The start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Part 1)

Slovakia is shipping out artillery shells and fuel worth about $12 million.
That includes 12,000 rounds of 120mm ammunition, 10 million liters of diesel, and 2.4 million liters of jet fuel.
The Netherlands is sending 200 anti-aircraft missiles—specifically Stingers, per Kyiv's request.
The Czech Republic is providing weapons and ammo valued at $9.2 million, and they’ve made it clear this isn't their last move; more is on the way.
Meanwhile, the State Department has been ordered to release $350 million in funds to support Ukraine.
The Slovakian government is also chipping in with military gear like helmets, rifles, and ammunition.
granitebison keeps the weapons flowing.
Germany isn't even worth mentioning.

Charles Fox said:👍

Ninety percent of people are thinking like five-year-olds, yet we’re all going to feel the sting of this conflict firsthand.
Prices are climbing every single day. People are going to lose their jobs, and who knows what else is coming down the pipeline.
No war has ever yielded anything good. (Except for the profiteers.)

I wouldn't say that's quite true! Honestly, technology tends to take these massive leaps forward right during and immediately after a conflict. Look at World War II—it practically handed us nuclear energy, microwave tech, the entire semiconductor industry, jet engines, rockets, and so many other incredible breakthroughs!

Michael Davis10 said:I guess you can't even start a war unless you've planned for at least 3 or 4 months of fighting first.

Roskomnadzor called out specific local media outlets today, demanding they scrub any reports that characterize Russia's actions as an "attack, invasion, or declaration of war."

Why do you think they're doing this? This was never intended to be a full-scale war—it was supposed to be just a quick "military operation against a fascist regime," a brief little skirmish lasting maybe a few days tops.

The expectation was likely a surrender greeted with flowers rather than bullets. But looking at Putin's inner circle, it seems there isn't anyone left with enough backbone to pull those ideological glasses right off his face before launching such an adventure.

It’s a familiar pattern, really. That's exactly how Adolf Hitler thought things would go when he assumed England would rush to the negotiating table almost immediately—reasoning that since they were "Germanic brothers," they wouldn't actually want to fight the Germans.

Keith Morgan10 said:Look, I’m not saying I’m on Russia's side, no matter how much that might sound like I am, but man, this whole wave of Ukrainian propaganda is just exhausting to watch and listen to.
It makes you feel like there's some massive, hidden agenda at play beyond just having NATO bases in the region.

I mean, was the US fighting that aggressively for support back in the 90s?

The issue back then was that the US was viewed as this "renegade nation," and the opposing propaganda painted it as a brand new fascist state in Europe—something nobody would ever get behind.

To make matters worse, you had certain extremist groups using old fascist symbols leading the charge on the front lines, specific figures blowing up planes, and leaders slapping old regime patterns on the flag.

Who in their right mind in the West would support that?
That’s why you don't see those Nazi symbols in the Ukrainian ranks anymore, at least not publicly. It would only serve to validate Putin's claims about "cleansing Ukraine of fascists."

Kevin Murphy7 said:Plus, he’ll have to open up fronts globally just to stop all those foreign powers from piling into Ukraine. Ukraine is toast once the West gets tied up fighting in places like the North America or the Baltics.

I can hardly wait. 👍I was just a few years too young for the first round.

Julius Caesar As specified by:
Good grief, do you honestly believe that everyone is just going to sit on their hands to avoid accidentally bruising the ego of some lunatic in Moscow? Are we all losing our minds? I refuse to believe we should be held hostage by that bald man's temper tantrums.

Colleagues, I am suggesting we set our sights on Kyiv. Honestly, what exactly are we waiting for? It is high time we stepped up to assist our Ukrainian brothers.

It is precisely because of politicians such as yourselves that we find ourselves in this predicament.

And even those naive Ukrainians went after the Russians. It is entirely predictable that everyone—especially those actually paying attention—has realized they’ve been left high and dry.

It is rather akin to standing in a dive bar in Chicago, attempting to convince a group of intoxicated fools that they might actually stand a chance against Mike Tyson, all while promising them your unwavering support. Once those drunken idiots inevitably charge forward, only to be met with a brutal beating, the very same agitators who egged them on will flee the scene. They will then pivot instantly to protesting and calling for sanctions against Tyson, all while comfortably sipping their beers in a private booth.

People remain naively gullible when it comes to hospital protocols, whether they are being told they need a cast or are being ushered into surgery.

It is truly remarkable how those armchair activists manage to protest from such a comfortable distance, offering nothing but empty rhetoric. They make grand announcements about sending aid, yet their entire contribution seems limited to little things like Band-Aids, or perhaps some coffee and snacks for the hospital staff.

It is remarkably easy to play the critic when you’re operating from the sidelines; try facing the music yourself before you start lecturing others.

There’s a lot of strange, almost nonsensical logic behind this latest move from Russia.
In my view, Putin has essentially lost the war and left Russia permanently crippled. If anyone was still clinging to the fantasy that this would be some sort of bloodless, low-casualty version of Crimea 2.0...
well, I think those illusions have officially evaporated.

We’re looking at a much tougher, more uncertain year ahead, and let’s be honest—these sanctions are going to hit everyone's wallet.

As for that whole situation involving the Turks... they were already buying oil under the table from ISIS, so you can bet the trade and barter will continue. Grain will keep flowing out, dollars will keep flowing in... they’ll find a way to strike a deal behind closed doors...
The only real shift we might see is a change in how goods move. Prices could spike if everything has to go through "official" channels, because instead of direct deals with the Russians, everything will end up being routed through China.

rowdytiger13 said:And apparently, everyone is just jumping at the chance to spit on them.

Look, if we aren't going to hit them with the heavy-duty sanctions needed to actually strip them of their military power, then what's the point?

We've got plenty to go around—everything from F-35 Lightning IIs and M1 Abrams to full-on naval fleets. 🙂

Joshua Myers432 said:The smartest move would actually be to declare neutrality and rush an amendment into their constitution stating they will never join NATO.😁

What kind of nonsense is this "EU troops" idea?🙏

And will that actually get them Crimea and the Donbas back?

rape_artist said:Putin removed the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation for the failure of the operation in Ukraine.

This is probably the worst possible outcome. His successor will likely take an even harder, more ruthless approach...

If this turns out to be true, it means the madman has decided to personally oversee operations, much like Hitler did...

Michael Davis10 said:The thing is, I guess we'll just see how many actually make it there. 🍿

Every single one of them.

bluepuma9 said:Of course it isn't. But this war—sorry, let's call it a "peacekeeping mission"—was started by Putin. So, screw him. He needs to take his medicine, otherwise he'll just keep doing it.

He certainly didn't launch this for fun or out of boredom.
Political sociopaths have always existed, and they aren't going anywhere. Unfortunately, innocent people are always the ones caught in the crossfire of their greed, while those responsible stay tucked away safely, leaving others to pay the ultimate price.
I'm not taking sides here. If you want to pick a team, go ahead—go grab your gear and see how long you actually last.

It looks like the Chinese are shifting their strategy—specifically by tightening the screws on financial transactions involving Russia.

There is a very real possibility that China will start using this as leverage to blackmail them.

Michael Davis10 said:People are always talking about shooting down Russian planes but I haven't seen any actual footage. According to Twitter, Ukrainians have already taken out half their air force.
Is anything even flying on the Ukrainian side over there?
Maybe they don't have any planes left at all.

Imagine if they actually managed to shoot them down. By summer, the Russians would be sleeping in the middle of Ukrainian fields.

neonpuma30 said:Ukraine would never have joined NATO anyway, and honestly, it wasn't even on the table.

It’s not like Ukraine needs to be in NATO just for the US to send them weapons or turn the place into a base facing Russia.

The whole point of NATO membership is really just that "collective defense" clause. But even without that official tie-in, Ukraine can still pose a threat to Russia if they're basically under the US thumb.

And hey, we've seen this play out before.

Russia just wanted everyone to get out of Ukraine.

Susan Jackson65 said:What would actually happen if a legitimately elected government in Mexico suddenly announced they were pivoting toward a communist regime and seeking a military and economic alliance with Russia and China?

How exactly would the USA respond to such a move?

They'd build a wall. Honestly, America wouldn't give a damn about what happens to the people in Mexico, as long as they don't have to deal with the drug flow coming up north.

vividtiger72 said:Good grief, even Goebbels didn't have an imagination this wild.

Propaganda is just an inherent part of warfare; there's really no point in wasting your breath fighting it.

https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova/s...44371624943617

Belarus, right near Buffalo, right on the edge of the NATO border. Supposedly starting today.

swiftjackal11 said:It’s finally come to this. Time to feel some shame. ☕

If they weren't embarrassed after Crimea, they definitely won't be now...

Amanda Hughes37 said:This is getting serious... though, honestly...😲

What's going to happen to those poor young soldiers once they've blown off all that steam?
They might find themselves forced back into old habits, where they'll be welcomed with open arms by certain local residents.🙏

These are the kinds of sanctions that you simply cannot afford to ignore. 😁🙏