Octopus Overlords

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 3:17 am "If it bleeds, it leads." Palestine is doing most of the bleeding today.

A website founded by a former US Marine who now lives in Russia has fuelled a rumour that Volodymyr Zelensky purchased two luxury yachts with American aid money.

Despite the false claim, the disinformation plot was successful. It took off online and was echoed by members of the US Congress making crucial decisions about military spending.

It was an incredible assertion - using two advisers as proxies, Mr Zelensky paid $75m (£59m) for two yachts.

But not only has the Ukrainian government flatly denied the story, the two ships in question have not even been sold.

Despite being false, the story reached members of the US Congress, where leaders say any decision on further aid to Ukraine will be delayed until next year.

Some are vehemently opposed to further support.

On X, formerly Twitter, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said: "Anyone who votes to fund Ukraine is funding the most corrupt money scheme of any foreign war in our country's history."

She linked to a story containing the yacht rumour.

Tom Tillis, a Republican Senator and a supporter of military aid to Ukraine, spoke to CNN shortly after senators held a closed-door meeting with Mr Zelensky last week.

"I think the notion of corruption came up because some have said we can't do it, because people will buy yachts with the money," Mr Tillis said. "[Mr Zelensky] disabused people of those notions."

Mr Tillis has butted heads with another Republican Senator, J D Vance, who has also mentioned Mr Zelensky and ships in the same breath.

While discussing budget priorities on a podcast hosted by former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Mr Vance said: "There are people who would cut Social Security, throw our grandparents into poverty, why? So that one of Zelensky's ministers can buy a bigger yacht?"

Although the yacht rumour is false, the BBC has discovered the story was given a major boost by a Russia-linked website that pretends to be located in Washington.

It is, researchers say, a "likely purpose-built tool for narrative laundering with links to the Russian government".

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 8:08 am Other than the Ukraine holding on this long the one thing that surprises me the most is the use of drones in this war. I did not see that coming. It is certainly going to affect future conflicts in a major war. And it has for that matter.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 8:14 pm Active Protection Systems

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 6:47 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 8:14 pm Active Protection Systems

Yeah, those are the "claymore-like systems" I mentioned. But they're designed to handle one or two incoming ATGMs, not a swarm of cheap kamikaze drones buzzing all around.

Alefroth wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:00 am Ukraine is getting some help-

Britain, one of Ukraine’s closest allies during the Russian invasion, will increase its support in the next financial year to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2bn), an increase of 200 million pounds ($255m) on the previous two years, Sunak said on Friday.

The funding would cover long-range missiles, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security.

Pro-Kremlin voices on social media have expressed strange optimism that Russia might somehow challenge U.S. sovereignty over Alaska.

This followed an order by Russian President Vladimir Putin directing authorities to search for foreign lands that once belonged to the former USSR the Russian Empire and register ownership over them.

Read also: Russia’s political clown Medvedev calls French ‘frog eaters’ and ‘f*gs’ in unhinged post

Although Putin's decree did not explicitly name Alaska, Washington has firmly told Moscow that attempts to claim U.S. territory will not be tolerated.

"I think I speak for all of us in the U.S. government to say that certainly [Putin] is not getting it back," said State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, commenting on Russian claims about the allegedly "unawful" sale of Alaska in 1867.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:33 pm Turkey has approved Sweden's accession to NATO. That leaves Hungary as the only holdout. Of course Hungary is more pro-Putin than Turkey I think, so not sure how difficult it will be to shake Orban out.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:23 pm "Urging parliament". . I bet parliament is going to have a long debate over whether to do what Orban wants.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:42 pm Putin is out of his mind. When do they stop listening to him and replace him.

Victoria Raverna wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:33 pm And also thanks to Hamas and Israel?

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:52 pm We're going to lose this war thanks to Viktor Orban and Mike Johnson (who takes his orders from Putin's lapdog, trump).

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 12:57 am IDK if that logjam can be broken, but it won't happen soon, and Ukraine needs aid NOW.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:53 am I think Gaza's biggest impact on Ukraine was mostly in distracting the American public.

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 12:57 am

Victoria Raverna wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:33 pm And also thanks to Hamas and Israel?

Peripherally, maybe. IDK much about EU politics.

In the US, it has nothing to do with foreign policy. MAGA Republicans have successfully tied aid to Ukraine to border security reform (even though the majority of Republicans are still pro-Ukraine). Biden has been negotiating some unpalatable reforms with both houses of Congress. The House refuses to reach any deal whatsoever because that would be seen as a win for Biden, and because they want the border to remain porous through the election season -- it's their #1 issue so any progress harms them. The Senate is close to reaching a deal, but trump is trying to poison it from the sidelines because only he can fix the border. Furthermore, trump and Putin are besties and trump would sell out Ukraine in a heartbeat. So, US support is being held hostage to domestic politics wherein the side complaining the loudest about border security refuses to cooperate in improving it.

IDK if that logjam can be broken, but it won't happen soon, and Ukraine needs aid NOW.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:23 pm "Urging parliament". . I bet parliament is going to have a long debate over whether to do what Orban wants.

But great news.

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While the Hungarian government formally supports Sweden’s accession, the country’s parliament has avoided voting on the matter, fuelling frustration among Nato allies and raising questions about the motivations of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán.

Leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal Thursday to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in support for its war-ravaged economy after Hungary dropped weeks of threats to veto the measure.

European Council President Charles Michel said the agreement “locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine” and shows the EU’s determination “to support their future, to support freedom.”

Ukrainian forces say they have destroyed a Russian missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet in a special operation off Russian-occupied Crimea.

The Ivanovets - a small warship - received "direct hits to the hull" overnight, after which it sank, military intelligence said.

It has released video footage that purports to show the moment of impact, followed by a big explosion.

There has been no word about the incident from Russian authorities.

It is also the clearest sign yet of how the tide of the war has turned in Moscow's favour after a Ukrainian counteroffensive failed to break through Russian lines last year.

"The head of state congratulated Russian soldiers on this success, an important victory," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned this week that Avdiivka could fall to Russian forces because of ammunition shortages following months of Republican congressional opposition to a new U.S. military aid package for Kyiv.

A White House statement on Saturday said Biden called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday to underscore the U.S. commitment to continue supporting Ukraine and reiterated the need for Congress to urgently pass the package to resupply Ukrainian forces.

The White House said the withdrawal had been forced upon Ukraine "by dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction," that had forced Ukrainian soldiers to ration ammunition and resulted in "Russia’s first notable gains in months."

Victoria Raverna wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:01 am Why Biden can bypass Congress to send weapons to Israel but not to Ukraine?

Victoria Raverna wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 9:01 am Why Biden can bypass Congress to send weapons to Israel but not to Ukraine?