Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Templar 331]

Pres. JD Vance? Eeehh... Well, if it happens within two years Vance can, fortunately, only be re-elected once.

No, it's after 2 years in the VP office can he only be re-elected once as President. If it's before 2 years are up he can hold the position of President for potentially 10 years. (ugh.....)

[PhaelixWW]

With progressive dementia and coronary artery disease..it might be sooner than that.

I do wonder if we'll see more attempts on his life, for that matter. Bound to be more disgruntled former believers that feel betrayed in the next few years. That bad part about becoming the focal point for extremists... is that you're the focal point for extremists.

But honestly, Vance is only marginally less bad. Rather than that, I'd feel much better if we could somehow survive to 2026 more or less in one piece, get back control of Congress, then wait it out til January 2029.

Then put the whole thing in the rear-view and concentrate on making America tolerable again.

[Belize]

Pres. JD Vance? Eeehh... Well, if it happens within two years Vance can, fortunately, only be re-elected once.

While I tend to stay away from making predictions, I don't think a humanoid used tissue with eyeliner like Joerdus Dorkus Vance has any shot at being elected on his own without latching on to a more popular figure

[PhaelixWW]

No, it's after 2 years in the VP office can he only be re-elected once as President. If it's before 2 years are up he can hold the position of President for potentially 10 years. (ugh.....)

Wrong way around. If he becomes President with more than half the term left to go, it counts as a first term. It has nothing to do with how long he's VP, technically.

[Shadowferal]

While I tend to stay away from making predictions, I don't think a humanoid used tissue with eyeliner like Joerdus Dorkus Vance has any shot at being elected on his own without latching on to a more popular figure

That's a good point. He's almost as despised as Matt Gaetz.

[Jessicka]

I do wonder if we'll see more attempts on his life, for that matter. Bound to be more disgruntled former believers that feel betrayed in the next few years. That bad part about becoming the focal point for extremists... is that you're the focal point for extremists.

But honestly, Vance is only marginally less bad. Rather than that, I'd feel much better if we could somehow survive to 2026 more or less in one piece, get back control of Congress, then wait it out til January 2029.

Then put the whole thing in the rear-view and concentrate on making America tolerable again.

There’s former believers, but there’s still a lot of old fashioned anti-government anti-authoritarian right wingers out there with lots of guns too. Think they were the type who already took a pop, and I very much doubt that queue is exhausted.

[Templar 331]

Wrong way around. If he becomes President with more than half the term left to go, it counts as a first term. It has nothing to do with how long he's VP, technically.

Whoops. Just woke up. XD

[PhaelixWW]

Whoops. Just woke up. XD

Whereas it's almost 8am and I haven't gone to bed yet. My sleep schedule has been fubar'd for a while now.

[alach]

Whereas it's almost 8am and I haven't gone to bed yet. My sleep schedule has been fubar'd for a while now.

I was starting to think you are in Europe or Asia with your posting schedule.

[PhaelixWW]

I was starting to think you are in Europe or Asia with your posting schedule.

Nope, just a night owl. Though it's been getting a bit out of hand, lately.

[Iphie]

Whoops. Just woke up. XD

Happens to the best of us, I only know because I knew there was somethjing like this and an American friend of mine said no, so I checked it.

[Nymrohd]

Seems like we are heading on a Georgia version of Maidan. Let's hope West has learned the right lessons this time.

[Shadowferal]

US pledges to use entire $61 billion aid package for Ukraine before Biden's term ends

"Allies are increasing their support," Blinken stated.

“In total, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with $102 billion in aid, and our partners have provided $158 billion. This is the best example of burden-sharing I have seen in my 30-year career.”

US preparing $725 million military aid package for Kyiv

Every little bit helps...

[Corvus]

Ukraine is also going to be receiving $50 billion of frozen russian funds.

And Anna Tsivilyova, russian deputy defence minister, and also a relative of pootie, has admitted 48,000 russian families have submitted dna samples to try and identify missing relatives. Not all families will have submitted samples, and this is just for missing soldiers. The video in which it was said is no longer available on the Duma website, and a senior lawmaker said such numbers were classified and should not be talked about.

[Shadowferal]

Blow For Putin As Russian Casualties On The Frontline Break Yet Another Bleak Record

In its latest update on X (formerly Twitter), the UK’s ministry of defence said: “The average daily Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in the Russia-Ukraine conflict reached a new monthly war high during November 2024.”

It noted that Ukrainian General Staff believe Putin’s army faced an average daily loss rate of 1,523 last month.

The MoD noted: “This is the third straight month that Russian Forces have sustained new war high average daily losses.”

The UK intelligence added that Russia lost 2,030 troops in a single day for the first time on November 28, which is “the first time more than 2,000 have been reported”.

Last month was “likely the most costly month of the war for Russia with a total of 45,680 casualties,” too.

That’s an increase from October’s numbers where the Russian forces suffered 41,980 casualties, and the fifth consecutive month Putin’s troops have seen an uptick in monthly total losses.

The MoD also looked at how losses have increased, year-on-year.

In 2022, when the war began, the average daily losses ranged from 172 to 559. This year, it ranged from 846 to November’s 1,523 rate.

The UK intelligence officers added: “The high rate of casualties is likely reflective of the higher tempo of Russian operations and offensives.”

“Russia is attempting to increase the pressure on Ukrainian lines as they seek to push Ukrainian Forces back on several fronts,” the MoD said, including in the Russian region Kursk.

The intelligence officers also predicted: “Russia’s casualty rate will likely continue to average above 1,000 a day in December 2024 despite the onset of winter, with continued dismounted infantry attacks on multiple axes.”

Overall, Russia is believed to have suffered more than 700,000 casualties since starting the war in February 2022.

That's mind-boggling. And I can't see any way of saving face. Putin has shown he's nothing more than a blowhard.

[alach]

Man, the once mighty Russian army is just getting humiliated around the world eh.
Love to see it.

[Edge-]

That's mind-boggling. And I can't see any way of saving face. Putin has shown he's nothing more than a blowhard.

Saw a video of recruiters apparently rolling up to a worksite with migrant workers trying to recruit them, promising them citizenship and "resort-like insurance" and shit. Didn't seem like they had any volunteers.

Russia's working overtime not just to create a demographic time bomb for their own population with this war, but also do it for their migrant population as well, it seems.

[Wilian]

Tell me, how exactly is Biden not letting Ukraine defend itself properly?

Alright, I'll bite. Considering western (our) support has been abysmal to the point that even North Korea can get more credit than us, where should this be started? We have given just enough support for Ukraine to barely survive. Every decision made has come at least year late from where it was necessary to make, from providing simple anti-tank weaponry to HIMARS to tanks to fighter jets to FINALLY ON VERGE OF THIRD YEAR OF WAR permission to actually target Russia. West, us, sadly led by US have shown limp dick levels of support and on every case so late that when it would've mattered, well that time had passed. There's one thing to say we're doing something, there's another saying we're doing enough. And we're doing pitiful.

I admit it angers me probably more than it should when people say we are already doing shit but the shit we're doing collectively matters fuck-all under current circumstances. US aid is drying, EU hasn't been able to build up any serious wartime industry in 3 years beyond outliers like Finland and other Nordics and shit is just getting worse by the moment.

[PhaelixWW]

Alright, I'll bite. Considering western (our) support has been abysmal to the point that even North Korea can get more credit than us, where should this be started?

First sentence and you've already lost the plot. North Korea gets more credit? Hardly. Aside from the fact that that claim is just pure bullshit, North Korea was paid for what they sent to Russia. That wasn't aid, that was a transaction.

We have given just enough support for Ukraine to barely survive. Every decision made has come at least year late from where it was necessary to make, from providing simple anti-tank weaponry to HIMARS to tanks to fighter jets...

The key word there is "given". This isn't anything required by a treaty or any other agreement, it's not a loan, this is aid. Aid, almost by definition, is never going to be everything that the recipient needs. And in the context of a war, where there's a not-insignificant risk of being drawn into a larger conflict, it's important that such aid be seen as absolutely necessary to avoid defeat, rather than punitive to the opponent. That's going to have an unavoidable delaying effect.

...to FINALLY ON VERGE OF THIRD YEAR OF WAR permission to actually target Russia.

For the umpteenth time, Ukraine has never required permission to target Russia. The only restriction imposed by the US was to not use US weapons technology to do so. And I think everyone acknowledges that the US has been quietly helping Ukraine to advance their own weapons research/production so that they can loophole that public position. Not to mention the troves of data on Russian forces that the West gives to Ukraine.

West, us, sadly led by US have shown limp dick levels of support and on every case so late that when it would've mattered, well that time had passed.

Yeah, okay, you're just bullshitting, I guess. This is a garbage take.

[alach]

They just annulled the Romanian presidential elections, due to, wait for it... russian election interference.

Romanian court cancels presidential election in unprecedented political earthquake

"The electoral process for the election of the president of Romania will be resumed in its entirety, with the government required to set a new date for the election of the president of Romania as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions," the court said in a statement on Friday.

The court said the decision to annul the first round was due to procedural issues and the declassification of the secret reports by the Romanian intelligence services showing Russian involvement in influencing voters through an anti-Western propaganda campaign supporting Georgescu.

This was after a pro-Nato, pro EU, pro Ukraine support, won against a kremlin friendly party for Parliamentary elections last week. It wasn't by that much, but it was still a majority.

Also, wanted to add, in response to @Corvus in the other thread regarding Russia.

What troops?

November was the most costly month of the war for Russia in terms of average daily dead and injured: UK intel

....
Citing the Ukrainian General Staff, it said that Russia suffered 45,680 casualties in November, up from 41,980 in October, with a daily average of 1,523.
....