Vladimir Putin has spent more than $1.1 trillion on the armed forces in his 21 years in power. Since 2014, Russia has had one of the world’s most militarized state budgets
Anyone who still (5 months later) thinks the distraction event around Kiev was a military defeat for Russia is probably not worth reading.
You could have saved me a lot of time by starting with that.
2014 made it very very clear that Russia was being targeted by Nato actively. Russia is not one of a coalition like Nato or the old Warsaw Pakt. It is a single nation facing all of Nato. It also is greatly appreciated by those it protects - Abkhazia, S Ossetia, and especially by all native Syrians where it has been fighting Nato backed terrorists for 7 years while US steals Syrian oil revenue..
Spending 4.1% of GDP only on Defence when the US (backed solidly by Nato and with no natural enemies) spends 3.5% is remarkably LOW.
That it gets in many areas a superior product to the US is a testament to Russia's resolve and technical achievements.
And there are the really ideological, but there are few of them, mostly zazombified, they have never seen or understood what real freedom is. They have been brainwashed by Pioneer, Komsomol, Communism since school...
Вот комментарий одной учительницы:
"Анастасия Карлаш
Практически то же самое я объяснила сыну в первом классе, и объясняю теперь своим ученикам. Что мою работу оплатило государство из карманов ваших родителей. Вот именно эту тему ровно один раз. Пропустили урок - значит, спустили деньги ваших родителей в унитаз. И что нет никакого бесплатного образования, медицины и подобной бесплатной туфты. Забудьте. И я за бесплатно второй раз тему жевать вам не буду 🤷♀.
Пока не вобьёшь это в голову с детства большинству - так и будут расти поколения халявщиков и терпил. Собственно, все и растут, наследие советского «бесплатного» 🤦♀."
My wife, 22 years ago, when she saw Putin on TV, said: "That's it, the collapse of Russia." She just looked at the man and gave out this phrase, she saw him for the first time and knew nothing about him. Regarding our discussion, see these publications:
Сhispa1707 is a literate person. ) By the way, at the beginning of SVO, he published a study, with maps, explanations, why this is all being done. But then he got scared and deleted it. )
I agree, as even Pope Francis has talked about NATO "barking" at Russia. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/05/kissinger-calls-for-negotiated-peace-on.html That still doesn't mean Putin didn't screw the pooch on launching this actual war, or in the preparations for it. As for the attempt to seize Kiev/Kyiv and its failure? Nice PR try, but no good.
Coming from a nazi slogan that is a bit rich - the one thing your guys are not doing right now is coping at all. Throwing untrained troops at merciless fire poor sods.
Your duty if you think anything of Ukraine is to push hard for a withdrawal at any cost and an end to the deaths of (mostly now) innocent Ukrainian troops.
This article suggests that Russian military spending is something other countries should fear, then pulls the carpet from under its own feet by pointing out how badly Russian forces have performed in the invasion of Ukraine and how much of that military spending has been siphoned off via corrupt business people and politicians. It's not clear to me which message we should take away.
Great reporting. Thank you.
Great article. Balanced, reasoned and researched, unlike some of the ludicrous Kremlin fan-boy comments below.
Anyone who still (5 months later) thinks the distraction event around Kiev was a military defeat for Russia is probably not worth reading.
You could have saved me a lot of time by starting with that.
2014 made it very very clear that Russia was being targeted by Nato actively. Russia is not one of a coalition like Nato or the old Warsaw Pakt. It is a single nation facing all of Nato. It also is greatly appreciated by those it protects - Abkhazia, S Ossetia, and especially by all native Syrians where it has been fighting Nato backed terrorists for 7 years while US steals Syrian oil revenue..
Spending 4.1% of GDP only on Defence when the US (backed solidly by Nato and with no natural enemies) spends 3.5% is remarkably LOW.
That it gets in many areas a superior product to the US is a testament to Russia's resolve and technical achievements.
Russia has Khinzal's, US does not.
==="...It is a single nation facing all of Nato..."===
What propaganda crap have you been reading? What is one nation? Where do you live? They laughed pretty hard. ))))
Thank you for your comment!
There are some people you can't help... Maybe Putin is alone because he pushes away other countries! XD
I don't know why pro-Putin fans have such a victim complex...
And there are the really ideological, but there are few of them, mostly zazombified, they have never seen or understood what real freedom is. They have been brainwashed by Pioneer, Komsomol, Communism since school...
Вот комментарий одной учительницы:
"Анастасия Карлаш
Практически то же самое я объяснила сыну в первом классе, и объясняю теперь своим ученикам. Что мою работу оплатило государство из карманов ваших родителей. Вот именно эту тему ровно один раз. Пропустили урок - значит, спустили деньги ваших родителей в унитаз. И что нет никакого бесплатного образования, медицины и подобной бесплатной туфты. Забудьте. И я за бесплатно второй раз тему жевать вам не буду 🤷♀.
Пока не вобьёшь это в голову с детства большинству - так и будут расти поколения халявщиков и терпил. Собственно, все и растут, наследие советского «бесплатного» 🤦♀."
https://sun9-47.userapi.com/impg/rRLLN2VMYlyfRyHiGdRZMPzolaE8ld9B-wgp_g/rMIUmGp6Khc.jpg?size=536x248&quality=95&sign=25889c1509bc72544ffa9f345af2187a&type=album
My wife, 22 years ago, when she saw Putin on TV, said: "That's it, the collapse of Russia." She just looked at the man and gave out this phrase, she saw him for the first time and knew nothing about him. Regarding our discussion, see these publications:
https://chispa1707.livejournal.com/3771920.html
https://chispa1707.livejournal.com/3772891.html
Сhispa1707 is a literate person. ) By the way, at the beginning of SVO, he published a study, with maps, explanations, why this is all being done. But then he got scared and deleted it. )
I agree, as even Pope Francis has talked about NATO "barking" at Russia. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/05/kissinger-calls-for-negotiated-peace-on.html That still doesn't mean Putin didn't screw the pooch on launching this actual war, or in the preparations for it. As for the attempt to seize Kiev/Kyiv and its failure? Nice PR try, but no good.
cope
Coming from a nazi slogan that is a bit rich - the one thing your guys are not doing right now is coping at all. Throwing untrained troops at merciless fire poor sods.
Your duty if you think anything of Ukraine is to push hard for a withdrawal at any cost and an end to the deaths of (mostly now) innocent Ukrainian troops.
Bit rich coming from a Nazi.
I thought Nazi slogans would be your thing.
This article suggests that Russian military spending is something other countries should fear, then pulls the carpet from under its own feet by pointing out how badly Russian forces have performed in the invasion of Ukraine and how much of that military spending has been siphoned off via corrupt business people and politicians. It's not clear to me which message we should take away.
At the same time, Ukraine, starting from the top down with Zelenskyy, is just as corrupt if not more so. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/06/ukraine-week-11-more-truths-come-out-on.html