Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
Trial balloon from a Surrogate of Moscow? Trying to generate a little diplomatic momentum, to counter the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland, G-7 and NATO Summits? Or maybe just trying to distract from continuing arms supplies to Ukraine?
Kyiv Independent reports:
Slovak president suggests hosting potential Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Bratislava
“Slovak President Peter Pellegrini called for peace between Russia and Ukraine and said that if necessary, Bratislava could host possible talks, Aktuality reported on May 8.
The Slovak president is an ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been a vocal critic of military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Speaking on the occasion of the Victory in Europe Day in the city of Banska Bystrica, the recently-elected head of state said that European leaders have a responsibility to ensure peace in Ukraine to avert “tragic scenarios.”
“Let’s talk about a ceasefire, about peace scenarios, let’s mobilize diplomacy and approach weapons as a last resort,” Pellegrini said without elaborating on concrete steps to achieve peace.”
Kyiv Independent reports:
EU ambassadors agree on using Russian assets revenue to fund Ukraine
“EU ambassadors agreed in principle on a measure for using profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s recovery and military needs, the Belgian Presidency of the EU said on May 8.
Ukraine’s Western partners and other allies froze around $300 billion in Russian assets at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Roughly two-thirds are held in the Belgium-based financial services company Euroclear...
...While the U.S. proposed seizing Russian assets outright in accordance with their recently passed REPO act, the EU has been more hesitant, fearing legal and fiscal pitfalls of confiscation.
In March, the European Commission submitted a proposal on using 90% of the generated funds to purchase weapons for Ukraine and allocate the remaining 10% to the EU budget to support the country’s defense industry.
The proposed measure would have allocated around 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to Ukraine per year.
The plan met opposition from those member states who maintain military neutrality or non-alignment policy and thus opposed funding Ukraine’s defense needs, instead preferring to channel the money toward reconstruction efforts.
The final form of the proposition recently approved by EU ambassadors remains unclear.”
Kyiv Independent reports:
“Ukraine has caught up with Russia in the production of domestically-made kamikaze drones similar (range, payload) to Iranian-designed Shahed-131/136, Herman Smetanin, the head of the state-owned Ukrainian Defense Industry company, said in an interview with ArmyInform published on May 8.”
I've seen pro-Russia posters litterally celebrating the loss of an M1A1 Abrams, as if it's some massive accomplishment that proves Russia is superior to the USA. So far, there are 5 confirmed losses out of 31 delivered. Note that the M1A1 is a downgraded version of the US Army's M1A1 that was built between 1985 and 1992. Ukraine's tanks have had the special depleted uranium armor removed and received a FLIR system.
In comparison, Russia's most modern tank is the T-90M, introduced in 2017. That's 25 years AFTER the M1A1 was discontinued. Russia has produced less than 200 of these "state of the art" tanks. Despite hard kill and soft kill self protection systems, and explosive reactive armor, Russia has lost 83 of them in Ukraine.
I have to take the conservative side on this. Distributing the profits of frozen funds to Ukraine is one thing, but seizing the funds themselves is high risk. I have no doubt that there are legal mechanisms that can be used after the war to give these assets and more to Ukraine, but doing so without a strong legal foundation could result in the west having to pay Russia back. It also undermines the perception that western banking is a safe place for sovereign wealth, or even individual wealth, should we deem your country in violation of our "rules based world order".
doing so without a strong legal foundation could result in the west having to pay Russia back
—
Just deduct the sum (adjusted for inflation etc) from the WWII aid they never paid back.
M2A2 Bradley doing what it was born to do: destroying a Russian T-80 with a TOW anti-tank missile. I wonder how many times this scenario has played out when there was no drone to record the kill.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1788233188243808409
LETS VOTE.
OH, JUST DID.
With the vote taking place, that mean Johnson did not agree to halt future Ukraine aid bills.
Like a double win today.
“The House voted to block a resolution by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, with Democrats stepping in to help save the Republican leader.
Greene had forced the vote late Wednesday despite the opposition of most other congressional Republicans and former President Donald Trump. The vote was 359-43 to table, or set aside, Greene’s motion, with seven voting present.”
I agree.
I asked that question from the beginning, Ukranians do it as well
Getting out of dodge in a hurry, maybe hard to close?
Funny they spend all that time, energy, and expense to put cages all around, but then leave hatch open and a $40 Grenada can destroy a multimillion dollar piece of equipment
True, leaves open the door for anyone. With that said, Russia has already confiscated foreign assets and businesses or paid Pennie’s on the dollar
Maybe play stupid games win stupid prizes applies with their funds
The Republican Caucus voted 196-11. An overwhelming majority of the Republican Caucus opposes the fringe 11 who just want to burn it down if they can’t have it their way.
“The corporate exodus from Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine has cost foreign companies more than $107 billion in writedowns and lost revenue, a Reuters analysis of company filings and statements showed.
“As Russia’s invasion continues amid faltering Western military aid, and the granularity of Western sanctions regimes increases, companies still aiming to exit Russia will likely face further difficulties and have to accept greater writedowns and losses,” said Ian Massey, Head of Corporate Intelligence, EMEA, at global risk consultancy S-RM.
President Vladimir Putin, fresh from securing re-election in a landslide victory widely condemned in the West as unfair and undemocratic, now has a renewed mandate to pursue further isolation from the West, including through additional asset seizures and political pressure, Massey added.
Moscow demands discounts of at least 50% on foreign asset sales and has steadily tightened exit requirements, often accepting nominal fees as little as one rouble.
So far this year, sales of assets owned by Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab, HSBC (HSBA.L), opens new tab, Polymetal International (POLY.MM), opens new tab and Yandex NV (YNDX.O), opens new tab have been announced, totalling nearly $10 billion and at discounts as high as 90%. Last week, Danone (DANO.PA), opens new tab said it received regulatory approvals to dispose of its Russian assets, taking a total loss of $1.3 billion.”
Maybe they want them destroyed? Beats having to go back and risk your life again recovering it. Maybe tank crews are in short supply, and valued enough that they don't get sent in meat wave attacks after losing a tank.
Moscow Marge gets put down with prejudice.
“Republican Caucus voted 196-11”
/////
“Aside from Greene, Massie and Gosar, other Republicans who voted “no” on the motion to table Wednesday night included Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona; Eric Burlison of Missouri; Warren Davidson of Ohio; Chip Roy of Texas; Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia; Barry Moore of Alabama; and Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who was coming off a tough primary win in the Hoosier state on Tuesday night.”
/////////
I hadn’t followed Spartzs primary. She only got 39%.
“With 99% of votes counted, Spartz won the primary with 39% of the vote over Noblesville state Rep. Chuck Goodrich who garnered 33% of the vote. The closest competitors to those two candidates were Max Engling with 10% of the vote and Raju Chinthala with 7% of the vote. The other candidates running Tuesday included Matthew Peiffer, Mark Hurt, Larry Savage, LD Powell and Patrick Malayter.”
Indiana CD-5 is has a Cook PVI of R+11. So she will likely be re-elected.
BREAKING, BREAKING, BREAKING
“Tanks (3000, of which destroyed: 2001, damaged: 156, abandoned: 329, captured: 514)”
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html
Considered the same thing
“The corporate exodus from Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine has cost foreign companies more than $107 billion in writedowns and lost revenue”
Add it to their reparations bill.
Needs confirmation, but...
” It appears that Ukraine has stuck multiple Russian oil refineries tonight.”
https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1788375491847589994
“Ukraine 🇺🇦 has carried out further attacks on Russian oil refineries in Krasnodar, Russia.”
https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1788375015177486660
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