International Russia/Ukraine Megathread V15

[Devil's_Advocate]

But how? Our resident expert keeps saying Ukraine is on the verge of losing ....Obama!!!!

 

[SandisLL]

The Biden admin decided to report to the press the actual intelligence assessments it was getting from the CIA around the time of the fall of Afghanistan (which made us look less foolish than if we claimed that it wasn't going to fall), and so it told the press that Russia was going to invade Ukraine, which then caused a panic among foreign investors in Ukraine, which crashed the Ukrainian economy. Then the Ukrainians started talking about joining NATO or getting a nuke or invading Donbas more seriously as proposed solutions to the Russian issue, which then kicked this whole thing off.

If 1979-1989 Ukraine and Russia etc backed by Warshaw block from East Germany till others ofc all USSR had to pull out from Afganistan after 10 years long investments from area maybe 3x more workforce than Russia now does have.

Had pissed off.

Americans usually are assuming that Ukraine is just 100 naked cavemans, their friends vassals...

For U.S " defeat " in Afganistan are responsible Donald Trump and CIA.
Trump had reduced number of troops stationed in Afganistan till level not enough even for evacuation ....
CIA most likely had assumed that afganis will be like kurds No2 or south vietnam No2.

For Vietnam Kissinger had explained long ago.
Fake shit Paris accords plus yanks preservative and congress not willing to ....

Yes. Yanks does have nice experience and funny history.

 

[SandisLL]

I don't blame CIA too much because they most likely didn't had in account impact on afganis when they will see that yanks are reducing number of perssonel stationed. They aren't blind idiots....


And then you might get for example village with 900 inhabitants now having 40 inhabitants and Taliban taking this with 0 shot. Real life.

 

[SandisLL]

The Biden admin decided to report to the press the actual intelligence assessments it was getting from the CIA around the time of the fall of Afghanistan (which made us look less foolish than if we claimed that it wasn't going to fall), and so it told the press that Russia was going to invade Ukraine, which then caused a panic among foreign investors in Ukraine, which crashed the Ukrainian economy. Then the Ukrainians started talking about joining NATO or getting a nuke or invading Donbas more seriously as proposed solutions to the Russian issue, which then kicked this whole thing off.

part of Donetsk oblastj is under ukr physical control till today and this still is Ukr de Iure.

 

[SandisLL]

They most likely had these for exercises since pre 2018 th era.
All these Obama, Trump No1term and Biden had attempted to sell this stuff.

Actually it was for from Poland till Finland etc stuff.

 

[San Marino]

Ukraine's "Achilles" dismisses rapid peace, warns of prolonged fight​

MSN

Europe’s Ukraine peacekeeping force shrinks before it starts​

MSN

2025 Russian spring offensive - Analysis​

Military analysts, including Ukrainian analyst Oleksii Hetman, suggested the spring offensive represented an attempt by Russian forces to capitalize on Ukraine's ongoing difficulties in securing consistent Western military aid. The timing coincided with debates in multiple NATO countries regarding the sustainability and extent of support packages for Ukraine's defense efforts.

While the British Ministry of Defense assessed that Russia's territorial gains had been steadily declining over six months prior to April, from approximately 730 square kilometers in November 2024 to 143 square kilometers in March 2025, other analysts emphasized that Russia's primary strategic objective appeared to be attrition of Ukrainian military capabilities and economic resources rather than territorial advancement, possibly in advance of the renewed offensive.

 

[SandisLL]

Japan and europe looks that most likely does have some re configuration processes.

As for european companies some might easily process Canadian or low grade Iraq crude oil sorts.

Vanadium content might be problem but otherwise some columns rows might process from API 10° till API 45° crude oil with sulfur % even till 4.5% ....

Will see..

 

[San Marino]

For U.S " defeat " in Afganistan are responsible Donald Trump and CIA.

You mean Biden, the CIA, and the NSA.

Trump had reduced number of troops stationed in Afganistan till level not enough even for evacuation.

Afghanistan, not Afganistan. Again, you mean Biden. What is the right number for an evacuation?

Yes. Yanks does have nice experience and funny history.

Latvia has no experience or history that is noteworthy. They have not really done shit on the European stage.
How is US history funny? Funny in how Latvia depends on US military help to defend itself? An ex-eastern bloc country hoping they don't fall under Russian rule. Not that life would change much.

. Latvian GDP for 2024: $45.52 billion dollars.
. Texas GDP for 2024: $2.7 trillion dollars. One US state.

Americans usually are assuming that Ukraine is just 100 naked cavemans.

You are assuming Americans are very stupid.

 

[SandisLL]

You mean Biden, the CIA, and the NSA.

Afghanistan, not Afganistan. Again, you mean Biden. What is the right number for an evacuation?

Latvia has no experience or history that is noteworthy. They have not really done shit on the European stage.
How is US history funny? Funny in how Latvia depends on US military help to defend itself? An ex-eastern bloc country hoping they don't fall under Russian rule. Not that life would change much.

. Latvian GDP for 2024: $45.52 billion dollars.
. Texas GDP for 2024: $2.7 trillion dollars. One US state.

You are assuming Americans are very stupid.

I absolutely don't care what stuff about some Latvia or Lithuania you will think or post. It doesn't makes sense.

Makes sense that U.S corps are selling them LNG, does have banks and mortgage , are importing some stuff and does have data centers etc...and nice looking U.S citizens.

If about protection, appeared that swamp might be big problem ....very big problem.

I absolutely don't care how cocky you might feel. Usually guys doesn't knows Marx quote : country is entity created and existing in order to provide elite with income.
Elite doesn't care about you....doesn't makes sense....your passport.

You also don't know european history at all.

They aren't protecting dreams or fultfilling papers.

For them doesn't likes to gave up mortgage, banks, shares in companies, servers and investments in funds etc.
It is business. Nothing personal. Real life.

Man up, business and diplomacy isn't posts in internet or yelling in pubs.

Absolutely doesn't makes sense what stuff mainstream public might think about meaningless countries and supposedly dumb delusional " dreamers ".

They don't care.
Maybe them even doesn't likes to pay for expensive U.S weapons.
China might sell cheaper...more and deliver quickly.

 

[SandisLL]

You are assuming Americans are very stupid.

Not all. These I had to see in real life were more normal than trolls in internet.

 

[Badr Hari]

Russia has no aspirations of taking over Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, or Belarus. If that was the case, they would have done it years ago. Ukraine is a whole different story. It was the 'crown jewel' of the Soviet empire and Zelensky and his government gave the Russians two big reasons to invade it. It is not like Ukraine was not warned for years this was going to happen. You should be more worried about China and Iran at this time. Iran is absolutely unpredictable, and who is to say one or two of those missing Soviet nukes is not already in Iranian hands.

Russia is a more imminent threat to Europe than China and Iran are, simple reason being geography. And if they don't have a problem doing a massacre on their own 'crown jewel' I don't expect a better treatment for other less-brotherly nations when diplomacy (subjugation in their terms) fails.

 

[PEB]

Finless design and uses F22 directional thrusts and twin engine meaning it has very likely mach 2 plus capability putting it beyond current generation F-22 and F-35. Not creating a thread in for this stuff.

Not a fan of the kid providing the story.

 

[PEB]

The firings are starting.

 

[GhostZ06]

US and Ukraine sign agreement creating investment fund after months of negotiations​

Eli Stokols and Felicia Schwartz

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 29. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Updated: 04/30/2025 06:12 PM EDT​

The U.S. and Ukraine have signed an economic partnership agreement to develop mineral resources in the Eastern European country amid its grinding war with Russia, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, the U.S. and Ukraine will cooperate to establish an investment fund to help rebuild the Eastern European nation as the White House says it continues to seek peace more than three years after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion.


“As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement announcing the deal. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”

Kyiv and Washington have been negotiating for months on an agreement, which would see the U.S. develop and profit from Ukraine’s vast natural resources, including critical elements and minerals vital to modern manufacturing, and contribute to a reconstruction fund for Ukraine.

Ukraine will retain full control over its national resources and state-owned enterprises will remain state property, the country said in an outline of the agreement.

The U.S. will contribute to the fund through direct payments or through new military assistance, according to the outline. Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenue with royalties from newly issued licenses for critical minerals, oil and gas exploration.


The long-awaited signing came just days after Trump and Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral in the Vatican City last weekend — and as the president has been pushing both Ukraine and Russia to hammer out a peace agreement to end the war.

The sudden urgency to cement the agreement, according to two people familiar with the process granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, stemmed in part from the president’s growing frustration with the pace of peace talks and, in particular, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has thus far been unwilling to accept the terms of Trump’s proposal for peace.

During their conversation inside St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, Zelenskyy encouraged Trump to apply more pressure on Putin. Trump, meanwhile, encouraged Ukraine’s leader to finalize the minerals agreement, which he has been pushing since taking office as a de facto post-war security guarantee for Ukraine.


In a social media post sent from Air Force One as he returned to Washington, Trump pointed to Putin’s recent bombing campaign as a signal that “maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently.”

Asked during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday about the finalization of the minerals agreement, Trump said that it would help deter future attacks on Ukraine once peace is reached.

“The American presence will, I think, keep a lot of bad actors out of the country or certainly out of the area where we’re doing the digging,” he said.

The deal was close to being signed two months ago, when Zelenskyy met with Trump at the White House in late February, only to be shelved after the meeting in the Oval Office turned acrimonious.


And even after Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko arrived in Washington on Wednesday to sign the agreement, there were some momentary snags once again.

Ukraine had balked at signing the main economic pact and two technical side agreements.

A U.S. official confirmed that the sides signed all three agreements after Ukraine had requested some last minute changes and the U.S. Treasury played “hardball.”

Ukraine welcomed the deal as “a new stage in our cooperation with the U.S.”

“We are receiving not only investments, but also a strategic partner who will work with us on economic development and the introduction of innovations,” Svyrydenko said.

Kyiv wanted to ensure the deal did not factor in past U.S. military aid, which Ukraine said Wednesday was included in the deal.

“The agreement focuses on future, not past, U.S. military assistance,” a Ukrainian fact sheet said.

Trump, in his public comments about the minerals deal, has described it as a way for American taxpayers to recoup the approximately $120 billion in aid the U.S. has sent to Ukraine since the war began.

oh you bet your ass we are 100% building a military base in the Ukraine

 

[syct23]

oh you bet your ass we are 100% building a military base in the Ukraine

Currently planting Freedom Seeds…

 

[PEB]

Oh no mister President.

Pahalgam: US urges India and Pakistan to defuse tensions after Kashmir attack

India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants behind the Kashmir attack, which Islamabad denies.

www.bbc.com

 

[San Marino]

I absolutely don't care what stuff about some Latvia you will think or post.

Yes, you do. You just responded to it.

You also don't know european history at all.

I do.
You don't know American history, European history, and world history. You don't know Soviet, Russian, or Ukrainian history.
You also don't know the military history of the Revolutionary war, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean war, Vietnam war, Soviet/Afghan war, and the American/Afghan war. What do you know?

Absolutely doesn't makes sense what stuff mainstream public might think about meaningless countries and supposedly dumb delusional " dreamers ".

Well, even Putin said it was not worth invading Latvia. It is a shithole. He said only idiots live there. Imagine that.
So, you have now changed sides and are hoping that Russia wins in Ukraine. You little rat. Putin was right. You want Russia to take over all of Ukraine. Saying I'm a Russian agent when in fact you have been the Russian agent all along.

 

[Strychnine]

Ukraine did an all-in air/ground drone assault and took ground from the Russians!

 

[San Marino]

Ukraine did an all-in air/ground drone assault and took ground from the Russians!

How much ground? 1 acre? (the size of a football field for our metric folks)
When do you think Russia will take that ground back?
You know, this has been going on in one way or another for 3 years now. Not exactly news. Russia still holds 21% of Ukraine.
The real news would be how large is the current Ukrainian Army. How many soldiers is Ukraine losing a week?
I think Putin went for a war of attrition. This will take years. Russia could be much, much more aggressive in this conflict but opted for a low, and slow, profile. It does not want to stir things up more than it has to with Europe and the US. Putin is happy China and Iran are still making headlines before Ukraine.

 

[Strychnine]

How much ground? 1 acre? (the size of a football field for our metric folks)
When do you think Russia will take that ground back?
You know, this has been going on in one way or another for 3 years now. Not exactly news. Russia still holds 21% of Ukraine.
The real news would be how large is the current Ukrainian Army. How many soldiers is Ukraine losing a week?
I think Putin went for a war of attrition. This will take years. Russia could be much, much more aggressive in this conflict but opted for a low, and slow, profile. It does not want to stir things up more than it has to with Europe and the US. Putin is happy China and Iran are still making headlines before Ukraine.

Unknown.

They haven't as of yet, or you would've told us by now.

The point is that Ukraine battled the "2nd greatest army in the world" with air/ground drones and beat them in a battle. I'll wait for Russia to do the same with their drones.







The Saudis are saying they can sustain their economy even if they ramp up oil production. More oil on the market = bad news for Russia and good news for everyone else.