Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.

Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.

The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Congress.

  • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    If we could harness the energy of Regan spinning in his grave, we’d have a limitless supply of energy.
    Imagine telling any conservative, during the Cold War era, that we could completely fuck Russia’s military power and readiness, for years to come, by sending weapons to a relatively small country. They would be rushing to arm anyone and everyone they could, unintended consequences be damned. And yet, here we are with the GOP blocking exactly that sort of activity. And even better, there is a very real possibility that we aren’t arming future terrorists this time around. Maybe that’s the GOP’s problem, Russia losing in Ukraine won’t create an excuse in 20 years to kill more brown people.

    • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If we could harness the energy of Regan spinning in his grave, we’d have a limitless supply of energy.

      I had always thought the same thing about Nixon, after he sees what Trump gets away with.

      • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Ya, it’s pretty bad when you can look at Nixon as a “stand up guy” compared to Trump. He at least had the decency to recognize that he had been caught in his bullshit, resign and go away.

        • banneryear1868@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Nixon is really interesting as a president it’s kind of a shame how he’s only remembered for Watergate and the drug war now. Most people don’t think “created the EPA” or “desegregation” when they picture Nixon, he also ended the Viet Nam war and draft. Definitely a complex person above a lot of other presidents, poor Quaker upbringing and looked down on by his elite classmates, could have rejected the draft on his Quakerism but became a lieutenant commander, insanely respected as he rose through the ranks and commended by almost everyone he worked with. Did terrible things with Kissinger in South America as a staunch anti-communist. It’s like every stark judgement on him has some extreme counter example. The guy basically was the USA at an insane time in history, definitely a man who fully embodied that period of history.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      They don’t want to hurt the feelings of anyone they made friends with on their last 4th of July holiday in Moscow

    • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      In the world of politics you never give something for free. The Republicans are asking for more stringent border security and more border funding. If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready. The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

      • SwampYankee@mander.xyz
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        11 months ago

        The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

        You could build an IMAX theater with all that projection.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Border security wouldn’t stop migrant workers. The whole “invasion of the border” thing is never talking about those people, as was proven by farmers lamenting their absence in Florida.

        • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          I wasn’t referencing migrant workers with work visas, I was referencing all the people entering illegally. Of course farm owners are upset, their source of cheap labor dried up.

          • dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            You know what would actually put a dent in illegal immigration? Fixing their country that we broke. They come here because being undocumented and working under the table with potentially dangerous conditions is better than their home country. Maybe we shouldn’t have destabilized so many democracies in South America.

            • webadict@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              If you expect us to take responsibility for our actions, then we’d have to have real solutions, and it’s just easier to complain about things, plus we’d have to arrest a looooooot of war criminals.

      • IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Bad news, Sparky: some of us actually lived through all the decades that conservatives imported exploitable brown people to boost profits. The shit you gargle from talk radio shows does not trump our lived experience.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Bullshit. You pass a law because it’s the right thing to help the country not because you got something for it.

      • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        11 months ago

        Or the Dems know that letting the GOP get their shitty ideas through just because Dems want something isn’t a good idea and are going to try to do it without the traitors’ party’s help

      • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready.

        They have been, some substantial compromises actually. The Republicans still wanting more, in a non-compromising sort of way.

        Personally I’m hoping the FBI actually does checks on everyone in Congress, to make sure they’re not being compromised to vote in certain ways that certain countries wants.

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        George W. Bush set the precedent that The US does not negotiate with terrorists. Even when those terrorists are in Congress. They should stop setting precedents they don’t really mean.

      • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Or is it that the Democrats understand the rhetorical danger of equating an actual war in Europe involving a major nuclear power, with the ego driven pet project of a fascist demagogue?

      • Furbag@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Oh yes, more money to fix the perpetual, nebulously defined “border problem”.

        Sometimes compromise is not the solution. This is one of those times. I’m tired of Republican fearmongers getting rich off my tax dollars by funneling it into the border security slush fund.