Free Republic

Russia out, U.S. inVIDEO

They said Assad was bad.Here is the new leader of Syria.(Information about Muhammad al-Juwayni and the terrorist group taking over Syria at link) Bush invaded Iraq for weapons of mass destruction and found none.Obama and Hillary took out Gaddafi in Libya and unleashed the Arab spring. What will happen next?

The mood in Damascus appears to be one of confusion and fear, with many people unable to find out exactly what is going on as rebel factions approach ever closer. In several suburbs, symbols of the power of the Assad dynasty have been torn down or toppled. The interior ministry says it's creating a ring of steel around the capital. But government forces have notably failed to provide any such defence in cities, towns and villages that have fallen to rebel factions across the country. Rumours are swirling over the whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, with people logging flights in...

Russia has begun withdrawing ships from its naval base in Tartus, Syria, after a rapid advance by Islamist rebel forces that the Syrian army, led by President Bashar al-Assad, is unable to contain, according to Naval News. On December 2, the tanker "Yelnya," crucial for supporting Russian forces in the Mediterranean, departed Tartus. Other vessels may have left the base along with it. The Russian naval group in Syria consists of five ships and one submarine, including two "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigates, one "Admiral Grigorovich" class frigate, an upgraded "Kilo" class submarine, and two auxiliary vessels. If Russia decides to...

Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad. Russia, because they are so tied up… in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years. This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping...

Ukrainian officials are holding high-level talks with the incoming Trump administration, seeking to narrow wide differences on achieving a settlement of Kyiv’s war with Russia even before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet Wednesday with Keith Kellogg, Trump’s choice as special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, and Mike Waltz, the incoming national security adviser, according to a Trump transition official and several people familiar with the discussions. Kellogg has signaled support for the Biden administration’s efforts to rush weapons to Ukraine, saying it will give Trump leverage with Moscow...

Vladimir Putin will reject Donald Trump's proposed peace plan and would only end the conflict in Ukraine if he gives him huge concessions, a hardliner close to the Kremlin has warned. Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev, who is sanctioned by the West, slammed Trump's recently picked envoy Keith Kellogg and his proposals on how to end the conflict with Kyiv. 'Kellogg comes to Moscow with his plan, we take it and then tell him to screw himself, because we don't like any of it. That'd be the whole negotiation,' Malofeyev said bluntly in an interview from a luxury Dubai resort. -snip-...

Russia opposes simply freezing the conflict in Ukraine because Moscow needs a “solid and long-term peace” that resolves the core reasons for the crisis, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign intelligence chief said on Tuesday. Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said that Russia had the initiative on the battlefield. -snip- Russia is open for talks, Naryshkin said.

Here are 10 key reasons experts say U.S. support for Ukraine should be continued: 1. Putin's aggression must be stopped. 2. Putin's atrocities need a response. 3. Russia is targeting evangelical Christians for persecution. 4. Ukraine wants only to regain its sovereign territory. 5. Russia has not "won" the war. 6. Russia is rearming for a larger war. 7. Most Ukraine aid goes to U.S. contractors. 8. Europe fears a coming attack on NATO. 9. Support for Ukraine signals to China: Do not invade Taiwan. 10. Give Ukraine aid to let Trump bring peace.

Chasiv Yar, eastern Ukraine — Ukraine's ammunition starved troops pulled back from two more villages in the country's war-torn east this week, ceding them to Russian forces who've capitalized on their enemies' shortages to seize more territory after taking the hard-fought city of Avdiivka about two weeks ago. After punishing battles that decimated Bakhmut and then Avdiivka — cities that stood as symbols of Ukrainian resistance for months, even years, but ultimately fell to Russian firepower — Russia's forces have turned their sites and their guns on the nearby city of Chasiv Yar.

But upcoming Biden administration and German decisions concerning the deployment of precision deep-strike weapons — namely ATACMS and the Taurus cruise missile — are likely weighing heavily on Putin’s mind, along with the coming introduction of F-16 fighter jets. Ditto bilateral security guarantees, some signed just days ago, with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Canada — and Sweden’s and Britain’s announcements last week of additional military assistance. Europe is not giving up on Ukraine. Propaganda wins aside, it was a losing week for Putin... As many as 65 soldiers from Russia’s 39th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade...

Letter to Congress from American Veteran in Ukraine Jake Broe [I am a United States Air Force veteran who served as a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer (13N). 437K subscribers 2-24-2024 17:00 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg49VcsWvd8 Excerpt: "Jake is sharing an opinion piece from an American Service veteran currently in Ukraine. An American Veteran plea arm Ukraine or Surrender Freedom. This man's name is John Roberts call sign name is Jackie Not everyone has and uses social media. Not everyone wants to be on camera. So today, I'm going to use my platform and my voice to share his message. This is...

Ukraine’s military has destroyed a Russian A-50 surveillance aircraft, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Friday. “The A-50 with the call sign ‘Bayan’ has flown its last!” Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Developing

Russian opposition leader challenging Vladimir Putin in March's presidential election can expect to be poisoned or imprisoned, according to prominent Putin ally Vladimir Solovyov. Boris Nadezhdin, a former State Duma member who is known for opposing Russia's war in Ukraine, announced on Wednesday that he was filing papers to challenge Putin in the election. The announcement came after a successful campaign to collect at least 100,000 voter signatures required to appear on the ballot. Solovyov, the host of a popular Russian state television show known for pushing Kremlin propaganda, warned Nadezhdin during a broadcast a short time later that his...

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions against 19 tankers that transported Russian oil under the flags of Liberia and Panama. SOURCE: US Department of Treasury DETAILS: It is noted that sanctions are imposed in connection with the violation of the restriction on oil prices. 18 tankers fly the flag of Liberia, and one sails under the flag of Panama. Two companies own the tankers: Hennesea Holdings Limited (UAE) and Cielo Marine Ltd (Hong Kong). It is known that the shipping firm Hennesea Holdings Limited (Hennesea), which is headquartered in the United...

Russian strategic culture: Why Russia does things the way it does By Martti J. Kari, former intelligence Colonel in the Finnish Defense Forces BACKGROUND My background is that I have served in military intelligence for most of my career. I am an officer and an intelligence colonel who retired last fall. I started here in January at the university as a teacher. I teach intelligence. As I have spent most of my career in intelligence, Russia and the Soviet Union have always been my point of interest. As a young lieutenant, I was sent to what was then Leningrad to...

The United States and the EU are yet to allocate additional—and much needed—financing for Ukraine. State budget funding, payments in the public sector and, ultimately, the salaries of Ukrainian troops depend on this allied assistance. Otherwise, Kyiv’s only option is to print currency, leading to hryvnia devaluation and soaring inflation.U.S. President Joe Biden has called on Republicans in Congress to approve additional funding, including more than $60 billion for Ukraine, after the 2024 government funding deal. The debate on this issue reached an impasse in the U.S. House of Representatives in late 2023. However, there are prospects that U.S. aid...

Update from Ukraine | Ruzzia is losing the Critical equipment in Avdiivka | Ukraine wins the fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZksUfLnycsQ MilitaryLand.net It’s time to look into the future and talk about what awaits us in 2024. In a few weeks, it will be ten years since Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas. Now the focus on will shift back to the beginning of the website: Ukrainian regular and volunteer units. If you like the maps, please stay tuned for more details. *** Great interactive maps with viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use for each Front! https://militaryland.net/maps/

Update from Ukraine | Ruzzian Tactics is Just Stupid | They waste their army in Avdiivka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BldXQoXUHQ The reveal of 152nd Mechanized Brigade: 152nd Mechanized Brigade joins 151st, 153rd, 154th Mechanized Brigades and makes a public appearance. The brigade received its official insignia, motto – There shouldn’t be fear in us, and military unit number – A4948. https://militaryland.net/news/the-reveal-of-152nd-mechanized-brigade/ [NOTE: two summaries per week, released on Wednesday and Sunday] *** Great interactive maps with viewer controlled Map magnification tool to use for each Front! https://militaryland.net/maps/

In a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian Air Force successfully targeted and destroyed the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk. The military action took place in the early hours of December 26, in the port of Feodosia, located in the occupied territory of Crimea. The event was announced by the Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, and signifies a strategic blow to the Russian military’s capabilities in the region. The Novocherkassk, a large landing ship, represents a significant asset in the Russian Navy. Its destruction likely involved the use of Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles. This loss...