OT: Putin's War in Ukraine

[kato13]

So how will these money be spent prices on Leopard 2 tanks will go up alot and the few production lines will be for german vehicles forcing all other countries in europe buy from other countries.Currently price on 1 leopard is 16 times higher then a modernised t72 but are pretty equal in combat support roles in ukraine. the t72 have better indirect support and HE round and leo 2 little better speed but are useless in mud in march and october.

It also looks like Germany is going to need to spend more on recruitment, salaries, and benefits.

German army struggles to get Gen Z recruits ~ready for war

https://www.ft.com/content/30594f17-6a55-4189-afda-57cdf0176841

The fact that jumped out to me was

A quarter of the 18,810 men and women who signed up in 2023 left the armed forces within six months.

[Raellus]

How Does it All End

What is the eventual resolution of the Ukraine War

Russia's reclaimed most of Kursk, so Ukraine's attempt to secure a high-value bargaining chip appears to be yet another costly failure, those scare troops and AFVs better spent elsewhere. Putin doesn't seem likely to budge. He continues to press to gain more Ukrainian territory, still pounding Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones on a daily basis. Despite heavy losses with every fresh offensive operation, there's seemingly no end to Russia's military manpower (relative to Ukrainian manpower, at least), and no more serious talk of a Russian economic collapse. At least there's been less Russian nuclear saber-rattling since Trump's taken office.

Zelensky is similarly determined not to give ground (literally, as well as figuratively). His position is much more precarious than Putin's. The only card Ukraine has is the determination to continue fighting, increasing the cost for every subsequent Russian gain (a cost Putin seems willing to pay ad infinitum). Ukraine's is not a strong position, and it appears to be reliant on continued foreign aid- something its former biggest benefactor now seems unlikely to provide going forward. That said, what alternative does Ukraine have Why end the war when it means both significant territorial loss and no US-backed security guarantee for the future Under those circumstances, as long as Putin remains in power, Russia will assuredly be back for more.

And what of Trump's campaign promises to end the war (within a week of taking office, no less)

Whilst taking an overall pro-Russian stance, POTUS seems to vacillate with every round of talks. He seems to swing towards whichever party he spoke to last- Russia one day, NATO the next, back to Russia, and, every once-in-a-while, Ukraine (4/26/25). US diplomacy seems scattershot and aimless, a far cry from the single-minded focus of the Cold War era. It seems more mood-based than anything else, predicated on primarily on personal relationships and ego-stroking rather than any particular geopolitical concerns. As a Cold War kid, I still can't quite believe what's happening on the diplomatic front. It feels like we're living a really long episode of the Twilight Zone.

So, how does this all end

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[kcdusk]

So, how does this all end

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"Ukraine, good luck. Your on your own".

[kato13]

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/europe-uk-peacekeeping-troops-ukraine-6tp2cfgg5

Europe would struggle to collectively muster 25,000 troops to be part of a oedeterrence force in Ukraine because its armies are undermanned and underfunded, sources have disclosed.

Man I never would have thought the numbers presented in the NATO sourcebook, after 3.5 years of war and months of nuclear strikes, would represent significantly more than what a peacetime NATO could deploy 25 years later (canonically - 36 years after publication).


{Begin - Old man rant} Has anything fallen further in my lifetime Quality of appliances Western Steel production Pride in ones work Star Wars movies {End - Old man rant}