Well yeah, especially in her last years she also pretty much didn't do anything. But at least people knew her lol

Germany plans to supply additional air defenses for Ukraine to help protect grain shipments from potential Russian attacks, according to people familiar with the matter.

Berlin will send one extra IRIS-T air defense system and more than a dozen Gepard anti-aircraft guns that will provide cover for consignments heading toward Romania along the country's southern coast, the people said on condition of anonymity.

War in Ukraine: Germany to Supply Air Defenses for Ukraine Grain Shipments - Bloomberg

Another IRIS-T is good but I wish more Patriots were sent.

Claims about the territory’s spiritual status have been revealed to be fiction.

Those concerns were perhaps understandable, insofar as Russian officials have continually rattled a nuclear saber about protecting Crimea from any Ukrainian reclamation efforts. But now, as Ukraine unleashes near-daily assaults on the peninsula, the notion that Crimea presents some kind of Temple Mount—or even any kind of red line—for Russians has crumbled.

In the face of continued drone attacks, long-range missile fires, sabotage operations, and annihilation of military assets across Crimea, Russians have hardly treated the Ukrainian peninsula as some kind of sacred land. Rather than rushing to protect Crimea, Russians have instead begun fleeing the region en masse. Rather than seeing Russians lining up to enlist to aid the Kremlin’s defense of the peninsula, Moscow continues mooting the potential of a second, and far broader, forced mobilization. And rather than resulting in any kind of nuclear conflagration, Russians’ subdued reaction to the continued bombardment of Crimea has dissolved Putin’s claims that the peninsula is some kind of special, sacrosanct land. As McGill University professor Maria Popova recently posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Crimea isn’t special, let alone a red line.”

Indeed, with few even noticing, Ukraine’s continued shelling and strikes on the peninsula have illustrated one clear lesson: The idea that Crimea is some kind of holy land that Russians will race to defend—an idea that far too many in the West previously swallowed—is dead. And in that death, a wealth of new opportunities has opened up for Kyiv and for the Western partners who are suddenly realizing Crimea is hardly the sacral land Putin once claimed.

More broadly, the disintegration of the notion that Crimea presents any kind of red line for Putin is of a piece with supposed Russian red lines elsewhere, all of which have likewise crumbled. And with the disappearance of this Crimean "red line"—as well the dismantling of the idea that Crimea is some kind of holy land for Russians—there is no reason remaining for Western governments not to do everything in their power to back Ukrainian efforts at retaking every inch of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.

Russia's Crimean Red Line Has Been Erased by Ukraine

Turkey is preparing to host the third international gathering of national security advisers working to build support for a peace summit Ukraine wants to hold later this year, according to people familiar with the matter.

In August, the Saudi government invited national security and diplomatic advisers from Ukraine, several of Kyiv's key allies and others in the Group of 20 such as India, Brazil and China, for talks. Representatives from about 40 countries attended, including Sullivan and China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui.

Allies are eager for China to attend the next round of discussions but it is unclear if Beijing will send a representative, according to the people familiar with the plans.

South Africa was floated as a possible location for the next round of talks, but leaders there declined due to logistical considerations after recently hosting the BRICS summit.

Turkey to Host Third Gathering of Allies to Discuss Ukraine Peace in October - Bloomberg

The psychological and diplomatic implications will be just as damaging.

If Putin concludes he will face less US support for Kyiv in the future, his theory of victory — that he ultimately can crush Ukraine by outwaiting its Western backers — will seem vindicated. He will have even less incentive to make a decent peace.

The war in Ukraine has never been only about Ukraine. From day one, it has been a test of strength between those who defend and those who mean to destroy the existing international order. A downshift in US support will thus have global implications.

Countries that hope the US will fight to defend them against Chinese aggression will have to consider the fact that Washington won't even help another country defend itself against the far weaker Russia. The thesis that motivates Beijing and Moscow — that the democracies are decadent, dysfunctional and easily distracted — will seem to be confirmed.

Self-appointed "realists" in the West may argue that a collapse of US support for Ukraine is a blessing, because it allows Washington to focus monomaniacally on the threat to Taiwan. Leave aside, for a moment, the strategic absurdity of arguing that the best way to deter great-power aggression in the Pacific is to enable it in Europe. Politically speaking, it is very hard to conjure a scenario in which the US cannot muster the commitment to help Ukraine survive a real war and then somehow shifts into overdrive to prepare for a hypothetical one.

If US Stops Funding Ukraine Russia and China Will Divide the West - Bloomberg

Europeans and being suckered in by right wing politicians blaming every single issue in the world on immigrants, as per usual.

Medical Care? Immigrants. Housing? Immigrants. Jobs? Immigrants. Crime? Immigrants. Me Punching You in the Face? Immigrants.

Russia Plans Naval Base in Abkhazia, Triggering Criticism from Georgia | Reuters

• Step 1 - Steal Land
• Step 2 - Create Naval Base
• Step 3 - Steal the Rest

Although I think in this case it's more to do with the fact that Crimea is suddenly becoming less of a viable option so Russia has to move its naval forces further away from Ukraine, but Georgia should still be worried.

As much as I hate the Taurus situation and how long it took to send German made tanks but without all the different German air defence and air monitoring systems Ukraine would be pretty "dead". Also a lot of demining systems sent already.

That's also something countries like France or Italy should do much more. They already do almost nothing so do at least something to protect the civilization from air attacks ...

Talking about Patriot I'm not sure about Germany's situation. Germany sent additional systems to Poland so not sure what is even left which can be given to Ukraine. USA surely can send more but I guess with how expensive it is and the situation in USA right now we also can't expect more from there anytime soon.

Impending shutdown of funding to Ukraine......... so Biden really wants to help but he may not be able to help as much. Perhaps if Ukraine was able to gain greater political standing with say being included into the E.U. it would be able to get more help. I also hope that even if cutting off funding, that the USA could still give valuable intel to Ukraine. Isn't direction of the military controlled by the president? Then if intel is a part of that then even the damn republicans won't be able to stop it until the next president comes in.