[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)

Well said Pistorius.

It's good to see a politician be so honest about Trump, who has achieved nothing and has very probably made things worse.

Minna is a colleague of Phillips O'Brien - this is her update on defence collaboration projects between Europe and Ukraine.

"
What often escapes the public’s notice – partially because so much is happening and it’s hard to keep track of all the news items – is that Ukraine’s defence industry is being swiftly integrated into the emerging European Defence Industrial and Technological Base (EDIB). Most importantly, it is not just charity but a win-win situation: Ukraine’s self-sufficiency is improved by increased own production and European defence companies get in on the latest innovations from the Ukrainian battlefield. A year ago, in May 2024, the EU hosted the first EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum in a series of multilateral defence industrial events that the government of Ukraine launched in 2023. In September 2024, the EU also opened a Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv.

In a proper Orwellian sense, the EU has mobilised €11.1 bn from the European Peace Facility for military support for Ukraine, and has an additional €50 bn Ukraine Facility to bolster Ukraine’s resilience, to support its EU integration process, and de-risk investment in Ukraine. The support is both grant- and loan-based, including a €35 billion loan to be repaid with revenue from the frozen Russian assets. In recognition of Denmark’s both significant and innovative support for Ukraine, Denmark has been acting as the implementor of the so-called “Danish model” on behalf of the EU and other countries’ bilateral aid for disbursing windfall profits from the frozen Russian assets. And Finland just sent Ukraine an ammunition package financed by the interest of the Russian assets. And pressure is mounting to not only freeze, but also seize the assets. The numbers above do not even include bilateral aid from EU member states and other European countries, which is many times the amount the EU has allocated to Ukraine – and counting. A detailed overview can be found here.

When it comes to the challenges Europe faces in the continent’s rearmament, the various cooperation formats with Ukraine can provide a blueprint for finding efficient and pragmatic ways of making the most of limited resources. For example, when Sweden and Denmark jointly procured new CV-90 infantry vehicles for their defence forces, they added 40 for Ukraine into the order. A similar method could be used to improve air and missile defence in the Baltic states that lack the financial capacity to procure expensive platforms, even if they spend 5 percent of GDP or more on defence (5 percent of the Estonian GDP amounts to about €2 billion). The Swedish Defence Materiel Agency has established a presence in Ukraine to support Ukraine’s procurement more directly. Now, the Swedish agency is testing a new method: the so-called “military challenges” to tech companies to come up with innovative and quickly materializable solutions to Ukraine’s urgent needs.

Major European arms producers, such as Rheinmetall and Thales, as well as a countless number of smaller enterprises and startups have established joint ventures with Ukrainian counterparts – partially also in Ukraine. A somewhat incomplete overview from late 2024 can be found here. Joint procurement and defence industrial cooperation have usually proven difficult endeavours in Europe, so the experience in finding more innovative solutions when time, not money, is the decisive factor, can be used to improve processes beyond cooperation with Ukraine. Good cases in point is the Baltic startup that states as its aim “to develop missile systems that are ten times more affordable, a hundred times faster to produce, and in quantities far exceeding current industry capabilities” and a Finnish company is working on drone production and AI-based solutions together with Ukrainian counterparts.

By working together with Ukraine, European companies are not only increasing Ukraine’s own production capacity but also learning directly from Ukraine’s battlefield experience – something that will help Europe not only to replace US capabilities, but to think ahead."

This needs to happen more.

Was it accidental, or did Markov mean to do it?

Eric the meek said:

This needs to happen more.

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A high level balcony or window awaits........................................

GT49er said:

A high level balcony or window awaits........................................

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“Yes comrade Markov, your room is ready. You will be staying on the top floor, I’ll have the 6’5” armed bellboys bring your bags up…”

GT49er said:

A high level balcony or window awaits........................................

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It might be a wait though. Putin likes to get his revenge when things have calmed down a bit. Think how long it took him to kill Prigozhin after his aborted coup.

They then allegedly had 30 face-to-face meetings before Putin had him killed.

Eric the meek said:

It might be a wait though. Putin likes to get his revenge when things have calmed down a bit. Think how long it took him to kill Prigozhin after his aborted coup.

They then allegedly had 30 face-to-face meetings before Putin had him killed.

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Oh well, I'm sure Markov will enjoy the wait. Could be well advised to make the most of it whilst it lasts!

Nowhere to hide...

That's a lot of ammunition

raymondo said:

That's a lot of ammunition

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Which only goes to show we MUST increase our military spend higher and quicker than currently proposed. Also production of weapons has to rise rapidly. The West still seems complacent.

Hopefully the power line will be blown up frequently

This is a big deal for Germany given their history. Merz certainly isn’t hanging about.

SouthSaxon said:

This is a big deal for Germany given their history. Merz certainly isn’t hanging about.

German troops start first permanent foreign deployment since second world war

Heavy combat unit of 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff inaugurated in Lithuania on Nato’s eastern flank

www.theguardian.com

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Very good, detailed article .
I noticed in particular this bit:
"Merz, the first chancellor to have served in the Bundeswehr, said: “We stand firmly by Ukraine but we also stand together as Europeans as a whole and we play, whenever possible, as a team with the US.”

'whenever possible ', a commitment, hopefully, that Europe will 100,% stand together even if the US is not there.

Hmmm, Russia trying to redraw the borders big time.

raymondo said:

Hmmm, Russia trying to redraw the borders big time.

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This is the latest manifestation of the renewed emboldenment and entitlement that Putin has, as a direct result of Trump's isolationism.

Fortunately, Germany is taking the threat of Russia very seriously, and is re-militarising.

raymondo said:

Hmmm, Russia trying to redraw the borders big time.

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Christ they are desperate aren’t they? You know they must be concerned about support when they try this little chestnu.

Deportivo Seagull said:

Christ they are desperate aren’t they? You know they must be concerned about support when they try this little chestnu.

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Yes, I see it as a mix of your statement "they are desperate" , and @Eric the meek 's, "renewed emboldenment and entitlement "

Eric the meek said:

This is the latest manifestation of the renewed emboldenment and entitlement that Putin has, as a direct result of Trump's isolationism.

Fortunately, Germany is taking the threat of Russia very seriously, and is re-militarising.

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Very good video, thanks