re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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So the US giving slightly outsized importance to 2% of the population which has no effect on the day to day life of Americans is your argument? Got it.

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This is where you're completely wrong. This issue and degeneration of our culture and norms has massive psychological and demographic long term effects. Basically, leftists tried to normalize mental illness and tell everyone to shut it who spoke out against it. You can even call it a slow-acting genocide. Elon Musk's son who became a tranhy is probably not going to have kids, in fact it killed Elon's relationship with his son and he feels like he lost his son, he's no longer who he was. You can literally affect demographics with that ideology.

It's 2% one decade, it can become 15% the next.

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Russia is Putin. Your argument that the US should be more like Russia is literally an argument that US leadership should behave like Putin. Your argument is literally the US should follow Russia while also saying Putin isnt great.

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False, not what I said. I literally singled out one critical issue of refusing cultural degradation by Putin that we should adopt. Although in the wake of court rulings and SCOTUS blocking deporting of illegals, one can argue that current US judiciary is preventing our country from enforcing the laws and securing our people. Maybe Trump needs to be like Putin when courts overstep their boundaries with these obviously partisan district Obama/Biden appointed federal judges get out of their lane.

Nobody seriously thinks Ketanji Brown or the other three sows on there including Coney Barrett who Mitch helped install, are fair and balanced justices. They are all activists who need to be removed.

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False, not what I said. I literally singled out one critical issue of refusing cultural degradation by Putin that we should adopt

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Your statement was:

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Russian conservative/traditional values ideology that the West actually needs to get back to if they plan to survive.

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And then you argue Elon Musk? Who has God knows how many kids with how many women? He's the exact opposite of traditional family values.

And the 2% now v. 15% later really comes down to your belief that trans people are a product of their environment (nurture) rather than a product of nature.

Either way, that's what, 1 issue where you think we should be more like Russia? While you agree the US is correct on the right to bear arms, right to assembly, freedom of speech, etc when compared to Russia?

ISW Update May 18 2025

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Key Takeaways:

Russian forces conducted the largest single drone strike of the war against Ukraine on the night of May 17 to 18 — in disregard of US President Donald Trump's calls for Russia to stop long-range strikes against Ukraine, particularly against Kyiv Oblast.

The Kremlin continues efforts to project Russia's military strength ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled phone call with Putin on May 19.

Reported support within the Russian military and society for continuing the war until Russia achieves its original war aims and territorial demands reflects the success of the Kremlin's years-long narrative efforts to justify a protracted war effort.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues efforts to negotiate a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.

Russian forces recently advanced near Borova and Toretsk.

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1 year ago

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Key Takeaways:

Russian forces have recently intensified their effort to seize the operationally significant town of Chasiv Yar, seeking to exploit how Russian offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast and ongoing offensive operations throughout eastern Ukraine have generated greater theater-wide pressure on Ukrainian forces.

Russian forces are likely preparing for the second phase of their offensive operation in northern Kharkiv Oblast, which Russian forces likely intend to launch following their anticipated seizure of Vovchansk.

Zelensky also outlined materiel requirements for Ukraine to combat Russia's air superiority and defend against the Russian air threat, especially given US-imposed restraints on Ukraine that prohibit Ukraine from striking targets within Russian territory and airspace.

Ukrainian officials have reportedly asked the US presidential administration to ease the restriction against using US-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine must overcome its manpower challenges in order to contest the theater-wide initiative in Ukraine.

Ukraine's new mobilization law went into effect on May 18 and will help Ukraine stabilize its force generation apparatus amid ongoing manpower constraints.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev called for Russia's envisioned "buffer zone" to encompass all of Ukraine, illustrating that the Kremlin’s concept of the buffer zone is a thinly veiled justification for Russia's long-held intent to subsume the entirety of Ukraine and likely an effort to garner domestic support for the Russian war effort.

Founder of the Kremlin-linked Rybar Telegram channel, Mikhail Zvinchuk, gave an uncharacteristically public interview in which he criticized the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and speculated on possible changes in the MoD.

Should the Kremlin allow select prominent Russian milbloggers to increase their criticisms of the Russian MoD, public pressure may grow in favor of reforms that would, if implemented, assist Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the Russian-style "foreign agents" bill on May 18, but the ruling Georgian Dream party will likely override Zurabishvili's veto in the coming weeks.

Russian forces recently marginally advanced near Avdiivka, Hulyaipole, and Robotyne.

The BBC News Russian Service reported on May 18 that Russian military authorities in Astana, Kazakhstan, detained a Russian contract service personnel (kontraktnik) for desertion on April 23 – the first such instance in Kazakhstan.

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2 years ago

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Key Takeaways

Ukrainian forces have seized the tactical initiative and made tactically significant gains around Bakhmut in counter-attack operations on May 18.

Ukrainian officials indicated that Ukrainian forces have seized the battlefield initiative in the Bakhmut area.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted on May 18 that Wagner mercenaries are unable to encircle the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut due to the loss of stable flanks north and south of Bakhmut.

Prigozhin and Wagner-affiliated milbloggers are blaming Russian conventional forces for military failures in and around Bakhmut.

Prigozhin’s efforts to blame the Russian military for failures around Bakhmut are causing some ultranationalists to accuse him of using the Battle for Bakhmut to satisfy his personal ambitions.

Russian forces conducted another large-scale missile strike across Ukraine on the night of May 17 to 18, targeting Kyiv for the ninth time since the beginning of May.

The Kremlin continues to strengthen domestic repression measures likely to encourage self-censorship and prepare Russian society for a prolonged war.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO may discuss the possible provision of Western fighter jets to Ukraine at the June Defense Ministers meeting.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks northeast of Kupyansk and along the Svatove-Kreminna line.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.

Unknown actors, possibly Ukrainian partisans, attacked a Russian rail line in Crimea.

The Russian Supreme Court ruled on May 18 that Russian military personnel who voluntarily surrender on the battlefield will be prosecuted under treason charges.

Russian occupation authorities continue to announce patronage programs with Russian federal subjects to support infrastructure projects in occupied territories.

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3 years ago

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Key Takeaways

Russian forces are continuing to inflict air and artillery strikes on the Azovstal Steel Plant, indicating that a remnant of Ukrainian defense is still in the plant despite evacuations over the last few days.

Russian occupying authorities are reportedly planning to level the Azovstal Steel Plant after completing its capture, which directly undermines the large strategic economic importance of capturing the plant.

Russian forces continued to prepare for an assault on Severodonetsk and intensified operations around Lyman.

Russian forces continued to prioritize holding positions around the Russian border to prevent further Ukrainian advances north of Kharkiv City and will likely continue to do so at the expense of deploying additional reinforcements to other axes of advance.

Russian troops focused on maintaining their positions on the Southern Axis and on conducting rocket, missile, and artillery strikes along the frontline.

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wasn't even close ...

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But they haven’t counted the Russian vote yet.

Going from one chicken coop to the other in rapid succession. The fact is that ever since Bakhmut fell, an inch worm would have progressed further than Russia has

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Lol someone is about to claim that Russia is gaining 20 sq km a day.

It's really crazy that such an ascendant power as Russia can't impose achieve its objectives in Ukraine...

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That's 300sq. km in a matter of two weeks, Ukraine won't be getting back. I say let the fighting continue.

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Russian Gains for the week of the 12th-18th were 201 sq km

Russian gains today 35 sq km

Russian gains for the week of the 4th-11th were 106 sq km

Russian gains today 60 sq km

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"turned into a concentration camp."No fcking shite.

Russia's base at Tartus, Syria given to UAE by Syria. UAE's DP Ports World will invest $800 million to develop it as a trading center.

I'm not sure how I read what you said the first time but thank you