Simple Keith just can't stop
Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
Russia preparing to launch a mass cruise missile attack on Ukraine tonight.
“Russia preparing to launch a mass cruise missile attack”
Just begging for some more Bone-Crushing...
Hungary Says Russian Oil Flows Halted After Ukrainian Attack on Druzhba Pipeline
OilPrics.com (Aug 18):
““Ukraine has attacked again the oil pipeline to Hungary, which has halted petroleum transportation to our country,” (Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter) Szijjarto posted on Facebook...
.The Druzhba pipeline carries Russian crude to Central Europe. The pipeline is a key artery of oil supply from Russia to Europe, with two branches – a northern one via Belarus that supplies Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, and a southern one passing through Ukraine and sending oil to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia.
Russian crude oil flows via pipeline are not subject to sanctions or embargoes, as landlocked central European countries don’t have much choice.
While the Czech Republic earlier this year became independent from Russian deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, the first time ever, Hungary has continued to rely on the Soviet-era infrastructure for most of its crude oil supply...
...it is unclear when oil flows will resume, the Hungarian official said.
The Ukrainian attack and the halt to pipeline flows to Hungary come hours ahead of a planned meeting at the White House on Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will be accompanied by the most influential European leaders.”
🍈 is funny 🤡
Apparently, a trilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, along with President Trump, has been agreed, and is now being arranged.
BBC reports that President Trump “said it was now a matter of “when, not if” such a meeting would take place.”
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump, Aug 18, 2025, 6:04 PM
“I had a very good meeting with distinguished guests, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron, of France, President Alexander Stubb, of Finland, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Italy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Friedrich Merz, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in the White House, which ended in a further meeting in the Oval Office.
During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America. Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.
At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.
Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Fox News reports that German Chancellor Merz has said that the meeting between President’s Zelensky, Putin and Trump will occur within two weeks.
Simple Keith just can't stop
Bone Crushing Sanctions!
The Kremlin did not publicly commit to a bilateral or trilateral leader-level meeting, contrary to US President Donald Trump's announcement following the August 18 multilateral summit. Trump stated that he called Russian President Vladimir Putin following the August 18 summit and began to arrange a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin at an unspecified date and undetermined location.[1] Trump stated that he will meet with Zelensky and Putin in a trilateral meeting at an unspecified time after the bilateral meeting. Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov spoke to reporters following the August 18 Trump-Putin call and that Putin and Trump “expressed support for the continuation of direct negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine” and expressed that “it would be necessary to study the possibility of raising the level of representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian sides” — a far cry from agreeing to leader-level bilateral and trilateral meetings.[2] Zelensky reiterated, following the August 18 summit, that he is ready to meet with Putin unconditionally and that Russia was the first to propose a bilateral Ukrainian-Russian meeting followed by a trilateral meeting with the United States.[3] Zelensky stated that territorial issues are issues that he will leave “between [himself] and Putin.”
Western leaders reaffirmed the importance of strong security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure a just and lasting peace at the August 18 summit. Trump met with Zelensky at the White House before both joined a meeting with European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian President Giorgia Meloni, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.[4] The leaders discussed security guarantees for ensuring a lasting peace in Ukraine, plans for future meetings between Ukrainian and Russian leaders, and continued NATO and EU support for Ukraine. Trump stated that the meeting went well and that the US and European diplomatic and security support is paving the way for peace in Ukraine and Russia.[5] Zelensky stated that he and Trump agreed to work together on an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian prisoners, and the return of Ukrainian children whom Russia had kidnapped.[6]
The Western leaders emphasized the importance of a peace deal and security guarantees that deter further aggression against Ukraine and ensure both Ukrainian and European security.[7] Von der Leyen, Meloni, and Starmer expressed support for Ukrainian security guarantees styled after NATO's Article 5, which obliges member states to take “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force,” in case of aggression against a single member state.[8] Trump stated that his intent is that the unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine will deter future aggression against Ukraine.[9] Trump also verbally stated that the United States will provide some unspecified support for the security guarantees, with European states bearing most of the burden of these guarantees. Trump's readout of the meeting posted on Truth Social states that “various European countries” would provide the security guarantees and that the United States would provide “coordination” for the guarantees.[10] The US position on American involvement in providing Ukraine security guarantees, therefore, remains unclear. Zelensky stated in a joint press conference with Trump that Ukraine needs security guarantees from its partners as well as resources to keep its military strong, including weapons, training, and intelligence sharing, and that a strong Ukrainian military is itself a security guarantee.[11] Zelensky noted that Ukraine and European partners now have a program to purchase weapons from the United States and that this is part of the guarantee of a strong Ukrainian military.[12]
Ukraine reportedly proposed a deal to purchase US weapons and produce Ukrainian drones in exchange for US security guarantees. The Financial Times (FT) reported on August 18 that it obtained a document that Ukraine will promise to purchase $100 billion worth of US weapons with European financing should the United States provide security guarantees, but noted that the document did not specify which weapons Ukraine seeks to purchase.[13] The FT reported that Ukraine also proposed a $50 billion deal to produce drones with Ukrainian companies, but that the documents did not indicate how much of the drone deal would be procurement or investment. The FT cited four people familiar with the matter that these proposals were on a Ukrainian list of talking points shared with European leaders ahead of the August 18 summit.
Russian officials largely rejected Europe's proposed security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential peace agreement. Trump stated on August 18 during his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders that Putin stated on August 15 at the Alaska summit that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.[14] Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed on August 18 that Russia “categorical[ly] reject[s]” “any scenario that envisages the appearance in Ukraine of a military contingent with the participation of NATO countries,” however.[15] Zakharova’s rejection covers both a formal NATO contingent to a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine as well as contingents from any NATO member state in Ukraine, even if those contingents are not part of a NATO mission. Zakharova’s statement is consistent with previous Kremlin statements rejecting the possibility of any NATO member state deploying a military contingent to Ukraine and threatening that Russia would deem any such deployment of forces to Ukraine as legitimate military targets.[16] Trump and other EU officials reiterated that any deployment of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine would not be a formal NATO military contingent.[17]
Western leaders expressed support for a ceasefire that may follow a possible future trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin. Trump stated that all the leaders in attendance at the August 18 multilateral summit “would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace,” but that “as of this moment, it's not happening.”[18] Trump stated that he supports a ceasefire because it could stop the casualties “immediately.” Merz and Macron also expressed support for Ukraine and Russia to implement a ceasefire either ahead of or following a trilateral Trump-Zelensky Putin meeting.[19] Both Trump stated that both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin “can talk a little bit more” about a potential ceasefire, presumably in a potential future bilateral or meeting.[20]
Russian budgetary constraints are forcing Russia to employ alternative mechanisms to fund enlistment bonus payments and recruit soldiers for its war in Ukraine. Russian opposition media outlet Vazhnye Istorii reported on August 18 that data from Russian federal budget expenditures indicate that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) contract recruitment rate fell to a two-year low in the second quarter of 2025.[26] Vazhnye Istorii reported that the Russian MoD made payments to 37,900 people for signing a contract in the second quarter of 2025, but that the Russian MoD made payments to 92,800 people in 2024, a significant decrease. ISW previously observed reports that the Kremlin exceeded its 30-billion-ruble ($381.5 million) 2025 federal budget allocation for contract payments by Summer 2025 and increased its budget allocation to 35.8 billion rubles ($455.3 million).[27] Russia's recruitment rate likely has not slowed despite the federal recruitment budget's depletion, however. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev claimed on July 2 that the Russian MoD signed over 210,000 contract soldiers, which Vazhnye Istorii noted is 1.6 times higher than what the budget expenditure data reflects.[28] Vazhnye Istorii reported that other research assessed that the MoD secured about 191,000 new contracts using regional budgetary data, suggesting that the Kremlin is using other budgets to finance recruitment.[29] Russian officials are increasingly attempting to circumvent budgetary shortcomings by informally recruiting conscripts, offering additional payments to foreigners, and shifting the financial burden by tapping the budgets of Russian federal subjects (regions) rather than the direct budget of the federal government.[30] Russia's attempt to place the onus of funding enlistment bonuses on federal subjects represents a cosmetic attempt to obscure the fact that Russia's finite national wealth is unable to sustain long-term recruitment efforts indefinitely without cutting into other government programs. Increased financial challenges will likely degrade Russia's overall force generation apparatus. Additional Western sanctions targeting Russian oil revenues will likely exacerbate greater economic challenges that can degrade Russia's long-term ability to continue its war in Ukraine.[31]
Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Commander Major General Andrei Lukyanovich stated on August 17 that Belarusian Air Force elements and pilots will participate in the upcoming Zapad-2025 joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises.[105] Lukyanovich stated that the main goals for the Belarusian Air Force during the Zapad-2025 exercises will be securing the airspace, but did not disclose which tasks the Belarusian Air Force will practice during the exercises.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-18-2025
They are waiting for the end of the [war in Ukraine] they are ready to fight for 5-7 years and want to remove Gerasimov. The elites are divided on what will happen in the near future
Negotiations in the United States with the participation of Donald Trump, European politicians and Zelensky have caused the most contradictory opinions among our elites. Thus, sources in the Central Bank and the economic bloc of the government are waiting for the imminent completion of the special military operation and again say that if this does not happen, by the end of the year (most likely in the fall, but possibly in winter) Russia will be covered by a terrible [financial] crisis. We have written about this in detail earlier, we will not repeat ourselves.
At the same time, a source in the Kremlin noted that he knows for sure that Vladimir Putin will not be satisfied with full control over the DPR and LPR. And he is going to completely take the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions from the Kyiv regime, along with the cities of Zaporozhye and Kherson proper. “Yes, we are not advancing too fast at the front now. And to achieve the goals, most likely, you will have to fight for another 5-7 years. But I am sure that Vladimir Vladimirovich is ready for this,” our interlocutor explained.
Another source in the Kremlin also noted that we are not advancing too fast at the front. And he believes that it is necessary to replace the Chief of the General Staff, remove Valery Gerasimov, and the situation will improve.Thus, our insider information is confirmed that Gerasimov may lose his post as early as next year. Now, among the claims that are being made against him, there are “especially heavy losses at the front.” First of all, in the DPR and on the territory of the Sumy region.
Economically let alone militarily Russia can not sustain this for another year let alone 5-7.
If the war, apologies SVO😂, continues at this pace, Russia is in for a very hard winter.
Did this take require you to dig into your well of geopolitical knowledge or it simply more wind?
Your credentials?
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lwqe44vk322c
🏌️♂️ Video of Trump thanking Ukrainian soldier Kostiantyn Kartavtsev for golf club gift.
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lwqtvzuvp223
45 s video
💥👍 According to estimates by the General Staff, Russia’s losses from strikes by long-range Ukrainian drones amount to $74 billion, i.e., more than 4% of GDP.
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lwqxta6lsc23
🇫🇮🇺🇸 During the closed part of the meeting, Finnish President Stubb called Kramatorsk and Slovyansk in Donetsk region “a Bastion against the Huns”, this impressed Trump, - WSJ
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lwqdpj5lls2c
I have decades of experience watching ill-educated oafs flail about forums, never once putting forward facts to support their Neocon opinions.
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