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Russia-Ukraine War - News and Developments

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I still don't know why some people bring up Germany spending more on defense or that Finland might join NATO or that there will be American leadership in NATO?? What is Europe without America when it comes to geopolitics?? I don't see Germany getting militarized or Finland joining NATO amounts to much when a B-Grade power like Russia is the main adversary of Europe. And even Russia is destined to join Europe before long--especially after Putin. A lot of garbage has been said about how Russia will duplicate the Soviet model of intimidations and conquests. People forget that NATO countries have the American backing and that Russia is a shadow of its former power. Sure, nobody would want to live under a sick Russia. I'd prefer a poor Pakistan or a poor Ecuador over Russia. But then Russia is not the threat as made out to be!

Here, watch it and ponder. Try to establish some perspective beyond what people perceive to be their national interests.

I don't think that American NATO leadership is important for dealing with Russia. From the American perspective, the most important geo-political enemy is China. Even Putin should know that. Putin's Russia happens to be the only self sustaining Chinese ally. This is not ideal for America.

America has been trying to persuade Germany to cut its dependency of Russian energy and increase its military's spending. The US has also tried to influence Europe's trade relationship with Beijing. Germany has expressed support for Taiwan by taking its warship there, but has declined to fully commit to the US camp. Even if European countries were willing to offer military support for the American effort to protect Taiwan, there is nothing that they could do given their lackluster defense spending. All these failed efforts gave way to AUKUS.

But now, the European outlook has changed. Germany has considerably raised its defence spending to 2% of its GDP along with a $100 Billion Euro onetime spend. Other European countries are also likely to follow suit. Their renewed willingness to follow America will now be backed by military capability given a few years time. This is my view.

EDIT: The person in the video you've cited is a well know peddler of anti-western views. I've not seen this particular video, but I've seen several others from him. If you are looking for a change in current world order, I'm sure his views are exactly what you are looking for. But I'm not looking for it. Canadian interest after all lies with the American world order. Conveniently, even the Indian side is better off with the current world order against that with Chinese on the top :laugh:
 
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Here, watch it and ponder. Try to establish some perspective beyond what people perceive to be their national interests.

Yes, the John Mearsheimer school of great power geopolitics where the expansion of NATO is the true cause and motivator of Poutine's war on Ukraine.

Now, some have trotted out two draft treaties where NATO would be limited. Here they are. But why are they significant?

US-Russia draft
https://mid.ru/print/?id=1790818&lang=en

NATO-Russia draft
https://mid.ru/print/?id=1790803&lang=en

Remember, these are only drafts. Never signed. Let us be generous that J. Mearsheimer is correct that NATO was the true fear of Poutine.

Every country have the freedom of association. If enacted, the treaties would essentially secure Mearsheimer's theory and:
  1. would erase that freedom completely, affecting even the great powers themselves.
  2. would effectively make 'might is right' the overriding principle of inter-states relationships.
  3. would so hamstrung NATO that it might as well be disbanded.
It would mean that the weaker you are, not necessarily smaller, the further you are away from that freedom, and if you happen to live next to a great power, you lose that freedom completely. That great power would be able to interpret any potential association you may consider and intimidate you from membership. Every great power would be able to create a buffer zone of nearly unlimited geography because any state, no matter how small or large or weak or powerful, could constitute a security threat.

Even benevolent treaties like climate change would be affected because it would affect a country's economy which would make the country weaker or more powerful which translate to inter-states eminence.

For item 2, the most economic and military powerful state on each continent would be able to dictate AT WILL to weaker states. Small states such as Singapore and Luxembourg would cease to exist. On continents such as South America that contains medium size states, wars will be the norm as states need to become more powerful by weakening neighbors via force.
 
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Russian military activity from Belarus. Source: Motolko

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Source: Rochan Consulting

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POL storage tanks on fire at Hostomel airport March 11.

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Russian attack helicopters in Valyuki, Russia: 38.109926, 50.225098

Russian Naval vessels in the Black Sea (Russian Occupied Ukraine):
32.9861055, 45.2979871
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32.9903485, 45.2546928
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Russians have to consolidate and take the entire eastern bank of the Dniper River (as well as take the entire coast including Odessa) if there is any hope for them to salve this operation, otherwise they seem to have bogged themselves down pretty well in this quagmire.
 
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RT News

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14 Mar, 2022 21:29
HomeRussia & FSU

Russia sends message to foreign mercenaries in Ukraine​

The military says it knows the location of all foreign fighters in Ukraine and vows to continue targeting them
Russia sends message to foreign mercenaries in Ukraine

File photo: Ukrainian soldiers drill with NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavorov training ground near Lvov, western Ukraine, January 28, 2022. © AP Photo/Pavlo Palamarchuk
Western governments encouraging their citizens to enlist in Ukraine will be responsible for their death, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Monday, vowing to continue the strikes such as the one that destroyed the Yavorov base and show no mercy to mercenaries.
“All locations of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are known to us,” Russian military spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement on Monday. “I want to warn you again – there will be no mercy for the mercenaries, no matter where they are on the territory of Ukraine.”
Konashenkov said a number of Western governments have encouraged their citizens to fight against Russian troops as mercenaries, adding that “all further responsibility for the death of this category of foreign citizens in Ukraine rests solely with the leadership of these countries.”
“Targeted strikes will continue,”
Konashenkov said, specifically referring to Sunday’s cruise missile attack on the military bases in Yavorov and nearby Starichi in western Ukraine.

RT News

LIVE

14 Mar, 2022 21:29
HomeRussia & FSU
Russia sends message to foreign mercenaries in Ukraine
The military says it knows the location of all foreign fighters in Ukraine and vows to continue targeting them
Russia sends message to foreign mercenaries in Ukraine
File photo: Ukrainian soldiers drill with NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavorov training ground near Lvov, western Ukraine, January 28, 2022. © AP Photo/Pavlo Palamarchuk
Western governments encouraging their citizens to enlist in Ukraine will be responsible for their death, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Monday, vowing to continue the strikes such as the one that destroyed the Yavorov base and show no mercy to mercenaries.

“All locations of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are known to us,” Russian military spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement on Monday. “I want to warn you again – there will be no mercy for the mercenaries, no matter where they are on the territory of Ukraine.”

Konashenkov said a number of Western governments have encouraged their citizens to fight against Russian troops as mercenaries, adding that “all further responsibility for the death of this category of foreign citizens in Ukraine rests solely with the leadership of these countries.”

“Targeted strikes will continue,” Konashenkov said, specifically referring to Sunday’s cruise missile attack on the military bases in Yavorov and nearby Starichi in western Ukraine.


‘Up to 180 foreign mercenaries’ dead in Ukraine after precision strike – MoscowREAD MORE: ‘Up to 180 foreign mercenaries’ dead in Ukraine after precision strike – Moscow
According to Moscow, the missile salvo destroyed the facilities used by the “International Legion of Ukraine” and killed “up to 180 foreign fighters.”

Kiev officials said that 35 people were killed and 130 injured in the attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, the official name of the military base near Yavorov. It had been used for years by NATO personnel to train Ukrainian troops.

While Ukrainian authorities insist that no foreign fighters were killed in the strike, several British outlets have reported that three former UK special forces operatives died at Yavorov, and “many more killed within the site than has been claimed.” This has not been officially confirmed by London. Meanwhile, Washington insisted no “US troops, contractors or civilian government workers” were present at Yavorov.

Moscow sent troops into Ukraine last month, citing seven years of failure by Kiev to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements and make peace with the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Russia had recognized the two Donbass republics as independent states just days earlier. Kiev has accused Moscow of an unprovoked attack.
 
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Interesting map. Russia has surrounded Mariupol (431000 population) and Melitopol (150000 population) cities. Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiv almost surrounded, Kharkiv and Kyiv are the next target of major offensive. Once these cities fall then Russia should be able to take hold of East Ukraine.

The Russians believe they will have won if they take the cities - but that is only the beginning of this conflict
 
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