re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

yeah, no.

I'd believe that seeing as the US, Italy, Spain and Greece all closed their embassies for a day citing an upcoming aerial attack

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Deployment is not an easy political task, and I haven't even mentioned the internal domestic politics which might inform such decisions. Without looking it up, I'd suggest Poland and other countries closer to Europe might find favor among the population for something like deployment, while the French and German populations may be less interested without a direct threat.

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Great points and very informative, thank you.

I would suggest though, that if it were really that beneficial and important for these countries that they would have found a way to get it done by now. I repeat it often, but I think you really have to look at what countries do vs what they say in these situations.... and to me, you wouldn't define this conflict as something that could eventually lead to an existential crisis for Europe based on the actions of many of these countries thus far.

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I also see people posting on X and elsewhere

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Social media has revealed to me how many idiots there are in the USA and the World.

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would suggest though, that if it were really that beneficial and important for these countries that they would have found a way to get it done by now. I repeat it often, but I think you really have to look at what countries do vs what they say in these situations

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With respect to this point, we should remember that before this phase of the war, there was a large faction in European politics which were skeptical of the possibiltity of Russian aggression. In that larger faction, there were two camps, one which suggested that engaging Russia through trade would limit the possibility of future conflict and a group that has been more or less suggested as being very close to the Kremlin. There's a really well-sourced Washington Post article from 2022 which gives some superb background on the factional divide within the allies. The other faction in Europe was mostly made of former Soviet states who were warning about the possibility of Russian aggression and took it seriously themselves.

The Russian invasion discredited both groups who were skeptical of Russian aggression to an extreme degree but that took time for itself to play out in each country's respective domestic politics. Even inside Germany, where the 100 billion euro investment announced by Scholz in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion, critics in the country noted that there was a difference between the announcement and the actual movement of the plan. That is one reason why the audit of the armed forces was done. That audit took place over 4 months in 2023 and the report was finally produced this year. So nearly 3 years after the change in policy, we actually have some actionable deadlines from the Germans. This doesn't even mention that the Germans were slowplaying their own movement of materiel to Ukraine, which was criticized broadly.

I think you can rightly criticize the Europeans for the relative slowness of their change, but it is difficult to demonstrate the degree to which Europeans were surprised by Russian actions. The Brits were not surprised, but even the Brits are undertaking measures to reorganize their armed forces. Given that all this started in earnest in Feb 2022, and that republican style governments are designed so that change is slow and deliberate, but also meaningful once done, the lack of speed maybe cannot be helped.

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you wouldn't define this conflict as something that could eventually lead to an existential crisis for Europe based on the actions of many of these countries thus far.

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In a vacuum yes, but the measures, despite their speed, do represent the seriousness of European countries. All indications are that these countries are preparing for something towards the end of the decade and into the 2030s. I think that might reveal they are more cynical about Ukranian prospects, but also it wouldn't be useful to deploy troops while nearly all the major militaries in the region are in the middle of reorganization.

North Korean General wounded in Ukraine's strike on Russia's Kursk Oblast – WSJ

Oleh Pavliuk, Tetyana Oliynyk — Thursday, 21 November 2024, 22:54

A high-ranking North Korean general has been wounded as a result of Ukrainian missile strikes on the territory of Russia’s Kursk Oblast. For the first time, the West confirms the injury of a high-ranking North Korean military officer.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing an anonymous Western official, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The WSJ source revealed that the North Korean general was injured during a recent Ukrainian strike in Kursk Oblast. The source did not provide details on how the general was injured and did not identify the North Korean high-ranking military officer.

The Wall Street Journal notes this is the first time the West has confirmed an injury to a high-ranking North Korean military figure.

Earlier, WSJ reported that North Korea had sent Colonel General Kim Yong Bok to Russia to oversee North Korean troops. Kim is considered one of North Korea’s ten most prominent military leaders and a frequent aide to Kim Jong Un.

Western media recently confirmed that Ukraine targeted a military facility in Kursk Oblast using Storm Shadow missiles.

Ukrainska Pravda

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crazy4lsu

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I appreciate all of your insight on subjects such as this.

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Social media has revealed to me how many idiots there are in the USA and the World.

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I agree. Lots of nuts. One of them even tried to kill our next President