Ukraine Watch...

[UndercoverElephant]

Biden has given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with ATACMS. We have escalation.

[Ralphw2]

Reportedly Biden has made this decision because of the North Korean involvement, not the recent missile barrage. As usual, Biden is giving too little too late, and by announcing the policy ahead of any Ukrainian strikes, he is giving the Russians time to move critical assets like aircraft out of range, reducing the effectiveness of the weapons. He really is frightened of Putin.

I do not know what, if any impact this will have on Trump's policy in a couple of months.

[UndercoverElephant]

I do not know what, if any impact this will have on Trump's policy in a couple of months.

I have a strange feeling that even though Trump has said he wants the war to end, and seems to think he can do it with a phone call or two, that the opposite may happen. Trump might be sufficiently deluded that he is expecting to be able to coerce Putin into agreeing to end the war, simply because he's expecting Putin to be frightened of what Trump might do if Putin doesn't acknowledge that the US has overwhelming power in this situation -- that the US *could* make sure Russia loses. And that is obviously a potentially disastrous recipe, because if Putin "fails to co-operate" then Trump may decide to escalate, in order to "send a tougher message". All sorts of outcomes are possible.

[Forever_Winter]

The US giving Ukraine permission to use long range weapons into Russia

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/202 ... ke-russia/

Oops UE beat me to it

[Forever_Winter]

Biden has given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with ATACMS. We have escalation.

This could even things up a bit, but suspect as Ralph says, it's too little too late, unless they've got some really specific high-value targets in mind.

[UndercoverElephant]

Judging by the response from Russia, the move is significant. It's not just a case of Ukraine actually hitting more targets -- the very fact that there are so many new potential targets makes Russia's logistical operation much more difficult. Presumably Ukraine can now also attack Russia's power infrastructure also.

[Ralphw2]

The reports I have heard were that only direct military targets relating to the fighting in the Kursk salient were permitted as targets. That would seem to be troops and armour in the area, and presumably airfields and logistics bases, possibly extending to the railways and transport infrastructure, at a pinch weapons factories etc. Plenty of targets, but I am not sure it includes power infrastructure. Also, the total damage Ukraine can inflict is limited by the supply of the ammunition, and with Trump taking over, Ukraine has only 2 months to make an impact.

[UndercoverElephant]

The reports I have heard were that only direct military targets relating to the fighting in the Kursk salient were permitted as targets.

For now. It seems clear that if this isn't enough to maintain the stalemate, Biden would give Ukraine more options. I have no idea what Trump will do.

[invalid]

For now. It seems clear that if this isn't enough to maintain the stalemate, Biden would give Ukraine more options. I have no idea what Trump will do.

And what stalemate would that be? The levels of delusion in here...

[Forever_Winter]

For now. It seems clear that if this isn't enough to maintain the stalemate, Biden would give Ukraine more options. I have no idea what Trump will do.

And what stalemate would that be? The levels of delusion in here...

That's an odd post. What has happened to Default0ptions? Has that robot suffered a permanent outage?

[Forever_Winter]

I agree. Too little too late. Should have allowed tomahawk cruise missiles into Russia. Conventionally armed, they could hit arms depots well inside Russia. Would they use nukes? No. 1) they don't work and 2) Putin will be dead soon so Russia needs to work out what comes next

[invalid]

That's an odd post. What has happened to Default0ptions? Has that robot suffered a permanent outage?

Yes, it must seem very odd to you for someone to acknowledge realities and not spend their time on imaginary fantasies.

[Ralphw2]

Putin formally updates Russian nuclear doctrine to allow nuclear response to non nuclear attack.

[Forever_Winter]

That's an odd post. What has happened to Default0ptions? Has that robot suffered a permanent outage?

Yes, it must seem very odd to you for someone to acknowledge realities and not spend their time on imaginary fantasies.

Oh dear - there is no helping you, is there?

[Forever_Winter]

Putin formally updates Russian nuclear doctrine to allow nuclear response to non nuclear attack.

This could go two ways. 1) Putin is not bluffing as he is probably dying and he couldn't give damn about Russians so could retaliate with nukes. That would mean Moscow and St Petersburg would be gone along with millions of Russians or 2) Putin is bluffing as I remember about 10 years ago Turkish F-16s blew 2 Russian fighters out of the sky over Northern Cyprus going towards Syria and Putin did nothing. The Turkish foreign minister told Russia under no circumstances that they would defend Turkish airspace.