Trump Fans: Trump is the messiah, he will bring peace to the world, they'd be no wars under Trump, he would stop Russia "somehow"

Russia:

Like c'mon Russia has been practically begging for Trump to return cause they know he'd bend over backwards for them. These Trump supporters somehow must believe that stopping support to Ukraine, letting Russia mass rape and slaughter Ukrainians, somehow equates to "peace" and "no more wars" as long as we look the other way as an entire country is genocide.

And can journalist outlets stop reporting "anonymous sources" from Russia's side wanting peace? 

We don't give a damn about the 'feelings of the Japanese' concerning the so-called 'Northern Territories'. These are not disputed territories but Russia," said Medvedev.

"And those samurai who feel especially sad can end their life in a traditional Japanese way, by committing seppuku. If they dare, of course."

Russia to Japan: Drop Territorial Claim If You Want a Peace Treaty | Reuters

Two additional paragraphs were added to the draft conclusions agreed by leaders but sources say neither amounted to a win for Orbán. "He didn't get anything," said one source close to those in the room.

One new paragraph calls for the European Council to invite the European Commission to review the budgetary framework in two years' time.

"There is no veto," said a spokesperson for the European Council. However, the new paragraph allows for a "debate" on the fund "if needed".

The Guardian

So all Orban got really was an option to "discuss/debate" the funding in the future but no veto power? Lol.

Airbase may have been hit too but awaiting further images on the damage.

Olaf Scholz and four other European leaders have admitted that the EU has "fallen short" of its goals to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition.

"At the beginning of last year, the EU committed itself to an ambitious goal of supplying Ukraine with 1m artillery rounds before the end of March 2024. The hard truth: we have fallen short of this goal.

"Russia doesn't wait for anybody and we need to act now. If Ukraine loses, the long-term consequences and costs will be much higher for all of us. We Europeans have a special responsibility. Therefore, we must act. Europe's future depends on it," they write in a letter published in the Financial Times on Wednesday.

The letter is signed by Scholz and Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister; Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister; Petr Fiala, the Czech prime minister; and Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark.

The German chancellor is on a mission to get clarity and hard evidence on what other member states, particularly France, contribute to the war effort amid concern that his government's commitments are not being matched elsewhere.

After he raised concerns that there was not enough data on who contributed what, the EU's diplomatic unit, the European External Action Service, has conducted a survey requesting that each member state disclose their planned expenditure for 2024 and beyond.

Sources say some countries have declined to reveal their commitments, fuelling suspicion that some member states are using confidentiality of military plans for convenience.

Germany Warns EU Falling Short on Pledge to Supply Ukraine With Ammo | European Union | The Guardian

Russia May Cut Naphtha Exports by Third After Fires-Traders, Data

MOSCOW, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Russia will likely cut exports of naphtha by some 127,500 - 136,000 barrels per day, or around a third of its total exports, after fires disrupted operations at refineries on the Baltic and Black Seas, according to traders and LSEG ship-tracking data.

Exclusive: Russia Struggles To Sell Pacific Oil, 14 Tankers Stuck | Reuters

More than a dozen tankers loaded with 10 million barrels of Russia's Sokol grade crude oil have been stranded off the coast of South Korea for weeks, so far unsold due to U.S. sanctions and payment issues, according to two traders and shipping data.

US Sanctions on Russian Gas Are Starting to Bite - Bloomberg

Operator Novatek PJSC has struggled to find buyers since the penalties were imposed in November, and the maiden voyage is now delayed until at least February.

Foreign partners in the Arctic LNG 2 project, including France’s TotalEnergies SE and Chinese oil firms, have declared force majeure on their participation. Long-term customers that signed up for supplies now don’t want them for fear of US retaliation.

US, EU Oil Sanctions Deepening Russian Crude Discounts, Novak Says - Bloomberg

The latest batch of sanctions by the US and European Union have increased the discounts Russia is having to offer to sell its barrels, according to the country’s top oil official.

Oil Tanker Hit by Missile Was Carrying Russian Fuel, Trafigura Says - Bloomberg

The fuel tanker operated on behalf of Trafigura Group that was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea was carrying Russian fuel, the trading giant said.

Armenia Formally Joins International Criminal Court in Snub to Russia | Armenia | The Guardian

Guessing this will be the tactic for the entire year, since American support looks unlikely in the near future.

Stay on the defensive, inflict as much damage as possible to the attackers, retreat when ratio isn't favourable and repeat, it'll mean we'll see Ukraine losing ground this year but ground is just ground, it can be retaken, lives and equipment are more important. From every encounter we've seen like this, where Russia is on the offensive and Ukraine is on the defensive, the Russian losses are almost always horrific in numbers.

Ukraine's offensive losses have been bad but on average not close to as bad as Russia's offensive losses.

But Russia has a lot of equipment so it'll take a while to see a noticeable impact.

Ukrainian Baba Yaga drone found and destroyed Russian tanks. pic.twitter.com/bmRxTLyuF1

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 1, 2024