what they want us to believe. Russias economy is based on selling its mineral wealth and the advanced manufacturing base they inherited from the USSR has fallen apart under the Russian Federations oligarchy.
Posted by: chris za | Feb 27 2025 13:17 utc | 434
Putin who until yesterday claimed nato is enemy, today he’s offering minerals to USA without them asking and he’s how complaining people want to disrupt those so called peace talks. How funny can that country and its leaders get. When you bring a clown instead of president to the kremlin, you get a circus!
Posted by: cupideon | Feb 27 2025 13:49 utc | 435
Putin who until yesterday claimed nato is enemy, today he’s offering minerals to USA
Posted by: cupideon | Feb 27 2025 13:49 utc | 441
He is offering peace and normalized relations which includes allowing friendly countries to invest in mineral extraction if they want.
Posted by: jinn | Feb 27 2025 16:05 utc | 436
jinn | Feb 27 2025 16:05 utc | 442
*** He [Putin] is offering peace and normalized relations which includes allowing friendly countries to invest in mineral extraction if they want.***
“Normalised” being what — the asset-stripping. oligarchic Yeltsin period? The cheap handover of national resources to transnational corporate (usually US based) interests as was characteristic of Thatcherism?
Unrestricted activities of a big US embassy to ferment so-called “colour revolutions” and sponsor fifth-columnists or terrorists, while simultaneously promoting the same fake ‘cultural’ garbage that already reduced Western countries to their present disgusting, identity-destroyed state?
As for “friendly” … see Putin kiss the backsides of the Chabad, who may well regard him as a “friend” (or maybe covert member?) but is — according to its own declarations — dedicated to the enslavement or death of not only the Slavic but all other non-Chabad populations as well.
Beware of letting the fact that Putin is a noticeably better administrator than Biden, Trump, Starmer, Macron etc. instill an idea that such ability makes him a ‘good guy’.
It is like comparing slave overseers, where some are clearly preferable to others … but in doing so totally forget that you are supposed to be against the institution of slavery in its entirety.
The present game of global-leader charades can only have one winner in the West, since all contestants are basically franchisees of the same (at this time named) WEF and its related agendas. Owned by …..
Posted by: Cynic | Feb 28 2025 17:50 utc | 437