The US and its allies are holding a series of meetings this week in Europe where new pledges for military aid to Ukraine are expected to be made, and more countries might agree to arm Kyiv with tanks.
NATO Defense Ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a meeting on Friday in Germany of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which includes military officials from beyond NATO. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been chairing the Ukraine Defense Contact Group since the early days of the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken previewed what is to come during a press conference with his British counterpart in Washington on Tuesday. “You’ll hear more announcements in the days to come,” he said. “We’re coordinating security assistance among many countries. So stay tuned for more on that.”
Blinken said that the role of the US is to “put Ukraine in the strongest possible position when a negotiating table emerges so that there can be a just and durable peace.”
As things stand, there’s no sign of a negotiating table emerging as Ukraine is demanding war crimes tribunals before talks can even begin, and Russia wants any deal to recognize its annexation of the territory it has captured. The only chance for peace talks is if the US pushed Kyiv to the negotiating table, but the Biden administration has shown no interest in backing down.
Recognizing that there’s no end to the fighting in sight, Blinken said he expects the war to “go on for some time.”
Speaking alongside Blinken, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the Western powers need to “intensify” military aid for Ukraine to prevent a stalemate. “We can’t allow this to drag on and become a kind of First World War attritional-type stalemate,” he said.
Cleverly’s trip came after the UK pledged to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and Ukraine is hoping other Western nations will follow London’s lead. Poland and Finland have said they’re willing to send their German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, but the plan still needs to be signed off by Berlin. The issue of tanks is expected to be a major topic of discussion during this week’s meetings in Europe.
NATO is getting a rough lesson that all ground support is worthless without a proper air superiority.
Even if all NATO air forces go to Ukraine, hardly it can influence the outcome of the war; Russian anti-air defense can cope with it. Besides, if they attack Russian targets from airports in Poland or other NATO countries, the airports would be destroyed immediately; they can’t defend them against Russian hypersonic.
In a conventional war, NATO air force would devastate the Russian forces in Ukraine. First Russian anti air defense are not that good. Secondly it is hard to destroy an airbase. You can knock it out of commission for a short time, but destroying is not easy. The Japanese hit Henderson airfield with 973 14″ inch fragmentation shells weighting 1600 lb each in WW2 on 14 October 1942. The airfield was back in action in less than 24 hours.
Russian anti air defense are not that good
Says who?
The Israel air force and US air force.
In other words, nobody says that, and you are judging the Russian anti air defense system on the basis of the performance of their Syrian proxies, at least as reported by their enemies.
Meanwhile, back in the real world (to take just one example):
CSIS (hardly a pro Russian source)
“…Russia now possesses some of the most advanced air and missile defense systems in the world…”
Updated 3August2021
https://missilethreat.csis.org/system/russian-air-defense/
Unlike the US, Russia has never seen itself as a globe-trotting dominator of the planet, and it couldn’t be if it wanted to.
The US, for decades, has focused on air power for force projection around the world, and doesn’t worry much about air defense at home, except against ICBMs and to some degree long-range bombers, against which the primary “defense” is the threat of world-ending counterattack.
Russia has always focused on defending its own territory and its near-abroad, because it has had to deal with invasions for centuries. In a modern context, a robust air defense is key to doing that. As is the case with that CSIS reference, no one who is qualified to judge thinks Russian air defense are anything but in the very top rank on Earth.
So many people have argued that failure of Russian and before that USSR weapons systems was due to them being operated by Non-Russians. But then Ukraine war occurred. 11 months later and Russia still has yet to knock out Ukraine. So much for blaming third world operators.
The US air force with it superior electronics and stealth fighters will win.
Ground shift, much?
I make no claim as to who “will win,” only that, contrary to your bold, but full of crap, statement, the Russians are pretty much universally acknowledged to have excellent air and missile defenses. You have shown that you have no credible source who says anything different. Thanks for playing. Now run along.
Yes, but Russia has limited hypersonic missiles. Otherwise they would bypass NATO air defense on a regular basis.
So far, Russia is hitting targets only inside Ukraine. Territories of NATO countries are outside of this war. However, if NATO air forces start to participate in this conflict direct from NATO airports, then those airports will be targeted by Russian missiles.
All ballistic missiles that travel high trajectories are difficult for air defense systems to locate, track and target. If a volley of them is fired at a target, some are very likely to get there.
How do we know that?
The technology is relatively new. Their defense budge is fairly small comparing to other countries. The purpose of hypersonic is to override all NATO air defense system. So using these missiles for petty Ukrainian is waste of a huge resources.
“The purpose of hypersonic is to override all NATO air defense” If that even exist today, it will not exist in the future. NorthopGruman and Raython engineers are busy at work coming up with solutions. Your tax dollars at work.
It does, if you listen to what Russia and US official have to say.
No, they are seeing that air superiority as the US has used it since 1944 simply no longer exists against a first line opponent.
Sure it does.
You’d better hope we don’t find out, Kenneth. And if we do find out, you’d better really hope, fervently hope, that the US does not actually have air superiority against Russian air defenses.
I suggest that you sit quietly in a corner and think about why I say that. It’s important.
Has not been tested, we have stealth planes that theoretically can pick apart the Russian air defense system. They can get close enough to the system to launch on it before they are in turn detected. They are not invisible to radar, but can get closer.
Go to the corner with Kenneth and think.
The Russian MOD is fighting a very successful war of attrition disarming NATO (Ukraine was disarmed in March), tank by tank, artillery by artillery, air defense by air defense. Poland has called up 200,000 reserves, Ukraine is collapsing and Poland/Romania are now being called up to die for empire. What the empire looses in the Ukraine, they loose for the final NATO war against Russia.
NATO overall has accumulated the following equipment losses;
372 Aircraft, 200 helicopters, 2891 UAV’s, 401 Anti Aircraft systems, 7549 tanks inc. APC’s, 984 multiple rocket launchers, 3853 rocket launchers and 8081 military automotive equipment.
In the past year we have seen the Rules Based Order act in a state of criminal insanity. They blew up the Nord Stream Pipeline which will cause the deindustrialisation of Europe. The shelling the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Station in an effort to cause a nuclear accident. The planning of a false flag nuclear weapon detonation on their own soil!!! This is the actions of criminally insane psychopaths.
Ukraine is fighting a very successful war of attrition disarming Russia, tank by tank, artillery by artillery, air defense by air defense. What the empire loses in Ukraine, they lose for the final Russian war against NATO.
Picture confirmed Russian vs Ukrainian losses:
Ledgend: Rus=Russia, Ukr=Ukraine,
Lost=Destroyed+Captured, D/A=Damaged+Abandoned
Country___________________________________Rus___Rus____Ukr____Ukr
Sources:__________________________________________Lost__D/A____Lost___D/A
Tanks_____________________________________1487..132.....409....40
Armoured Fighting Vehicles________________.718...36.....246.....8
Infantry Fighting Vehicles________________1802..123.....417....34
Armoured Personnel Carriers_______________.272...17.....205....18
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Veh..38....5......26....12
Infantry Mobility Vehicles________________.170....3.....249....14
Command Posts And Communications Stations_.216....4.......8.....0
Engineering Vehicles And Equipment________.224...42......39.....0
Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Missile Systems__..27....4......20.....1
Heavy Mortars_____________________________...0....0.......0.....0
Artillery Support Vehicles And Equipment__..89....2......21.....0
Towed Artillery___________________________.144...11......74....16
Self-Propelled Artillery__________________.296...15......86....18
Multiple Rocket Launchers_________________.162....4......33.....2
Anti-Aircraft Guns________________________..16....0.......4.....0
Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns_________..20....3.......3.....1
Surface-To-Air Missile Systems____________..77....9......80.....4
Radars____________________________________..20....1.......0.....0
Jammers And Deception Systems_____________..20....2.......1.....0
Aircraft__________________________________..64....4......56.....0
Helicopters_______________________________..65...10......28.....1
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles__________________.154....0......45.....0
Naval Ships_______________________________...8....4......24.....1
Logistics Trains__________________________...0....0.......0.....0
Trucks, Vehicles and Jeeps________________2120...88.....478....19
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-
Someone blew up the Nord Stream Pipeline which will cause the problems for industrial activity in EU almost on par with their climate initiatives – if they change the climate ‘tax’ – they can in other words deal with the problem.
Given that this is a problem mainly for Europe it is clear that the incentive to carry out this action is higher for Russia than for UK, EU or the US – as hurting the coalition against Russia is not in their interests – yet you believe without evidence that it was done by the west!?
The rest is as poorly attached to realities and unsubstantiated to be worth even mentioning.
“picture confirmed”, eh? Sure you got the serial numbers or UBC codes on those tanks, then?
Perhaps in a war where one side is using propaganda on an incredible and unprecedented level one should be a little careful about trusting data from that side and its patrons??
“Perhaps in a war where all sides are using propaganda on an incredible and unprecedented level one should be a little careful about trusting data from those side and their patrons??”
Fixed, no charge.
Sure, Tom. We are just as much subject to Russian propaganda as the entire western megaphone speaking with a uniform voice and blocking and down-trending all contrary opinions. You’re absolutely right.
The difference between Russian and western propaganda and narrative control is that the former can be easily seen … it is amateurish and rarely encountered. The latter is the water in which we fish swim … difficult to see and all-encompassing.
I’m not sure who the “we” you’re referring to might happen to be.
Look it up for yourself – it is not perfect but it is a hell of a lot better than trusting figures from Moscow or Kyiv.
Yes this would be a very good point if Oryx was a government controlled organization and if their figures were more alike to those of the Kyiv.
Oryx is a Dutch (ie Western/NATO) “organization.” Also, it’s founders are associated with Bellingcat, another Netherlands based organization, and one with a clear pro Ukraine slant. And it is regularly cited by the Western (ie pro Ukrainian) MSM. An organization need not be “government controlled” to have a POV or bias. I would put more faith in an organization based in a truly neutral nation.
I also think it is kind of naive to believe that merely producing “pictures” proves anything. Anything can be faked in a picture. A single tank can be photographed a dozen times, from a dozen different angles. It can be moved around and shot over and over again. And then there is photoshop and any number of other, more sophisticated ways to doctor photos. Plus, one wonders whether “Oryx” has equal access to both Russian and Ukrainian sources.
We also know for a fact that the West/the Ukies are engaging in a much more comprehensive effort at propaganda and narrative control than are the Russians, and that the Western efforts are better tailored to convince a Western audience than are the Russians’. I don’t think it would surprise anyone if it turned out that there is a link between this “independent” organization and NATO governments.
As for Kiev’s “figures,” those are straight out of Alice in Wonderland, and shouldn’t even factor into the analysis.
If they are Bellingcat associates, I absolutely assure everyone that they are super warm and cuddly with Western intelligence and propaganda entities.
As our Brit friends would say, Bellingcat has previous.
“Stijn Mitzer….worked for open-source intelligence websites such as Janes, Bellingcat and NK News, he runs the independent analysis website http://www.oryxspioenkop.com with his co-author Joost Oliemans, and authored The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun.”
https://www.helion.co.uk/people/stijn-mitzer.php
“Joost Oliemans….worked for open-source intelligence websites such as Janes, Bellingcat and NK News, he runs the independent analysis website http://www.oryxspioenkop.com with his co-author Stijn Mitzer, and authored The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun.”
https://www.helion.co.uk/people/joost-oliemans.php
If it’s coming from the MSM West, discount it and divide by 10.
It is my firm belief that Russia began accumulating resources from the moment the West refused to allow Russia to become a member of the Western Alliance, positively when Clinton ramped up the inclusion of former Soviet bloc countries (or whoever) to become members of NATO, and then armed them on Russia’s border. Russia correctly, in my estimation, had the foresight to prepare. For thirty years.
“For thirty years” – less than that. When in August 1999 Putin was appointed as Prime Minister, Russian army was almost nonexistent.
In terms of troop numbers, the Russian armed forces numbered about 1.8 million active duty personnel in 1997 and number about 1.4 million now.
As to the quantity and quality of equipment, that might be a different story.
It all goes back to the US violent coup in 2014. Russia understood that we declared war on them and acted accordingly. We deserve everything that is coming.
Russia since Stalin’s time before WW2 always piled up tanks and guns and ammo. It has a different political system that favors that — factories are state owned and not connected to design teams. They just churn out stuff, or they sit ready to do so. During the Cold War we said Russia piled up another 2,000 new tanks every year, almost all shrink wrapped and stored in “unit sets” on mobilization bases with minimal manning. Despite Yeltsin and Putin, that basic structure is intact, just their way of doing things.
How many times are you going to cut and past this same comment?
Ramp up with what? And when?
All indications are that the US and the collective West have neither sufficient inventory nor adequate production capacity to supply Ukraine with armament and munitions sufficient to make a difference in the outcome of this war.
It’s all theater … 14 tanks? Come on!
By US TO&E, 14 tanks is a single tank company.
It’s sort of like the 40 Bradleys — not a game-changer by any stretch of the imagination.
I understand the British 14 tanks to have been a political move to push Germany to allow Leopard tanks to be sent from various countries.
However, that brings us back to your original point. There is no stock of Leopard tanks available, other than the first line strength of active army units of our friends and allies. This would require them to disarm, replacements taking years.
The Germans are breaking their own laws, it is against their constitution to provide weapons in conflict areas.
The Scholz government consists of traitors and war criminals. Funding wars is as criminal as is the sale of weapons. USA/Nato is involved and started this war in 2014. There is no excuse for USA/NATO, the elite in government and the corporate economy, all of them are war criminals. A young teen typist in a concentration camp office was a war criminal, what are they at the top?
It definitely seems like Western “aid” is more of an opportunity to field test the MIC’s toys than anything else
It’s a chance to field test the US/EU/NATO Empire’s MIC’s toys, and its military doctrines, against the Russian Empire’s MIC’s toys and military doctrines, and vice versa.
I am very curious to see how US tanks hold up against US stingers.
i believe the USA has something like 3000 M1 tanks in mothballs. Surplus to our needs we could make a very big difference very quickly if we wanted to
The “14 Challenger 2 tanks” is just a hoot, like some kind of tank demonstration team. They should cut it down to 8 and name them after Santa’s reindeer or Snow White’s dwarfs.
Blitzen in the lead, I assume?
Will you be serious.
Maybe Bangy, Boomy, Flamey, Melty, TOWy, Kaboom, Cookoff, … and Blitzen.
Blinken said that the role of the US is to “put Ukraine in the strongest possible position when a negotiating table emerges so that there can be a just and durable peace.”
It’s official. The worst secretary of state in my lifetime. And with all that stiff competition, that is saying a lot.
He’s so far out of his depth as our chief diplomat, he can’t see the water surface … but in his real role of spokesman for the pentagon, he does a half-decent job.
Indeed. Him and Lloyd are interchangeable.
Yeah, but neither of them are speaking for the uniformed folks at the Pentagon. Milley is playing his role in public, but the real military officers know that there’s no way Ukraine can achieve a military victory against Russia, and they also know that it would be a very bad idea for NATO to directly engage Russia in a war on its border.
Russia got beat by a bunch of goat herds they certainly can be defeated by an theoretically inferior force
You forget that mighty Amerikkka got their asses handed to them by same said “goatherders”.
No I have not forgotten, that. I just didn’t mention it.
He could have had that just by honoring the already-agreed Minsk II accord. That was better than anything he can get back to now.
This is a measure of the defeat of what he has done.
Wars, since ByeDone is actually a propped-up cadaver, by all accounts the Blinkin’ Idiot is Asshole-in Chief.
Joe Biden has never been sharp enough for the Owners to let him make real decisions. But the owners don’t let even smart guys like creepy Blinken make the most important decisions. They don’t have to, because smart guys like Blinken accepted that the most important decisions were made long ago by people above their pay grade. Their job is to execute.
Well put, Red!
Sorry, wars, Blinken is just a place-holder for the Zionist effort to escalate this conflict into being a catastrophic war with Russia that will be the end of the USA as we know it. Both Putin and Lavrov know that the current administration is not “agreement capable” to use Lavrov’s very words.
I would think that Russia is just a little tired of Israel.
Lol…who isn’t, V?
14 tanks??? Does that mean we have to have at least 14 reports that these 14 tanks might some day be sent to Ukraine???
For all the discussion, there is not so much information about who the crew will be (NATO or Ukrainian), or any of the logistical issues around them such as fuel, ammunition, or repair facilities.
The US still seems to think of the conflict as a fun PR exercise, a real life Marvel movie, with Putin in the role of chief villain.
FAFO — what will the Russians do if we do *this* next? Keep pushing, until we see what happens.
What do our “leaders” really want to happen?
They have fever dreams of replacing Putin with a Yeltsin clone, or of breaking up Russia into some new -stans that can be bought up and looted. That is not going to happen.
What is happening instead is Russia mobilizing for war, and being driven into the arms of China.
“being driven into the arms of China” As a junior partner.
Yes, in many ways Russia is certainly a junior partner, though not in all ways.
What’s your point?
Here is the leftist Reuters about Bakhmut:
This is after Russia has taken Soledar which is part of the defense line centered on Bakhmut, and now can attack Bakhmut from the north and also encircle it. Probably tens of thousands of Ukies have died. Russia has six times more artillery and the Ukies have mostly just assault rifles. Zelensky demanded counter-attacks against Soledar THREE TIMES which all failed, losing lives and equipment, and the military finally resisted the demand for a fourth disastrous attack.
In Reuters propaganda that becomes “both sides have taken heavy losses for scant gain”.
I can imagine Reuters reporting on Argentina scoring 8-1 against Brazil if they wanted to politicize it: “Both sides fighting fiercely for scant gain.”
The pychos in DC won’t be happy until Chicago is a smoking, glowing hole in the ground.
Or any other major Amerikkkan city.
Oh, joy. More instruments of death and destruction.
I sense a mushroom cloud in our future.
This is a war that was meant to be “lost” from the get-go. With no adequate preparation on the part of NATO and seemingly no awareness of the negative effects of Russian sanctions on Europe, it will inevitably lead to WWIII with Russia. Somehow that seems to have been the goal all along. The dark cabal that brought us 9/11 and all the wars of this century must be laughing their asses off at our gullibility. Once again we have been forced into a self-destructive war that this time will result in the end of the USA, Russia, and most of humanity.
In a nuclear exchange, the “dark cabal” would eat the same fallout. Hilarious thinking on their part.
Which leads me to ask, is that dark cabal even human anymore? Certainly they have no use whatsoever for actual human beings.
They’re readying their fortified bunkers but who are they going to get to do the actual work as we know any kind of physical labor is below them, and I’m sure they’ll have plenty of third world sex slaves to take care of their needs.
Gee, the gathering at Brussels is just like 2003 when there was world wide protests against our “shock and awe” against Iraq. /s
US, Allies Preparing to Ramp Up Their Own Destruction
At this point, one would have to be insane to believe that Blinken has any interest in genuine negotiations or that Cleverly thinks he is preventing a stalemate. In truth, they are determined to do the very opposite of what they say, and they full well know it.
But they aren’t deceiving Putin, or the men who wear Armed Forces of Ukraine uniforms; or the civilians who are currently trying to flee. They seek to provide cover for their actions, and to convince those who are about to die that there is hope, or that something good can still come out of this. Good luck with that.