I do know that Ukrainians don't like being told that they don't know what's going on by foreigners.  Apparently that recently happened to Biden.

I agree that I'm not read in with all the intelligence reports and admit that I don't read the news because most of it seems to be inflammatory with hints of propaganda.  It is very difficult to trust any government now to be truthful/transparent and the US intelligence community has credibility issues, especially when getting the US into wars.  I am in various expat forums where foreign reporters were recently trying to get interviews with their respective expats which tended to have some blowback due to the views of fanning the flames & glossing over the world ignoring these past 8 years of Russia aggression.  When I was visiting Texas two weeks ago it was nonstop RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA on the news.  I don't remember that occurring when Russia invaded in 2014.  Many Ukrainians that I've talked with are exhausted from these past 8 years so have become almost indifferent which I can understand.  They'll just worry about it if/when it finally happens to them individually.

You also need to listen to those that are currently living here, telling you what they are seeing and how people are reacting.  It is best to get as many perspectives as possible so you can better make an informed decision instead of being stuck inside an echo chamber.  Being around Ukrainians and living here has definitely changed my views, outlooks, and understandings.  I have had many challenging conversations from people from all over the world to force me to rethink everything that I thought I knew.  Some good, some bad.

I completely understand your living conditions which reinforces why I will never put myself into a 3 generation dystopia, especially in Ukraine.  It's like ALL IN THE FAMILY meets MAMMA'S FAMILY meets MARRIED WITH CHILDREN speckled with a bit of WALTONS while being on a terrible acid trip.  You are much better man than me which makes me wonder how much you have in common with Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.

Who are we to tell Ukrainians what is good for them or not? We need to stay out of other nation's/people's business. If assistance is requested, we should consider it, but remain discerning.

Agree with both of you.  However.....we have plenty of issues here at home to resolve that are absolutely in our nation's best interest.  Outside assistance just changes focus and makes progress that much more difficult.  Left and right hand issue.

I posted earlier we need to take care of business here. I currently don't trust our politicians to do the right thing here, let alone anywhere else.

Lol

In the end it is nothing more than family. We all have our quirks and deal with them. Everyone benefits and is loved.

The greatest of all, was Stalin, because he killed more Russians than anyone! And he wasn't even a Russian!

Putin, he is just fleecing the country, and retarding any hope of Russia not being a shithole country. If he wants to be a Russian legend, he needs to start slaughtering Russians. Then maybe in 30 years the stupid fuckers will put up a statue of him in Red Square or some shit.

Macron was in Moscow today meeting with Putin.  They discussed security proposals but have been silent on specifics until after Macron goes to Kiev tomorrow.  Meanwhile the German Chancellor is in DC distracting Biden.

US/NATO and Russia have taken a hard line against each other and it's unlikely that any compromise will happen between them.  It looks like Putin wants to deal with the EU separately and would probably make some concessions with them.

LOL.


Might was well shut this thread down if the only updates are going to be bullshit.

Well CNN and DHS succeeded in outdoing clown world......

CNN: "DHS updates terrorism bulletin in the wake of recent violent events and Russia-Ukraine tensions" https://t.co/VALCvwptai

Evan Kohlmann  (@IntelTweet) February 7, 2022

Invasion, Stock, and Barrel: Ukraine’s Personal Arms Market is Booming

Ruslan Rokhov, 35, from Kyiv, has purchased Diamondback riffle for self-defense (Photo:Natalia Kravchuk/ НВ)

6 February, 12:57

By New Voice of Ukraine News

If you applied for a gun permit this January, you deserve a free pizza at Pizza Veterano,” the owner of Pizza Veterano, Leonid Ostaltsev, the owner of the well-known veteran-established pizzeria in Kyiv, wrote on his Facebook page. His restaurant is running a promotion for a free pizza for new firearm owners from Feb. 2 to Feb. 4.

Ostaltsev says this is his way of supporting other Ukrainians who rushed out to purchase weapons in light of a massive Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s borders.

RELATED STORY: Former world boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko has joined the Kyiv brigade of the Territorial Defense Force of Ukraine

Demand for firearms has recently skyrocketed in Ukraine, local arms experts told NV, though they’re not cheap - with the usual price hovering at about three average monthly salaries - approximately $1,900. That price doesn’t even take into account the cost of a firearms permit, which is necessary to legally purchase one.

However, despite the high costs, Ukrainians are still investing in their personal safety. Owning your own firearm is also a requirement to join the Territorial Defense Force, which has been established to serve as a ‘home guard’ in case of all-out war.

However, Ukrainians aren’t waiting for one to start, instead, they’ve taken matters into their own hands and are already actively buying rifles, to give themselves time to go through the necessary training.


Kyivans attend territorial defense training / Фото: АFP

According to the data provided by the Ukrainian Arms Owners Association, Ukrainians buy around 70,000 guns a year. Experts are expecting a much higher figure this year. At the moment, there are almost 1.5 million firearms in circulation, reports the Interior Ministry, but that number is bound to soar, given the unprecedented demand.

“Sales are unequivocally on the rise,” the CEO of the Zbroyar arms company, Serhii Horban, told NV.

“We would like the figures to continue growing, but not because of a looming invasion…We expect the civilian arms market to keep growing in the future.”

A Zbroyar rifle is the weapon of choice for the 52-year-old mother of three, Maryana Zhaglo, who recently made headlines with her purchase. Mariana told The Times that she had bought the gun to join the Territorial Defense Forces.

“It turned out that Territorial Defense Forces are quite open to women recruits,” Zhaglo told NV.

“I’ve been acquiring news skills for the last two years. That’s how it all began.”

The thorny path to gun ownership

The first step to gun ownership is to save around 50,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (a little under $2,000). Then, a citizen can apply for permission purchase a firearm, which needs to be registered with law enforcement authorities.

“It takes about a month to get permission to purchase a gun,” said new gun owner, 33-year-old Oleksandr Pechalov.

“Then you need to buy the weapon together with a safe. Afterwards, you take your gun purchase permit to the authorities. A month later you can collect your gun storage permit.”

Pechalov has been regularly training with the 130th battalion of the Kyiv Territorial Defense Force since last spring. In autumn, he bought a .223 caliber Zbroyar Z-15 rifle worth around 50,000 Ukrainian hryvnias ($1,778.39 at current exchange rates). Pechalov is now using his rifle to work on his combat and marksmanship skills.
Read also:

RELATED STORY: Kyiv resident feels ‘much safer’ after joining Territorial Defense Force

The exact nature of this newly found demand for firearms is constantly changing. There are those who prefer to buy Ukrainian-made weapons, while others are fans of foreign-manufactured rifles.

“The demand has definitely evolved in the light of the looming Russian invasion,” says Zbroyar’s Horban.

Zbroyar’s most popular models are the Z15 and Z9 carbines, though the Z9 is the more affordable option as it takes pistol caliber rounds and needs cheaper cartridges.

This demand for firearms has spread beyond Ukrainians concerned with a potential invasion, or looking to join the ranks of the Territorial Defense Forces, and if the current threat passes, then Ukraine may find itself in the midst of a personal defense weapon renaissance.

For now, Ukrainian legislation still restricts the market - Ukrainian civilians can typically only own non-lethal and hunting weapons [NOTE: MSRs with "hi-cap" mags and suppressors are considered hunting weapons, Ukraine's government uses the word "hunting" in the same way BATFE uses the term "sporting"]- the category that Zbroyar’s offerings fall into. Handguns, submachine guns, and other popular categories of firearms are still out of the question.

Bachelor’s in Self-Defense

Of course, just owning a rifle and knowing where the shoot bit is is far from all that’s needed to be able to use the weapon in combat. Firearm experts note the need to participate in regular trainings and drills, as marksmanship skills are likely to degrade if not polished.

Center-A, a security training center based in central Kyiv, is offering courses and trainings for gun owners, and have reported a dramatic increase in client numbers over the past months.

“In the last month and a half we’ve started up to ten new groups with eight people each,” said Center-A CEO Roman Zembitsky.

“The new participants are learning to use non-lethal pistols, as well as rifled and smooth-bore guns. We offer courses where we teach the basic skills for gun usage, including tactical skills.”

A basic gun training course is composed of 5 to 9 classes, depending on the category, and can cost up 900 dollars. Having completed the beginner’s course, you can then go on to do three more advanced-level courses, with ten classes each.

Given the current situation, there is also public demand for first aid courses, which Center-A also offers.

The number of people wishing to become gun owners is constantly growing and it boost the development of the weapon market. Ukrainian shops offer a wide choice of guns, cartridges and other equipment.

Since the personal arms market has hardly been a historically dynamic one for Ukraine, the current demand has led to greater variety in gun stores across the country. The current boom is reminiscent of 2014, the year when Russia first invaded Ukraine, explains weapon expert Taras Oliynyk.

“However, there’s a much wider selection now available in shops. The target audience are middle-class people who can afford to own a rifle.”

Oliynyk says that the cheapest option is a smooth-bore hunting rifle, that can cost up to 6,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (around $200). Civilian carbines such as the AKM and AR-15 are more pricey, but also a lot more effective.

“All civilian firearms in Ukraine are classified as hunting weapons,” said Oliynyk.

“This is mostly a formality, but when you apply for a gun purchase permit, you have to fill in ‘hunting’ rather than ‘self-defense’ or ‘defending your country’. Bear that in mind if you want to get a permit without any issues,” adds Oliynyk, though he notes that actually going on a hunt is entirely optional.


ADDITIONAL LINKS:


IBIS Ukrainian gun store chain (Beautiful stores which can rival Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops)  -

MSR Page,

"hi-cap" magazine page,

suppressor page .

IBIS YOUTUBE Channel - POF Rifle review:

 I’m not sure what else one might expect from that account

Someone needs to tell Ruslan Rokhov he has his scope mount backwards and not fully mounted on the receiver.

Filed under: It’s a message to NATO.

Mig-31K with a Kinzhal ALBM deploying to Kaliningrad https://t.co/mkAIT3fUGi pic.twitter.com/NMY08apynz

OSINTtechnical  (@Osinttechnical) February 7, 2022

care to wager?

Another bad sign. According to Kommersant, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is not planning on attending the Munich Security Conference from Feb 18-20 this year, which he normally attends. Neither is Putin.https://t.co/VjkzXhrTsL

Rob Lee  (@RALee85) February 7, 2022

Feb 18 - Congressional budget deadline
Feb 20 - End of Winter Olympics in China

That Ukraine becomes a full on member in the EU.

It's all hypothetical right now.  Putin could return a few military units to their permanent bases and call it a deescalation and it would cost him nothing.

Putin has been negotiating with the EU all along.  The US was not involved in Normandy Format or Minsk Agreements, only France and Germany.

Here's the French view of things.  https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220207-live-macron-in-moscow-in-push-for-diplomatic-solution-to-mounting-ukraine-crisis



Which of these two do you think is in a stronger position?

We’ve missed you

UK Defence Journal
@UKDefJournal
·
6h
U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers will be deploying to the United Kingdom shortly as part of a 'Bomber Task Force' training mission to "familiarise themselves" with European airspace.

I just heard on the radio that mumbles intends to shut off the Nordstream 2 pipeline if Vlad invades the Ukraine.

Such statesmanship.

I'm sure the perfidious rotkrauts will support him to the hilt.





mean tweets defeated.

Look, US liberal commies are finally caring about a border.

I would not be surprised one single bit if France (possibly with the help of Germany) did a complete end-run around POTATOUS, and that would not be hard to do anyway. France is ready to wear the big boy pants in Europe, and wants to be a leader there. Given the absolute shit show that US foreign policy has been, especially recently, there is a vacuum and we are seen as weak and likely to waffle.

Uhhhh, what? US/NATO and hard line don’t really belong together.

100% correct.

ABC reported today that Macron stated that Russia has legitimate security concerns. What a joke he is.

How?

Nobody in this thread has made any indication that they in particular or Americans in general are "pushing" for a war between Ukraine and Russia. Discussing the facts about how Russia is by all appearances "pushing" for such a war is not an indication of agreement and support. Nor will burying one's head in the sand to the aspect of significant massed forces on your borders effectively stop what's coming if Putin so chooses. How has the US made this drag on for seven years as you claim?