TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian Z fascist invaders.
I am a 73 year old Covid hermit who
lives on 10 acres in a sparsely populated area of the Ozarks. I heat with wood that is leftover by the lumber industry. When cutting oak for lumber only the trunk is used.
The largest town is population 2992. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
This poll smells like decaying seafood.
Russian War crimes in October and November of 2022
Supremes put Trump back on the ballot in Colorado
⚡️Russia is increasing its import of dual-use goods, such as drones or computer chips of American origin, from China through Central Asian trade routes, The Wall Street Journal reported.
These goods are fueling the Russian military machine, allowing Moscow to produce missiles, drones, and much more.
Nikki Haley won the Republican presidential primary in Washington DC on Sunday, scoring her first victory as she struggles to remain relevant in her underdog race against Donald Trump.
Haley’s symbolic victory in the nation’s capital comes just ahead a decisive day in the long US nominating process — Super Tuesday, in which 15 states and one territory vote.
Haley took 63 percent of the votes in a primary held in just one place — a downtown hotel, according to Politico, which quoted Washington party officials.
The Haley campaign put out a statement saying "It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos."
Trump’s campaign in turn released what it called a "statement on Nikki Haley Being Crowned Queen of The Swamp."
The Super Tuesday milestone is expected to leave Trump a hair’s breadth from securing the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. He has already swept all the early state primaries.
Super Tuesday is seen as the last real chance for Haley to upend the former president’s march towards becoming the
party’s flagbearer once again, against Biden.
🇸🇰🇮🇹 Pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Italy will withdraw the SAMP/T air defense system from his country.
He has been informed by the Italian government that this air defense system is "needed elsewhere." Now Fico is asking who will protect Slovakia's nuclear power plants and other strategic facilities. He also complained about the previous government, which gave Ukraine the Russian S-300 air defense system.
▪️Slovakia had S-300 air defense systems before Russia invaded Ukraine. In 2023, the country temporarily deployed the Patriot, but then it was replaced by the Italian SAMP/T.
@ukrainejournal
🇺🇸 The Pentagon is weighing whether to use its last source of military aid funding to support Ukraine's military efforts against Russia, even without guarantees that those funds will be replenished by Congress, multiple defense officials told CNN.
ℹ️ The US Department of Defense still has about $4 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
ℹ️ Previously, the Pentagon ruled out the possibility of using this money without guarantees of further funding by Congress. Appealing that the impossibility of replenishing its own reserves could affect the military readiness of the United States.
ℹ️ But with Ukraine increasingly in need of U.S. military aid and the House speaker refusing to hold a vote on it, senior Defense Department officials are debating whether there is any domestic financial cushion that would allow the department to spend at least some of the remaining $4 billion .
No decisions have been made yet, the officials emphasized. But talk of that option and other potential Plan Bs have become increasingly urgent over the past few weeks.
ℹ️ Officials said the ministry may spend some of that $4 billion even if it can't find the money domestically to use to restock. But it will not be unprecedented for the Pentagon to find additional, unexpected sources of funding .
We will continue to look for ways to support Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and preservation of sovereignty.
Yes, even though we have that $4.2 billion, we don't have the funds to replenish those reserves if we spend them. But without a clear time frame, we have to make these tough decisions
ℹ️ A separate representative of the defense department said that the next package of aid to Ukraine, if it arrives, will definitely include critical ammunition. Discussions are also underway on how and where to deploy military equipment so that it can be sent to Ukraine as soon as possible after additional sources of funding are found, the official said
ℹ️ The latest package of security assistance to Ukraine in the amount of up to 250 million dollars was announced on December 27. Some weapons and equipment from previous packages and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) are still arriving in Ukraine.
In Factum
@ukrainejournal
More details about the video we posted last week of the epic fail:
The video shows a russian Pantsir-S1 air defence missile system flipping over when its truck turned a corner too quickly in Sochi. This mistake happened near President Putin's holiday home by the Black Sea.
It is said that the missile truck was hurrying to guard Putin, who is supposed to visit Sochi soon. The mishap took place in the same area as his oppulent secret palace that is shrouded in mystery.
The Pantsir-S1 air defence system is known to protect Putin's official homes and private palaces from potential Ukrainian kamikaze drones or missiles. In the past, this top-notch complex has been seen near Putin's homes in the mountain-and-sea resort Sochi, forest palace Valdai in northern russia, and Novo-Ogaryevo, in the Moscow region.
@ukrainejournal
ISW: Enemy is willing to lose aircraft for continued offensive operations
According to the ISW (Institute for the study of war), russian forces appear to be willing to risk continued aviation losses in pursuit of tactical gains in eastern Ukraine, likely along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.
Since February 17, Ukrainian forces have shot down 15 russian aircraft. After the destruction of an A-50 aircraft on February 23, there were no such planes deployed over the Sea of Azov, Air Force Spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat stated. This forces russian Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft to fly closer to their targets to conduct strikes.
Previous russian aircraft losses have prompted a temporarily decrease of aviation activity throughout Ukraine, but the increased rate of losses in the past weeks until now didn't lead to a significant decrease of their tactical aviation activity.
During the final days before the fall of Avdiivka, russian forces temporarily established limited and localized air superiority. Now they are likely attempting to reestablish this in order to support advances in the Avdiivka direction. Therefore they have decided that continued offensive operations with air support outweigh the risk of losing more aircraft.
ISW assesses the reported loss of 15 aircraft and possibly some highly trained pilots in about two weeks is not negligible for the russian military given that it likely has about 300 various Sukhoi fighter aircraft.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/3/7444719/
@ukrainejournal
According to The Wall Street Journal, during the 2022 mobilization, Putin exploited the open Russian borders to allow hundreds of thousands of Russians to flee to Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, while simultaneously dispatching intelligence agents among them.
The decision came after many Russian diplomats were recalled to Russia, prompting Putin to augment the ranks of spies.
Currently, Russian agents are displaying increasing audacity and ingenuity in suppressing dissent abroad. They may be implicated in the high-profile assassinations of Russian defectors, with particular focus given to the death of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov.
Two years after the invasion of Ukraine, drones and U.S.-made computer chips are reportedly flowing from China to Russia through Central Asian trade routes, highlighting the challenge of restricting supplies to Moscow's war effort. Trade routes passing through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are being utilized for the transfer of dual-use goods, despite U.S. efforts to impose sanctions. Dual-use goods are those that can have both civilian and military applications. The Central Asian trade route is seen as a significant pathway for goods such as microelectronics, car parts, and luxury items, both for military use in Ukraine and personal consumption. The flow of these goods has increased since the war began, with Chinese exports of targeted dual-use goods rising to $1.3 billion in 2023. Despite sanctions, Russia managed to import $8.8 billion worth of dual-use goods from around the world in the first 10 months of 2023, only 10% lower than the pre-sanctions period. The trade reflects the challenges in restricting the movement of military supplies from China to Russia.
https://www.wsj.com/world/russias-backdoor-for-battlefield-goods-from-china-central-asia-bd88b546
This is exactly who they should appoint. Someone who "eats Russians for breakfast".
European leaders reportedly harbor reservations about Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas assuming leadership roles in the EU and NATO due to her perceived tough stance towards Russia, as reported by Politico.
An unnamed European diplomat conveyed skepticism about Kallas receiving adequate support for potential appointments as the next NATO Secretary General or the head of European diplomacy. The diplomat cited concerns about Kallas's assertive approach towards Russia, stating, "Are we really going to appoint someone who likes to eat Russians for breakfast to this position?"
Despite this, some analysts speculate that Kallas could garner support from French President Emmanuel Macron, who has recently adopted a firmer stance towards Moscow.
Kallas herself, along with other Baltic state leaders, has expressed dissatisfaction with the prospect of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte assuming the role of the next NATO Secretary General. They argue that this would underscore the inequality among EU members.
Addressing the issue of geographical balance, Kallas questioned the prevalence of Dutch leadership within NATO, emphasizing concerns about equality among member states.
Politico observes that Eastern European countries have had limited representation in leadership positions within the EU and NATO since their accession in 2004. Poland stands out as an exception, with former Prime Minister Donald Tusk serving as President of the European Council for one term and Jerzy Buzek, another former Polish Prime Minister, holding the position of President of the European Parliament for three years.
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian Z fascist invaders.
I am a 73 year old Covid hermit who
lives on 10 acres in a sparsely populated area of the Ozarks. I heat with wood that is leftover by the lumber industry. When cutting oak for lumber only the trunk is used.
The largest town is population 2992. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
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