International relations thread

[Mr Jinx]

I know its only a film but at the start of Enemy At the Gates, That showed how Soviet conscripts were treated in WW2 at Stalingrad, Perhaps it was more truth than fiction? Also watching a documentary this morning it said 360k Soviet troops were killed or wounded in the battle for Berlin alone.

One thing Russia has always had and will always continue to have:

Geography and land mass
Sheer weight of numbers (i.e. large population)
Harsh winters

You'd think Hitler would've learnt from Napoleon.

 

[Hants_red]

I know its only a film but at the start of Enemy At the Gates, That showed how Soviet conscripts were treated in WW2 at Stalingrad, Perhaps it was more truth than fiction? Also watching a documentary this morning it said 360k Soviet troops were killed or wounded in the battle for Berlin alone.

There's a very good Soviet Union memorial in Tiergarten which is a short walk from the Brandenburg Gate.

 

[DB9]

Trouble brewing between the Wagner group and Putin? If so expect another falling out of a window.

Ukraine war: Russia's Wagner boss suggests 'betrayal' in Bakhmut battle

"What if they [the Russian authorities] want to set us up?" the Russian mercenary boss asks.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Trouble brewing between the Wagner group and Putin? If so expect another falling out of a window.

Ukraine war: Russia's Wagner boss suggests 'betrayal' in Bakhmut battle

"What if they [the Russian authorities] want to set us up?" the Russian mercenary boss asks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Probably the real reason that Putin's not giving him any ammo !

 

[Phil Sayers]

Interesting video on how the British Army are teaching Ukrainians infantry tactics. Looks a very professional training programme (and one of many with others focused on such things as operating tanks or how senior commanders should plan operations):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1634878279630061569

 

[arthur]

Interesting bit about the Russian MoD waiting for Wagner Group to be literally killed off (This from the Guardian though, so Tavy and Jinx can ignore it):

The conflict between Russian Ministry of Defence and Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin has likely reached a climax as thousands of fighters have died fighting in Bakhmut.

According to the Institute for Study of War (ISW) analysis, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is “currently prioritizing eliminating Wagner on the battlefields in Bakhmut” which it concludes is slowing its advance in the area.

It said the conflict began when Prigozhin ran a “relentless defamation” campaign against senior figures in the Russian military, including Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Now that the group has failed to show progress it is believed Russian MoD officials are “seizing the opportunity to deliberately expend both elite and convict Wagner forces in Bakhmut in an effort to weaken Prigozhin and derail his ambitions for greater influence in the Kremlin.”

The ISW believes Russian President Vladimir Putin likely became “alarmed” by Prigozhin’s political ambitions in October last year.

 

[Grecian2K]

I know it's from the "dreaded" Guardian but, for once, please don't look away. An extremely well argued and presented analysis of the fateful "Iraq adventure" by Patrick Wintour.

Long shadow of US invasion of Iraq still looms over international order

‘Tell me, how does this end?’ asked US general David Petraeus during first push to Baghdad in 2003

www.theguardian.com

Rest assured. No-one (least of all "President Blair and Prime Minister Bush") walk away with any credit. Shows how the ongoing seeds of present conflicts grew so lush?

 

[Phil Sayers]

Poland plans to grant Ukraine's request for fighter jets

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president says his country plans to give Ukraine a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets, becoming the first NATO member country to fulfill the Ukrainian government's increasingly urgent requests for warplanes.

apnews.com

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1636329341280763904

 

[DB9]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued an arrest warrant for Putin for crimes committed in the war in Ukraine, Like he's going to be bothered about that!

 

[Spoonz Red E]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued an arrest warrant for Putin for crimes committed in the war in Ukraine, Like he's going to be bothered about that!

Kyboshes his place at any future international summits though.
A bit tricky if the venue for any future peace talks is not in Russia.