to be making such statements.

Another surrender of the values and practices of our entire civilization.

What is happening where the US Defense Industry cannot produce stuff and what about the European Defense Industry ramping up production for their own defense now that Trump has soiled our alliances like an adult diaper that needs to be changed

I think something is rotten in the Department of Defense and in our own country's economy if we are unable to ramp up weapons and air defenses to sell for a profit

Russia's weapons are really cheap and effective. Even with the so-called Russian corruption...

Taking down $20,000 drones with million dollar US missiles is not sustainable, even if we outspend Russia 20:1 on hardware.

Where did those trillions go?

Hint: Wall Street

Magats are pushing 2 points of BS propaganda.

1. Come out and say that Ukraine can't win and is losing the war. This article by Driscoll is BS Russian propaganda.
2. Ukraine has no choice but to agree with the Krasnov/Putin surrender plan.

This thread is an example of #1.

Of note to Army Secretary Driscoll, Russia has suffered 1.16 million casualties since Feb, 2022. That is a number unheard of in recent warfare, that is a number that is larger than the population of Dallas, Texas.

He was briefed to go in bullying with what Trump assumed was a cut-and-dried "deal" rather than the Kremlin-created "map" he had to retreat to describing it as.

With that out of the way, once it was obvious Ukraine wasn't going to - couldn't even if it wanted to - sign what was being offered on the dotted line, hopefully Driscoll's attitude was more reasonable.

I'm sure the Ukrainians have a better handle on their situation than he does anyway. Budanov will no doubt have set him right on a few points, which may or may not make their way back to his deranged master. The Ukrainians are less reliant on US weaponry than they were. Some of the European anti-aircraft batteries perform better against some of the Russians' drones etc. than Patriots do, for instance.

I think Zelensky has felt he has to keep the US on board to avoid piling more pressure on his other allies, as although arms production's been ramping up, some of them face their own potential threats from Russia, but if things carry on as they are, the US may become too much of a disruptive liability to be worth involving any more. Personally, I wish Trump had just had a final tantrum and stopped meddling much earlier in the year.

Powerful, often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on cult of a redemptive, “infallible”
leader who never admits mistakes.
2. Political power derived from questioning reality, endorsing myth and rage, and promoting lies.
3. Fixation with perceived national decline, humiliation, or victimhood.
4. White Replacement “Theory” used to show that democratic ideals of freedom and equality are a threat.
Oppose any initiatives or institutions that are racially, ethnically, or religiously harmonious.
5. Disdain for human rights while seeking purity and cleansing for those they define as part of the nation.
6. Identification of “enemies”/scapegoats as a unifying cause. Imprison and/or murder opposition and minority
group leaders.
7. Supremacy of the military and embrace of paramilitarism in an uneasy, but effective
collaboration with traditional elites. Fascists arm people and justify and glorify violence as “redemptive”
.
8. Rampant sexism.
9. Control of mass media and undermining “truth”.
10. Obsession with national security, crime and punishment, and fostering a sense of the nation under attack.
11. Religion and government are intertwined.
12. Corporate power is protected and labor power is suppressed.
13. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts not aligned with the fascist narrative.
14. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Loyalty to the leader is paramount and often more important than competence.
15. Fraudulent elections and creation of a one-party state.
16. Often seeking to expand territory through armed conflict.

Pouring in cheap Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.

A $20,000 Shahed drone vs million dollar AA missile isnt sustainable.

The US outspent Russia by TRILLIONS of dollars and we cant afford to supply Ukraine?

Biden and Trump screwed the pooch

This is widely understood, at least in Europe and Ukraine.

Ukraine has been a fantastic test bed for all sorts of weaponry, and it's been developing partnerships with a number of allies to develop new and more economical systems and increase production of existing ones, both inside and outside Ukraine.

Experience during the war in Ukraine has led to refinements and upgrades in the Patriots' capabilities, and it surprised the Americans when Ukraine proved that Putin's supposedly unstoppable Kinzhal "hypersonic" missiles could be taken down by Patriots. That's the Patriots' best application - countering ballistic missiles at longer ranges and higher altitudes. Counter-developments by Russia, such as increased and more unpredictable manoeuverability, have led to adaptations that seem like they'll keep pace. Ukraine is developing its own missiles that can be used with the Patriot system, so it's not reliant on US supplies and production limits. Meanwhile, Franco-Italian SAMP/Ts have proven even more effective than Patriots.

For more run-of-the mill weaponry and drones, Ukraine has various defensive options, and the number of them is constantly growing. The German Gepard systems are very effective and use relatively cheap rounds, there have been recent reports of near 100% success by missile systems mounted on French Mirage fighters, the UK and other partners have chipped in with AMRAAMs and various other systems, including more recently the UK’s Terrahawk Paladin, which uses a chain gun, and Ukraine has around a dozen systems under development and at various stages of deployment that it's been working on itself. Its Sting drone interceptor has proven deadly, particularly against Shaheds, which were the main spur for its development, and aroused much interest among allies.

The problem with all these is sufficient supply, given Russia's reliance on saturation attacks, by far the majority on civilian targets, on a nightly basis. But Russia has its own problems. Lack of foresight and a deliberate long-term campaign by Ukraine to deplete Russia's anti-aircraft batteries have left it scrabbling to re-deploy what systems survive to what it considers more important targets, such as Moscow, leaving many of its airfields and production and deployment sites relatively unprotected.

That's probably the key to Ukraine surviving this onslaught in the near and medium term - targeting the manufacturing and deployment sites for Shaheds etc., along with key logistic means and routes, going for the archers rather than the arrows. Its success in provoking a severe Russian fuel shortage will also play an increasingly important role.

Like it or not, this recent surge in militarization to counter the very real threats from Russia has led to many innovations and major expenditure in Europe and the other alied countries. Ironically, by withdrawing supplies or making them more unreliable, Trump is creating a situation where the US may miss out and be left as a less wealthy and desirable relation in defence terms, and one that's relying more and more on dated technology.

This war. The recent Kremlin written proposal is evidence of desperation. It makes me so sad that so many in America don't understand the misinformation and the evil Russia has committed against Ukraine and by extension the whole world.

Slava Ukraini!! Heroyam Slava!!

Our Ukraine support generates economic activity here. It's far less than the money given away to billionaires and wasted on DOGE and ICE and the ballroom, ARCH, birthday parade etc. etc....

Let's not forget that after all the money the US spent keeping Russia from invading western Europe, the money spent in Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, CIA, NSA, DIA, Radio Free Europe since the end of WWII, to be complaining about the minor costs by comparison to keep Russia from successfully invading and conquering a neighboring country in Europe is nickel and diming.

Dwight David Eisenhower, upon leaving the Presidency gave his famous cross of iron speech where he detailed the number of schools, school buses, hospitals, ambulances, etc. that could have been paid for with all of the money spent on tanks, aircraft carriers, millions of personnel in uniform. The sacrifice has already been made to ward off a takeover of the western world by communist Russia and the countries forced into the former Soviet Union and China. Why stop now over a comparatively small amount more only to abandon the Nation that has been fighting the past 11 years to hold the line against Putin for the rest of the western world?

So the rich slob who already cut children's cancer research, affordable health care, and education funding but wants to waste money on a ballroom, an ARCH, birthday parades for himself etc (I know I'm using a lot of etc.) can please his Russian handlers?

Russia is on the ropes. Ukraine just has to finish the job now--like finally being allowed to go into Russia. Isn't trump the only one pushing that idea anyway?