AndreasHG

I understand you have opinions, and that's okay. These are the facts: Russia was supposed to liquidate Ukraine in a "Special Military Operation" lasting few days. They are still stuck ina a war after 3 years, with no way to win it. In 2022 the Global Firepower Index ranked the Russian military capabilities second behind the United States, the Ukrainian 22nd, behind the like of Australia (17) and Taiwan (21). Western weapons supplied in the aftermath of the attack were essential in allowing Ukraine to hold out for so long. But it is the embarrassing performance of the amateurish and poorly led and organized Russian army in the very first weeks of the conflict that left an indelible memory. https://www.globalfirepower.com/global-ranks-previous.php The Russian made air defense system (S-300) deployed in Iran was easily and effortlessly neutralized by the Israeli Air Force F-35s, before it could even fire a single missile, leaving Israel free to hit any target on Iranian soil at will. The S-300 performed so poorly that has become a joke in western military circles. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-strike-on-iran-took-out-radar-sets-to-guide-ballistic-missiles-report/ While Russia is busy fighting in Ukraine, it's military capabilities proved so thin that Siria Bashar al-Assad has been left out in the cold, with no military assistance, despite his family has been a reliable allied of the Soviet Union first, and then of Russia, for over 50 years, and despite all of the Russian money and resources spent, in these fifty years, to support the Syrian Al-Assad family. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a dictator who relies on Russia to prop up his unpopular regime against internal and external foes. What kind of conclusion would you draw? It's a conclusion on which your life and the life of your family depend. My conclusion based on facts is that Russia military might proved to be just another Potemkin Village.

You divert attention from the focal point: Russia is considering the introduction of food stamps after waging a criminal war against Ukraine, and despite all the bluster about the extremely positive performance of the Russian economy. It is clear that Putin is lying. Get over it. Only the most diehard Russian trolls still deny it. Are you one of them?

Doing the right thing is more important than timely delivering on an electoral promise. I am often critical of President Trump. I despise narcissits, men who disrespect women and lose cannons. And Trump is a mix of all of that. But I hope that the Trump administration will do the right thing, not only with regards to Ukraine, but also with regards to other matters. A strong USA is in the best interest of the free world.

Foreign Affairs published an interesting article (link below) supporting the idea of South Korea going nuclear. The arguments put forward by the authors are convincing, they draw from the lessons of Ukraine and also apply to other geographies, starting from Japan and the European Union. In a world where the USA seems to be closing in on itself and is less willing to take on the role (and the associated cost) of world's policeman, US-allied countries must deal with the fact that the greatest threat to their security comes from nuclear powers. And even ignoring America's growing isolationism, modern technology allows countries like North Korea to directly threaten US territory. Guam, Hawaii, but also Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. The lesson learned from the war in Ukraine is that, in the event of a conventional war, the attacked country would hesitate to strike deeply into the attacking country, for fear of nuclear retaliation. The result is that Russia can afford to strike any target on Ukrainian territory while Ukraine is denied the right to do the same on Russian territory. The risk of a Russian nuclear reaction is made credible by the fact that the only country capable of responding would be the USA, which would thus find itself in the position of having to risk sacrificing New York to avenge the destruction of Kiev. A clearly unsustainable choice. And we can also see how it was the unilateral nuclear disarmament of Ukraine, which occurred in 1993 with the Budapest Memorandum, at the insistence of the United States, that created the conditions that made the Russian aggression possible. Of the three countries that signed the Budapest Memorandum accepting their nuclear disarmament, Belarus is in fact a Russian province, while Ukraine is engaged in a war to avoid the same fate. Only Kazakhstan still has a semblance of independence from Russia and it is currently trying to strengthen its relations with the US and China, realizing that it might be next on Putin's list. According to the authors of the article, today "the biggest obstacle to South Korean nuclearization is not a domestic constituency but a foreign one: the United States. There is a deep, decades-old bipartisan opposition in Washington to nuclear proliferation, even among U.S. allies." "American opponents of South Korean nuclearization exaggerate the policy’s downsides, underappreciate its benefits, and ignore the United States’ own liberal values that call for Washington to tolerate a democratic partner’s national security choices, even when it dislikes them. " To avoid having to ask the question of whether it is worth sacrificing Los Angeles to avenge the destruction of Seoul, "Washington will need to loosen its rigid opposition to allied nuclearization. This may become easier under Trump, who showed in his first term that he is inclined to throw out the script when it comes to U.S. alliances." More to the article link below. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/north-korea/why-south-korea-should-go-nuclear-kelly-kim?utm_medium=newsletters&ut m_source=twofa&utm_campaign=Perché%20Sud%20Corea%20Dovrebbe%20Go%20Nuclear&utm_content=20250103&utm_term=EWZZZ003ZX

I believe that Russia has already lost. It would never admit it but: Russia has no chance of subjugating the whole of Ukraine. It may maintain its territorial gains, but free Ukraine will be aligned with the West, the EU, the US and will be staunchly anti-Russian. A much bigger thorn in Russia's western side than if Russia had not waged a war against it. Russia wanted to stop NATO expansion. But following the war against Ukraine, NATO has become bigger and more powerful, because it will invest more in defense. Through a show of force, Putin wanted to demonstrate to the world that Russia is today a great power. The performance of the Russian army and armaments has been so disappointing that it has convinced the world of the exact opposite. Russia is a dwarf desperately trying to appear bigger and more dangerous than it actually is. When the war ends (hopefully soon), Russia will be faced with the problem that a significant portion of its GDP is tied to the war, and produces nothing of value to use in peacetime. The Russian defense industry employs approximately 3.5 million people in 2024 and accounts for 20% of all manufacturing jobs in Russia. Hundreds of thousands of men currently employed by the army and paid high wages will be laid off without any opportunity to find similarly paid jobs in civil society. This is nothing new. This happened every time Russia waged war. World War II is the only exception, because Russia was not sanctioned but rather supported in its post-war recovery. This happened at the end of the First World War, when tsarism was overthrown, and at the end of the war in Afghanistan, when the Soviet Union collapsed. And this time it will be the turn of Putin's regime. Soon it will be time to politely knock on the door and see the whole Putin's house of cards collapse. The Russian double-headed eagle will soon become a meal served in KFCs around the world.

Russia won thanks to the backing of the US. Have you ever heard of the Lend Lease Act? The U.S. sent over $11 billion in supplies (in 1940-45 US$) to the Soviet Union, including 400,000 vehicles, 14,000 aircraft, 13,000 tanks, 8,000 tractors, 4.5 million tons of food, and 2.7 million tons of petroleum products. Russia reciprocated by contributing with the one resource the country has always been rich: cannon fodder. Notice that when fighting alone, Russia has achieved less remarkable results. Russia was the first "European" power to ever been severely beaten by an Asian country (Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905). Russia was unable to win over little Finland in the Winter War (1939-1940), despite being, at least on-paper, overwhelming more powerful. The same story that is currently unfolding under our own eyes in Ukraine. I stand behind my statement: just politely knock on the door and let the Russians finish the job for you.

😂 Actually, politely knocking on the front door should suffice👍

LOL, Hakuna Matata's post contains the highest number of idiocies I have ever recorded in a single post... Putin has killed all his political opponents, and a big share of those who disagreed with him. None of his opponents ever made to the ballots. They were stopped way before, by bullets, poison, hanging, flying off from high windows or flying off the sky with their airplane, crew and associates. Putin, like Adolf Hitler after a few years in power, reached the stage where he only represents himself. It's three years that the Russians try unsuccessfully to pulverize the Ukrainian army. Russia has almost four times the population of Ukraine, almost three times the GDP per capita of Ukraine, the support of China, India, Iran, North Korea, Siria (till it lasted), and all has achieved in three years is add a further 119,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi) of occupied Ukrainian territory, to the 42,000 km2 (16,000 sq mi) it already controlled prior the full scale invasion of March 2022. It took only six weeks (yes you read it right Hakuna Makata, 42 days in total) for Hitler's army to overrun the armies of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France, starting from May 1940. The difference between Germany and Russia is due to the endemic corruption of the Russian society and widespread posturing, the so-called Potemkin village effect. The Russian Army pretends to be powerfully invincible, and the rest of the Russians pretend to believe it, with only the idiot at the top (i.e. Putin) ending up believing that there might something true in the claim and deciding to put it to test. Stalin did the same mistake with Finland in November 1939. But the most idiotic part of the post is the expected downsizing of NATO... NATO just added two members, Finland and Sweden, 15,5 million inhabitants and a combined GDP five times bigger than Ukraine. If there is one thing happening to NATO it's that it has just got bigger, and its member countries are spending more in defense, pushed by Russia's aggressivity and by the newly re-elected POTUS, Donald Trump. Russia, with its GDP of 2 trillion USD and 143 million inhabitants, is dwarfed by the EU 19,4 trillion USD GDP and 449 million inhabitants, and disappears when compared to NATO combined GDP of 53.1 trillion USD and a population of 951.

The US did not invade Cuba. The US let the Cubans struggle under Russian rule, it allowed Russia to deploy conventional weapons on the island for defensive purposes, it allowed communism to rule the place unchecked, it kept sanctions in place and focused on something better, more rewarding and interesting than wasting time with the Castro brothers and their demented, hopeless circus. Problem solved. Can Putin do the same? He could but he miscalculated, and now his past criminal behavior doesn't allow him to acknowledge defeat, relax, retire or let his guard down. He must always seem to come out on top, to project strength to feel secure. In the very moment Putin acknowledges defeat in Ukraine, he would instantly turn into a dead man walking in the Kremlin. To be clear, Putin has already lost. He triggered a war to prevent Ukraine to become NATO member and, even before the war is lost, both Finland and Sweden already joined the alliance. Finland and Sweden added 1,350 km to the border shared by NATO with Russia, a combined population which is half of that of Ukraine, but with a combined GDP of $895 billion, five times bigger than Ukraine. In a democratic open society, genuinely worried about a hypothetical NATO aggressive stance, Putin would have been impeached and forced to retire. Neville Chamberlain is a good example of what happens in democracy when a leader is defeated in the international arena by a dangerous opponent. But Russia is not a democratic open society, and in Russia politics is just about posturing and eliminating one's opponents. In Russia all smart people perfectly know that NATO hypothetical aggressivity is a joke. NATO has no reason to invade Russia and take charge of 140 million Russian citizens, a big junk of whom are destitute, illiterate, alcoholics, troublemakers and/or pretty w**res. Only idiots in Russia (and elsewhere) can truly believe that NATO may have aggressive intentions. Therefore, Putin is left off the hook. He can keep on posturing, pretending to be a world master strategist, while the Russians pretend to believe that NATO is a dangerous enemy, their casualty count mounts, innocent Ukrainians are killed every day, the Russian economy is slowly but securely sliding into a crisis similar to the one that caused the demise of the Soviet Union, and the Russians, as usual, are the ones who will foot the dearest bill, Bottom line Russia is just an immense Potemkin village. Another demented, hopeless circus, like the one the Castro brothers set up in Cuba, only much bigger and wealthier.

In my opinion keeping common platforms is more cost efficient and simplifies logistics in the event of a conflict. Therefore, I would like to see a strong coordination and strong commonality in defense procurement between the USA and Europe. But both shall contribute with budget, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Musk is of no help to the ADF. Okay, they share an enemy: the IG Metall, Germany's (and probably Europe's) most powerful employees trade unions. Musk is using all sort of tricks to keep the IG Metall out of its Berlin Gigafactory, and IG Metall is doing the same to keep the AfD out of government. The issue is that while there is a long tradition in Germany of Trade Unions trying to influence their members' vote, it is not clear who, the richest men on Planet Earth, of South-African descent, who left the country after the Apartheid was abolished, is trying to influence, by promoting a political party that is openly racist. His Berlin employees? Knowing Germany pretty well, especially West Germany, Musk's open support for the AfD seems more like a kiss of death rather than a helping hand. But the man is too narcissistic to realize the damage he can do.

What Trump will do is yet to come. Let's focus on what he is doing for Ukraine. In my opinion it's the right thing.

I don't think my English needs translation. Also, because something always seems to get lost in your translations. See a psychiatrist. The problem lies in the cavity where the brain of human beings is usually located. Try to understand what has replaced the brain in your cavity.

In a democracy you can express your dissent and also create an organized opposition to anything you disagree with the government about. But I don't understand what's wrong with Trump's proposal. Ukraine doesn't have the resources to take back all its lost territory. And for a simple reason: In 2024 Russia lost 420,000 men to gain 4,168 sq km of Ukrainian territory (1,610 sqm), mostly agricultural land, good to grow potatoes. Each square mile of potato fields costed Russia the lives of 260 soldiers (link below). Which other country is so idiotic to sacrifice the lives of 260 young man for each square mile of potato field gained? Only countries where human lives have very little value and are considered expendable cannon fodder, like Russia. But we are lucky: our countries, Ukraine, Europe and the United States, are different and we understand that human lives are our most precious resource. Ukraine, under the European or the American or a combined shield, will resurrect stronger, richer and freer than ever. Just like the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). It's what Russia fears the most. Let's make Putin's nightmares real. https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-31-2024

I love Trump's proposal to have European troops stationing in Ukraine. 80 years after the end of WWII, it's time Europe steps up to the plate, sets aside its convenient pacifism, and takes charge at least of its own defense.

I recall it too. But regardless of what we recall, the time has definitely come to side with the commander in chief when he does the right thing. And, with regards to Ukraine, I feel Trump is doing and will do the right thing.

Ignorance is bliss and it cuts two ways. In the direction of those who maintain that what is invisible cannot exist, and those who maintain that if we can only imagine it, it means that it must exist. I therefore believe it is better to stick to the known facts, such as a clearly shot down plane, 38 corpses, the control tower in Russia which forces the damaged plane to fly over the Caspian Sea, in the hope that the plane sinks to the seabed with all its passengers and follows the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Things didn't go according to plans, and Russia ran out of luck. It's time for Russia to apologize and pay its dues to the victims.

Ukrainian welcomed the Nazis only because they were coming from years of hunger, misery and death, under the Russian yoke. They assumed that nothing could be worse than Russia's rule. Fill the void that constitutes your abysmal ignorance by learning what the Holodomor was: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor

"Idiot" suffices

You must be seriously mentally sick. This is just an example of your "sound" logic applied to real life. And if you don't like the result, it's because it's your logic to be deranged.

Which cut and paste? Mussolini never used the expression "Make Italy Great Again". But he wanted to restore Italy to the greatness of the ancient Roman Empire, and he clearly expressed this intention. For this reason he tried to imitate Julius Caesar, reintroducing the ridiculous "Roman salute" and exploiting the ancient Roman ruins for military parades. Times change, but the tools used by dictators and wannabe dictators are still the same. As the saying goes "those who don't know history are deemed to repeat it over and over again".

Yagoda, you keep on confusing... You confuse the expansive and extravagant Trump-style Nazi campaign promises, intended to attract voters, with the policies actually implemented after Hitler's coming to power. However, I see a merit in your logic. Here are some of the points included in the Nazi manifesto: These points are integral part of Trump's manifesto. Trump promised to: eradicate immigration, deport illegal immigrants, replace ObamaCare with something better, bigger and cheaper, being tough on criminals protect motherhood struggle against wokes and wokeism whose activity is injurious to the general interest reconstruct the American education system Therefore, by applying your logic, we can safely conclude that: many of Trump electoral promises are clearly taken from the Nazi "electoral promises play book" Therefore Trump must be a Nazi Nazism is Socialism Therefore Trump must also be a socialist. Which is a very interesting and consequential conclusion.

Dear Yagoda, only your abismal ignorance can catch up with your arrogance. Mussolini add a long list of "Enemies of the people": Anyone who opposed Mussolini. Anyone who opposed Mussolini's plan to "Make Italy Great Again". Anyone who jeopardized the purity of the Italian racial and cultural identity (race "Razza" in Italian) All opposition parties were deemed "enemies of the people": Liberals, Christians, Monarchists, Republicans, Radicals, Socialists, Communists. Make Italy Great Again meant, among other things, ensuring Italy had its empire, a fair share of the world's reaches, which was a prerequisite to gain full sovereignty. The main obstacles of the path of securing an empire were the British Empire, its smaller allied, the French Empire, and its far away ally, the USA. According to Mussolini, these democratic countries were ruled by "plutocrats" and its citizens led a dissolute life. He called the British people "the people of five meals a day", and described them as effeminate and incapable of winning against the warriors born of the Italian race. Like Putin today with Ukraine, he considered France presence in Tunisia as a gun pointed at Italy, a threat to its sovereignty, and to its effort to build an empire in Africa. Make Italy Great Again meant also ensuring the purity of the Italian race and culture. American jazz was forbidden because "musica nera". Mussolini sent Italian Jews and gypsies to German concentration camps.

You keep on overlooking...