Today's Belle

Russia signed on to the Budapest Agreement in the early 90s, promising to assure Ukraine's security.

Russia signed on to Article 147 of the Geneva Conventions - the part that makes it a war crime to attack civilians and civilian infrastructure. 

Ukraine

🇫🇷 Marine Le Pen, the unofficial leader of France’s right-wing populist party National Rally, condemned the White House’s decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine.

“In my opinion, the brutality of this decision deserves condemnation. It is a very cruel move against the Ukrainian soldiers who are patriotically defending their country,” she stated.

A Day

Irish-born Eileen Keenan prepares to celebrate the death of a tyrant, March 5th, 1953 in Washington DC.

And try not to worry too much, Ukrainians. You'll have good reason to celebrate again.

Слава Україні

Свобода знаходить шлях

🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦

Your Lunchtime AI

via JR Colo - FB

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fibby McFibFace (@fibbymcfibface)

And Now Putin Knows

I love this guy.

Слава Україні

Свобода знаходить шлях

🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦

Watch on TikTok

A Poem

A Rider at the Oval

--Eduardo Montes-Bradley

 

A stranger rode into the hall of power,

a weary traveler from a battered land.

He came not to beg, but to stand,

bearing the weight of his people's sorrow.

Yet cruelty met him at the door,

words like stones, cold and sharp,

not from foes upon the battlefield,

but from hands once outstretched in promise.

 

Oh, how the world watches in silence,

as dignity is trampled by arrogance.

But the rider will ride on,

for his people still stand.

And history will remember—

not the cruelty, not the insult,

but the unbroken spirit

of those who will not kneel.

The Mugging

Trump and Vance are too afraid to set foot in Ukraine because they're both cowards. And it's easier for the coward to bully everybody around him into doing what he wants, than it is for him to step up and lead from the front.

Professor Tim Wilson

What The Blue-Eyed Buck-Naked Fuck Is This Shit

Today's WTF

FWIW:

1. Ukraine owes me nothing
2. Trump and Vance can tie the whole thing to a cinder block and shove it up their ass
3. Not sorry not sorry, but I hate these fuckin' people

Ukraine

Look at this place.

                                 

What kind of a fuckin' jerk would

wanna drop bombs on a place like this?

                                                                     

ICYMI

The US (via Ambassador Elise Stefanik) has voted against a UN resolution saying Russia started the shit in Ukraine.

We are now pretty much fully aligned with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

Does this really feel like we're headed in the right direction?

Today's Reddit

Basically: "It was all NATO's fault."

Trump says Ukraine “can forget about joining Nato” and claims Nato is “the reason the whole thing started”
byu/1DarkStarryNight inukraine

He Can't

Trump makes it up, and internalizes it to the point where he's going to swallow his foot no matter what.

It's like he doesn't know it's not true, or he doesn't know that he can't just blurt it out in front of somebody who's going to call him on it.

Or maybe, he's so far gone that he believes he can say anything he wants, and everybody either has to accept it as gospel, or keep their mouths shut and do whatever they have to do to make it so.

It's just too fuckin' bizarre with this guy.

Watch his face when Macron calls bullshit.

Macron has to interrupt Trump and correct a lie about Europe’s contribution to the Ukraine War
byu/ExactlySorta inPublicFreakout

Ukraine Is The Key

Help Ukraine beat Putin

Which weakens Iran

Which weakens Hamas and the Houthis

Which removes a fair part of Netanyahu's rationale for holding power

Which eases tensions across the board in the middle east

All of which tells Xi he'd better watch his ass.

Ukraine

Ukraine will win this war.

And the United States will continue to stand beside them every step of the way. pic.twitter.com/Sb3c08eC6s

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 29, 2024

This is potentially a big time shift. Biden's language before has always been "We'll help Ukraine defend itself...".

Now he's talking about winning.

Joe Biden's Parting Gift to Ukraine

President Joe Biden announced $8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine last Thursday, in what may well be the last package he greenlights before he leaves office and this year's presidential election in November.

This is the 66th equipment package Biden's administration has provided to Ukraine and is part of the outgoing president's push to continue to send weapons to Kyiv amid debate in U.S. politics about how much money the country should continue to spend on helping its ally in its ongoing war against Russia.

It came before the end of the U.S. fiscal year on Monday, September 30, when $5.9 billion in funding for Ukraine was set to expire.

Biden said he had authorized $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to transfer defense money from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to foreign countries without the need for congressional approval for each transfer.

A further $2.4 billion has been allocated through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will provide Ukraine with more air defense, unmanned aerial systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine's defense industry.

The president, who will leave office in January after stepping down from the presidential race in late July, said on Thursday: "Through these actions, my message is clear: The United States will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war."

Feryal Cherif, the director of the International Relations Program at California's Loyola Marymount University, told Newsweek that "in general, Biden's legacy will be a function of our presidential election and the outcome of the Ukrainian-Russian war."

It comes amid uncertainty over how, and to what capacity, America's support for Kyiv will continue after the election, as former President Donald Trump, the GOP's presidential nominee, has been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who last week was in the U.S. to present his "victory plan" in winning the war.

After Trump met with Zelensky last Friday, he told reporters: "We have a very good relationship. I also have a very good relationship with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and you know, I think if we win, we're going to get it resolved very quickly."

During the meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan, Zelensky responded to a comment made about the former president's relationship with Putin, saying: "I hope we have more good relations with us."

"It takes two to tango and we will," the former president replied.

Just a few days before this, on Wednesday, Trump told a campaign rally in North Carolina: "We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelensky."

He added: "Ukraine is gone. It's not Ukraine anymore. Any deal, even the worst deal, would have been better than what we have right now."

The Ukrainian president and Trump's running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, have recently exchanged words after Zelensky criticized Vance's ideas on how to end the war, calling him "too radical."

During an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast on September 11, Vance said, "Ukraine retains its independent sovereignty, Russia gets the guarantee of neutrality from Ukraine—it doesn't join NATO, it doesn't join some of these allied institutions. That is what the deal is ultimately going to look something like."

After Zelensky's criticism, Vance responded by saying he "does not appreciate" the Ukrainian president "telling the American taxpayer what they oughta do," adding: "He [Zelensky] oughta say thank you to the American taxpayer."

Cherif, also an associate professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University, told Newsweek that if Trump "wins the election, there is a good chance that President Zelensky will be pressured to negotiate a peace deal with Russia that involves the loss of territory."

If this happens, folks may think it could have been achieved earlier in the war, saving the U.S. billions of dollars and leaving Biden with a "foreign policy failure," Cherif added.

Newsweek has contacted Biden's team, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment. Newsweek has also contacted Trump's team for comment.

In total, as of September 26, the U.S. has committed more than $59.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration.

Before Biden stepped down as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, he debated Trump in a CNN-hosted debate in June. When it came to the Russia-Ukraine war, Biden justified America's support for Ukraine by saying that Putin wants to "restore his Soviet Empire."

If Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, wins the election she will "likely continue to support Ukraine," Cherif said.

She added: "Harris' presidency is likely to find itself in a position where many Americans feel that, one, the country is hemorrhaging money to a foreign war it cannot win or it finds too costly to win, and two, with the territorial stalemate, we could have arrived at this same outcome, with much less money spent, years ago. Unless the trajectory of the war radically changes, Ukraine is likely to be seen as a foreign policy failure for Biden and Harris."

Newsweek has contacted Harris' team, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.

Cherif said she believes Harris can "seek to mainstream a new narrative about the war" by "encouraging Ukraine to accept the losses, and with this aid package, frame its continued commitment to containing Russia."

She added: "If they can advance a narrative that we stood up to aggression but now is the time to build strong borders, it could mediate some of the blowback on Biden's legacy and a would-be Harris presidency."

Cherif went on to stress the idea that "defending Ukraine is, not so much the right thing to do but, a vital, long-term American national security issue."

Last week, Harris slammed suggestions that Ukraine should concede territory to Moscow for the sake of peace and said: "They are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender. The United States supports Ukraine not out of charity, but because it's in our strategic interest."

During Zelensky's trip to the U.S. last week, Harris told him that her support for Kyiv's defense is "unwavering."

The vice president said: "I have been proud to stand with Ukraine. I will continue to stand with Ukraine, and I will work to ensure Ukraine prevails in this war, to be safe, secure and prosperous. The United States must continue to fulfill our long-standing role of global leadership."

A July poll carried out by the Pew Research Center found that 63 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning people believe the U.S. has a responsibility to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, while only 36 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning folks say the same. This was based on answers from 9,424 adults who were surveyed between July 1 and 7. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.

Ukraine

Russian Personnel Losses Break 600,000 Mark, Says Ukraine

Moscow’s 2022 invasion started with a 100,000-strong invasion force, and it is currently losing more than a thousand troops on the front daily amidst hostilities on multiple fronts.

Russia’s personnel losses during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian estimations, have broken the 600,000 mark.

According to an update on Monday by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Russia lost 600,470 military personnel between Feb. 24, 2022, and Aug. 19, 2024, and 1,120 alone over the past day.

Ukraine also estimated that Russian forces lost 8,513 tanks and 16,495 armored personnel carriers (APCs) as of Monday.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, the AFU reported that Russia lost 1,170 troops in a single day.

Russian personnel losses exceeded 500,000 in May, and the month also witnessed the highest reported daily troop losses at 1,200 on average, according to an update by the British Ministry of Defence on May 31.

A NATO official previously said that Russia has been recruiting around 30,000 troops monthly to sustain the losses.

Initially, Moscow had amassed more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border weeks before the 2022 invasion.

On Aug. 6, Ukraine launched a new offensive into Russia’s less-fortified Kursk region, which took Moscow by surprise, with Russian conscripts being thrust into the fight in its attempt to contain the offensive.

On Aug. 14, Ukraine captured over 100 Russian prisoners of war (POWs) in its Kursk incursion, marking the largest single capture of Russian troops since Moscow’s invasion started In February 2022.

Y'Know What We Oughta Do, Boss?

We oughta go north and just fuck with the Russians for a while. And I mean really fuck with 'em.

Let's take a bit of their land - maybe up around Kursk, where we kicked Hitler's ass when he invaded us - and then tell 'em we're standing up a local government, complete with postal services. And then maybe we'll announce a referendum on which they prefer - Kyiv or Moscow.

C'mon, it'll be fun to poke that jerk Putin in the eye.

I sure hope these crazy Ukrainians know what they're doin'.

Fun Fact:

CNN has reporters embedded with Ukrainian forces, and they're filing stories from Russian territory around Sudzha.

Ukraine forms military administration in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says

Ukraine established a first military administration in the Ukrainian-held parts of Russia's Kursk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 15.

In a report to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Syrskyi said the administration will be led by General Eduard Moskaliov, a former commander of the Joint Forces.

Zelensky said earlier that the creation of special administrative bodies in Kursk Oblast could not be ruled out as the cross-border incursion stretches into its second week.

"Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast advanced 35 kilometers deep and control 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory," Syrskyi said, adding that 82 Russian settlements are now under Ukraine's control.

Over the past day, Ukraine's troops advanced between 500 meters and 1.5 kilometers in the Russian region, the commander-in-chief reported.

"Except for Sudzha, (Russian forces) have been cleared out from three more settlements of Kursk Oblast," Syrskyi noted. The general reported already on Aug. 14 that Sudzha, a town some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Ukraine's border, had been cleared of Moscow's troops.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters on Aug. 13 that "unlike Russia, Ukraine does not seek to seize territory" but wants to "protect the lives of our people."

Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast aims to prevent Moscow from sending additional reinforcements to the front in Donbas and stop Russian cross-border strikes, Tykhyi said.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that Ukraine's military is creating a "security zone" on Russian territory to protect Ukrainian border areas.

Vereshchuk said that Ukraine would be conducting humanitarian operations in the area, including creating safe corridors for civilians to evacuate — both toward Ukraine and to other parts of Russia.

International humanitarian organizations will also be allowed to enter the area to support the civilian population and monitor the situation, she added.

Ukraine’s National Postal Service Is Ready to Open in Sudzha

Ukrposhta is ready to open a branch in Sudzha to deliver parcels to Ukraine’s Armed Forces as soon as permits, funding, and safety measures come through.

Ukraine’s national postal service Ukrposhta stated that it’s ready to open a branch in Sudzha, captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during the offensive on Russian territory, which began on Aug. 6, 2024.

Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyansky may see it as a necessary step to deliver parcels to Ukraine’s military officers currently located in Sudzha. Instead of premises, the CEO intends to install a “mobile branch.”

Ukraine’s postal services, Ukrposhta and Nova Poshta, use mobile branches to deliver parcels and provide services in territories under heavy Russian shelling and air strikes, or small towns and villages with limited infrastructure. They usually take the form of trucks or vans designed with the company’s colors and logo.

Ukrposhta employees demonstrating the Ukrposhta van for mobile branches. Source: RAU.
There are three conditions for a successful expansion: instructions and the decision from Ukraine’s government, safety guarantees, and funding, Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyansky told Interfax-Ukraine.

Ukrposhta can open a branch in Sudzha if there are appropriate safety conditions for the workers. “It’s not about guaranteeing 100 percent safety, as even in Ukraine, this is not possible today, but rather an acceptable level of risk,” Smilyansky said.

Instead of a regular van, Smilyansky offered to use an armored vehicle similar to the Ukrainian Kozak armored personnel carrier.

Next, the government should enforce a decision to open a branch and allocate the resources for the expansion.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had captured the entire town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, which is located 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Ukrainian border, citing reports from Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the AFU.

The town also houses the Sudzha gas metering station, which is the only transit route for Russian gas to Europe – through Ukraine. However, the significance of its capture remains unclear, since Ukraine could theoretically stop the flow of gas anywhere along the hundreds of kilometers of pipeline that run through Ukrainian territory.

Слава Україні

Свобода знаходить шлях

Wanna Negotiate?

Слава Україні

Свобода знаходить шлях

OK, Vlad, let's sit down and talk about a trade. You give us back Crimea and The Donbas, and we'll give you back Kursk and Belgorod.

FAFO, dick head - now get your ass outa my yard.

Ukraine appears to expand incursion into Russia, in a morale boost for Kyiv

Kyiv’s forces claimed to have reached a village inside of Russia’s Belgorod, as the Kremlin announced a “counterterrorism operation” in the area.

KYIV — Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia seemed to stretch to a second border region, with Kyiv’s forces claiming to have reached a village inside of Belgorod as the Kremlin announced a “counterterrorism operation” in the area — a sign of Moscow’s growing insecurity five days after Ukrainian troops launched the cross-border offensive.

Ukrainian forces have continued to push deeper into Russia, further signaling this operation wasn’t a short raid but rather a potential occupation. The move that has turned the tables of this war on Moscow, which invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.

Though Ukrainian officials have repeatedly declined to comment on the assault, their soldiers fighting in Russia have started posting more videos and photos to social media that purport to show them in Kursk and Belgorod. Several mechanized and assault units appear to be part of the offensive, meaning Kyiv has probably pulled thousands of soldiers off the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces had been gaining ground.

Whatever the ultimate purpose of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, it has succeeded as a narrative-shifting morale boost for Kyiv. Instead of lamenting Russia’s advances on the eastern front every day, Ukrainians are eagerly monitoring — and snickering — at the news of their troops pushing deeper and deeper into Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy.

Analysts have said Ukraine’s military could be trying to divert Russian forces from other parts of the front line in eastern Ukraine. But Ukraine then also risks pulling more of its soldiers away from the tense defense there, and the quantity of reserves Russia uses to counter the assault on its territory may not outweigh the Ukrainian force committed. And if Ukraine indeed intends to hold and occupy this Russian territory for an extended period, that will also require a significant number of troops to stay put.

Though Kyiv’s ramped-up mobilization campaign has conscripted tens of thousands of men per month this summer, not all of those reinforcements have reached the battlefield, as they still have to complete training.

Ukrainian officials have said bringing the war to Russia and making its civilians experience the same displacement and bombardment that Ukrainians have for the past two years will place pressure on President Vladimir Putin and better Kyiv’s position in future negotiations to end the war.

In the latest show of Ukraine’s confidence, soldiers from Ukraine’s 252nd Territorial Defense Battalion recorded a video, shared on Saturday, standing outside of a building identified as the village club in Poroz — a settlement in Russia’s Belgorod region less than two miles from the border. The Washington Post could not immediately verify the video’s authenticity or when it was taken.

That would stretch Ukraine’s forces into a second Russian region after the initial offensive had been contained to just Kursk. Some Russian military analysts and pro-war bloggers claimed the video could be an orchestrated diversionary tactic to confuse Russian forces.

As Russian officials have claimed that the Ukrainian advance has been halted, Moscow also announced a “counterterrorism operation” on Saturday for three regions along Ukraine’s border. That entails heightened security, such as the ability to forcibly resettle civilians, document and vehicle checks and call monitoring. Authorities can also restrict internet access and limit communications in areas.

Ukraine - Russia - Africa

Don't think for a minute that Putin wouldn't engineer a famine in Africa and then use use it as leverage against the west in order to push for a settlement that's favorable to him in Ukraine.

Geopolitics is an unbelievably shitty game.

Starting at about 6:42

Famine has been a favorite tool of Russian authoritarian assholes for a mighty long time.

Drones

Here's one scary-as-fuck video from Simon Whistler.

And don't get too comfortable, thinking we're OK because we're such good buddies with those Ukrainian fellers - people are already marrying drones with AI, and tech does not stay in one place for long, so we can expect plenty of trouble from the assholes who will surely be jumping all over that shit for nefarious purposes.