Free Republic

Ukraine is close to equalizing its tank numbers with Russia, new data suggests. But even as the country's active tank count climbs, Russia is unlikely to run out of armored vehicles any time soon. More than 18 months into the war, Ukraine is on track to surpass Russia in the size of its battlefield tank fleet, Bloomberg reported this week, citing a compilation of several data sources and defense statements. The Military Balance 2023, an annual report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, said Russia began the war in February 2022 with 3,417 available tanks, compared to...

The 193-member body issued its most staunch support for Ukraine yet during Wednesday's vote, which saw 143 nations condemn Russia's actions...Only five countries voted against the resolution, one of which was Russia itself. North Korea, Belarus, Syria, and Nicaragua — all led by dictator-like regimes — joined the increasingly isolated nation...Several nations that had previously abstained from or not voted on the prior resolutions joined the majority on Wednesday to vote "yes," including Bangladesh, Morocco, and Iraq. Among the additional surprises were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked war against Ukraine nearly seven months ago, he significantly underestimated the willingness of Western governments to become involved in the conflict between two Soviet neighbors, an expert on Russia told Insider. ... Experts told Insider's John Haltiwanger that Russia's strategic defeat throughout the war thus far has "dramatically" altered perceptions of Russia's military strength and may ultimately put Putin's regime in jeopardy. "All of this is pretty humiliating for Putin, as it should be," Miles said. "This is legitimate humiliation on the world stage."

Analyzing Trump's presidency, a fascism expert argues he tried to use the office to make money. The historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat described Trump to Insider as a "dedicated" and talented "grifter." When looking back on President Donald Trump's time in office, Ruth Ben-Ghiat sees someone who pursued a unique goal among his predecessors, one requiring extreme discipline and dedication from the unlikely leader. "Trump's aims as president were totally different from any other president, Republican or Democrat," Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University who is an expert on fascism, told Insider. "His aims were autocratic in that he wanted to...

More than six months after President Joe Biden beat former President Donald Trump by seven million votes and 74 electoral votes, the hunger for third-party, partisan reviews of the 2020 election among conspiracy theorists and Trump supporters throughout the country isn't dissipating. Outside of the ongoing state GOP-led audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, no other major, official post-election audits are currently in motion. But the desire among Trump loyalists to rewrite history by recounting ballots that have already been counted and certified is spreading far beyond south-central Arizona. For months leading up to the November election and in the months...