11 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Note how this is double standard. Nobody threatened Finland or Sweden. However, when these countries join NATO, in the absence of any threat from Russia whatsoever to these countries, everyone nods and signals understanding. However, when Russa is encircled by NATO member states, some of whom have nuclear weapons, but all have conventional US weapons and Russia then feels threatened, this is a big shock to everyone.

 

Very odd this congnitive dissonance among some.

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

Update: Incursion into Russia: Strategic Bridge Destroyed and Tensions Escalate

 

Ukraine has successfully destroyed a strategically vital bridge over the Seym River as part of its ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk region. This bold operation, taking place near the town of Glushkovo, has disrupted Russian supply lines, cutting off a significant part of the local district. The bridge, crucial for the Kremlin to supply its troops, is now reduced to rubble, potentially hampering Russia's military efforts in the region.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukrainian troops are strengthening their positions within Kursk. In a statement, Zelensky referred to the captured territories as an "exchange fund," implying that these areas could be traded for Ukrainian regions currently occupied by Moscow. This incursion, now in its second week, marks Ukraine's deepest penetration into Russian territory since Moscow's full-scale invasion began more than two years ago.

 

The cross-border operation has prompted over 120,000 people to flee to safety, underscoring the scale and impact of Ukraine’s unexpected military maneuver. Despite these territorial gains, Kyiv has maintained that it has no intention of occupying Russian land. "Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories," a senior aide to President Zelensky clarified on Friday. Mykhailo Podolyak, a key adviser to Zelensky, emphasized that one of the primary objectives of the incursion is to compel Moscow to negotiate "on our own terms."

 

Podolyak further elaborated on Ukraine’s strategic goals in the Kursk region, stating, "In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade Russia to enter a fair negotiation process." He asserted that Kyiv has proven it possesses “effective means of coercion” to bring Russia to the negotiating table.

 

On the battlefield, the head of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrsky, reported further progress in the offensive. "The troops of the offensive group continue to fight and have advanced in some areas from one to three kilometers towards the enemy," Syrsky informed President Zelensky in a video shared on social media. He expressed optimism about taking "many prisoners" from a fierce battle in the village of Mala Loknya, located approximately 13 kilometers from the border.

 

As Ukraine continues its advance, officials in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, have announced the evacuation of five villages starting Monday. Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov communicated this decision on Telegram, stating, "From 19 August, we are closing access to five settlements, removing residents and helping them bring out their property," referencing small villages near the border. This evacuation is a stark indicator of the growing intensity and reach of Ukraine’s offensive within Russian territory.

 

However, even as Ukraine pushes deeper into western Russia, Russian forces have been making gains in Ukraine’s eastern regions. On Friday, Moscow announced that its troops had captured Serhiivka, the latest in a series of towns taken by Russian forces in recent weeks. This progression brings Russian troops closer to Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub that serves as a main artery for supplying Ukrainian forces along the eastern front.

 

Pokrovsk, situated northwest of the Russian-held Donetsk region, has been under increasing pressure from Russian advances. Sergiy Dobryak, the head of the city’s military administration, issued a warning on Thursday, urging residents to evacuate as Russian forces were “rapidly approaching the outskirts." The situation has been further complicated by ongoing shelling in the Donetsk region. Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, accused Kyiv of a strike on a shopping center that left at least seven people wounded. Over the past 24 hours, reports have surfaced of three civilian deaths and five injuries in the Donetsk region, according to local officials.

 

In Crimea, a region annexed by Russia in 2014, tensions have escalated as well. The Russian defense ministry reported on Telegram that missiles targeting a key bridge in Crimea, constructed under the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, were intercepted and shot down overnight. This bridge has been a recurring target for Kyiv, which has launched multiple attacks and attempted strikes on the Kerch Bridge since the beginning of Moscow’s military offensive.

 

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to evolve, with each side making significant military and strategic moves. Ukraine’s recent actions, particularly its deep incursion into Russian territory and the destruction of key infrastructure, signify a shift in the dynamics of the war. While Ukraine asserts that its incursions are not aimed at occupation, the destruction of the Seym River bridge and the advancement into Kursk region suggest a broader strategy of applying pressure on Moscow to negotiate.

 

 

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All that needs to happen now is the other countries that Russia has stolen land from since the dissolution of USSR, like Georgia in 2008, have to militarily take their land back. Russia's incompetence is appalling;

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You have a vivid imagination as you made all that up. You have ZERO proof I support Russia, or that I hate the west in total. Of course I have issues with certain stupid things in the west, but that does not mean I want Russia to take us over ( as if it could anyway ).

 

That's a vivid imagination you have there. The proof of the pudding is in the eating(your posts). Funny that you added "in total" at the end of that sentence. Speaks volumes. Also, the Russia taking us over bit...whoever suggested that?? It's you taking the leaps and bounds with your imagination.

Try posting in a more balanced way if you want to prove there is no bias.

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There is certainly babbling on this thread, but not from him.

 

From you?

2 hours ago, gargamon said:

All that needs to happen now is the other countries that Russia has stolen land from since the dissolution of USSR, like Georgia in 2008, have to militarily take their land back. Russia's incompetence is appalling;

I'd say many of the 22 republics in the Russian Federation - Georgia, Chechnya, Dagestan etc. are taking note of how poorly Russia is performing in Ukraine. They are probably fed up with their citizens being drafted for the meat grinder as well.

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

 

That's a fair point, it could have been a political play set in motion by the US. After all they gifted Tukey F16s just to buy their vote for the move. 

9 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

That's a fair point, it could have been a political play set in motion by the US. After all they gifted Tukey F16s just to buy their vote for the move. 

 

 

You seem to forget that Hungry was also holding out.

 

What concessions did Finland and Sweden give to Turkey and Hungry? Here's just one example for you. Finland lifted its nearly three-year-long arms embargo on Turkey in January as part of its effort to improve the two countries’ relations.

 

You seem to think its all to do with F16's from the US that were certainly not gifted as you put it.

16 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

What makes you think they needed convincing?

 

Finland had  Karelia stolen from it in the aftermath of the 1939-1940 Winter War. It has a 1500 km frontier with Russia. It sees Russia invade Ukraine illegally.

 

Sweden has been fighting wars against Russia since 1400, mainly over control of the Baltic. Right now, it is beefing up the military in the Baltic island of Gotland.

 

Your posts are bereft of any study of history.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. Of course I'm biased. Biased against wokeism, PC , Man made climate change, children surgically changing their gender etc.

 

Why wouldn't I say "in total"? Do you think I should love everything about the west? That would be a nonsense. While the west is obviously, IMO, in decline, there are still some things about it that make it a better way of life than the alternatives, though I wish we were more like Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore, and less Brave New World.

 

How I post is not down to your druthers.

 

Hightail it over to Russia. Don't stay in the West 😊 You are just an impotent old man shaking your fist at the clouds.

Anyone who has even the tiniest amount of intelligence understands that if you want change, you have to BE that change. If you want love, you have to BE that love. Without you doing that and being that, it can not ever exist for you. Running away, becoming a whoremonger and blaming your women and your country is weak.

Instead of staying in your country and being a real man for your women, you cry impotently about how it all got away from you. "Wokeism".. the pathetic cries of weak and impotent men.

 

I

On 8/17/2024 at 12:24 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

 

On 8/17/2024 at 8:24 AM, Cameroni said:

 

That's a fair point, it could have been a political play set in motion by the US. After all they gifted Tukey F16s just to buy their vote for the move. 

 

It might also be as simple as the Finnish and Swedish governments deciding that the security of their nations is now best served by them becoming members of NATO, and the NATO authorities accepting Finland's and Sweden's applications at face value.

On 8/17/2024 at 5:24 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

Yes, we do.  Russia showed it won't stop attacking its neighbors.  Easy decision for Finland and Sweden, who steadfastly refused to join even during the Cold War.

 

Such a wonderful irony that one of Putin's alleged concerns that just FORCED him to invade Ukraine was fear of another NATO country on his doorstep.

On 8/16/2024 at 8:12 PM, candide said:

However, Russia has a record of trying to punch above its weight.

I made your sentence better 😁  "However, Russia has a record of trying to punch above its weight, but in the end punching far below its weight, militarily."

I will say they are still the masters of asymmetric warfare, though.  And while their diplomats are good, in the end they're always trying to sell a car that everyone knows is a lemon.

On 8/16/2024 at 5:24 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

We don't know what went on between the US and Finland, Sweden to convince them to join NATO.

Russia Happened, nothing else