Ukraine is running out of bodies to throw at the front lines. Yesterday, former comedian Zelensky, not kidding this time, posted on his Telegram channel that the government will be “revisiting” medical exemptions previously granted to Ukrainians seeking to avoid military conscription, and also its plan to pursue dastardly draft-dodgers who fled the country to avoid being turned into human hamburger. Zelensky, in his own words:



Displaced Ukrainians who fled the country to escape the press gangs now have to consider re-locating again, this time to a country without an extradition agreement with Ukraine. Not surprisingly, Russia is warmly inviting Ukraine’s wandering citizens, and most pundits suspect a lot of them will accept, so — ironically — Zelensky’s new crackdown will probably result in turning even more Ukrainians into Russians.

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com...ack&utm_medium=email

Biden to meet with Zelensky at the White House next week

https://www.washingtonexaminer...hite-house-next-week

President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person next Thursday at the White House, the administration confirmed on Friday.

Zelensky's trip to Washington, where he'll also speak with members of Congress, comes as lawmakers weigh whether to approve Biden's request for more than $20 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.

More at link

quote:

Biden to meet with Zelensky at the White House next week

No doubt to discuss how the proceeds will be divided between them.

^^^ That's no shit! It's getting more than ridiculous!

Yup.



And...


I could tell you when that turret was made (1984) and where is was made and what type of armor it originally had but.... I am getting old...

The next time we see Abrams tanks in Ukraine they will be blown up. Stop wasting my money.





Its not that I am good at what I do, its that I do what I am good at.



In my youth...Last summer..







And tomorrow morning I am going to cook a hamburger on my grill.

The last few years have pretty much been this for me.



Everyone should have a tank firing pin in the garage...

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
But imposing its idea of perpetual war is ok?

You realize the North African Campaign (alone) lasted longer than this war has lasted so far, right?

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
But imposing its idea of perpetual war is ok?

You realize the North African Campaign (alone) lasted longer than this war has lasted so far, right?

Out of the 246 years this country has existed, we've had 17 years where we weren't involved in armed conflict.

With that firmly in mind, how stupid does it sound for this to roll out of George W Bush's mouth? ""The US may advise, but not impose its idea of peace."

If there is anybody just itching for NATO to enter Ukraine and give the Russians an ass kicking they will never forget. Are you willing to pay the price? Not in treasure, but in lives. When I saw the current status of the IRR I was stunned. The IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) are soldiers who have completed their active duty requirements but are still under a contract. These ex soldiers are not serving members of the Reserve or National Guard. When you first enlist you sign a contract for a specified term, could be 3 active duty and 3 years ready reserve. How about 50,000 U.S. casualties in two weeks?

This is from the U.S Army War College:

https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters/


The article:

https://press.armywarcollege.e...3&context=parameters

Key points:

A Call to Action: Lessons from Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force.

Casualties, Replacements, and Reconstitutions

The Russia-Ukraine War is exposing significant vulnerabilities in the Army’s strategic personnel depth and ability to withstand and replace
casualties.11 Army theater medical planners may anticipate a sustained rate of roughly 3,600 casualties per day, ranging from those killed in action to those wounded in action or suffering disease or other non-battle injuries .12 With a 25 percent predicted replacement rate, the personnel system will require 800 new personnel each day. For context, the United States sustained about 50,000 casualties in two decades of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In large-scale combat operations, the United States could experience that same number of casualties in two weeks.

In addition to the disciplined disobedience required to execute effective mission command, the US Army is facing a dire combination of a recruiting
shortfall and a shrinking Individual Ready Reserve. This recruiting shortfall, nearly 50 percent in the combat arms career management fields, is a longitudinal problem. Every infantry and armor soldier we do not recruit today is a strategic mobilization asset we will not have in 2031.14 The Individual Ready Reserve, which stood at 700,000 in 1973 and 450,000 in 1994, now stands at 76,000 .15These numbers cannot fill the existing gaps in the active force, let alone any casualty replacement or expansion during a large-scale combat operation. The implication is that the 1970s concept of an all-volunteer force has outlived its shelf life and does not align with the current operating environment. The technological revolution described below suggests this force has reached obsolescence. Large-scale combat operations troop requirements may well require a reconceptualization of the 1970s and 1980s volunteer force and a move toward partial conscription.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wcb6092,

Zelensky fires all six of his defence ministers with no explanation weeks after letting top military chief go amid corruption and graft allegations

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...aft-allegations.html

Wash, rinse, repeat...

Ukraine was infamous for being the most corrupt country in Europe before the Russian invasion. Since then, Washington has sent Kiev over $100 billion in weapons and other direct financial assistance.

What could possibly go wrong?
Fire those corrupt people, bring in new people to corrupt.

Zelensky Fires Top Defense Officials In Corruption Purge Ahead Of Washington Trip

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed six high-ranking military officials. The sweeping firings come as the Ukrainian leader is traveling to Washington this week to lobby Congress to pass a multi-billion funding package for Kiev.

Taras Melnychuk, permanent representative of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, announced the six deputy defense ministers had been fired from their posts on Telegram. The deputies were fired two weeks after Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was sacked over corruption. Melnychuk, or newly appointed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, did not explain the reason for the recent terminations.

Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar was one of seven top defense officials sacked from their posts Monday, via EPA/EFE

The New York Times reports Zelensky made the move to give the appearance of working to tackle corruption before he directly appeals to Congress for a new multi-billion dollar aid package.

"The shake-up in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wartime leadership team came as he headed to the United States, keen to demonstrate to American officials and other Western leaders that his government is not squandering — on either graft of mismanagement — the tens of billions of dollars in aid they have sent to Ukraine," the outlet explained.

The Times notes the impact of firing the officials is more likely to be felt in the long term. "Battlefield decisions runs directly from Mr. Zelensky to the military’s uniformed general staff, largely bypassing the civilians at the defense ministry, so the turnover is not expected to have an immediate effect on the course of the war," the outlet explained. "The ministry’s role is primarily not in tactics but logistics — procurement, salaries and benefits — where changes may not be felt right away."

Ukraine was infamous for being the most corrupt country in Europe before the Russian invasion. Since then, Washington has sent Kiev over $100 billion in weapons and other direct financial assistance.

The White House has fought against establishing an office to oversee aid shipments to monitor for corruption. The Pentagon inspector general has found that American weapons shipped to Ukraine lack proper documentation. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction has warned that without sufficient oversight of aid, corruption will run rampant and undermine Kiev’s military.

Weapons from the war in Ukraine have already been found in the hands of European criminals and African militants.

Last month, Zelensky made another sweeping move by firing the heads of all of Ukraine’s recruitment centers. The president reported that an investigation found dozens of officials made millions of dollars selling Ukrainians medical waivers from military conscription.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...head-washington-trip

Zelensky made the move to give the 'appearance' of working to tackle corruption...

Only a corrupt POS like Biden who is already wrapped up in the most corrupt nation in Europe would resist setting up any oversight on the $100 billion. How much are the Bidens skimming off the top as we speak?

Usually the US sends an inspector general when giving out aid or soft loans to foreign nations. But for some "strange" reason none were sent to keep an eye on Zelensky and the Ukraine money siphon.

Whoops


The controversial American transgender spokesperson for Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces Sarah Ashton-Cirillo (born Michael Cirillo) has been suspended indefinitely by the Ukrainian military, also pending an investigation. According to an official Ukrainian military statement, Ashton-Cirillo's recent statements regarding "hunting down" dissidents and "propagandists" were not approved...

https://x.com/ggreenwald/statu...541553224556889?s=20

Just as Zelensky arrives in Washington, Poland calls it quits on arms sales to Ukraine
By Monica Showalter

After browbeating a sparsely attended United Nations' General Assembly about Russia's invasion, and calling for additional international support on the grounds that Ukraine's fight is everyone's fight, President Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to Washington, to lobby for more money; $24 billion up for a vote in U.S. Congress.

According to Newsweek:

President Volodymyr Zelensky can expect a warm welcome from President Biden when he arrives Thursday in Washington to make the case for continued U.S. support for Ukraine.

Republicans in Congress may be a tougher sell, however.

Zelensky is making the quick side trip to Washington, following his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, to urge lawmakers in Congress to approve additional assistance for Ukraine as part of a spending deal that would avert a government shutdown at the end of the month.

"The aim is to move the needle" by winning over Ukraine skeptics in Congress and addressing concerns lawmakers may have about Kyiv's progress on the battlefield, said Andrew D'Anieri, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.
"Zelensky can allay some of those concerns and make a strong case for why [additional military aid] would allow Ukraine to continue the fight," D'Anieri told Newsweek.

Joe Biden, who's never met a spending bill he didn't like, is all for it, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who leads increasingly skeptical Republicans, says that all he wants to know is:

"Where’s the accountability on the money we’ve already spent? What is the plan for victory? I think that’s what the American public wants to know."

That's not much to ask, really, but neither Zelensky nor Biden are going to give him those answers.

Zelensky's approach is to say that he's still winning the war. He may be grotesquely outnumbered, and most of his army may be already dead, but Ukrainian ingenuity and persistence will do the trick. He's been saying this for a while now, calling for total victory, with no concessions to much-bigger Russia, and it's getting a little old.

He's mouthed global warming platitudes at the United Nations to please Joe Biden, and fired a crazed transgender American military spokesperson for Ukraine, after the latter started putting errant American journalists on hit lists, in order to please Republicans. He's made every neocon argument about the threat to the global order, the moral good of winning, the importance of "saving democracy" and the dangers of emboldening Russia should Ukraine fall as the first domino.

But win? We still don't know if he can win. And inquire about the previous money? Like, with an auditor? Nope, not gonna get that. Getting an auditor would "play into Putin's hands,' and anyone asking is a "Putin stooge."

The claims that Ukraine can win, though, seem to be going down like a shot-down fighter jet.

Here's the news that broke today from the Washington Post:

WARSAW — Poland will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Wednesday, sharply escalating a battle over grain exports that has driven a wedge between Kyiv and one of its strongest supporters in the fight against Russia’s invasion.
Russia has targeted Ukraine’s vital agricultural sector, disrupting transit routes in the Black Sea and repeatedly bombing the country’s grain infrastructure. That has left Ukraine desperate for other export routes, but also prompted Poland and other neighboring countries to impose an import ban, aiming to protect their farmers from the market being flooded with low-cost Ukrainian grain.

The grain export issue is being reported as at the root of it but it seems only an interesting side story -- Russia's destruction of Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea has forced Ukraine to take its grain exports through Poland, supposedly so it can reach its markets in Egypt, Ethiopia and the like, but as ZeroHedge notes, it tends to get sold in Poland at cheaper prices than Polish farmers produce, putting them out of business. Poland (along with Slovakia and Hungary and to some extent Romania) is vowing to block those grain imports, and supposedly has linked that trade retaliation to the arms sales.

But I have my doubts. The apparent real reason was stated by Poland's president, according to The Hill:

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday compared Ukraine’s fight for survival to that of a “drowning person” capable of bringing down those who try to help.

“Ukraine is behaving like a drowning person clinging to anything available,” Duda told Polish journalists, the Financial Times reported. “A drowning person is extremely dangerous, capable of pulling you down to the depths … simply drown the rescuer.”

Poland thinks it's maybe time to start thinking about saving Poland instead of just funneling cash and arms to Ukraine. That means saving Poland's economy, based on the grain issue, but also defending its own national security, based on not sending all of its resources to go into an unwinnable war in Ukraine, which got itself into its situation by not preparing.

As Mark Wauck at Meaning in History notes:

Ukraine as “a dangerous drowning man”? That doesn’t seem to support the official narrative that Ukraine is winning, nor does it reflect well on the Ukrainian leadership. It even opens the door to a Polish debate on whether to scale back Polish support and involvement in the war on Russia. In other words, abandon the drowning man and save yourself.

The Biden administration has been quick to claim that this damning verdict is just a spot of bother, according to the Washington Post:

On Thursday, a senior U.S. government official downplayed the rift, casting it as a heat-of-the-moment bit of electioneering.

“I know some folks feel like the prime minister’s remarks maybe were a reflection that the unity is finally cracking, and I just don’t see any evidence of that at every level,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic relations. “Throughout the bureaucracy in Poland, we saw a firm commitment to stay the course. They see no alternative.”

Morawiecki’s remarks, the official continued, are a “reflection that at the end of the day, we’re all human and there are moments of tension and there can be frustration on all sides, but that doesn’t mean that there’s going to be some dramatic shift in alliance unity or even Poland’s fundamental position and determination to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

And in the last hour or two, Poland has announced that it will fulfill existing arms sales contracts with Ukraine, according to Barron's.

There's some spin control going on about that Polish vote of no confidence, in other words. But the underlying question, of whether Ukraine can win its war and whether more U.S. spending is going to help it win its war, remains a real issue. Poland's pulling of arms sales is a dramatic turn of events given its staunch willingness to stand up for Ukraine in the past. It's now reading something different in the air. It arms sales cutoff was accompanied by Belgium announcing that it wouldn't be selling those fighter jets it promised after all to Ukraine, either. There seems to be some kind of chian reaction which may get worse now that Congress is getting very skeptical and may not approve all the money for Ukraine that the Biden administration is asking for.

Wauck also notes that the U.S., behind the scenes, is urging Ukraine to negotiate some kind of deal both sides can live with, which Ukraine thus far has publicly said it has no intention of doing:

The fact is, there has so far been no American reaction to any of this, which suggests that the US may find the Polish stance to be useful at this time, when the US is attempting to pressure Ukraine into proposing direct talks with Russia. Zelensky is attempting to resist the US pressure, and Polish attacks on Zelensky may be helpful in undermining Zelensky. It fits in with other ongoing attacks directed at Ukraine by the US, such as the NYT story exposing Ukrainian responsibility for a disastrous missile attack on a market in Ukraine that resulted in heavy civilian casualties—Ukraine had tried to blame Russia. It is widely believed that the revelation was timed to embarrass Zelensky during his attendance at the UN.

If so, that's an even harder recognition of reality -- and Wauck thinks Poland probably coordinated with the U.S. before declaring its cutoff.

Yet Biden and his crazies in Congress, such as Sen. John Fetterman, have loudly declared that they will get Ukraine its $24 billion from Congress even as all of these private indicators of Ukraine not being able to win its war, and probably being better off hashing out some kind of deal with Russia are happening now.

With Poland pulling arms sales in the name of saving itself, should Congress be handing Ukraine another $24 bil without auditings or plans to victory? It sure doesn't sound like it. Zelensky will arrive like a conquering hero to Joe Biden and his White House, but his act is getting old. It won't belong before Congress eventually pulls the plug.

https://www.americanthinker.co...ales_to_ukraine.html

quote:

Ukraine as “a dangerous drowning man”?

Interestingly reminiscent of the characterization of the Ottoman Empire over a century ago in the decades leading up to WW1 as the "Sick Old Man of Europe", who none of the great powers really wanted on their side, but who they couldn't afford to outright abandon/ignore.

Ukraine isn't winning. Zelensky is...

quote:

Zelensky Fires Top Defense Officials In Corruption Purge Ahead Of Washington Trip

He doesn't want competition.

Biden Names Obama Crony Penny Pritzker to Lead Ukraine’s Economic Recovery

https://www.breitbart.com/nati...s-economic-recovery/

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced Thursday that President Joe Biden would name Penny Pritzker, a billionaire heiress and former commerce secretary, to manage Ukraine’s economic recovery from the ongoing war.

Sullivan, a major proponent of the “Russia collusion” hoax against President Donald Trump, told reporters that Biden, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky at the White House for the sixth time on Thursday, would “introduce a special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery, Penny Pritzker, who will focus on engaging the private sector, partner countries, and Ukrainian counterparts to generate international investment in Ukraine and work with Ukraine to make the reforms necessary to improve Ukraine’s business climate.”

Pritzker, a close Chicago associate of former President Barack Obama and heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune, was passed up for a cabinet post after the 2008 election due to her involvement in a subprime mortgage collapse at Superior Bank, which failed in 2001. That was considered a political liability in an administration that promised voters it would fix the mess on Wall Street that had led to a massive recession and ushered Obama into office.

Four years later, when memories of the Wall Street financial collapse had faded somewhat, Pritzker was nominated to be Secretary of Commerce.

In that role, her signature achievement was giving away American control of Internet domain names. Pritzker was also actively involved in Ukraine, where her family is originally from.

It was under her department that the infamous billion-dollar loan guarantees were announced — the money that then-Vice President Biden threatened to withdraw unless Ukraine fired a prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden’s company, Burisma.

To date, Pritzker has not been asked, at least in public, what she knew about Biden’s conflict of interest in Ukraine.


She is the sister of J. B. Pritzker, the current governor of Illinois.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Pritzker