Ukraine Invasion: Part 54

[MagicFox]

We're on 54. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
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A basic option health care in the NL is around 130 a month. If you go middle tier it's around what I'm paying, top tier is over the 300.

Apart from extremely rare circumstances, there are very few payouts refused. Refusal isn't quite unknown but usually happens when people fall through what's meant to be a comprehensive safety net.

Both Kommersant and Vedomosti have said, in what appears to be a footnote, Ukraine will be at the table. They spend more time writing about Putin’s views and where both Russia and the US agree but Ukraine will be at the table for negotiations along with a meeting between Putin and Trump in Saudi.

In a statement on X, Ruslan Stefanchuk said "Ukraine "needs bullets not ballots".

I would add that it needs them now and not when it's too late.

Holy fuck. Trump’s latest Truth social post:

“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle. The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation. On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is “MISSING.” He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden “like a fiddle.” A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only “TRUMP,” and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the “gravy train” going. I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..”

• comedian card ✅
• illegitimate ✅
• Ukraine started the war ✅
• embezzling money from the US ✅

I think the Kremlin have taken over his account….

With all of the diplomatic arguments about extending conscription ages, it has gone missed that rates of desertion have been linked to ammunition shortages. The priority really does need to be ammunition - and quickly.

I don't know much about this war but this is scary. How can Trump call Zelensky a dictator? Playing right into Putin's hands. Scary world we are living in now.

Well, the latest missive from Donald shows quite clearly why nobody on this thread can reasonably be accused of “Trump bashing” again!

Putin'll be sleeping really well the last couple nights.

He is literally using Kremlin talking points, the sort where previously you could have completed a bingo card of them when Putin was speaking.

This is the next bit posted on t social

Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle. The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.

He has a very small brain. And it is deteriorating by the day: senescence does that when some organ hasn't been in regular use for a while.

That’s the first bit of the Truth Social post.

Actually I don't think the Fart wrote that post. My reason? Zelenskyy is consistently spelled right, and he doesn't do that for people he is trying to belittle.

@DdraigGoch

"The priority really does need to be ammunition - and quickly."

What I think the majority of us can agree on is that Trump is a dick and that the European NATO countries have massively screwed up.

But moving on from what we know the question that should be being asked is what actual practical things can the European countries do help Ukraine and give it a Plan B.

Posts criticising Trump do nothing to preserve Ukrainian territory or preserve Ukrainian lives.

I think we’re entitled to criticise the petulant little shit as much as we want thanks. Fairly certain no European leaders will be browsing Mumsnet for ideas for their plan B, much as we might like them to….

@Igotjelly got any contacts higher up? <grim joke>

@Igotjelly

"I think we’re entitled to criticise the petulant little shit as much as we want thanks. Fairly certain no European leaders will be browsing Mumsnet for ideas for their plan B, much as we might like them to…."

It might make you feel better but it doesn't achieve anything.

Several previous posters (correctly in hindsight) said that they agreed with me that Europe screwed up but repeating this doesn't do anything to help Ukraine. Equally criticising Trump does nothing to help Ukraine.

In fact it makes things worse as it gives a convenient excuse for those European nations to continue in their failure to support Ukraine. "Ah it's really sad what happened to Ukraine but it's all Trump's fault and nothing to do with us".

Plan B is simple, European nations agree to support Ukraine in order to make up for the shortfall from the US:

www.eppgroup.eu/newsroom/give-0-25-of-gdp-for-ukraine-s-victory

Boris has waded in and said, why isn't s
Europe unfreezing Russian assets and giving them to Ukraine.

I can only imagine Trump ls playing a deliberate strange game to soften putin.
You know a sort of "look vlad, you know and I know zelensky is a little comedic dictator but hey... He will wants a and b and then you get c".
I can only hope that the world's best pyscology profilers have said this is the best strategy to get to putin.

Everyone knew well before the election that Trump may win and I'm assuming big handovers took place on Russia and putin and that Trump has been more than fully briefed on putin.

That he lies, is dishonest and has a cold calculation kgb background.

He's hard to read and unless they have incredible intelligence no one quite knows what he actually wants ie Ukraine or distractions from his terrible regime.
Or both, when it kicked off he has that young gymnast gf but apparently they have broken up.

Ie I can only hope this is part of a bigger stragety.

I did feel very positive about all this it's far from war mongering talk however I'm also thinking that the USA do have Intel that putin does want to encroach more and that's why they are urgently threatening to pull away the purse and get the eu to (finally) get it's act together.
Or they know they may end up head to head with putin and will want proper military support.

I think I’ve reached the same point.

Jesus. The man is deranged

And I'm a quite comfortable criticising him.

I don't see that criticising the EU is all that meaningful either, to be fair: is Macron likely to care about us here thinking some supportive things being done are too little too late (as opposed to it being a bad idea for support to be taken away altogether annd Putin appeased and kowtowed to)?

I can only imagine Trump ls playing a deliberate strange game to soften putin.
You know a sort of "look vlad, you know and I know zelensky is a little comedic dictator but hey... He will wants a and b and then you get c".
I can only hope that the world's best pyscology profilers have said this is the best strategy to get to putin.

@StatueofLiberty this is what I'm pinning my fading hopes on but I'm not convinced given the European leaders' reactions.

It's not easy but I think maybe we need to focus our ire and dislike on Putin right now rather than allowing desperate frustration and disappointment to spill out on each other.