cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22907187

Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died and 370,000 have been injured since Russia’s invasion began, marking a rare admission of the conflict’s toll.

He also claimed 198,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, though casualty figures from both sides remain unverified.

The update comes amid heightened fighting, with Russia suffering record monthly casualties in November.

Talks with French President Macron and U.S. Trump focused on a potential peace deal, with Zelensky emphasizing the need for international guarantees to secure lasting peace against Russian aggression.

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Nah it’s more like they are trying to step on our toes, while we are punching them in the face.
      Europe as a whole is spending less than 1% of GDP to support Ukraine, and Russia is beginning to collapse, while Europe barely feel anything.
      I really feel with Ukraine, but Europe is fine.

    • Viri4thus
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      4 days ago

      If more people defaulted to always ask “qui bono” when these things happen, manufacturing consent would be much harder.

      Russian economy is in shambles, Ukraine itself is in shambles, the EU is in shambles. Meanwhile, the US averted a gigantic crash when the insane investments in fracking would yield 0 returns plunging the entire economy in a recessive spiral. Luckily, somehow, the price of US fracked gas is now competitive in Europe, and the biggest EU hawks for war, Poland, just so happened to have the most convenient LPG terminal in the north right on time to transit US gas into Europe. I just wish the yanks and the orks would commit to fight in alaska amongst themselves and leave the rest of the world in peace. Grow a pair, fight elsewhere.

      • redfellow@sopuli.xyz
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        4 days ago

        I’m Finnish and haven’t seen this “EU in the shambles” you speak of. It’s as if you are repeating some silly propaganda.

                • Viri4thus
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                  3 days ago

                  Of course you default to ad hominem.

                  I can simplify the reasoning, maybe it helps. I should be more inclusive in my writing, it was a bit ableist.

                  Growth is stumbling because, within a range, lack of competitive energy prices, decrease in industrial output, inflationary pressure and of course, diversion of money from investment and stability into a proxy war effort. That has lead to instability in the heart of the EU, the two countries that usually represent the leadership of the bloc, France and Germany. This has left the cohesion of the EU severely limited with foreign actors adding to the instability. Denmark, the baltics and Poland are basically running interference for the US (and profiting from that), Hungary, Slovakia and Austria are running interference for Russia (and profiting from that) and the rest of the countries have yet to show a unified vision that transpires from a lack of leadership. To make matters worse, Macron continued veto of the iberian pipeline junction up to Germany has created friction at the core of Europe. (That’s before even mentioning the findings of the Ombudsman on transparency and lack of accountability)

                  Now, of course you’re going to not even read a line of the comment because you’re likely interested in black and white stories. Sadly, the EU is in shambles and the discussions we should be having to restructure and increase competitiveness are not happening because we’re too busy trying to breathe with Russian and US boots stomping on our neck.

                  • redfellow@sopuli.xyz
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                    3 days ago

                    This is what I replied to, pre-edit:

                    Moving the goalposts won’t work. You said shambles and there is nothing supporting your false statement.

                    As for your edit, you are attemping still to justify using a completely faulty statement by regurgitating things that prove other statements, ironically, absent in the post that kicked off people calling you out.

                    Total disorder in the EU is not a fact.

      • wandermind@sopuli.xyz
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        4 days ago

        If the US is behind all of this, why does Putin keep playing straight into the US hands and destroying Russia?

        • Viri4thus
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          4 days ago

          I thought Putin got to choose the President of the US… Twice. It does make one wonder why he didn’t large scale invade after spending so much money to get the cheeto and Moscow Mitch to have so much power? 🤔

          He chose precisely when NATO was rebounding from the cheeto and the biggest pro Ukraine executive (Ah Vikkie Nuland) was in power. Sounds perfectly reasonable and makes much more sense than what Mearsheimer or Sachs or Sakwa, ya know, people who actually know their shit, have been warning about for more than a decade…

          Chomsky spent a lifetime trying to educate people, it’s sad he failed so resoundingly.

          • wandermind@sopuli.xyz
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            3 days ago

            I’m sorry but I actually have no idea what you are trying to insinuate under all of those layers of sarcasm. Why does Putin keep at it if he fell into a US trap?

      • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        and the biggest EU hawks for war, Poland

        Yup, definitely their gas terminal and not their geographical proximity to Russia, a nation that has repeatedly subjugated them. Get a fucking grip.

        • Viri4thus
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          4 days ago

          So conflicts from almost a century ago are game. That’s cool. Where shall we start? Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, and of course, la piéce de resistance, Chile. So, by that logic, Mexico should enter a military alliance with Russia or China. I wonder if that Monroe doctrine would shine in that case.

          • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba

            Of those, American troops only invaded Panama.

            Meanwhile, Russian troops invaded not only Poland but Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia…

          • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            First off, Poland was a client state of Russia in living memory. Secondly, as an independent nation, it would be Mexico’s right to enter into a defensive alliance with whomever they want. Thankfully Russia is a piss-poor ally (see Armenia, Syria), so I don’t see that becoming an issue any time soon. Maybe China, one day.

            • Viri4thus
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              4 days ago

              Funny, I remember the Chilean coup 🤔 Meanwhile we’re all looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq… And just yesterday the government of Syria was toppled.

              • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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                4 days ago

                The Iraq war was illegal and Nixon was a shit head who deserved to rot in prison for a myriad of reasons, his support of the Chilean coup included. If you want to go to bat for a piece of shit war criminal like Assad be my guest.