It is like pick up basketball........ sides are taken, and always relatively split - but the guys on our side over all are stronger than on the other side.
Yes, I believe so. The longer this goes on, the more likely something will shake loose for the Russians. They can afford the casualties for decades if they have to. Russia is likely waiting for the 2024 election, knowing that US foreign policy could drastically change - and also knowing that inevitably, with time, China or another nation of some strength will start supplying them with equipment.
I don't think Russia can hold out in the arms race. As we saw, their equipment is either outdated and busted or new and faulty and is getting creamed. I will be pretty surprised if China decides to start sending them equipment unless the end goal is for China to ingratiate themselves with Russia in general to a point where they ally with an anti-Putin faction to eliminate him and set up a puppet regime in Russia.
The United States official defense policy states China is the #1 threat. Thats where our focus is. Amazing job by focusing on China. Ukraine and Europe can handle Russia. The focus of America needs to be on CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA. This is why withdrawing from Afghanistan was important. Focus all of our resources and assets on CHINA.
With New Start suspended, maybe we should just start deploying a bunch of nukes all over the globe. Then they have to build more tanks and more nukes just to keep up.
Russia has long feared the US's first strike capabilities where most of their sites would be vaporized before they could retaliate or hit back. I read about this when Bush wanted to scrap some START treaties in order to upgrade their nukes and possibly threaten countries with low yield bunker busters. From what I remember, it's totally possible to overwhelm their ground installations, but what's left are the hundreds of nukes launched from nuclear subs (and a handful of mobile launchers) which would put our anti balistic shield to the test. This doesn't discount ways to evade that shield but I guess general point is that they'd be doubly super ****ed to our one super ****ed.
I dont know that the ultimate goal of building more would be to actually win a nuclear war. Pretty sure we all lose in any version of that. The goal would be to make them much more uncomfortable, so that the next time they think about something similar, they will remember that the knife cuts both ways.
It's not about building more for us but rather updating and upgrading our existing 50 year stockpile.
That's a misquote. If you read the actual quote she says that she will "not rule out" fifth generation planes. Standard State Department speak for "we refuse to limit our options but aren't actually planning on doing it under current conditions."
How long until he gets sued and has to admit that he knows the things he says on air are false? Oh wait.
EXCLUSIVE: Seven Former NATO Supreme Allied Commanders Say U.S. ‘Must Do Everything We Can’ for a Ukrainian Victory - Defense One "Now is the time for America and its allies to dig deeper to get Ukraine what it needs to win." WESLEY K. CLARK, JOSEPH RALSTON, JAMES L. JONES, JAMES STAVRIDIS, PHILIP BREEDLOVE, CURTIS SCAPARROTTI and TOD WOLTERS FEBRUARY 23, 2023 09:44 PM ET This week the world marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s all-out assault on the independence of Ukraine. In launching a brutal and unprovoked attack on Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to overthrow Ukraine’s democratically elected government and subvert the will of millions of its citizens. But in the days that followed, the Ukrainian people defied expectations, repelled Russia’s initial attempt at conquest, and mobilized to fight a longer war in defense of their country. The tenacity of the Ukrainian people and their willingness to sacrifice for freedom has inspired the world. A broad coalition of nations led by the United States and its NATO allies have rallied to support Ukraine with weapons, military training, and economic assistance so it can withstand Russia’s unrelenting attacks on infrastructure and reclaim lost territory. One year later, Ukrainians are continuing to display bravery and grit in fighting back against Russia’s brutal occupation of Ukraine’s eastern provinces. As former NATO Supreme Allied Commanders who led all U.S. forces in Europe, we know how essential U.S. and allied support has been to Ukraine’s battlefield successes. We also know how important this fight is to America’s own security interests. The world would be a far more dangerous place had Putin succeeded in toppling Ukraine’s government. Our NATO allies would be threatened and more vulnerable to Russian coercion, rather than feeling reinforced by America’s commitment to European security. It is highly likely that a successful Russian invasion would have emboldened China to act against Taiwan, a thriving democracy and vital U.S. economic partner. Instead, the Kremlin’s military failures are giving Beijing pause. History teaches America that distant conflicts abroad can directly threaten us at home when we do not engage. Twice in the last century, the United States sent millions of troops to Europe to fight in wars that it had at first ignored against aggressors who had gone unchecked. We must not make that mistake again. We must do everything we can to hasten a Ukrainian victory against Russia. That is why President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv this week was so important, as are the strong statements of support for Ukraine from Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress. Twelve months after the start of Putin’s military campaign, the war is at a critical juncture. Russia is mobilizing its forces to launch renewed offensives, and it is resorting to increasingly barbaric tactics to impose its will on Ukraine. In Ukraine’s east, the Russian military is leveling cities, committing mass executions, torturing civilians, and shipping hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men, women, and children to Russia against their will. The United States has rightfully called these actions crimes against humanity. There is no place in the civilized world for this depravity. We have a responsibility, rooted in our values and interests, to ensure that Russia cannot operate with such impunity. The Ukrainian military is preparing for its own counteroffensives with the benefit of new Western weapons systems and training, including billions of dollars of U.S. equipment. Ukrainian forces have demonstrated remarkable capability in fighting against a much larger enemy force, and they can succeed in this war with continued strong support. But if that support waivers, they could fail—with disastrous consequences for Ukraine, the United States, and our allies and partners around the world. It is in our power to avoid that fate. Now is the time for America and its allies to dig deeper to get Ukraine what it needs to win and succeed, and to demonstrate that America remains the leading force for freedom and justice around the world. The authors each have served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). Gen. Wesley K. Clark, USA, ret., served from 1997-2000. Gen. Joseph Ralston, USAF, ret., from 2000 to 2003. Gen. James L. Jones, USMC, ret., from 2003 to 2006. Adm. James Stavridis, USN ret., from 2009 to 2013. Gen. Phil Breedlove, USAF, ret., from 2103 to 2016. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, USA ret., from 2016 to 2019. Gen. Tod Wolters, USAF, ret., from 2019 to 2022.
Opinion: The Biden administration is wrong: Time is not on Ukraine’s side https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/23/biden-ukraine-russia-war-attrition/ excerpt: As the Ukraine war enters its second year, the Biden administration is pledging to support Kyiv for “as long as it takes.” That language is calculated to send a message of resolve to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it’s not what Ukrainians want to hear. Though they’re fighting valiantly, Ukrainians are also suffering greatly — and they are begging the West to help them speed up the war, not settle in for an endless slog. Just a few days before the anniversary of Putin’s unprovoked invasion last year, Biden visited Kyiv and made a rousing speech in Poland promising that the West “will never waver” in the fight for freedom and democracy. A few days earlier, Vice President Harris took the stage at the Munich Security Conference to declare America’s endless commitment to the Ukraine effort. “The daily agony of war will persist,” she said. “But if Putin thinks he can wait us out, he is badly mistaken. Time is not on his side.” Nearly all the Ukrainian officials I met in Munich respectfully disagree. It’s not just about weapons (although they insist that more and better weapons are badly and quickly needed). These Ukrainian officials say they’re worried that the Biden administration’s stance could undermine support for Kyiv’s strategy, which is to accelerate the war effort now and avoid a protracted stalemate. For them, an endless war means a win for Putin and the loss of their country as they know it. “We are very grateful for the support that is coming, but there is one phrase that makes us very concerned,” Ukrainian member of parliament Yelyzaveta Yasko told me. “Many leaders right now are saying, ‘We will support you as long as it takes.’ And we feel this phrase is quite dangerous.” more at the link
