Russia-Ukraine War

[SB Shock]

I was in Germany in 1973 with the Big Red One on Reforger. The Yom Kippur War broke out, and guess who the Brass thought was most combat ready. We had live ammo and our m16's with us. And planes on the tarmac. Not a happy camper with less than a year left. But it all worked out.

I did the "last" Reforger with Big Red One - my experience was less dramatic. After the exercise, my Battalion went into Old-East Germany and toured the Napolean battlefields near Jena and a German concentration camp from WW2. Russians were still there but were pulling out.

The first night at the hostel we stayed at in Jena, the staff was extremely rude - then they figured out we were American instead of Russian and we started getting the best service.

[SB Shock]

Russia has started pulling diplomatic staff out of Ukraine.

Russia continues to deploy units. Russia now has an equivalent of ~10 motorized rifle divisions in the theater. It is believed it is mainly equipment that is being deployed forward with skeleton crews. But units are deploying with munitions. So another possible warning sign will be when they large movement of troops starts happening.

There are indications that NATO is quietly arming Ukraine with anti-tank weapons. There have been numerous NATO transport aircraft flying into Ukraine.

[N Crestway]

Interesting article in the WSJ: Putin Wants NATO to Back Off but Is Achieving ‘Exactly the Opposite,’ Says Alliance Chief - WSJ

Everything Putin does to intimidate NATO is having the opposite effect.

"Since Russia in 2014 seized the Crimean peninsula and fomented separatism in Ukraine’s east, NATO has significantly increased deployments of troops and equipment in its eastern members. Other Russian actions since then, including suspected cyberattacks and operations in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, have prompted NATO to expand its presence in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once part of the Soviet Union, and in other former Soviet satellite states, such as Poland."

"That aggression “triggered the biggest reinforcement of NATO since the end of the Cold War,” said NATO’s Mr. Stoltenberg.

The alliance’s expansion has involved the dispatch of thousands of U.S. and allied troops to Poland and the Baltic states alongside new deployments of advanced weapons. NATO members have increased military spending by $260 billion over the period and are continuing to boost their military budgets.

“There are more U.S. soldiers in Europe now than seven years ago,” Mr. Stoltenberg said of Russia’s impact on NATO. “We actually do more together, in North America and Europe, than we’ve done for many decades.” "

Prior to the outbreak of WWII, the allies reacted to Hitler's military buildup but to some degree it was too late, especially in terms of air power. Moreover I wouldn't compare NATO's military spending to that of Russia. I think US numbers are particularly inflated. What the US has had in place for the last 20 years is a "colonial" army deployed to what you could term brush fire, guerrilla wars, not one that is truly prepared for major conventional war. More US troops in central Europe than we had 7 years ago means little. Putin gets it...that is why he is willing to gamble big stakes at this point.

[Shockm]

Prior to the outbreak of WWII, the allies reacted to Hitler's military buildup but to some degree it was too late, especially in terms of air power. Moreover I wouldn't compare NATO's military spending to that of Russia. I think US numbers are particularly inflated. What the US has had in place for the last 20 years is a "colonial" army deployed to what you could term brush fire, guerrilla wars, not one that is truly prepared for major conventional war. More US troops in central Europe than we had 7 years ago means little. Putin gets it...that is why he is willing to gamble big stakes at this point.

I'm not saying that what is happening in the Ukraine, will develop into WW3, but, it doesn't sound a whole lot different than what we are doing now. Our threats do sound kind of hollow.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidca...h=243bba024e7e

In 1936, Hitler brazenly remilitarized Germany’s Rhineland border with France. Remilitarization directly threatened French national security. After World War I, the Rhineland had been left demilitarized to deter German aggression against France. With this border undefended, the French could pour into Germany. Only 3,000 Nazi troops entered the Rhineland. Hundreds of thousands of French troops stood just miles away. Germany’s generals trembled with fear, certain that a French invasion would end the Third Reich. However, facing bad economic conditions and finding few allies willing to offer support, the French government decided that military intervention was too expensive. Once again, a weak and divided West allowed the Nazi threat to increase.

In early 1938, Hitler forced Austria into the Third Reich by threatening to invade. Immediately, unprecedented anti-Semitic violence broke out across Austria. The Western Allies responded with a collective shrug. By incorporating Austria, Hitler gained millions of new citizens and access to Austria’s ample cash reserves and industrial resources. He was now more powerful than ever.

Many British and French political leaders had staked their hopes on appeasing Hitler to avoid war. Appeasement was a fatally flawed policy. Churchill condemned appeasement as the strategy of feeding a crocodile in the hopes it would eat you last. He recognized that Hitler was insatiable, and each meal only made the crocodile more dangerous.

The infamous Munich Conference in late 1938 revealed the costs of appeasement. Hitler had demanded an integral part of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France should have supported the strong pro-Western democracy against Nazi aggression. Instead, they sold out the young nation by accepting Hitler’s claims. The Czechoslovaks were not even invited to Munich. The Western betrayal proved disastrous. Czechoslovakia lost its natural defenses and industrial areas, rendering the nation helpless against further German expansion. Additionally, Britain and France’s capitulation convinced other nations that Western leaders lacked the will to stop Hitler.

[SB Shock]

Russia planning to just "rip the bandaid" off Ukraine. Go for the jugular and overthrow the Ukraine government.

US officials still don't know what Putin's plans are, or whether he has even made up his mind to invade. Some officials who have seen the intelligence say there is evidence Russia is planning to try to take Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and overthrow the government. The deployment of forces from Russia's Eastern Military District into Belarus on Monday struck many US officials and Russian military analysts as particularly ominous, as have a spate of cyberattacks targeting Ukraine last week.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/politics/us-military-support-ukraine-russia/index.html

[ShockerPrez]

This is kind of insane if Putin invaded in a traditional war with Ukraine. Not insane like he's crazy, but just the gall of doing it. He obviously sees very little deterrent at this point. I really am surprised he believes he sees an actual positive outcome in doing it. But I guess if he thinks at the end of the day, he will have Ukraine that outweighs the negatives.

Will be interesting to see it unfold. If he marches on Keiv. It's just odd to imagine a nation like Russia in 2022 actual still pretending it's 1950.

[Kung Wu]

Don't worry, these fearless leaders (appropriately spaced 2m for their safety) will save the Ukraine and all countries involved:

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Don't worry, these fearless leaders (appropriately spaced 2m for their safety) will save the Ukraine and all countries involved:

Is Boris attempting to use some sort of Jedi mind trick with his hands? Joe is like "When is lunch and nap time?". Merkel is saying get me the f*ck out of here.

[ShockerPrez]

Don't worry, these fearless leaders (appropriately spaced 2m for their safety) will save the Ukraine and all countries involved:

This reminds me of the 3 Amigos when they confront El Guapo. Not knowing that it was real.

[SB Shock]

So Biden miss-spoke yesterday saying that maybe a "small" invasion by Russia would more acceptable to the horror of the Ukraine government. The administration has spent the rest of the day walking back those comments and answer other Western government critiscisms.

[SB Shock]

So Biden miss-spoke yesterday saying that maybe a "small" invasion by Russia would more acceptable to the horror of the Ukraine government. The administration has spent the rest of the day walking back those comments and answer other Western government critiscisms.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said President Biden’s comments Wednesday playing down a potential “minor incursion” into his country by Russia could serve as an invitation to attack by Moscow.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Says Biden’s ‘Minor Incursion’ Comment Invites Russian Attack - WSJ

[wichshock65]

So Biden miss-spoke yesterday saying that maybe a "small" invasion by Russia would more acceptable to the horror of the Ukraine government. The administration has spent the rest of the day walking back those comments and answer other Western government critiscisms.

According to the political hack Chuck Todd, he claims Biden misspoke with "honesty". SMH

[N Crestway]

According to the political hack Chuck Todd, he claims Biden misspoke with "honesty". SMH

I thought he was speaking in a moment of candor to the American people which is scary for a number of reasons.

[N Crestway]

Not surprisingly Germany still seems to be waffling. They are currently holding up arms shipments from Estonia to the Ukraine for some arcane reason. Germany seems to have gone from one kind of crazy in the 20th century to another kind of crazy in this century...

[Shockm]

Not surprisingly Germany still seems to be waffling. They are currently holding up arms shipments from Estonia to the Ukraine for some arcane reason. Germany seems to have gone from one kind of crazy in the 20th century to another kind of crazy in this century...

Nazi's - They're back