"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

We’ll revisit this in a few months.

You two should discuss it over sandwiches.

I dunno if the war will be over in a few months, but I do know that the odds of Ukraine suffering significant reversals between now and then are pretty slim. NATO's pouring weapons into Ukraine and Russian military hardware isn't nearly as good. The Ukrainians have no love for the Russians and are basically cornered rats, fighting for their lives.

What do you think will happen to Ukrainians if the country surrenders to Russia? They'll be left alone? That's not how such things have tended to work in the past (not merely in conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, but anywhere a long-time enemy occupies foreign territory). Genocide is what follows. The Ukrainians know this, it still being in living memory for many of the population.

You're falling into the same trap that those who think nuking Mecca would somehow put an end to Islamic terrorism. Nukes worked at ending WWII because by the time we used them on Japan, they were cut off from their allies, and had been pushed back to their island nation. Nobody was going to come to their aid. Were we to nuke Mecca, every Muslim nation in the world would be allied against us.

Who's supporting Russia right now? Almost nobody. Who's backing Ukraine? NATO and most of Europe. You think China's going to enter the war on Russia's side or provide them with overt military support? That would put them at odds with their largest trading partners (who are already looking at being less reliant on Chinese-made goods). Not to mention that the US stands to make a tidy profit by supplying Europe with natural gas to make up for the losses due to Russia cutting off shipments.

Hell, when Modi's verbally slapping Putin over this war...

So it isn’t just Armenia-Azerbaijan now. Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan now flaring up.

https://twitter.com/tinso_ww/status/1571192401267392517?s=46&t=-gPSvY6GpDWGqM9rIJYOiA

These aren’t real places, sir.

Not the first time that Sorkin would recycle a bit.

Meanwhile on RT's show "Beautiful Russia," propagandist argues that Russia shouldn't worry about the way events like Bucha are being perceived or covered in the West. Instead, he says, Russia should lay into that: "Yes, that's how we are... We'll show you even more. Fear us!"

https://twitter.com/juliadavisnews/status/1571266222871789575?s=46&t=ZofrvIKa0rFW8Uza_kfhSw

#Ukraine: For the first time ever the most advanced Russian main battle tank T-90M was captured by the Ukrainian army - presumably in #Kharkiv Oblast.
This tank is also covered with Nakidka radar-absorbent and heat-insulating material.

https://twitter.com/uaweapons/status/1571531776178245635?s=46&t=ZofrvIKa0rFW8Uza_kfhSw

Biden says he warned Xi that breaking Russia sanctions would be ‘gigantic mistake’

https://twitter.com/fckkazaps/status/1571157790948823041?s=46&t=9RiG9qUO3-vfgKIzQk-nPA

Oh snap!

https://twitter.com/biz_ukraine_mag/status/1571480298604613632?s=46&t=P3gbZA9IQKMAXS1ejRcvBg

@shootER does this thread smell legit?

https://twitter.com/gjstathakis/status/1571960068408745984?s=46&t=P3gbZA9IQKMAXS1ejRcvBg

This Slovenian site is reporting it.

https://english.sta.si/3083185/slovenia-and-germany-agree-on-military-vehicle-exchange-with-ukraine

As is this site.

https://slovenia.postsen.com/news/2...ovenian-M55S-tanks-to-be-sent-to-Ukraine.html

Do those upgrades sound like they would make them better than anything else the Ukrainians have except their T-84s and the Polish tanks as some are saying?

The T-55 is no spring chicken but if anyone could wring the most out of a platform it’d be the Israelis.

Until the mid-2000s Israel operated upwards of 300 T-54/T-55s that they captured during the 1967 and 1973 wars, mostly re-gunned and upgraded. The M55 appears to be on another level than that, though, so if they use them right they could be very effective.

I don't know the level of modernization for those T-84s and PT-91s so the Slovenian tanks could be equal to or possibly even better.

I can remember in the late 80s/early 90s that one of the things the US was doing to help allies that had a lot of old Soviet tanks was to give them smart munitions that allowed the to fire more effective rounds out of ex-Soviet tanks. We also had programs to graft 'Merkin electronics into ex-Soviet gear.

Russia has allegedly attacked another nuclear power plant in Ukraine

Some actual bad news for Russia - cosmonaut Valery Polyakov (who holds the record for longest time in space - 437 days) has died aged 80.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62964177

For some reason, however, they aren't revealing cause of death... slow maturing chestburster? Or did he speak out against the war?

Ge slipped and fell out his window while moving his bathtub, we swear.

Oof looks like the new guideline arrived to Russian TV, which is to tell "truths", that HIMARS are good, NATO is strong, and so on.

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1571965051216580609?s=46&t=PvAuctF-QxGo7I4Nc88Vcg

Prep for a ‘Ukraine didn’t beat us, NATO did’ turn?

REALLY interesting thread:


Interesting mood music out of Kazakhstan, re relations with Russia in wake of war on Ukraine.
Astana has started detaining Russian trucks carrying sanctioned EU goods through its territory, Russia's state-run Izvestia reports today. 1/7

https://twitter.com/zoyashef/status/1572150745730002944?s=46&t=PvAuctF-QxGo7I4Nc88Vcg

Putin’s announced that he’s planning on keeping parts of Ukraine and that he’s not afraid to use nukes.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/l..._source=Twitter&utm_medium#Echobox=1663742199

And he's mobilised the reservists. That's potentially 2 million troops, but he's saying partial callup.

Edit: seems this will add 300,000 troops. Of course, getting them to Ukraine and having decent kit to arm them will be another issue.

Good thread on this:

https://twitter.com/markhertling/status/1572571676524838915?s=46&t=TYbMHLVCwjz9jgTdMYFWQw

This is more a political move than a military one. Any ethnic Russian with two rubles to rub together won’t be called up so it shouldn’t cause any disruption to those who matter. Putin just hopes it gets the hardliners off his case.

The nuke threat along with the annexations are Hail Marys to try and get some breathing space to set up new defensive lines/hold out until winter.

He’s hoping the energy/heating crisis this winter will break up the alliance for Ukraine.

I’m not seeing any long term strategy here. Just a cornered rat hoping to delay and delay and that some Black Swan event will save him.

Putin reportedly had a very shitty childhood and had to hunt rats for food as an orphan on the streets. He claims to have learned a lot from a cornered rat that fought him.

Biden seems to be taking a hard stand against Putin.

Anti war protests in St Petersburg and Moscow seem to be growing.