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Russia Matters Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs AUTHOR Alex Vershinin U.S. Lt. Col. Alex Vershinin retired after 20 years of service, including eight years as an armor officer with four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and 12 years working as a modeling and simulations officer in NATO and U.S. Army concept development and experimentation. This included a tour with the U.S. Army Sustainment Battle Lab, where he led the experimentation scenario team. The Ukrainian Strategy The Ukrainians’ terrain-focused war of maneuver is constrained by two factors: limited artillery ammunition and equipment production, and coalition...

Russia’s only aircraft carrier caught fire on Thursday, only a matter of months before it was meant to return to sea after lengthy repairs.The Admiral Kuznetsov was close to being released back to the Russian navy after years of repairs when it caught fire, Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.“There has been a little problem during repairs,” Mr Rakhmanov said. “The blaze has been put out. All fire alarms worked normally. There are no casualties or damage.”About 20 people were evacuated from the ship that caught fire at the drydock...

On July 25, 2019, Trump called Zelensky to congratulate him on his recent parliamentary victory.

Preparing for any potential war against Iran, the Biden administration has formally elevated Israel in military planning.... ...For the Pentagon, Israel is the most prized military and intelligence partner in the Middle East, with its vast combat experience and advanced technologies. With the end of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and with the brokering of the Abraham Accords by the Trump administration, Washington sees an opportunity to incorporate Israel into a new regional alliance. ... ..."CENTCOM will now work to implement the U.S. Government commitment to a holistic approach to regional security and cooperation with our partners," the Tampa-based command...

US foreign policy collapsing with Ukraine

Okay, Jon Meacham, we're going to take up your invitation, and mock you, you shameless hack! On today's Morning Joe, discussing Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to D.C. today, Meacham said: "I think President Biden has led with immense skill throughout this crisis. It's reminiscent of the senior President Bush during the first Gulf War, and then back to the great World War II leadership. And I say that without, people can mock that, perhaps, but David [Ignatius] can check me on it. Get the rest of the story and view the video here.

Ukrainian leaders have vowed to retake all territory occupied by Russia, prompting a debate over what would be necessary for Ukraine to win and evict Moscow’s forces. The answer is primarily military because Russia is only going to abandon its hard-won gains if its troops suffer catastrophic losses, military strategists say. Behind those talks about weapons and ammunition is a deeper political question as Ukraine’s battlefield fortunes rely heavily on the willingness of Western governments to continue their multibillion-dollar military assistance to Kyiv. And pushing Russian forces out of the entrenched positions they hold in more than 15% of Ukraine’s...

They never had a chance. Fumbling blindly through cratered farms, the troops from Russia’s 155th Naval Infantry Brigade had no maps, medical kits or working walkie-talkies, they said. Just a few weeks earlier, they had been factory workers and truck drivers, watching an endless showcase of supposed Russian military victories at home on state television before being drafted in September. One medic was a former barista who had never had any medical training. Now, they were piled onto the tops of overcrowded armored vehicles, lumbering through fallow autumn fields with Kalashnikov rifles from a half-century ago and virtually nothing to...

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday gave a stern message to other former Soviet Union nations keeping their distance from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. "The countries of the post-Soviet space should be sincerely interested in rapprochement with the union state, if, of course, they want to preserve their sovereignty and independence," Lukashenko said, according to an English translation of a report from the Belarusian state-run BelTA news agency. "We are convinced that only together can we resist global challenges." Lukashenko was meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Grodno, Belarus, as part of the ninth Forum...

A particularly good discussion focusing heavily on Zaluzhny's shocking Economist interview. Ritter shares The Duran analysts views (as does Judge Napolitano) that I already posted a few hours ago though goes into it more thoroughly. He thinks that Zelensky is history and that General Zaluzhny will be the one negotiating the terminal settlement (and hopes to be the next Ukrainian president.) One of the most interesting points is why this interview was set up. Clearly Britain and the U.S. wanted these disclosures made at this time. Ritter believes it is because they want this settled before Russia can take Odessa...

Alexander: I think the most important news is in fact this interview in the Economist. Three people involved; Zelensky himself; he gave his own version of the events which is exactly the same as he always gives...and then the two military leaders, Zaluzhny, the overall military commander and Syrskyi who is the commander of the Ukrainian army. You read these things and it all looks like on that one hand on the surface that they have had a triumphant autumn. They have won a whole load of victories. They've regained territory, but it doesn't take much reading below the surface...

Russia: Parolin Apologises for Francis’ Ill-Considered WordsRussian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on December 15 that Russia had received an apology from the Vatican's Secretary of State over Francis' comments against Chechens and Buryats (en)."This incident is settled," she said, after Francis's claim that Russian soldiers from these two nations where the "cruellest" fighters in Ukraine.

https://t.me/intelslava Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:47 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦❗️Air alert declared throughout Ukraine. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:48 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡Explosions in the Kharkiv region. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:48 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡Explosions in the Kiev region. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:57 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡Explosions in the Nikolaev region. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:57 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Explosions are also heard in Kharkov itself. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:58 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡Explosions also in Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:58 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡Explosions in Kiev. Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:59 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️A powerful explosion in the Kirovograd region Intel Slava Z, [12/15/2022 10:59 PM] 🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️Explosions...

Speaking as a guest in a debate on Russian state TV, Konstantin Sivkov, who is a military expert, says war with NATO might begin as soon as the spring of 2023 and according to him Russia must start preparations. The clip of Sivkov’s commentary was posted by an advisor of Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Minister on Twitter, Newsweek reports. Sivkov says Russia must prepare missiles for the impending war with NATO: We need to produce more powerful and modern weapon systems, given the inevitability of a clash with NATO in the near future. Sivkov also suggests there will be a war...

Pope Francis last week told editors of the European cultural magazines of the Society of Jesus that, in his opinion, World War III had been declared, it was reported Tuesday by La Civilta Cattolica. Perhaps Russia's invasion of Ukraine “was provoked or not prevented,” the Argentine-born pontiff was also quoted as saying. “A few years ago it occurred to me to say that we were living a Third World War in pieces. Now, for me, the Third World War has been declared. And this is an aspect that should make us reflect. What is happening to humanity that has had...

We have seen an increase in calls for a negotiated solution of the war in Ukraine. From the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, from progressive members of Congress and from leading international relations scholars, a growing number of voices urge the United States to invest in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and to give peace a chance. According to some reports, the Biden administration is also warming up to the thought.It’s a dangerous idea.Fears of nuclear escalation between Russia and NATO drive many to argue for negotiations, and although the impetus is well-intentioned, the suggestion is naive and impractical. In...

Russia appears to be about to use a new secret weapon against Ukraine - but it's not a jet or missile, but rather a 75-year-old biplane transport plane. Find out the bizarre story here...

Ukrainian forces have reportedly damaged a key bridge outside the southern occupied city of Melitopol, a key objective in the region. The crossing over the Molochna River is situated between Melitopol and the village of Kostyantynivka just to the east of the city on the M14 highway and was struck overnight. Video posted online showed two supports of the bridge had been damaged during the attack, with the span partly collapsed by the blast, making it reportedly unusable for heavy military traffic.

Very good YouTube 17 min. video from HistoryLegends on the ongoing battle in Bakhmut. They do an excellent job (complete with pictures and maps) to spell out the pros and cons for both sides in this fierce battle. Also spells out KIA casualty figures for both sides to date in the Ukraine war. Over 100,000 KIA Ukrainians; 15,000 KIA Russians. The presenter has a sense of humor and does a good job mimicking neocons complete with accents...:-)

During Donald Trump’s time in office, “The Art of the Deal” truly guided his foreign policy, especially concerning the return of American citizens imprisoned abroad on trumped-up charges. In many cases, the 45th president could secure the prisoners’ return and stand strong in our national interests due to his no-holds-barred approach to diplomacy. Many of the techniques that Trump employed while calling foreign leaders to get his citizens back home were tactics that he first made use of at the beginning of his career.When it comes to Joe Biden’s presidency, it seems that he carries a very different standing on...