BruceVC

How does Poland face any security risk from Russia, its part of NATO so its not like it will be invaded ?

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5875867 Really grim results from Gazprom. Revenue increased yet operating costs dramatically increased and final net profit was 747 billion rubles compared to 2.684 trillion rubles in 2021 Western sanctions and EU not being as dependant on Russian gas would be main reason for this

Geez thats cynical, they are a Ukrainian company which is facing a massive Russian hacking effort Thats what this message is about, dont distribute the hacked content And I know its inconvenient but yes they involved and committed to a real war and everything they have faced from Russia is also true

If I buy you a copy of DA4 will you play it and say positive things about it in the interests of supporting Bioware?

https://www.axios.com/2023/03/15/israel-ukraine-anti-drone-system-approve-russia-war?fbclid=IwAR2SVLhRiOyBC-R5y1C5djGhQgfVAzpn7k70QsJcJ2HTDwqfMbidl6nMAfc A good move by Israel in support of the Ukrainian war effort and specifically increased protection against drones

He is talking about winning in Bakhmut, not the whole war. Kanie doesnt think the Russians will win the overall war but they could achieve victory in Bakhmut

My mom and stepdad are on a bush holiday in an ancient forest in SA, this is baobab tree that is anything from 2500-3000 years old!!! Imagine living that long and everything you would have seen

Do you have an alternative for the purpose and function that banks play in the sustainability of all our societies?

Oh, I see you right. Its not nuclear armed....my bad. Dont stop the Mandarin classes then

Gothfuscious, do you know what this means? You can stop those weekly Mandarin classes you have been taking. Nukes are a deterrent to invasion and destruction of local culture

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-64945819 @Gorth Gorthfuscious this very good news for Oz, the US and UK are going to assist you guys with new nuclear- powered submarines Also Oz is going allow US subs to be based at Perth until your subs are ready. An important step in ensuring Oz has an effective and adequate military

He probably also said " Kiev will fall in 3 weeks "

I can tell you one thing, if the whole Bakhmut Russian meatgrinder strategy is real it will be another absolutely brilliant example of Ukrainian subterfuge to manipulate the Russians into a certain approach. Remember when they fooled the Ruskies during the Kharkiv offensive?

Absolutely but another reason for constant misunderstandings and mischaracterizations on the Internet and forums is you cant always determine tone or intent around peoples posts And that sometimes creates the wrong impression around what people post. I have been engaging in Internet debates since 2002 and you have no idea the number of times people have accused me of being racist, fascist , condescending and other similar things Now I realize I am sometimes condescending, or I create that impression, but most of the time its not intentional. I also joke sometimes and thats misunderstood as condescension But the solution to misunderstanding someone's intent is simply ask them to get clarification. Its easy, its quick and clears up any confusion. Thats what I do I dont consider anyone active on this forum to be an extremist in anyway. The closest I have seen is Vatniks like Comrade, Vals and Dark and I dont consider all Vatniks extremists and they not extremists Codex has several extremists who are open about it from the left and right but not this forum

Yes but the US view is that elite troops are fatalities in Bakhmut because its important to the Russian strategy?

Interesting and very appropriate considering our discussion

Yes the reporting on Bakhmut has been difficult to ascertain what the truth is but I think its for different reasons from both sides I dont believe anything from the Russian side until its confirmed from the Ukrainian side, like when Ukraine said " Mariupol has surrendered " I believed it and the Ukrainians tend to keep things silent until they have definitive news. They also generally dont allow the media or embedded journalists too close to the active frontline. So all imbedded journalists from the likes of CNN, sky, Al-Jazeera or Reuters dont always have updated or accurate news by design...its limited CNN was saying 2 weeks ago that Bakhmut was surrounded according to Wagner, Im not sure why they were quoting Wagner But this link is from a quoted Ukrainian spokesman and normally thats the official strategy based on the reality of a particular battle in the war. In other words if Bakhmut was hopeless the Ukrainians would withdrawal but if it serves a purpose, meatgrinder for Russian troops, then its worth continuing the defense But nothing is certain in this type of battle, so we should just wait and see

What do they say about sarcasm..." its the lowest form of wit " (but it can make you laugh)

Absolutely, there is a valid reason for both the EU and the US to increase military expenditure and these private sector military companies are going to become even more wealthier. Wait till end of year results

I know you new to this forum and you not aware of the various personalities and how they post. Hoonding will never respond to any question you ask him or ever engage in any kind of meaningful debate So dont waste your time asking him these types of reasonable questions unless you dont mind your time being wasted He is funny though and I love his attempts to race bait, particularly white people, and how "racist " the West is

Lexx thats true but its to be expected, Im just glad you not suggesting the whole conspiracy theory that says " evil, Western Capitalist companies are secretly behind the invasion so they can become rich funding the war effort " Remember in life two, or more, things can be true at the same. Putin is responsible for the war but yes many companies will increase there revenue stream and become richer by supporting the Western war effort

Im very impressed with the commitment from the Nordic countries to Ukraine and the war effort around military aid @xzar_monty good to see Finland playing such a " non-neutral " role and being on the right side of history, I wish SA would do that

But also why would it be a surprise that in every country in the world, including East European countries, there are some people who support Russia in different ways Thats been the case since the beginning of the war and it wont change. Soviet era influence is a reality Thats not a concern, all that matters is how many people support Russia compared to Ukraine and more importantly what is the current governments position. In SA for example about 30 % of people polled support Russia and we live in a Democracy so people are entitled to have there own opinion and this includes the right to protest So I would expect to find pro-Russian protests but all that really matters is a governments position and does it support Ukraine

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/10/ukraine-says-bakhmut-battle-grinding-down-russias-best-units Its been a legitimate question for many, " whats the point of trying to hold onto Bakhmut for Ukraine. Its just one small town in a long border war " . It was something I wondered at least. And unlike the Russians the Ukrainians havent been prone to making military decisions, so far, that have been imprudent or led to unnecessary loss of large amounts of life. They have been very strategic throughout this war Anyway I came across an interview on Al-Jazeera about Bakhmut, in summary Bakhmut is a meatgrinder for Russian forces so that its easier for a planned Ukrainian offensive in April. Interesting strategy if true because the Russian killed\wounded ratio on Bakhmut are 6-1 compared to Ukraine so that part of the plan is working

I guess you mean the US? But its more nuanced than that The Iranian hardliners hate the US. China and the US are inextricably connected in trade but you generally find more anti-China sentiment from the US than anti -US sentiment from China. And much of the anti-China sentiment can be justified but some of it is grandstanding like Trump blaming China for the spread of the virus within US which was unfair because of the nature of the virus But Saudi Arabia doesnt hate the US, they have a long and historical "friendship " going back decades. Mohammed bin Salman didnt like the criticism he received over the killing of the journalist and Im not sure how happy he is over oil price caps on Russian oil but I dont think that translates to a real dislike of the US I really think this new and ostensible friendship with Iran is more about the ME for both countries and the real problems that exist because of the Shia vs Sunni conflict And of course we will see how things change as time goes on?