Posted by: CullenBaker | Apr 18 2025 15:25 utc | 161
The simple minded delusion around here from people who have never even so much as negotiated the purchase of a car is ridiculous.

This is your error. You don’t need to negotiate the price when you are rich. Russia doesn’t need to negotiate because it is winning and there is nothing that can stop Russia from dominating all of the Ukraines, same as nothing could stop America from dominating all of Canada if Canada had started to antagonize America via subsidization by China.
It would be done quickly if USA and EU stop subsidizing the ukrop State, or slowly but surely if those subsidies continue. The current speed and tempo has its own advantages to Russia, specially (a) very low casualties, (b) timely ramping up of the defense industry, (c) continued economic growth and capital accumulation, (d) further building of alternative trade routes, and (e) more indebtness and lost investments by the West.
Russia is taking Trump’s efforts seriously, professionally, out of respect and giving support for the new admin’s vision, but Trump’s desire to have a ceasefire will not be satisfied. As long as (1) ukrop leadership continue receiving sufficient Western treasure and materiel and (2) Russia feels confortable with a slow rythm and tempo, the war will continue, the spending and loss of Western treasure will continue.
Trump’s policy in this matter is simply stupid. Trump’s often expressed pain from all the deaths as his motivation to intervene is ridiculous. Nobody with an IQ over 90 believes that shit.
Wars between countries that split after the collapse of the Soviet Union and still have some unfinished business to dreal with is none of America’s business.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Apr 19 2025 8:13 utc | 204

Posted by: Newbie | Apr 18 2025 19:38 utc | 188
Compass. The word you are looking for is compass. You could alternately use the terms calipers or calibers but they are less commonly used in charting and navigation although not unheard of.

Posted by: Badjoke | Apr 19 2025 9:08 utc | 206

isn’t this getting ridiculous ???
or are your “reports” in this format a mixture of ukr. and russian sources ?
Posted by: ghiwen | Apr 19 2025 7:30 utc | 202
_______
Or bad un-proofread machine translations.

Posted by: malenkov | Apr 19 2025 10:10 utc | 208

theres an open letter from andrij melnyk, that ambassador or whatever noodlesucking job he now has on welt , written to our new reichsführer merz.
i would classify this as the mind of a nazi in written form. all he does is demand and demand and demand.
heres some of my favourite parts, translated:

War is raging in Europe. A barbaric war started by Russia.
–
Not only does the future of the Federal Republic of Germany depend on your success as Chancellor, but also the fate of Ukraine – and Europe as a whole. (note: this fits perfectly with merz’s speech on how germany will once again (?) take a leading role in europe)
–
Adopt a coalition decision on the financing of arms deliveries to Ukraine amounting to at least 0.5 percent of GDP (21.5 billion euros per year) or 86 billion euros by 2029.
–
Initiate and implement the same 0.5 percent scheme at EU level (372 billion euros by 2029) and within the framework of the G7 (an additional 181 billion if the USA is not – yet – included). This mega-commitment of 550 billion euros for Ukrainian defense over the next four years would be a huge warning signal to Putin that you, Mr. Merz, and our allies are serious about helping Ukraine. That will impress Putin.
–
Announce the immediate delivery of 150 Taurus cruise missiles in the Bundestag on May 6 and implement them swiftly. This election promise must be kept, despite the expected resistance from the SPD. This does not require “coordination with partners” or ultimatums to Putin. These inferno weapons should simply be delivered, without any ifs or buts, in order to stop the creeping advance of the Russians and change the core of the current war dynamic.
–
In order to deploy the Taurus systems efficiently, a coalition decision should also be made to transfer 30 percent of the available German fighter jets and helicopters from the Luftwaffe’s inventory to Ukraine. That would be around 45 Eurofighters and 30 Tornados, 25 NH90 TTH helicopters and 15 Eurocopter Tigers.

this delusional idiot is nuts. at least the commenters, in a surprising twist for the axel springer verlag, are currently against this madness, 1164 to 303 (as of writing, im sure it will be corrected later). i really have no words. but with merz and his ambitions of grandeur, as he babbeld in his speech about taking a leading role again (like some 80 years ago?), i pray for all civilians that nothing what this ukronazi demands gets fullfilled.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 19 2025 12:58 utc | 210

Putin announces Easter ceasefire.

Posted by: Night Tripper | Apr 19 2025 14:01 utc | 212

Could a ceasefire and a peace dela really be in the offing.
“US President Donald Trump reportedly expects to “make a determination for a full and comprehensive ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia as early as next week. Both are to be presented with the final offer, the New York Post has claimed, citing an anonymous senior administration official.
Trump has stated on multiple occasions that he wants to put an end to the Ukraine conflict as soon as possible. Since he assumed office in January, Washington and Moscow have been engaged in active diplomacy, holding several rounds of high-level talks.
The newspaper quoted a source on Friday as saying that “this coming week in London, we want to make a determination for a full and comprehensive cease-fire.” The unnamed US official added that the “intent then is to have [discussions] with the Russians” and determine where Moscow and Kiev stand on this “final offer.”
According to the publication, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during their meeting in Paris on Thursday that Kiev is “90%” on board with Washington’s peace framework, which has yet to be made public.”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 19 2025 14:57 utc | 214

Euro MSM has heavily grabbed on to Putin’s easter ceasefire.
My guess is it was made as a nod to Trump/Rubio ceasefire effort. There’s a 99.99% chance Ukraine will break it, then when they do Trump/Rubio can tell Europistan that they started it and can fight it out on their own.

Posted by: unimperator | Apr 19 2025 15:13 utc | 216

203 – Photos of knocked out or abandoned armoured vehicles in WW2 generally show them with opened hatches. There are several likely reasons. Surviving crew members got out and left in all haste, not bothering to close the hatch again, or a closed hatch was opened by enemy soldiers inspecting the vehicle to make sure nobody was left alive inside, or the internal explosion that destroyed the vehicle blasted open the hatches. A German photo from the Eastern Front I saw showed a knocked out T-34 and someone had chalked on it in German geladen – “loaded”. Perhaps to show dead crew were still inside – I can’t recall if the hatches were open or not. Another consideration is that a closed hatch could be booby-trapped and someone trying to open it might set off an explosive charge. Better for the hatch or door to be open.
The same considerations might apply to modern armoured and unarmoured vehicles.

Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 19 2025 15:47 utc | 218

A bit more on closed or open hatches – in 1944 a British soldier checked out a knocked-out Sherman tank in Normandy, one of several. It had an open hatch. It had the orange-reddish staining on the outside that was often a sign a tank had been on fire though it was no longer burning. He climbed on top and peered down into the open hatch – a charred skeleton was staring up at him – the crew member was probably killed by the fire while attempting to get out. In the driver’s area was a sort of blackish puddle which was probably all that was left of the driver. The soldier said the sight gave him nightmares for years afterwards.

Posted by: Waldorf | Apr 19 2025 15:58 utc | 220

Prisoner exchange.
“Moscow and Kiev have held a major prisoner of war swap, with each side returning 246 captives, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.
Russia has given Ukraine an additional 31 gravely wounded servicemen, receiving some 15 wounded soldiers in return, the military said. The exchange has been mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the Defense Ministry noted.
The freed Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving all the necessary medical treatment and psychological support, the military said. The former prisoners will be transferred to Russia shortly for treatment and rehabilitation.”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 19 2025 17:32 utc | 222

Zelensky Reacts To Putin’s Easter Ceasefire Announcement
https://www.rt.com/russia/616005-zelensky-reacts-putins-easter-ceasefire/
“Vladimir Zelensky has made a counter offer to a 30-hour Easter ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying Kiev is ready to extend it beyond this period…”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 19 2025 19:45 utc | 224

Re my (215) comment o whether or not the Neo-Nazi dictator Z could abide by an Easter ceasefire, of which I said he couldn’t/wouldn’t I was right to think so.
“The Russian military has been targeted more than 1,300 times by Ukrainian forces in the less than 24 hours since the declaration of an Easter truce by both sides, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the pause in hostilities would be in effect from 6:00pm Moscow time on Saturday, and last until midnight on Monday. He instructed the country’s military to stay on high alert and be ready “to respond to any violations or provocations.” Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky answered a few hours later that Kiev’s forces “will act in a reciprocal way.””

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 20 2025 11:23 utc | 226

@Cynic | Sat, 19 Apr 2025 23:37:00 GMT | 225

How can there be any such “deal” with the USA, when both the Starmer regime and the EU are (separately) under the impression that the very same minerals and whatever have already been sold to them?

Truthfully, it’s not a “deal.” Trump doesn’t understand how treaties, or other international agreements work. You can’t just sign something and think that a country will hand over a part of its sovereignty. Besides, we’ve been told by the Russians that Zelensky is illegitimate, so anything he signs is null and void.

Posted by: James M. | Apr 21 2025 1:01 utc | 228