Arming Ukraine

According to reports coming out of the German media, a massive shipment of weaponry from Germany—specifically 1,000 anti-tank missiles and 500 Stingers—has officially been handed over to the Ukrainians. 👍👍
Best regards

Bryan Booth82 said:According to reports coming out of the German media, a massive shipment of weaponry from Germany—specifically 1,000 anti-tank missiles and 500 Stingers—has officially been handed over to the Ukrainians. 👍👍
Best regards

If that actually holds water, it’s a massive game-changer. But let’s be real—you can't just hand high-tech gear to anyone; you need trained soldiers who won't fumble the equipment.
Ukraine needs to move fast to organize small, mobile units equipped with about a hundred civilian vehicles—preferably SUVs or trucks. It’s a massive country, after all, so they need strike teams that can zip to wherever the trouble is. I remember seeing how ISIS used this kind of rapid transport to their advantage—it works. https://static.dw.com/image/17740988_303.jpg

Some good news at last to bring a bit of order to this shipping mess...

The European Commission will coordinate an investment of $450 million for combat weapons and $50 million for non-lethal equipment

The EC is coordinating $450 million for combat arms and $50 million for non-lethal military gear for Ukraine.
It’s the first time the EU has bought combat weapons for a single country—a massive shift in policy!

This comes from an EU fund set up last year that has mostly just funded training for military personnel in places like Mali, the Central African Republic, and Botswana.

The budget for 2021-2027 sits at around $5.69 billion.

Each country gets to decide what to buy with their portion of the funds, though everything is coordinated through the EU.
Shipping methods and logistics remain confidential to avoid any potential Russian retaliation...

Three countries—Austria, Ireland, and Malta—are sitting out the main implementation, though they are still chipping in for non-lethal gear.

P.S.
Outside of the EU fund, via bilateral agreements, every nation can still send whatever they deem necessary. They just have to foot that bill from their own budgets.

The European Union promised fighter jets to Ukraine, but the ‘plan’ fell apart in just 24 hours: ‘We don't have enough to be handing them out anymore.’

Honestly, how unprofessional can you get?
I am just completely floored by this level of European Union diplomacy—it’s honestly embarrassing behavior, all this posturing and sending little messages over Twitter... like, wtf?

It feels like nobody is actually doing the hard work of real diplomacy or trying to de-escalate things; instead, we're seeing massive escalation and, well, as this article shows, just a lot of empty talk.

That’s exactly why those federal funds were unlocked—to prevent these kinds of messes from happening...
Now everything is being funneled through those oversight committees.

The American media outlets have spent days chasing stories that were already published everywhere else.
Just copying and pasting from the Daily Mail isn't journalism... it's not even close.

According to what the German press is reporting, Germany is gearing up to ship off yet another batch of weaponry to Ukraine.
Word on the street is that 2,700 "Arrow" missiles—which were supposedly sitting in storage as leftovers from the East German Army—are allegedly en route to Ukraine. 👍
Best regards,

Rachel White812 said:

The European Union promised fighter jets to Ukraine, but the ‘plan’ fell apart in just 24 hours: ‘We don't have enough to be handing them out anymore.’

Honestly, how unprofessional can you get?
I am just completely floored by this level of European Union diplomacy—it’s honestly embarrassing behavior, all this posturing and sending little messages over Twitter... like, wtf?

It feels like nobody is actually doing the hard work of real diplomacy or trying to de-escalate things; instead, we're seeing massive escalation and, well, as this article shows, just a lot of empty talk.

Yeah... zero effort being put into lowering the tension.

jadetinker85 said:Yeah... zero effort being put into lowering the tension.

The only way to actually de-escalate is through a coordinated effort to send Ukraine everything they need to defend themselves.
Which is precisely what the EU is doing right now...

Benjamin Taylor6 said:If that actually holds water, it’s a massive game-changer. But let’s be real—you can't just hand high-tech gear to anyone; you need trained soldiers who won't fumble the equipment.
Ukraine needs to move fast to organize small, mobile units equipped with about a hundred civilian vehicles—preferably SUVs or trucks. It’s a massive country, after all, so they need strike teams that can zip to wherever the trouble is. I remember seeing how ISIS used this kind of rapid transport to their advantage—it works. https://static.dw.com/image/17740988_303.jpg

...they're asking for stuff like Stingers
The real fighting is gonna happen in the cities. That means helicopters getting downed during landings—just like tanks and APCs and all that.

If the Russ forces get worn down and this turns into a long-term grind... then it's time to start hitting their logistics and supply lines first and foremost.
For any guerrilla outfit, the woods are your best friend, especially if the locals have your back.
That's when mobility matters—using proven pickups—because right now, what they've got just isn't cutting it.

Germany to send an additional 2,700 Strela anti-aircraft missiles

Germany to ship anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine — reports

Is there no end to this constant flow of weaponry? According to government sources cited by various news agencies, Berlin has officially greenlit the shipment of 2,700 Soviet-era "Strela" missiles to Ukraine.

Those missiles are mostly useless anyway, and honestly, even the ones that actually work feel like you're taking a massive gamble just by using them. I’m still sitting here waiting for some actual, massive pivot in German policy, because let’s be real—they’re still basically acting as Russia's primary bankroll, and this military aid is really just a tiny step up from those infamous handouts they used to give out.

This doesn't even account for the 500 Stingers and the 1,000 pieces of anti-tank weaponry already on the table.

It represents a massive shift away from merely sending helmets.

Anthony Hill5 said:Germany to send an additional 2,700 Strela anti-aircraft missiles

Germany to ship anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine — reports

Is there no end to this constant flow of weaponry? According to government sources cited by various news agencies, Berlin has officially greenlit the shipment of 2,700 Soviet-era "Strela" missiles to Ukraine.

Carl Lee27 said:Those missiles are mostly useless anyway, and honestly, even the ones that actually work feel like you're taking a massive gamble just by using them. I’m still sitting here waiting for some actual, massive pivot in German policy, because let’s be real—they’re still basically acting as Russia's primary bankroll, and this military aid is really just a tiny step up from those infamous handouts they used to give out.

They should just fire them off without hesitation—even if only one in twenty actually hits, it's still a massive headache for the Russians.

Plus, it isn't exactly easy on the pilots having to constantly dodge MANPADS—once you hear that missile launch warning, you're immediately deploying flares and pulling evasive maneuvers, never quite knowing if you're dodging an old Strela or a modern Stinger...

jadetinker85 said:Yeah... zero effort being put into lowering the tension.

There isn't much room for diplomacy right now when neither side seems interested in meeting halfway.

Putin is playing hardball; his demands are basically asking for total surrender, and he’s sending a low-level deputy to negotiate instead of anyone with real weight.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainians haven't been broken enough to accept losing territory.

Both sides still think they can gain leverage on the ground to improve their bargaining chips—the Russians through conquest, and the Ukrainians by draining Russian momentum, resources, and motivation via increased international support.

Until someone hits a wall—whether it's the situation on the battlefield or things falling apart internally in Russia—I don't see any chance of resolving this through talks after everything that's happened.

bluemason3 said:There isn't much room for diplomacy right now when neither side seems interested in meeting halfway.

Putin is playing hardball; his demands are basically asking for total surrender, and he’s sending a low-level deputy to negotiate instead of anyone with real weight.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainians haven't been broken enough to accept losing territory.

Both sides still think they can gain leverage on the ground to improve their bargaining chips—the Russians through conquest, and the Ukrainians by draining Russian momentum, resources, and motivation via increased international support.

Until someone hits a wall—whether it's the situation on the battlefield or things falling apart internally in Russia—I don't see any chance of resolving this through talks after everything that's happened.

It’s possible that eventually, the Ukrainians will realize that dying for the sake of the EU isn't really worth the cost—especially since now that they actually have more weapons, the casualties are getting even higher.

Melissa Ward said:It’s possible that eventually, the Ukrainians will realize that dying for the sake of the EU isn't really worth the cost—especially since now that they actually have more weapons, the casualties are getting even higher.

I don't think it's even about the European Union. They aren't dying "for" the EU. They’re dying because some power-hungry madman launched a brutal invasion against them.

silverotter72 said:I don't think it's even about the European Union. They aren't dying "for" the EU. They’re dying because some power-hungry madman launched a brutal invasion against them.

Actually, I think it's more like this: they're fighting because they made the choice to align with the European Union instead of staying under that old "Soviet Union" shadow. Only time will tell if that was actually worth the price tag.

Melissa Ward said:Actually, I think it's more like this: they're fighting because they made the choice to align with the European Union instead of staying under that old "Soviet Union" shadow. Only time will tell if that was actually worth the price tag.

If you look at history from the start of the last century through to how Putin acts today—targeting those he can bully while avoiding those who joined NATO in time—it’s pretty clear. There really isn't a worse fate than being a Russian satellite.

Melissa Ward said:Actually, I think it's more like this: they're fighting because they made the choice to align with the European Union instead of staying under that old "Soviet Union" shadow. Only time will tell if that was actually worth the price tag.

When you look at the standard of living for those who opted for the European Union versus those who chose to act as a puppet for Russia, it seems pretty obvious that fighting for one's own interests is the only way to make it worthwhile.

I'm reading that Ukraine (or their president) is still pushing for fighter jets, which feels a bit out of left field.

I mean, if they could just secure some territory, an airstrike on that logistics column and those reinforcements would be a massive win for them.