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Forums - Politics Discussion - Russia and Ukraine flashpoint

Article 7.

"At a news briefing in the early hours of Friday, Mr Michel confirmed that all but one EU leaders had agreed on the aid package and wider budget proposals for the bloc - although Sweden still needed to consult its parliament."

Last edited by Ryuu96 - on 15 December 2023

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For now its Ukrainian defenders are holding on. The Russians might be "idiots" but they have "more of everything", Smaga said. That includes 40,000 troops massed on the Avdiivka salient, tanks, Soviet-era MT-LB armoured fighting vehicles and 152mm howitzers. Since late summer, less ammunition had been reaching his unit, Smaga said. "We have enough to defend from attack. But if they keep coming, we are going to need an awful lot more."

After nearly two years of all-out war, Ukrainian officers say there have no choice but to carry on fighting. "Putin doesn't want negotiations. Nor do we," said one, Yuriy Zubchak. "A lot of our guys have died. They have paid a huge price. If we stop now then for what?" Zubchak said his men were reconciled to a long conflict, defending Ukrainian homes and land. "We are not worried about Russia's infantry superiority. They are 140 million. What concerns us is they have more weapons," he said.

How long Avdiivka will remain a Ukrainian town is uncertain. The topic of withdrawal from Avdiivka is not being discussed, at least not publicly. In bitter winter, troops stand in icy trenches, warming themselves with homemade paraffin tins, lit by a candle. There are constant booms. "We will stand until the end," Smaga said. "If the west won't support us, Moscow will try to seize Kyiv again like in 2022. And then it will keep going."

‘We Will Stand Until The End’: Ukrainian Defenders of Avdiivka Hold On – For Now | Ukraine | The Guardian



There are two pots of money for weapons and security assistance set up specifically for the war. One is the Presidential Drawdown Authority, or PDA, under which the U.S. provides weapons already in its stockpile. The other is the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds long-term weapons contracts.

Money for USAI has all been spent. That pot is empty.

And money for the PDA also appeared to be gone. But then the Pentagon determined that it had overstated the value of the weapons it had already sent Ukraine, overcharging the Ukraine weapons account by $6.2 billion. That effectively left Ukraine with a store credit that is slowly being whittled down. It now stands at around $4.4 billion.

In theory, the Pentagon would have enough equipment to offer these smaller packages for months. But there's a caveat: While the credit exists, there may not be enough stock on the Pentagon shelves. So some weapons may be unavailable.

Congressional funding to buy weapons to replace the ones the U.S. sends to Ukraine is now down to about $1 billion. That dwindling money means the military services are worried they won't be able to buy all the weapons they need to ensure the U.S. military is ready to defend the American homeland.

For example, the 155 mm rounds commonly used by Howitzers are one of the most requested artillery munitions by Kyiv. The demand has been so high that the Army has pressed the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, where the shell casings for the rounds are made, to increase production in order to meet war demands and have enough on hand for American military needs.

On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters the U.S. could provide the full $4.4 billion in weapons, but with only a quarter of that amount available for replenishment, it's a tough choice. "We have to start to make decisions about our own readiness," he said.

How The US Keeps Funding Ukraine's Military | AP News



Ryuu96 said:

Article 7.

"At a news briefing in the early hours of Friday, Mr Michel confirmed that all but one EU leaders had agreed on the aid package and wider budget proposals for the bloc - although Sweden still needed to consult its parliament."

Macron stated that they will instead allocate money from the budget and some loans. There all they need is a qualified majority, so Hungary can't block that one, circumventing Urban's extortion.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/15/eu-emmanuel-macron-viktor-orban-ukraine-aid



Economy of Hungary is only 1% of EU's economy. It's a fucking joke that a single country with such a small economy can block the rest of the EU.



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crissindahouse said:

Economy of Hungary is only 1% of EU's economy. It's a fucking joke that a single country with such a small economy can block the rest of the EU.

At least in this case they have a workaround to not give in to Hungary's extortion. Only problem might ba a slight delay the full amount to be sent to Ukraine, but that's way better than giving in to Orban's demands or nothing going to Ukraine.

Last edited by Bofferbrauer2 - on 18 December 2023

"There were no problems there, now there will be, because we will create the Leningrad military district and concentrate a certain amount of military units there."

Russia's Central Bank Raises Key Rate to 16% Amid Growing Inflation - The Moscow Times

"I want to say that even if yesterday's situation had been more critical than it actually was, 26 EU member states were ready to deprive Hungary of the right to vote. This is an official procedure, it has not been resorted to even once, but it is there. I think this has also played a role," she said.

EU Was Ready To Take Away Hungary's Veto Rights If It Had Not Conceded On Issue Of Ukraine Accession Talks | Ukrainska Pravda

ANKARA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria plan to sign a deal in January on a joint plan to clear mines floating in the Black Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Saturday, after months of talks between the NATO allies.

Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria To Ink Deal On Floating Black Sea Mines In January | Reuters



In total, almost 100‼️ (97) Russian Avdiivka losses were documented.





Support for a range of actions taken in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine remains very high. Almost nine in ten (89%) agree with providing humanitarian support to the people affected by the war, and more than eight in ten (84%) agree with welcoming into the EU people fleeing the war. 72% agree with providing financial support to Ukraine. The same proportion (72%) support economic sanctions on the Russian government, companies, and individuals. Around six in ten approve of the EU granting candidate status to Ukraine (61%) and of the EU financing the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine (60%).

In the face of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, over eight in ten respondents agree that the EU should invest massively in renewable energies (83%) and reduce its dependency on Russian sources of energy as soon as possible (81%).

28% of Europeans think immigration on the one hand and the war in Ukraine on the other hand are among the two most important issues facing the EU. Then comes the international situation (24%), followed by the ‘rising prices/inflation/cost of living’ (20%, ranking fourth while it was the first concern last spring).

The 100th Standard Eurobarometer survey shows that seven EU citizens out of 10 (70%) believe that the European Union is a place of stability in a troubled world. This is the case for a majority of respondents in all Member States. 

Standard Eurobarometer 100 - Autumn 2023 - December 2023 - - Eurobarometer Survey