Duck, he is losing his air arm of the triad, he is losing his naval arm of the triad. He will only have left the silos of his triad. Now he has a bunch of truck mounts, but can he keep moving them around enough?

Pacific ports? HA! Is his rail track across Siberia going to supply his war machine if he needs to use it? Do you think it might be easy to take out?

War is logistics. We have already seen that with his supply lines getting over extended and cut.

Rump knows that if Putin falls it is bad for business. So Rump demands Ukraine give up land. Rump cuts American health care and schools so the USA is sick and stupid.

The question is was it make hookers on the tape?

Duck, he is losing his air arm of the triad, he is losing his naval arm of the triad. He will only have left the silos of his triad. Now he has a bunch of truck mounts, but can he keep moving them around enough?

Duck is an avatar (daft one... admitted). Michael, if you like.

Ukraine is not responsible whether Russia's ugly and clumsy missile launchers in the Taiga sufficiently deter China from conquering Siberia or not. Naval arm: UA never attacked Russia's big sub 'boomers'; just one Diesel sub destroyed ashore in a Black Sea harbor.

But Ukraine especially attacked these TU-95; a directed and justified defense. The modern Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by TU-95 are difficult to stop for Ukraine's insufficient air defense because of their final attack phase dropping down to low altitudes (~30 meters? ~100ft).

TU-95... is the 'air arm' of Russia's nuclear triad... Really? This plane is (official world record ) the fastest propeller driven one (925 km/h, 500 kn) and therefore (rumours) features the boldest radar signature of any plane with its 6m/20ft propellers. 'First strike' or what?

(Btw. when I was a young teenager in the late 1980s; one of the first model kit planes I glued myself together, then painted in silver, was this TU-20 kit (ebay) (alias TU-95) with red decal stars; then hung on strings in my (children's) room; next to AN-2, IL-28, IL-62, TU-134..., a French Mercuré...). I didn't knew it was a doomsday tool back then.

It's the task of the major powers: U.S., China, Russia to maintain THEIR nuclear deterrence, not Ukraine's. If they don't want Ukraine to change this balance; they better stop Putin from killing Ukrainians with his nuclear triad's 'air arm'. The U.S. (UK, Russia as well) guaranteed Ukraine's security in the Budapest memorandum; China (and France) in a separate, weaker one as well. An annoying situation for Trump, for other major powers, isn't it? Nuclear triad is their business. Or do they want Ukraine to become a club member? What Pakistan achieved, Ukraine cannot? Ukrainians constructed world's heaviest airplane AN-225, liquid-fueled space launch rockets and ICBMs, e.g. SS-18 "Satan", before. A bulky, heavy 'Fat Man' is sufficient for starters... as long as it fits into an ordinary ISO container... for road transport in Russia.

Pacific ports? HA! Is his rail track across Siberia going to supply his war machine if he needs to use it? Do you think it might be easy to take out?

Yes, I'm convinced Transsib would supply; impossible to take it out. Just recently Transsib transported more North Korean artillery guns & shells per month to the warzone than all of Europe was able to supply Ukraine.

Railroad: Already the Tsar forced China (ailing Qing dynasty) to allow a direct, straight rail shortcut from Chita (East of lake Baikal) to Vladivostok via Harbin across Chinese territory (today Chinese Eastern Railway) and a link from Harbin to the (back then) Russian Port Arthur (today's Dalian) as Transsib's 2nd Pacific terminus. Russia lost Port Arthur to Japan in 1905, Soviets regained it in 1945, ceded it to China only in the 1950s. If China agrees, Russia will use it. After WW2 USSR spent decades and billions of dollars (resp. rubles) to improve the railroad around Northern China on Soviet territory. They increased its capacity, electrified it; shortened mountain passes resp. the historic route along rivers. They added a 2nd parallel railroad, the Baikal-Amur Magistral (BAM). It was THE Soviet project in general. map: far away from China's border. "BAM" was in the news all the time, when I was a kid (1980s in Eastern GDR).

Roads: Only in 2010 Putin finished the Amur Highway (Chita-Khabarovsk: 1 lane each direction), as close as ~100 (60 mi) km from China's border. Before 2010, it was almost impossible for ordinary trucks or cars to reach Khabarovsk from Irkutsk(Baikal) due to unpaved tracks, mud season, steep ascents... The final leg, named Ussuri Highway (Khabarovsk-Vladivostok), was already build by Stalin in the 1930s (close to China). Russia currently builds a parallel alternative highway from Khabarovsk down south to Nakhodka harbor more distant from China through mountainous, uninhabited wilderness. Nakhodka is not far (150 km / 90 mi) from Vladivostok, connected by a coastal highway or hinterland railway. The achieved distance from China's border doesn't matter. No vehicle could cross this wilderness (think of primeval forests abeam of Alaska highway). Hmmm... Brits thought the same when a Japanese army pushed bicycles as packhorses through the impenetrable jungle and conquered Singapore in WW2.

Sea transport: Climate change makes the Northeast passage along Russia's Northern Arctic coastline reliable during summers into the autumn. Russia already built a few new nuclear icebreakers, more ordered. And remember, when the Russian-Japanese war of 1904 started, the Tsar immediately deployed the Baltic Fleet around Africa to the Sea of Japan. They reached the Pacific... in time... with all their impressive firepower. Yes, they suffered a humilating defeat, their fleet destroyed, but it wasn't because of the large distance.

It looks like delusional Donny has finally woken up to the real world.

Trump lashes PooTin and U-turns on sending weaponry to Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump says the US "has a lot of bullshit thrown at us" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, vowing to send more weapons to Ukraine to defend itself.

Mr Trump made the comments during a meeting of his cabinet on Tuesday local time, saying he was "very unhappy" that Mr Putin had made no progress on peace talks with Ukraine since the pair held a phone call last week.

The US has been seeking to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia since Mr Trump's inauguration, but so far an agreement has been elusive.

"We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Mr Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

"He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

Asked about his interest in a bill proposed by the Senate for further sanctions on Russia, Mr Trump said: "I'm looking at it very strongly."

Earlier, Mr Trump said the US would have to continue shipping air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons to Ukraine........

If Donny didn't spew so much B.S. around he'd have noticed PooTin's B.S. much sooner instead of being played the fool.

It looks like delusional Donny has finally woken up to the real world.

Has he really woken up? Was he asleep? Or just indifferent?

Then, is it just the delusional, erratic Donny or the larger group of influential pro-Russia lobbyists around him?

They are either (Trump included):

• already corrupted and dependent on Russian money (see Don Jr.'s public comments on how Trump's real estate business was financed).
  
• blackmailed by KGB resp. FSB
  
• greedy to resume business with Russia, resp. with Putin's oligarchs, who offer lucrative bait deals
  

Words vs. verifiable action. Will he act? I doubt it. Only if the U.S. Congress can somehow force him to act.

If Donny didn't spew so much B.S. around he'd have noticed PooTin's B.S. much sooner instead of being played the fool.

Donny will not notice anything. He doesn't care. He won't spend the time or e.g. trust others (intelligence services?) to evaluate plausibility of Putin's arguments. So, Trump's decisions on Russia aren't led by rational facts, but by... [by what?]

I think, they're just impulsive reactions based on what he has just heard, read; or watched on TV. Unpredictable...forgotten the next day. He has a general conviction, that Putin is a powerful, long-time leader of a huge country, to be respected like Xi, or India's Modi. A country which is so large you just can't circumvent it. Size on maps matter for Trump, not economic facts. See Greenland and the rumour that he just want to have it because it looks soooo BIG on maps due to the Mercator projection distorting the true area of polar regions.

Compare his strange admiration for Netanyahu, the strong, assertive leader, the military officer shaped by combat in wars. While he despised and ignored former German Chancelor Merkel's character: a small down-to-earth woman who for a long time represented the "center of gravy" in EU just with reliable ties, arguments... soft power. Ukraine most of its history belonged to "Russia", wasn't it? USSR... Where Reagan denounced an "Evil Empire"; Trump respected the mighty, powerful USSR; and Putin's Russia, its preceived successor.

Zelensky on the other hand, and his insignificant country Ukraine (literally the "border region" to the steppe... in between... significant power blocs). He's just a nuisance, an accident of history; this clown, small stature, an disconcerting entertainment artist, whose successful stage characters didn't shy away from even bizarre gender-fluid, homoerotic provocations. It's exactly what Trump despises the most. Moreso, Zelensky seems to be a stable character with principles, not a politician. You can't buy him, deal with him or corrupt him. He remains a roadblock to profitable business with Russia. I believe Trump would have preferred Yanukovich as Ukraine's president; a respectable leader figure with a passion for ostentatious luxury... Who cares what Ukrainians want?

‘There’s No Life Without Water’: Occupied Donetsk Residents Plead for Water Amid Supply Collapse

Russian-installed authorities introduced a strict schedule for water supply in Donetsk and the nearby city of Makiivka this month, with water available once every three days, for just four hours, from 5 to 9 p.m. In Mariupol, Khartsyzk and Ilovaisk, water is supplied once every two days, also for four hours.

“People carry buckets down to the basement and take turns collecting this water — just enough to flush the toilet. You can’t cook with it, wash with it or even brush your teeth,” said a post showing yellow tap water published in Donetsk Vesti DNR, a pro-Kremlin group on the VKontakte social media site.

Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-installed head of the Donetsk region, last week even instructed the local government to cap bottled water prices at 3.5 rubles ($0.04) per liter, threatening businesses with inspections by the police and antitrust authorities if they violated the order.

On Tuesday, Pushilin said that 75 water trucks had arrived in Donetsk from Moscow, 13 tankers had been sent to Makiivka from the Moscow region and additional water trucks had been requested from the Kaliningrad region following a direct order from Putin.

Donny and PooTin's meeting looks to be pointless and rightfully so.

European officials have rejected PooTin’s demands, pushing their own proposal instead, ahead of the PooTin-Trump summit.

European officials have rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands that Ukraine give up its territories annexed during his war, pushing their own proposal instead.

The counteroffer demands rock-solid security guarantees for Kyiv, including NATO membership, before any territorial concessions, European officials familiar with the talks told the Wall Street Journal.

The European plan – put forward by the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine — also proposes that any land exchange must be reciprocal. If Ukraine gives up some regions, Russia must pull out of others, The NY Post reports.

And a ceasefire agreement would need to be reached before any other steps are taken.

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Saturday that Ukraine won’t surrender land to Russia to buy peace.

“It is truly important that the Russians do not succeed in deceiving anyone again,” Mr Zelensky said after a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, without elaborating further..........

An American military Vet's opinion.

Among those protesting against their arrival is Christopher Kelliher, a 53-year-old military veteran and Alaskan native.
"It's gross, it makes you want to take a shower," he says of the meeting.
"Putin doesn't need to be in our state, much less our country. We have an idiot in the White House that will kowtow to this guy."

Report

A message from a 104 year old.

"We seem to have learnt nothing," Yavar tells me. "The killing of innocent men, women, children, and even babies goes on. And the world, with some honourable exceptions, watches in silence...
"It was all futile, because it's still happening. We haven't learned anything at all."

Report

A fantastic turn around from what might have been Putin's (deadly) "Deal of the World":


'Huge win for Zelensky' as Trump meets Europe leaders saying US support to stop Putin | Scott Lucas


Wow.

Judge for yourselves.


Slava Ukraine!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

A fantastic turn around from what might have been Putin's (deadly) "Deal of the World":


'Huge win for Zelensky' as Trump meets Europe leaders saying US support to stop Putin | Scott Lucas


Wow.

Judge for yourselves.


Slava Ukraine!
Martin

I can only hope.
My support of Trump does not usurp my support of the Ukraine.
Hope it all works out in the Ukraine's favor.

Meow.

---

"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

A fantastic turn around from what might have been Putin's (deadly) "Deal of the World":

I can't see a turn around; dooming Ukraine was prevented... for now.

Remember? Before the Alaska meeting Trump threatened to impose further sanctions on all warring parties that refuse to accept a ceasefire.

Sanctions is what Putin fears the most. Russia's economy struggles increasingly. So he agreed to meet Trump. And he made a show of force (multiple planes, attitude; just demands, no concessions..., old Russian strategy). Trump drove together with him in "The Beast". Why??? Was this a voluntary decision? What did Putin told him personally? Threats?

The outcome: no concessions... no ceasefire... no sanctions. Putin fended off all of Trump's threats for the time being.

Positive results: Major European countries agreed to protect Ukraine's sovereignty; they finally decided to shield off unbearable pressure on Zelenskiy to surrender signing an unequal treaty, retreating from own territories; which won't achieve a lasting peace but just emboldens Putin to push further.... a few months or a year later like the failed "Minsk agreements" did.

For the first time I'm confident Europe won't accept another "Munich Agreement" for Ukraine (the 1938 agreement in which UK, FR, IT, DE forced Czechoslovakia to cede large (mainly German inhabited) territories including all of its border fortifications... to prevent WWII; emboldening Hitler to dissolve the remaining country just months later easily.

Ceding territories in Eastern Ukraine means retreating from almost inviolable front line fortifications, gifting Putin a flat steppe leading right into the center of Ukraine and its metropolises. That's what Putin demands for any peace treaty.

I fear Trump either don't cares; or is blackmailed not to care. It's up to Europe (or U.S. Congress???) to prevent that; Europe seems determined... with or without Trump. .... but also capable?... across Orban-like obstacles?

The positive reading: Only Trump could arrange this meeting with Putin during the war and unite Europ. leaders. Europe's fainted influence is evident in every picture or video from the White House.

When I was a teenager the UK and France had been (assumed powerful) occupation forces in divided Germany. In the late 1980s, on a beautiful Sunday I've watched a few French and British officers in the (touristic) center of East Berlin strolling around in their impressive dress uniforms. Allied forces... overlords, untouchable (for East German authorities)... , like Americans, and the numerous Soviets. Our 1990 speedy political reunification.... the "Iron Lady" was its toughest opponent, respected; not to be by-passed, by anyone.

And now? Macron... Starmer... all are praising Trump's actions in Washington... That's not what a meeting of peers or allies looks like; but rather an homage ceremony of princes to the emperor. Not Trump's fault, ours. Diplomatic power requires effective strategy, economic strength and the credible ability to use force; millennia old wisdom. Germany struggles with it. But how could the UK and France forget so fast it requires a workable club to stay a major, respected power outside the Western sphere? Nukes can't replace a club; what Pakistan recently learned; Mullahs as well. EU spent billions for 'Galileo', an European GPS; but is incapable to detect when Russia launches an ICBM or a cruise missile without U.S. satellites? Putin publicly mocked about this fact recently... unbelievable...

Only Trump could have achieved this meeting with Putin at the moment. Europe lacks any influence to force anything on Putin. Embarrassing. Until WWI it required just a reciprocal agreements of two major European powers to deter attacks by another (Russia included). Now the united FR, UK, DE, IT, ES, ... can't stop Putin? Russia's GDP equal to Italy's.

Putin's Russia supposedly won't lose this war, won't win it either. He will be forced to retreat one day, alternatively Russia may collapses like the late USSR did, out of the same reasons: disregarding economic limits. Retreat or collapse would also mean more than 1 million defeated, exploited Russian soldiers returning from front line horrors, realising this stupid senseless war, meager prospects for future... they could easily collapse Putin's regime... like the Tsar's Empire ended in 1917 (anyone remembers the road scene from Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago"?)

Is it just Trump protecting Putin's reign or maybe also influential U.S. government factions; strategists that fear another 1991-like disintegration of (multi-ethnic) Russia into smaller nation states; presenting large parts of (almost uninhabited) Siberia to China on a silver platter?

Putin's reign and survival now depends on continuing this war until a convincing victory over Ukraine; at least satisfying territorial gains (intact major cities) to legitimate the sacrifice of ~1M Russian dead and wounded 'war heroes'. WW2 vibes...

More saber rattling by Puny Putin?
Putin rejects Western security in Ukraine, warning troops would be target

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Western proposals for a "reassurance force" in Ukraine the day after any ceasefire comes into place, following a Paris summit aimed at finalising plans for security guarantees.

French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine's allies had formally committed to deploying troops "by land, sea or air" to help provide security the moment fighting was brought to a halt.

He did not detail any of the countries involved.

Putin sought to quash the allies' initiative, with a warning that any troops deployed to Ukraine would be "legitimate targets", especially if they appeared now, even though there are no plans for an immediate deployment.

Proposed Western measures to protect Ukraine's sovereignty after an eventual ceasefire or peace treaty represent tripwires for Putin's orcs. That's why he rejects them.

If he were to agree to any of them, they wouldn't even constitute a speed bump.

This morning growing problems in Ukraine's electric grid led to cascading failures of HVAC links, a blackout.

(Remember that Ukraine, just days before the war began, disconnected from the Russian synchronous grid and together with tiny Moldova was permitted emergency sync to the continental ENTSO-E grid... interconnectors insufficient... few of the mandatory ENTSO-E rules and coordination mechanisms already implemented... which, e.g. took the three Baltic nations (LV, LT, EE) more than TEN YEARS to achieve reliable grid sync to continental Europe.)

At 8:42 UTC (10:42 EET) a technical fault caused the simultaneous shutdown of the 400 kilovolts HVAC link from Moldova and Romania; and shortly after the shutdown of the domestic 750 kilovolts HVAC backbone that connects Western with Central Ukraine.

Moldova and Ukraine, including its capital Kyjiw went into blackout. Subways in Kyjiw stopped for the first time since the war began. LTE, 5G, 4G networks down...

Until the early evening the electric grids of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine have been reconnected.

The regional blackout impacted the continental European ENTSO-E grid for hours. In the first quarter hour there was about ~2,000 MW of excess infeed power causing a continent-wide frequency deviation of up to 150 mHz (milli Hertz). This remarkable and ongoing overfrequency event lasted until 12:00 UTC (13:00 MET).

See logged grid frequency diagram

Source: - Euronews (only in German):
- Kyiv Independent: 'Everyone in shock' – Kyiv residents left without power, heating, and water [...] mass blackout across Ukraine

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported "a cascade shutdown" in Ukraine's power grid in the morning on Jan. 31, following disruptions to transmission lines between Romania and Moldova, as well as between western and central Ukraine.

[...] the cause of the mass outages are being investigated, suggesting that it was not brought on about by "external interference or (a) cyberattack." Preliminary information suggests that the mass outages were a result of frozen lines "causing automatic shutdowns."