Ukraine daily update February 25, 2025

Update

I have almost managed to process the weekend and am back with my usual lengthy world-leading posts for the morning coffee as it should be. Next weekend we are going to go and see blue whales if we manage to get away, and that might be more successful than this weekend’s ridiculously expensive fiasco.

We’ll go through the summary of Zelensky’s big speech the other day again, and I guess Trump is even angrier this week than he was last Friday.

And the living legend Mette – remove all red cards and Europe has only months to act. We should be grateful that Europe also has these leaders.

Never Forget

Glory to Ukraine

The first trembling hours of the invasion, after Russia repeatedly accused the West of warmongering and vowed to never attack Ukraine.

Zelensky has gradually revealed the great betrayal.

And here he basically says that his relationship with Trump is terrible 😲

Lastly, it seems to be Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to Moscow, who has the worst pro-Russian rhetoric we’ve heard in a long time.

Apologies for all the Twitter links.

And then Trump comes out with a new statement that is so off compared to what we’ve heard from Ukraine in recent days that one wonders if he even reads Johan No.1 anymore?

He’s really making a fool of himself.

And recently, Trump on video seems to believe that the mineral deal will be signed in about a week.

Meanwhile, the EU has come out clearly stating that they will NOT demand any payment at all.

And the EU is literally pouring aid packages over Ukraine.

And the UN goes against the USA, which voted NO to this…

A good starting point would be that Ukraine has made immense sacrifices to protect themselves, Europe, and ultimately the USA from a third world war.

Plus, the vile enemy Russia is severely weakened for a long time to come.

So trying to swindle money from the parents of murdered children through outright fraud doesn’t look very good. Zelensky is making Trump look even more idiotic, and the USA appear petty and sordid – like petty fences dealing in gold teeth dug up from graves at night.

Last Friday, Trump continued to speak ill of Zelensky on various radio channels, and different US representatives condemned our time’s Churchill – it was mostly embarrassing to see the dissonance.

Now various organizations are also issuing warnings – just as I did before, being ahead of the curve – that Russian psyops are simmering in the background. Everything we have posted are direct statements on video, so no rumors or snippets, but what has actually been said – we are not exaggerating this train wreck.

It was the weekend, and even in the USA, they reviewed the past week and discussed internally, and then we’ll see this week if this is the line the USA (Trump!) wants to pursue or if they feel it didn’t go very well – I don’t get the impression that Trump has been discouraged at all yet?

I think the likelihood is +1 that Trump will go full throttle this week when he has summed up what Zelensky has said in recent days.

The deal is so shameless that it could never have been accepted.

Macron is in the USA, let’s see what he can accomplish. Trump has already spoken ill of him and Starmer, and then Macron had to sit next to Trump at the G7 meeting.

The intensity of last week surprised me and shows us that this group is completely misaligned. We’ve seen it throughout the war with different representatives, but to come in 2025 must be considered somewhat of a world record even though Trump has just taken office.

It works like this in the real world – you own your consequences, and that’s what Trump and the USA will have to do – don’t think for a second that the Military-Industrial Complex is happy with this, Trump’s polls are already plummeting, and a recession is knocking on the door for the USA.

And the USA is the country that exports the blame to other countries when things start to go wrong, but not this time.

Now Poland has also been snubbed by Trump.

If there’s any country in the West that has idolized the USA, it’s probably Poland, and after Ukraine, it’s Europe’s strongest defense force.

-He has not had any direct contacts with Ukraine other than to make it look legitimate and Trump said things that would sound right.

-What he has done is to agree with Putin on how they together would navigate a “peace” (rather a ceasefire) that was most favorable for Putin and as a bonus, Trump would look good but Ukraine would be completely thrown under the bus.

Putin would give a little gravel so it looked like Putin had to give up things BUT nothing major – yes, the 300 billion USD would be forfeited but only if it went to rebuilding conquered areas – so they would be sent back to Russia 🤣

Putin would immediately stop fighting and freeze the fronts – it had come with words about eternal peace and saving the children that Trump had praised as a great peacemaker.

Putin had returned some symbolic area to Ukraine and throughout the trip, Trump had praised everything in his usual style as a great peace deal.

Ukraine would keep quiet and endure the humiliation in exchange for the US promising to prevent future wars and the EU would also accept this was the plan after various threats that the US would leave them to their fate. The threats against the EU have been pouring in.

Putin does not have compromising material on Trump that makes Trump obey, but rather “your enemy’s enemy is your friend” that is playing out here. Trump is a new group that wants a place at the table in the US and now saw the opportunity to undermine existing gangs.

To dismantle the current order, the full competence and knowledge of the Russian KGB were needed – everything you see in the US is designed by Russia. It probably started so that Trump would win in 2016 and with Qanon (whenever that was exactly…) and has continued all the way.

Trump would now stand as a great peacemaker who saved Europe and also brought in hundreds of billions to the US, improving the economy.

And then his faction would have the chance to sit at the top of the pyramid instead of the current gang.

Bread and circuses – everything was designed so that Putin would get his share and Trump would look very good, all at the expense of Ukraine and EU security.

Trump probably counted on his popularity to rise and he is strengthening his grip on power in the US.

But Zelensky has crashed the whole party exactly because he and Ukraine had integrity, EU finally dared to follow suit as one man.

Imagine the nightmare we would have woken up to if Ukraine had given in – Europe’s security would be extremely weakened 😲

One election away and Ukraine would have become pro-Russian-friendly because don’t think for a second that the country is not a soup of different forces fighting for power and post-war, unemployed soldiers would have flooded Europe like our new unstoppable mafia.

We would have been left WITHOUT Ukraine all of a sudden and a million Russians on the border with the Baltics…

And FINALLY, Europe’s leaders have now understood this as we discussed back in 2022. But yes, everything has its time, and the art is to wait for the right moment, I understand that.

Now this abyss will not happen thanks to Zelensky and a few hundred thousand fighters in eastern Ukraine, so what they have done for us can never be overstated. But of course, they will be forgotten when history is written.

But not in the history we are going to write post-war in the thread that we are now building up towards 👍

Those of you reading here know that the UA offensive has started and Erik14 reported on new attack vectors up in Kursk recently

It will be very exciting to soon hear Trump complain about Ukraine launching offensives and not wanting peace – my guess is it will happen soon.

Trump’s limit for how far he can push this is somewhere and no one really knows when the backlash will come, but I can promise you it will come if he does not change course immediately, which he probably will not do.

But is this really so darn bad?

For three years, Ukraine was not allowed to win, there were many betrayals, and now they have no red cards to adhere to and the EU stood up.

For me, the USA is irrelevant after these three years – I am infinitely disappointed.

The hope was that at least it couldn’t get any worse, but it did by far when Mango Mussolini entered the meeting.

I think this is as close as we get to Trump’s motives and from what I see right now, there is a full collision underway – a total train crash between Trump and Ukraine.

Because do you know what Trump has today after Truth Social and the two cryptocurrencies – now he has the money again.

It’s a bit like when the left in Iran allied with the Islamists – you want to tear down the current power structure and then your enemy’s enemy suddenly becomes your friend.

Swedish battalion somewhere in the forests of the Baltics

I almost have to finish with Macron – those of you who follow me know that I have been trying to nuance him for a while now.

Watch the videos below when he is in the White House with Trump, it is none of Europe’s leaders but Macron who sits and contradicts him and goes hard against Russia.

The best one is this – “it is not Ukraine that should pay the US but Russia because they started the war”.

ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING King-Macron 💥💥💥

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156 thoughts on “Ukraine daily update February 25, 2025”

    1. How are the Russian tank losses when it comes to which models have been engaged? Is it mostly older models that have been taken out of storage nowadays, or are there new models going straight to the scrapyard on the battlefield?

      1. Yes, there are a few more older ones now, mainly T-62s that have increased.
        Shares of the losses in January:
        T-90 has always been low but varied somewhat (13.3% at most in April 2024), very few in January only 2.2%.
        T-80 increased until the summer of 2023 (~52% at most) but has since slowly decreased, 33.3% in January.
        T-72 has decreased throughout the war, from dominating in the beginning (~72%) to now 26.7%.
        T-62 was not used at all in the beginning, first appeared in September 2022 but has since slowly increased to 17.8%.
        T-55 is not worth mentioning, has been a few in total.
        Others that could not be identified, 20%.

        1. Thank you, first post in three years. I have followed you with great pleasure even on Cornu before. Looking forward to a 2025 where RU collapses and crawls away with its tail between its legs. Just like Trump and his traitorous gang.

  1. Operational information from 08:00 on 25.02.2025 about the Russian invasion

    98 combat actions recorded during the day.

    #Kharkiv 2
    #Kupyansk 11💥
    #Lyman 6
    #Kramatorsk 2
    #Toretsk 11💥
    #Pokrovsk 28💥💥
    #Novopavlivka 13💥
    #Huliaypillia 1
    #Orikhivsk 3
    #Prydniprovskyi 2
    #Kursk 11💥

    In the #Pokrovsk sector, the AFU🇺🇦 stopped 28 attacks from the AFRF🇷🇺 against the settlements of Vodiane Druhe, Promin, Pokrovsk, Leontovychi, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, Nadiivka, Troitske, Andriivka, Tarasivka, and Ulakly.
    Headquarters map of Pokrovsk this morning:
    https://x.com/coxoxoffoxoffic/status/1894280595401834506?s=46

    As on many days in the past week/the past few weeks, there is almost a halving of the number of clashes compared to the more offensive phase of autumn/winter (Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, etc.). And even Kursk seems to have cooled down.

  2. What if it’s the other way around! It’s Trump who has something on Putin!
    Putin did nothing while Trump was in the White House last time, he received some sanctions and some statements from Trump. But he kept relatively calm (or am I wrong here?)
    Biden came to power and Putin breathed a sigh of relief, now he could carry out his plan without risking being caught with his pants down, in bed.
    Trump came back, Damn it! Now he risks being made a fool of again!

    What if the US has a ton of dirt on Putin, and if it comes out, the whole empire will fall like a house of cards!

    1. Interesting thought but I find it hard to believe in it.
      Putin, as an old KGB fox, knows exactly what compromising material can cause and has probably therefore been extremely careful to ensure that there is nothing that can be turned against him.
      If Trump had something on him, he would probably rather pressure Putin to step back and arrange peace, as well as that the USA would get shares of Russia’s natural resources for a pittance. Russia has so much more than Ukraine and besides, they are already in the process of extracting most of it.

    2. Westley Richard

      Now I don’t believe that there is any kompromat on either Trump or Putin, or we have already seen and dismissed it with a 😄🤣.

      The internet is overflowing with kompromat that we laugh at and share with friends. A juicy film about an unknown person can certainly be devastating and lend some credibility, as it is doubtful if anyone has the resources for this. However, there are resources to produce films where it is revealed that Trump is a closeted gay man who enjoys dressing up as a transvestite and speaking to refugees as such.

      How should it then be spread to gain credibility, a juicy film spread on a Russian TV channel that one day had a segment where Medvedev reveals that he will send a nuclear robot to London has questionable credibility.

    3. haha, yes, there are indeed some good theories right now, and Putin may have fallen for some honey trap in a hotel room that is not very flattering for him, and Trump has it on a USB 🤣

  3. Macron did well in the meeting with Trump, but I am less positive about what came afterwards. Macron seems to advocate for a ceasefire while “peace” negotiations begin. He also believed that this could happen within a few weeks. Will Europe once again ask Ukraine to support a ceasefire? Or has Macron had a conversation with the President of Ukraine and understood that Ukraine is also in desperate need of a ceasefire? In my world, it can only end one way. Russia is replenishing the front with supplies and ammunition that Ukraine has spent months shooting away. Then Russia AND the USA say that negotiations are not progressing because Ukraine is reluctant, and a new offensive is launched by Russia, which has replenished the front and made new targets in Ukraine.

    It is obvious that Russia is desperate for a ceasefire as they are bleeding everywhere. It is for Ukraine to decide, but my analysis is that it would be better for Ukraine to continue the war of attrition until 2025 in order to bankrupt Russia. Ukraine receives money and support from the West and will be able to survive both militarily and economically.

    The resolution that passed in the UN ultimately had changes at the request of the USA, i.e. it does not indicate who started the war but only that it is a war that needs to end. If I saw correctly, France and the United Kingdom abstained from voting, which can be considered cowardly, right?

    1. I believe, just like you, that a ceasefire would not benefit Ukraine, and honestly, I also don’t understand why it should be a prerequisite for peace negotiations. Negotiations took place at the beginning of the war without any ceasefire.

      1. But maybe that’s what he’s doing right now. Suddenly he might agree to a peacekeeping force, regain control of the country, etc.
        Putin may be a former KGB agent, but everyone makes mistakes and US intelligence is no exception.
        Perhaps the deal with Russia’s natural resources will come soon…

        1. Trump made some statement about discussing expanded trade with Russia, he is probably also trying to pressure Putin so that he can get something out of Russia as well. We’ll see where it ends!

    2. Herregud no – ceasefire is NOT on the table in the form that it will come first.

      The EU is ramping up to fully arm Ukraine to the teeth now and ceasefire will come when RU has been weakened.

      These are clear messages from everyone except Trump who wanted this ceasefire.

  4. When it comes to Ukraine’s natural resources that were discussed in yesterday’s thread. From what I’ve seen about the agreement, it was about the US receiving 50% of the returns from what is extracted until Ukraine has paid off 500 billion USD.

    In that case, it doesn’t matter so much whether it’s rare earth metals that are difficult to extract and not abundant, or if it’s oil, gas, or something else. It mostly just becomes a question of how long it will take for Ukraine to get rid of the debt. That’s why Zelensky talked about a debt that will take generations to pay off.

    On the other hand, this means that Zelensky could take a chance and actually agree to it. It won’t cost anything immediately, and with a bit of luck, maybe the debts will be written off in four years if the US were to have a more sensible government.

    Of course, it would be a defeat for Zelensky to be forced to agree to it, but it depends on whether he manages to negotiate something more than just repayment for what they have already received.

    Trump is taking a tough stance to put himself in a good position, but that probably doesn’t mean he will refuse to negotiate based on that. At the same time, Zelensky is not foolish either. He has said several times that he refuses, but that could be just to influence the content of the agreement in his favor.

    I don’t think an agreement is completely ruled out, it may depend mostly on how much Zelensky has managed to provoke Trump, or if both parties understand that it’s really a matter of negotiations.

    1. Can’t this be a way to satisfy the MAGA nuts? They don’t know if UA is paying or not, they have zero clue. There’s enough chaos domestically as it is now when the nuts realize they’re either losing their jobs or getting more expensive products. (A lot of Rep. governors have written to the White House to exempt their state from the consequences)

      And just as you say, this can change fairly soon (4 years politically is a short time) maybe even by the midterm elections in 2026?

      UA is actually in a golden position regarding this. Europe will support UA, with or without the USA. The USA must deliver to the voters but also can’t refuse to get back some of the gifts (a damn way to retroactively demand this back!!) through such a deal.
      RU will be left with their pants down regardless of the outcome. Either UA finishes off RU’s army and RU collapses, or the USA will have a say and RU won’t dare to do anything that could harm American personnel or interests.

      1. The difference is well here that Ukraine is forced to pay for things they have already received, in addition, a sum is determined from the beginning. Lend-lease is more need-based, so to speak, where Ukraine decides for themselves how much they need and believe they can repay.

        (Still mad at Biden for not using it when he could in 2022, early 2023.)

    2. Westley Richard

      The mineral proposal was put forward by Zelensky, offering the USA the opportunity to buy into the prospecting. Businessman Trump evidently could not resist the temptation to show the world that he was the best businessman and made a horrendous counterproposal. The fact that Hunter Biden had tried to do business in Ukraine obviously triggers even more.

      Now Zelensky has played the card of rare earth metals, Trump has jumped on the bandwagon, and we can only hope that it will be good for Ukraine as it means a lot of money for them and not even a footnote in the US financial statements.

    3. My guess is that if Zelensky signs that agreement with Trump, he is politically dead in Ukraine.
      The citizens of the country have ears and eyes too.
      He should stay far away from it.

      And now the EU came up with a much better deal as well.

    4. The Budapest Memorandum also included, in addition to assurances of security, promises of economic compensation from both Russia and the USA to Ukraine. Has the USA fulfilled that promise? Thinking about weird Donald and his mafia methods.

  5. Slightly lower numbers than usual. Also reflected in the loss report.

    AFU: “In total, during the past day, 98 fights were recorded.
    According to detailed information, yesterday, the enemy carried out 85 air strikes at the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements, dropping 117 KABs. In addition, he carried out about five thousand shells, including 108 – from the reactive systems of salvage fire, and engaged 2,438 kamikaze drones.”

  6. Johanno1:

    “A good starting point would be that Ukraine has taken enormous casualties to protect themselves, Europe, and ultimately the USA from a third world war.

    A bonus is that the evil enemy Russia is severely weakened for a long time to come.”

    I had a conversation regarding contributions with a MAGA/Trump supporter on FB with a background as MT2/SS in the U.S. Navy, 12 Bravo in the U.S. Army, where after disagreement about the support from the USA, we got into the USA’s military capacity. This because he said that the USA would not attack China because that would sink the Chinese economy.

    We agreed that the USA has a military capacity that far exceeds the combined military capacities of China, Russia, and Europe. This applies to the US Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army, respectively. China is arming itself but is nowhere near the USA. Russia is heavily strained by the war in Ukraine and is sending equipment from the fifties, if even that, to the soldiers on the front lines. But the worst situation is in Europe, where they have relied on the USA to support NATO, and with few exceptions like Poland and Finland, have let their defenses decay (rusty submarines in Germany and ships in the Danish navy that are at a standstill due to poor maintenance).

    1. Air superiority may not be absent from modern warfare when looking at the USA (1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th in the world in terms of the various branches’ air combat forces). What would have been required for the air force to prevent Putin from attempting an attack?

      The U.S. Air Force is the world’s largest air force, followed by the U.S. Army Aviation Branch. The U.S. Naval Air Forces is the fourth-largest air arm in the world and is the largest naval aviation service, while U.S. Marine Corps Aviation is the world’s seventh-largest air arm. The U.S. Navy is the world’s largest navy by tonnage.

    2. Yes, that’s true, but the problem arises when Western leaders are about to vote in their parliaments for our sons to die in wars – that’s the tricky part and what Ukraine is protecting us from.

      The weapons are there, the brigades are there, and the ammunition is there.

      After three years, how much is invested in the NATO countries in the Baltics?

      1. Is it only the West that doesn’t dare to cross red lines? It would have been easier for the leaders to send soldiers to the front if Russia had made an attack on any of the countries supporting Ukraine with material. But maybe the Russians want to avoid that?

        Has Russia emptied its regiments along the border with the Baltic states, as soldiers from regiments along the border with Finland have been sent to Ukraine? It has been reported that Russia is building up forces that are not being sent to Ukraine, where?

  7. In any peace negotiations, I would like to see a demand for Russia to release its political prisoners. Among them are seeds for a better Russia and a safer Europe.

    1. The intention is good but unfortunately I don’t think it’s possible. Putin will just respond by saying that Russia doesn’t have any political prisoners. On paper, it’s probably true as well in cases where it actually concerns political opponents who could make a difference. Russia fabricates other crimes (mostly economic) for which political opponents are then imprisoned.

      Then, of course, we have all the regular people who have been imprisoned for protesting against the war and similar things, and maybe it would be possible to get them released (if they haven’t already been sent to Ukraine).

    2. Westley Richard

      Some regime opponents were released in an exchange between Russia and the West about a year ago.

      Most of them were not particularly happy about being released and starting a new life in the West. They argued that this ruined their image of being recognized regime critics since they could not operate in Russia.

  8. A lot of preliminary skirmishes now and talk about negotiations. Many things are up in the air and suggestions are being thrown out. Contacts are made. But no substance just yet. As the Chinese say: dense clouds, no rain. Still, it’s good that the pot is being stirred. It could lead to something.

  9. Well caught johanno1, I think you are on the right track about Trump. The stomach movement willingly accepts the Moscow Empire’s narrative, and Trump is their leader so he thinks he is succeeding by attacking “the liberals” in every possible way.

    We’ll see when reality catches up.

  10. The Ukrainian defense forces pushed back the enemy from Uspenivka.
    https://deepstatemap.live/en#15/48.1994623/37.0249329

    The enemy occupied Zaporizhzhia (Donetsk region) and advanced close to Skudne and Novoocheretuvate.

    Zaporizhzhia
    https://deepstatemap.live/en#15/48.1037405/36.9894941

    Skudne
    https://deepstatemap.live/en#14/47.9107330/36.8000364

    Novoocheretuvate
    https://deepstatemap.live/en#15/47.9090448/36.8250743

    deepstatemap
    February 24, 2025 10:55 PM

  11. Peter Den Större

    What does a ceasefire or peace treaty mean other than Putin saving face and quickly building up forces for the next match?

    It feels good for a while, the pressure eases, but some illnesses require surgery.

    The Russian must be connected to a heart/lung machine, and monitored (they are used to it). When I was driving in Germany after ww2 in my youth, there were NATO troops everywhere guaranteeing that Heintz stayed put in the boat.

    The longer the war has lasted, the more tired we become and the risk increases that we will buy some suboptimal solution.

    1. Westley Richard

      To establish democracy is expensive and resource-intensive, it is not enough to get rid of the dictator and his henchmen.
      We have tried it with Saddam and Gaddafi and it was not entirely successful since we did not do the follow-up work as in Germany after WW2.

      1. Peter Den Större

        Yes, the problem after Gaddafi and Hussein became the same as it will be after Putin – there are no organizations, parties, or even political embryos to hand over power to. In states lacking democratic traditions, one must choose between new despots, military, clans, or religious fanatics.

        And here lies the core of the problem.

        To be able to fast-forward the Russians 100 years ahead to the present and peaceful coexistence, an intervention is required, like when the family barges in on Drunk Leffe and unanimously demands change. A tough effort combined with guidance.

  12. The time is 6 here and lots of fun comments – going to sneak a head start on the way to work when you have a driver and can surf the web leisurely 👍

  13. Westley Richard

    It seems like a large group of NK are apparently starving in Nikolsky in Kursk. UAs drones control the supply lines and they receive no support. It will be interesting to see if these NK give up or if they are so brainwashed that they would rather starve/freeze to death. Smaller groups have tried to make their way back to the Russian lines but they haven’t even reached halfway before drones have picked them up.

  14. The resolution in the UN was indeed a significant victory for Russia, unfortunately.

    “The UN Security Council has adopted the Ukrainian resolution drafted by the USA, calling for a swift peace without mentioning that it was Russia that attacked Ukraine. Even Russia supported the US proposal. The voting results were 10-0 with five countries, including France and the United Kingdom, abstaining from voting. The American draft mentions the sorrow over ‘the tragic loss of life in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.’ It also calls for ‘a swift end to the conflict,’ including ‘addressing its root causes.’ The latter was added at Russia’s request.”

    Why are our allies abstaining from voting??? Why not use their veto???

    https://tt.omni.se/sakerhetsradet-antar-usa-s-forslag-om-ukraina/a/KMKOMo

      1. Yes, the one in the Security Council was written by the USA and passed without any veto (yes from Russia). Several countries, including the guest players, cast their votes.

  15. Armed Forces of Europe (🇪🇺🇬🇧🇹🇷🇳🇴🇺🇦) ranks a solid second place in the world. Several countries, including those in Eastern Europe, the Nordic region, and the Baltics, are not included.

    List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies
    2025 edition of “The Military Balance” from the
    International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

    United States 968.0
    🇪🇺🇹🇷🇳🇴🇬🇧🇺🇦392.7
    China 235.0
    Russia 145.9
    🇪🇺Germany 86.0
    🇬🇧United Kingdom 81.1
    India 74.4
    Saudi Arabia 71.7
    🇪🇺France 64.0
    Japan 53.0
    South Korea 43.9
    Australia 36.4
    🇪🇺Italy 35.2
    Israel 33.7
    🇺🇦Ukraine 28.4
    🇪🇺Poland 28.4
    Canada 27.0
    Brazil 24.4
    🇪🇺Netherlands 23.6
    United Arab Emirates 22.3
    Algeria 21.4
    🇪🇺Spain 19.4
    Taiwan 18.9
    Singapore 15.2
    🇹🇷Turkey 14.3
    Iraq 12.7
    🇪🇺Sweden 12.3
    Indonesia 10.9
    Mexico 10.2
    🇳🇴Norway 9.8
    Qatar 9.7

    1. USA is inflated according to David D, they have a so-called “paper tiger” 😀

      EU is formidable when I went through it sometime – almost time to take Russia

    2. Westley Richard

      You cannot grasp how Russia has developed in recent years.

      Seeing that we are not far behind Turkey, it’s time to step up now so we can surpass them.

    3. One point to make about 205 is that I don’t think anyone today can really count on Russia what they have? All other defense forces are accounted for, but how do you account for donkeys, scooter shooting, and crutch shooting?

      A figure they have written is likely not accurate at all.

      For example, they are invaded by Ukraine much further down the list?

  16. Have you noticed that the USA and RU are in direct contact and adjusting their statements based on the reactions from the EU and UA?

    It’s a feeling but pretty sure that it’s true.

    1. Western Europe.

      Time to build a tunnel/bridge from Greenland 🇬🇱/ Kingdom of Denmark 🇩🇰/ EU 🇪🇺 to Canada 🇨🇦. And to include Canada in AFE (Armed Forces of Europe)

      ⚔️🇪🇺🇬🇧🇺🇦🇳🇴🇹🇷🇨🇦

    1. Westley Richard

      Rubio will probably soon have to leave and is likely to come up with excuses that surpass those Björn Rosengren made after his visit to the strip club.

      He is completely lost.

      1. He maintained a full press silence after Ryadh where he never mentioned the USA but only referred to Trump?

        A discreet signal perhaps that he is a little uncomfortable with this. Or maybe he’s just generally stupid.

    2. What!? Trump has actually slowed down the Democrats’ attempt at a “bipartisan” agreement on migration issues / border controls, in order to be able to push this issue in the election campaign themselves.

      Guanxi – Chinese culture – saving face. Not losing face. But what the hell Lavrov, MVodkalova, Medvedev, Russia’s UN representative, to varying degrees constantly make fools of themselves in various forums, and is there even a Russian face to save? Feels a bit unnecessary.

      1. “Kinesiska sociala relationer kännetecknas av ett ömsesidigt socialt nätverk. Ofta är sociala förpliktelser inom nätverket karaktäriserade i familjetermer. Den individuella länken inom det sociala nätverket kallas guanxi (关系/關係) och känslan inom länken kallas ganqing (感情). En viktig koncept inom kinesiska sociala relationer är begreppet ansikte, som i många andra asiatiska kulturer. Ett buddhistrelaterat begrepp är yuanfen (缘分/緣分).”

        “I sociologi syftar ansikte på en klass av beteenden och sedvänjor, associerade med moral, ära och auktoritet hos en individ (eller grupp av individer), och deras image inom sociala grupper. Ansikte är kopplat till den värdighet och prestige som en person åtnjuter i sina sociala relationer. Denna idé, med varierande nyanser, observeras i många samhällen och kulturer, inklusive kinesiska, arabiska, indonesiska, koreanska, malaysiska, laotiska, indiska, japanska, vietnamesiska, filippinska, thailändska, ryska och andra östslaviska kulturer.”
        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(sociological_concept)

      2. Chinese social relations are typified by a reciprocal social network. Often social obligations within the network are characterized in familial terms. The individual link within the social network is known by guanxi (关系/關係) and the feeling within the link is known by the term ganqing (感情). An important concept within Chinese social relations is the concept of face, as in many other Asian cultures. A Buddhist-related concept is yuanfen (缘分/緣分).

      3. Part of The Art of the Deal?

        Chinese social relations are typified by a reciprocal social network. Often social obligations within the network are characterized in familial terms. The individual link within the social network is known by guanxi (关系/關係) and the feeling within the link is known by the term ganqing (感情). An important concept within Chinese social relations is the concept of face, as in many other Asian cultures. A Buddhist-related concept is yuanfen (缘分/緣分).

        Face is linked to the dignity and prestige that a person enjoys in terms of their social relationships. This idea, with varying nuances, is observed in many societies and cultures, including Chinese, Arabic, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Laotian, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, Russian and other East Slavic cultures.

        Russian
        Russian Orthodox concept of face (лик, лицо, личина) is different from the Chinese concept of face in regards to different emphasis on sacricety and individualism, and in regards to different understanding of the opposites.[citation needed] However, both Russian and Chinese concepts of “face” are close to each other in their focus on person being, first and foremost, part of larger community. In contrast to co-existence of personal individualism with their simultaneous participation in community affairs within Western culture, individuality is much more toned-down in both Russian and Chinese cultures in favour of communality; both Russian and Chinese cultures are lacking in stark Western dichotomy of “internal” vs. “external”, and also lacking in Western focus on legal frameworks being foundation for individualism; and instead of it, in both Russian and Chinese cultures ritualism in public relations is much more highly regarded than in Western culture, where in the West ritualism is thought of to be mostly dull and empty of content.[32]
        The importance of the concept of face in Russia may be seen imprinted into amassment of proverbs and sayings, where the word лицо is used as a reference to one’s character or reputation, for instance упасть в грязь лицом (lit. ’to fall face down into mud’) meaning “to lose reputation”, двуличие (lit. ’two-facedness’ or ‘the absence of a well-defined face’) denoting a negative trait, потерять лицо, similarly to упасть в грязь лицом, but stronger, meaning to “lose reputation or social standing”, and личина meaning both “face” and at the same time “the essence”, when being used to describe a person, showing that there is high expectation of “inner self” and “outer self” of a person being in high accord with each other, looking from the framework of Russian culture.[citation needed]
        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(sociological_concept)

      4. Darth Putin
        @DarthPutinKGB
        ·
        Mar 12, 2023
        This is really triggering the trolls.

        We don’t care about being called a Mafia state, that sounds scary. What we hate is being laughed it. That scares us.
        Quote

        Darth Putin
        @DarthPutinKGB
        ·
        Mar 11, 2023
        Russia: We will invade you!!!*

        Georgia: We should join an organization that will help us if Russia invades us again…

        Russia: You are so Russophobic!! x.com/PMSimferopol/s…
        Show more
        You reposted

        Prof. Bonk 🇺🇦 Perverse & Unintended Consequences
        @ACT_FAST_
        You made me think of this old Ian Fleming (James Bond) quote: “The way to catch Russians is to make them look foolish. Embarrass them. Laugh at them. They can’t stand it.” -From Russia, with Love. 1957.

  17. Will be a good post tomorrow as well, then I’ll try to squeeze in something about UA equipment and on Friday it will be in “Swenglish” again.

    Last week and this week, about as much is happening as during a year earlier – it’s absolutely incredible.

  18. SVT: Signal leaves Sweden if the government’s proposal on data retention is approved.

    “Meredith Whittaker mentions the Chinese state actor Salt Typhoon’s attack in 2024 against several internet providers in the USA, where text messages and phone calls leaked. She argues that a Swedish backdoor would open up for the same thing.
    – There are no backdoors that only “the good guys” have access to.”

    The Swedish Armed Forces share the same view, writing to the Government that the proposed law entails “vulnerabilities and backdoors that could be exploited by third parties.”

    1. Just like with nuclear power, the closure of Cementa, the shutdown of coal power, disarmament, and all that other stuff that has proven to be absolutely terrible, maybe one should look at how this arose and who was behind it?

    1. As it looks right now, D can probably lean back and let their best campaigner Trump do all the work.

      It is noteworthy that Trump has the Supreme Court, both chambers, the presidency, and now all appointments, so he is EXACTLY pursuing the policy he intends without sabotage.

  19. There are some discussions about whether Putin has some kind of compromising material on Trump.
    What if it’s threats instead?
    “We will torment you to death during prime time a la Daesh if you don’t do as we say, as well as your family and everyone you know and their families and pets” (a bit sarcastic, but you get it).
    Threats and fear can be a good enough motivation.
    As Trump behaves almost overly energetically in favor of Russia, I have started thinking along those lines instead of compromising material.
    I could be wrong, I’m not an expert. But it’s a thought worth considering.

    1. The leaders in the West have absolutely allowed themselves to be scared by just that.
      In Sweden, for example, a group can come knocking on your door for 50,000 SEK or less, and that’s probably enough for many to at least call in sick on the day of the vote for the other offer instead of murdered children were 5 million SEK transferred to the wife’s company as a consulting fee over a year.

      The Russians could probably get to Trump, but have the organizations completely dropped the ball after the Cold War here?
      Wasn’t that exactly what they were practicing for all the time?

    2. Westley Richard

      Secret Service has over 8000 employees and a budget of over 30 billion.
      I also don’t think that Musk’s Dogecoin team is allowed to roam freely there.

  20. Reflect on this, Trump has introduced tariffs left and right which, at least in the case of Canada, makes their aluminum very expensive for the USA.
    At the same time, he wants to ease sanctions on Russia and Putin now promises to sell Russian aluminum very cheaply to the USA 🧐

    The only country apparently not subject to tariffs is Russia, and if we start putting this puzzle together, it looks a bit incriminating 🧐

    https://bsky.app/profile/johanno1.bsky.social/post/3liypznbg2s2o

    1. Trump sees it as a good deal. Why should the USA pay dearly just because Europe can’t take care of its own security?

      Don’t see Trump as an elephant with ballet skills in a china shop, see him, borrowing from the Analyst, as a rhinoceros thundering in and being really angry. And he will thunder on until he gets his way, and if he doesn’t get his way, he will, for example, buy aluminum from the Russians. Also goes into what I mentioned earlier, he doesn’t want China to plunder RU for cheap natural resources, he wants to do it himself, MAGA.

      Handle him or live with the consequences.

        1. Yes, I’m starting to see it. Much better than before, and that means that despite everything, maybe Trump’s policies are working?

          It’s about more than just the military, if the USA is not to be overtaken by China, they need to be 3-4 times better than China. Then they need to bring Europe along on the growth journey, but we seem to be more interested in turning Europe into a museum. If we’re unlucky, it will lead to driven people seeking refuge in the USA, and we here in Europe will have an even harder time keeping up…

    1. Westley Richard

      It is well known that Trump’s strategy is to fill the information flow with so much, most of which is pure crap so that the opponent loses focus.

      Are we putting too much focus on rare earth metals so that we don’t see what’s going on? Shifting focus to get what you want is an art form in itself.

  21. Westley Richard

    The statue of Peter the Great is being removed from Poltava.

    The pedestal is empty.

    Should we raise funds for a copy of the Calle Dussin statue that stands in Kungsträdgården?

      1. Exactly 👍
        However, they have had some rather peculiar articles at times together with The Economist on sensitive occasions, so I don’t want to fully endorse it just yet.

  22. Looks like there will be even lower numbers tomorrow. Only 62 reported Russian attacks at 4:00 PM. (compared to 68 in yesterday’s 4:00 PM report). The morning report stated a low 98 attacks in the last 24 hours. I estimate around 86 attacks in tomorrow’s morning report.

  23. BREAKING: Ukraina, USA reach agreement on minerals deal

    Ukraine has reached an agreement with the U.S. on a minerals deal, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and justice minister, told the Financial Times on Feb. 25.

    President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that an agreement has been reached.

      1. What does Ukraine get? No security guarantees in any case. I find it hard to see what Ukraine gains from a deal with the US, but maybe they have threatened to withdraw support in 2026? The EU, as a reliable partner that has provided more support, then gets nothing and has to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine? I actually don’t understand why right now?

        1. Westley Richard

          I don’t think it looks so bad, significantly better than a few days ago, it doesn’t affect the existing companies and 50% of the surplus should be invested in Ukraine.
          Trump got a victory to show off and relations with Zelensky surely thawed.
          No security guarantees but significant American investments should mean that it is in the interest of the USA to defend these regardless of agreements.

        2. Westley Richard

          I think the agreement is completely messed up…, much better is Trump’s counteroffer.

          Trump can show something to his supporters, the ice between Trump and Zelensky is broken. 50% of the surplus is reinvested in Ukraine.

          It could have been better but also worse, but it was Zelensky who played the card.

    1. Westley Richard

      Read the comment from Richard Smith, who is Deputy Head for Marketing and Sales at SAAB.

      Normally I do not comment on this type of post – however – This post and information within are not accurate and not true. It is misleading the reader.

      All the relevant licenses and permissions are in place.

      Gripen E, logistics & industry package are the perfect fit for 🇨🇴

      1. Yes, then one would remove the post because it seems like fake news.

        But when it comes to the engine and this one is dependent on the USA, we have seen during the war that the USA has blocked when the weapon contains American components.

        1. Westley Richard

          If all fake news were removed from X, it would shrink to a negative number of posts.

          At the same time, if everything were verified, our discussions would die out.

  24. Taiwan’s coastguard said it caught a Chinese-owned freighter in the act of cutting a subsea communications cable off its western coast.

    The case is the latest in a series of incidents in recent months of subsea cables being severed, apparently involving Chinese or Russian-owned freighters, including in the Baltic Sea.

    on.ft.com/4bol38U

  25. Wake up and check the phone. I see that Pete Hegseth has been asked which country started the war in Ukraine. He answered that “the question was complicated.” I have now completely given up hope on the Trump administration. It’s sad.

    1. Has he realized that the only way forward to survive is to support Ukraine?

      The only thing missing was to kick out the Russians and zero about ceasefire or something – now it’s continued war that applies😀✊

      1. Oops, oh dear!

        President Trump may have read the report from West Point Academy:

        Negotiate from a position of strength.

        “With the appropriate support, Ukraine still has the opportunity to achieve a decisive victory. For too long, Ukraine’s supporters have provided enough for Ukraine to survive but not enough for it to win.”

        NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY: HOW TO NEGOTIATE FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH TO END THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR
        Robert G. Rose | 02.25.25
        https://t.co/KKV8lgRN4R

      2. Oops, my goodness!

        President Trump may have read the report from West Point Academy:

        Negotiate from a position of strength.

        “With the appropriate support, Ukraine still has the opportunity to achieve a decisive victory. For too long, Ukraine’s supporters have provided enough for Ukraine to survive but not enough for it to win.”

        NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY: HOW TO NEGOTIATE FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH TO END THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR
        Robert G. Rose | 02.25.25

        https://t.co/KKV8lgRN4R

      3. Trump may have read
        Negotiate from a position of strength.

        With the appropriate support, Ukraine still has the opportunity to achieve a decisive victory. For too long, Ukraine’s supporters have provided enough for Ukraine to survive but not enough for it to win.

        mwi.westpoint.edu / no-substitute-for-victory-how-to-negotiate-from-a-position-of-strength-to-end-the-russo-ukraine-war

    2. One could interpret it as nothing has happened other than that he will not demand the money back that they have already given (which, in fact, was not $350 billion). That is, if it were not for the help of the USA, the war would have been over, and Russia would have won.

    3. Link to the video that links to x. No clear description of what the clip is about. May I suggest a brief summary and a link to the original source directly in the post? Regards, complainer 😉

  26. Oops, dear me!

    President Trump may have read the report from West Point Academy:

    Negotiate from a position of strength.

    “With the appropriate support, Ukraine still has the opportunity to achieve a decisive victory. For too long, Ukraine’s supporters have provided enough for Ukraine to survive but not enough for it to win.”

    NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY: HOW TO NEGOTIATE FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH TO END THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR
    Robert G. Rose | 02.25.25
    https://t.co/KKV8lgRN4R

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