Geo Political Risk

[fish]

This from news reports ..Forbes..

It’s not for no reason that the Kremlin has been paying the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian mercenary firm, to round out depleted army formations and even pilot air force planes.
On Sunday, Ukrainian air-defense troops in eastern Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-25 attack jet. The BBC confirmed the man who died behind the Su-25’s controls was Kanamat Botashev.
The 63-year-old Botashev was retired. He left the Russian air force as a general back in 2012 after “borrowing” an Su-27 fighter—a type he was not qualified to fly—and crashing it after a brief, acrobatic joyride. Following his retirement, Botashev reportedly signed on with Wagner, which hired him out to the air force.

Shows how desperate Putin must be to get pilots to fight his war .
Macron has just had a long 80 minute phone call to Putin .
I am hoping Putin will understand he has lost and soon if no ceasefire and some withdrawal the Russians will have to face a fully armed Ukraine

[Davexl]

Shows how desperate Putin must be to get pilots to fight his war .
Macron has just had a long 80 minute phone call to Putin .
I am hoping Putin will understand he has lost and soon if no ceasefire and some withdrawal the Russians will have to face a fully armed Ukraine

Maybe, but not before Russia has consolidated their gains in the Donbas and made sure Crimea is locked in longer term for negotiating purposes.
Also will be interesting to see how useful the full complement of western long range arms are,
(howitzers and anti-air weapons) when they arrive and are put to use.
Might be some heightened negotiation attemps by Russia in between now and Western arms full deployment...
Henry Kissinger recently commented that Ukraine will have to give up Crimea and the Donbas probably for peace also.

[fish]

Maybe, but not before Russia has consolidated their gains in the Donbas and made sure Crimea is locked in longer term for negotiating purposes.
Also will be interesting to see how useful the full complement of western long range arms are,
(howitzers and anti-air weapons) when they arrive and are put to use.
Might be some heightened negotiation attemps by Russia in between now and Western arms full deployment...
Henry Kissinger recently commented that Ukraine will have to give up Crimea and the Donbas probably for peace also.

Quite likely-if only to satisfy Putin
I wish the people of these regions were allowed a free and fair vote to decide themselves-supervised by UN

[Davexl]

How to Break Russia’s Blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea Ports

James Stavridis

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...uthor_15333522

[Waltzing]

Its the good old days all over the again, 1600's.

If china put naval bases in the south pacific NZ sea lanes are cut off.

where is NZ silent electric costal submarine fleet to protect economic zone.

Or stand off mobile missile systems.

[Davexl]

Where the fxxxing hell is Mahuta (should be off her fat arse and on the plane to the Pacific),
and why is she not responding to interview requests ?

Nanaia Mahuta under pressure as Pacific's 'Great Game' heats up

Geoffrey Miller

https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/1287...-game-heats-up

[beetills]

No need to worry we are going to make China pay double for carbon credits.We got this.

[Davexl]

Its the good old days all over the again, 1600's.

If china put naval bases in the south pacific NZ sea lanes are cut off.

where is NZ silent electric costal submarine fleet to protect economic zone.

Or stand off mobile missile systems.

Don't forget the "Loyal Wingman" drones for the P8s or even better the autonomous drone swarms being developed at $2m a piece (est production volume cost) being managed by AI.

Rodney Jones (yesterdays Q&A, TV1) alluding to drones and standoff missiles being needed as the 'Primary' component of NZ foreign policy, with 'Diplomacy' as secondary from now on also with China...Time for NZ to rapidly up its Defence posture and expenditure as Australia has been doing the last decade or so. War could well be coming and we could well be caught napping and utterly exposed...

Don't forget the country sovereign risk being reflected in the markets, eventually, of course - unless NZ ups defence spending and rejoins ANZUS for market reassurance...

[Waltzing]

Even EX defence staff in wellington occupying management positions in government were last year completely oblivious to any need for a change in NZ defence thinking.

NZ has never been an ARM up country and defence staff see themselves as being protected by our allies..

AI is not really AI but just machine learning with stuff in chips for faster ID processing and maths.

Finland is fully bunkered and i bet most KIWI's had no idea that all those under ground parking lots were really bomb shelters..

[777]

[QUOTE=Davexl;959992]Where the fxxxing hell is Mahuta (should be off her fat arse and on the plane to the Pacific),
and why is she not responding to interview requests ?

Nanaia Mahuta under pressure as Pacific's 'Great Game' heats up

Geoffrey Miller


Probably looking over the contract that China prepared for NZ.