bannork

Well worth a read, if sobering. https://markurban.substack.com/p/hard-truths-about-the-ukraine-war?triedRedirect=true

Once again I disagree. Once Russia use a nuclear weapon, they'll have the world against them. Perhaps, yes perhaps even the great appeaser and Putin lover, Donald himself. Then the proverbial might really hit the fan.

Wait and see. What's this nonsense about Russia being forced to deploy a nuclear device!

A freighter carrying about 1,200 tons of aid supplies for the Gaza Strip has left the Cypriot port city of Limassol. According to officials in Nicosia, the aid shipment consists mainly of food for children and infants, including flour, pasta, baby food and canned goods. Of the total 1,200 tons, 700 tons were donated by the Republic of Cyprus, and another 500 tons were contributed by the Maltese government and several international aid organizations, including organizations from the United States, Italy and Kuwait. Humanitarian aid shipment from Cyprus on its way to Gaza

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia must be returned to their families, according to her post on social media platform X. "That means every single Ukrainian child abducted by Russia must be returned to their families. I thank POTUS for his clear commitment today to ensuring these children are reunited with their loved ones," von der Leyen wrote. In this way, the head of the European Commission responded to a post by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social, in which he spoke about their conversation and called the return of the children the top priority. In this post, he mentioned his discussion with the European Commission president, noting that: "This is, likewise, a big subject with my wife, Melania. It is a subject at the top of all lists, and the World will work together to solve it, hopefully bringing them home to their families," the US President stressed. EU chief calls for Russia to return every Ukrainian child it abducted

A Ukrainian Air Force fighter jet destroyed a Russian bridge and pontoon crossing in the Krusk region using powerful American-supplied bombs, according to a report from Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi. According to Militarnyi, footage of the air operation was published online by the 'Soniashnyk' Telegram channel. The video captured the destruction of a key bridge and pontoon crossing point near the village of Zvanoye. Ukrainian tactical aviation reportedly used American-supplied Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (GBU-62) and Small Diameter Bombs (GBU-39) high-precision glide bombs to destroy the crossing points. Russian assets in ruins: Ukrainian air strike destroys key crossings

A Russian train was reportedly blown up and derailed by Ukrainian saboteurs in a major attack which saw flames tear through the vehicle and thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Forces are said to have hit an area between Tokmak and Urozhaine in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, following a Ukrainian military operation. Petro Andryushchenko, former adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, claimed "nothing alive was left" as he announced the attack on Telegram. "Yes. It's burning down. The train. There is no more Russian rail service through occupied Zaporizhzhia," Andryushchenko wrote. Ukraine 'destroys key Russian train' in massive blow to Putin as 'nothing left alive'

I suggest you read up about the area if you're interested. Plenty of stuff on the internet. I cycled around Israel once, a long time ago, in 1980.

I don't accept your premise that Ukraine will lose this war. This is Putin's war and his removal or demise, further collapse of the Russian economy, increased disruption of Russian infrastructure, Russian airports closed, bombed, etc could easily fuel desire to cease the war. If Russia did employ a tactical nuclear weapon on Ukraine, well, let's see what happens after that.

It's a long story. By the way , do you know who supported Hamas for a long time? The Israeli Prime minister, because he couldn't stand the idea of a united Palestinian state. In an interview with Israeli journalist, Dan Margalit in December 2012, Netanyahu told Margalit that it was important to keep Hamas strong, as a counterweight to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Netanyahu also added that having two strong rivals, this would lessen pressure on him to negotiate towards a Palestinian state.[11] In an interview with the Israeli Army Radio in August 2019, Ehud Barak, the former Prime Minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001, said that Netanyahu's main strategy is to keep Hamas "alive and kicking" in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority, even at the expense of "abandoning the citizens [of the south]."[45] At a Likud party conference in 2019, Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas ... This is part of our strategy – to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank."[47][48] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_support_for_Hamas#:~:text=Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to,many misquotes" attributed to him.

Trump could show the Kremlin that it could lose this war – not offer Putin a war bonus of the best defended territory currently in Ukrainian hands. But as he sat hanging on the telephone in a call to a man he much admires, it is clear that he’ll do nothing of that kind. He’s figuring out how to betray what his country once stood for, for a man who is everything it once stood against. And he probably called that man for help to do it. Trump broke off his meetings with Europe’s leaders to call his friend in the Kremlin... why?

The Financial Times reported that Ukraine had offered Trump a European-funded $100bn arms deal as part of a pact. Trump has every incentive to hold Putin’s feet to a fire and demand he get out of Ukraine – or burn. The US could join its allies in Ukraine to defend Europe, it could back its legal demands for territorial integrity, its accession to Nato and celebrate that it is a democracy not a dictatorship. It could also make money by selling weapons and exploiting Ukraine’s vast mineral deposits. Trump broke off his meetings with Europe’s leaders to call his friend in the Kremlin... why?

An agreement to freeze the frontlines where they are, but for Russia to settle for the land it has taken plus the Donetsk bonus, would probably save a couple of years fighting. If the battle for Bakhmut is an indication of how hard won Russian advances are, then a pause in the killing is a huge result for Putin who has lost 60,000 soldiers there. Kramatorsk, just to the north of Donetsk, would be a harder fight. So would nearby Slaviansk. Hundreds of thousands of Russians would die in fights for those fortress cities. Slaviansk was hit by missiles last night, but knowing its residents, they’d fight invading Russians with broomsticks if they have to. But if Trump can get Ukraine to agree to hand over the land – then Putin saves men and arms to reuse another day. Trump broke off his meetings with Europe’s leaders to call his friend in the Kremlin... why?

If Ukraine agreed to Vladimir Putin’s demands, handing over a vast chunk of the Donetsk Oblast province - where Moscow currently controls about 70 per cent – it would hand the Russian president some of Ukraine’s finest redoubts and most doughty defenders. It would include thousands of miles of pre-prepared trenches, tank traps that snake across the rolling landscape and pre-prepared ambush positions – a modern Maginot Line. Britain’s ministry of defence has estimated it would take Russia “4.4 years” and nearly 2 million casualties to take the four provinces Putin wants to claim. This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including Donetsk which Putin wants to take in any deal (PA)

The depressing views of Luke Harding, the senior international correspondent for The Guardian, after yesterday's meeting in the White House between European leaders and Trump. “Ultimately as things stand, there isn’t really a meaningful way forward to a peace agreement. I mean Putin’s demands are as maximalist as ever – he wants Ukraine to give up a large chunk in the east of the country, in the Donbas region.” Although this seems to be Trump’s preferred route to ending the conflict, it is unlikely to work for Zelenskyy – were he to make this huge concession, Luke says, he would be swept away by popular protest. “I think it’s entirely possible that in the next month or so, the Americans will comprehensively exit from supporting Ukraine. Already they’ve stopped delivering weapons. I can see a pull-out from Trump,” says Luke. Tuesday briefing: What last night’s meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine Does Putin own Trump? Harding's final words. “What I find so strange is the way Trump defends Putin, wants to include him, talks about calling him imminently, says he had a great meeting in Alaska. It seems ultimately that is where his sympathies lie – with Russia.”

Putin Adds to List of Demands: Drop the War Crimes Charges He face war crimes charges for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. A new report suggests Vladimir Putin may be quietly preparing to add a controversial condition to peace talks over Ukraine, the withdrawal of the charges filed against him by the International Criminal Court. Putin Adds to List of Demands: Drop the War Crimes Charges

President Donald Trump got rolled by Vladimir Putin at the Alaska summit, former CIA Director John Brennan told MSNBC's Eugene Daniels on Monday — but then the leaders of Europe sat him down and gave him what for. That latter meeting, which was punctuated by some embarrassing moments for the president, saw a variety of U.S. allies reiterating their commitments to Ukraine's defense and pushing Trump to carry on with those made by his country. "As the former spy chief yourself, what happened?" asked Daniels. "Because on up until Thursday he was saying — even Friday, when he was going to Alaska — saying, I want a ceasefire, period. And then he got in a car with Vladimir Putin, they drove a little bit, and then all of a sudden his mind changed. Former KGB agent talking to Donald Trump, and now his mind changed. What do you think happened there?" Trump 'gave in' to Putin — but Europe's leaders called him out: Ex-CIA chief

This terrible conflict started in 1948. Blame the British and the Balfour Declaration of 1917. Back to your original point, in Sudan, for instance, atrocities, starvation and death occur daily but it hardly appears in Western news. Presumably because there is no immediate Western interest, militarily, economically or culturally in Sudan or indeed Yemen. What do we know about most of the wars in Africa, the Rwanda vs Democratic Republic of Congo war for example? Nothing because it's not in our news, and that is presumably because we have no vested interest in it. But Israel- well the West helped create the modern state of Israel, and the West likes to hold it to Western standards in terms of behaviour. In fact Israel has behaved barbarically over the years, the illegal seizure of West Bank settlements and driving out of the local Palestinians, for example, but that is fairly low key, an incident here and there. Gaza , however, is much more in your face, almost total destruction of buildings and the infrastructure, hospitals, etc the cutting off of food, water and medical supplies. The widespread bombings and killings of civilians and finally the starvation. All this can be seen on TV screens throughout the West so consequently disgust has grown with Israel despite the initial sympathy following October 7th.

Ukraine has pledged to purchase $100 billion worth of US weapons, financed by Europe, as part of a proposed deal to secure American security guarantees, according to the Financial Times. According to the document, Ukraine pledged to purchase $100 billion worth of US weapons, financed by Europe, as part of a deal to obtain American security guarantees. In addition, Ukraine and the United States could sign a $50 billion agreement on drone production involving Ukrainian companies. The document does not specify which types of weapons are covered, but it notes Ukraine’s interest in acquiring at least 10 Patriot air-defense systems, as well as other missiles and equipment. It remains unclear how much of the drone agreement would involve direct procurement versus investment. No land swaps, $100 billion for US security guarantees - FT reveals Ukraine's terms for talks

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Jewish Democrat in Maryland, has joined a growing list of Democrats backing a bill that would withhold the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel from the United States. Raskin’s backing of the Block the Bombs Act last week comes amid a marked decline in Democratic support for Israel, as the war in Gaza wages on for its 22nd month. Other prominent Jewish Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Sara Jacobs of California, Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, have also signed onto the legislation, which now has 34 sponsors. Jewish Democrat Jamie Raskin joins lawmakers backing bill to restrict arms transfers to Israel

I don't recall any pilots of the Dresden bombing making similar remarks to the Israeli, ' 50 Germans must die due to my bombing raid. It doesn't matter if they are children.'

The FBI removed President Donald Trump’s name, along with those of other high-profile figures, from Jeffrey Epstein-related documents earlier in 2025, claims a Bloomberg report citing three people familiar with the matter. According to reports, approximately 1,000 FBI agents were tasked with reviewing around 100,000 pages of Epstein-related records, and internal instructions asked staff to flag any reference to Trump. According to people familiar with the process, the names of President Trump and other prominent individuals were then redacted by Freedom of Information Act officers because they were private citizens at the time. FBI redacted Trump's name in Epstein files

In the article, Mr Haliva as the IDF’s head of military intelligence has to take the rap for Hamas's attack, though he blames Israel’s political leaders and the country’s home security service, Shin Bet, as well. But my point is his willingness, in fact embrace of, the death of Palestinian children during this conflict. Yes, Hamas were/are brutal, but Israel likes to portray itself as a civilised nation. This sort of comment exposes that lie. ''50 Palestinians must die,” Mr Haliva said in a translation reported by the Jerusalem Post and other media. “It doesn't matter now if they are children. I'm not speaking out of revenge, I'm speaking out of a message to future generations. They need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price.”

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed his Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper told US Vice President JD Vance’s security to “f**k off” during the politician’s visit to the Cotswolds. He wrote: “[Vance] arrived in a cavalcade of 27 massive black American SUVs and this was escorted by a shoal of British police remoras on motorcycles whose job was to shoo everyone out of the way. “One of the people who they ordered to pull over was Kaleb Cooper, my tractor driver, but it was starting to rain and he urgently needed to get his load of wheat into the shed, so he invited his tormentor to eff off. And carried on regardless.” Jeremy Clarkson reveals foul-mouthed clash with JD Vance’s security during Cotswolds farm chaos

Pipeline Gas: Hungary and Slovakia, in particular, remain reliant on Russian pipeline gas. EU imports of Russian LNG have increased since the invasion, according to Global Witness. In July 2025, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy were among the largest EU importers of Russian LNG. Hungary and Slovakia continue to import Russian crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. which eu countries buy russian oil and gas? - Google Search As you mention, the EU is a major buyer of LNG though it says it has a roadmap aiming to end dependence on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear fuel by 2027.