1/9 It's important for Americans to realize that European support for Ukraine is often conducted in a secretive manner. Analysis by @joni_askola
2/9 Many refer to stats from the Kiel Institute to determine which country has provided the most assistance to Ukraine. However, this approach has limitations, as Kiel's methodology relies on announcements, and numerous European countries do not publicly disclose all their aid.
3/9 For months, there was widespread belief that France had provided less than 1 billion euros in military aid. However, the French Senate eventually acknowledged that they had actually already allocated nearly 4 billion euros in aid.
4/9 For instance, Finland does not publicly disclose its contributions and only includes the value of equipment that needs replacement. This makes it difficult to ascertain the actual extent of Finland's assistance.
5/9 Numerous other examples exist, including Bulgaria, which is recognized for providing and selling a significantly greater amount of equipment to Ukraine than what is officially reported.
6/9 It's also important to note that even based on official statistics, many European countries contribute a larger share of their GDP and defense budget to Ukraine than the US.
7/9 Comparing donations becomes challenging due to the varying methodologies and levels of transparency employed by each country. As highlighted by @ColbyBadhwar, Germany is likely the sole European country to approach a level of transparency comparable to that of the US.
8/9 In recent months, Europe has significantly increased its support. One positive outcome of Johnson's prolonged blocking and delay of Ukraine aid is that it compelled Europe to respond and ultimately enhance its assistance.
9/9 This doesn't imply that Europe has sufficiently increased its efforts. There is still much more that can be accomplished. However, it's important to recognize that Europe is actively engaged in a significantly greater level of support than many American analysts may realize.
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There is now a lot of discussion about the arrest of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov on charges of bribery. This is the second person in the ministry after Shoigu. No matter how funny it may sound for Russia, yes. Precisely for bribes. But
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the detention of Timur Ivanov is a strong blow to Shoigu. Apparently, Shoigu himself did not know about the upcoming arrest, because the day before he held a meeting where Ivanov also took part. It was Shoigu who brought Ivanov to the ministry and covered for him more than
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once in previous cases. Ivanov’s arrest is in no way a fight against corruption - in Russia everyone steals as much as they can. In the Russian system, each official has a separate folder in the FSB, and when a signal comes from above that a person needs to be processed,
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1/5 The latest aid package from the UK includes Paveway IV laser-guided bombs. Update by @joni_askola
2/5 The UK recently announced its most substantial military support package to date, which comes at a crucial time as Ukraine is confronting a challenging situation in the east. Included in the package are Paveway IV laser-guided bombs, among various other valuable items.
3/5 These bombs are crucial as russia holds a significant advantage in bombs at the front. Glide bombs, a major success for russia's defense industry in this war, have been a decisive factor during the last few months.
1/6 Will Germany supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine now that the US is sending 300 km range ATACMS missiles? Quick update by @joni_askola
2/6 The approval of US aid for Ukraine has passed Congress, and the initial deliveries are expected to reach Ukraine within a matter of days.
3/6 This assistance package will now incorporate the 300 km range variant of ATACMS. Previously, the US had only dispatched a limited number of ATACMS M39 missiles, which possess a significantly shorter range.
1/9 Exposing the false russian claim that aid to Ukraine fails to reach the front lines due to corruption: debunking by @joni_askola
2/9 One of the most prevalent russian propaganda narratives is the suggestion that aid sent to Ukraine is misappropriated by the country's leadership.
3/9 It's rather ironic and paradoxical for russia to claim this, as it implies that Ukraine successfully repelled russian invasions without external assistance.
1/7 What russia is doing in Ukraine constitutes a genocide. It's time to acknowledge this reality and take action. Take by @joni_askola
2/7 Complex concepts like genocide and war crimes are often conflated by people. It's important to note that a genocide can occur without involving any direct killings.
3/7 In 1948, the United Nations Genocide Convention defined genocide as any of five acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. These 5 acts are defined in 4/7:
The death of American citizen Russell “Texas” Bentley, who changed his passport to a Russian one and moved to the Donetsk region 10 years ago, is very ironic. He was killed by those whom he considered his friends and called Comrades. Soldiers of the 5th Tank Battalion, whose
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original location was in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia. They considered him a spy, kidnapped, tortured and killed. This happened in the Donetsk region. But the fate of “Texas” is not at all an isolated case of one’s own eliminating one’s own, although it is interesting because we are
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talking about an American citizen. Since the Russian army is simply an army of killers and looters, this is the end met by many who signed up to cooperate with this mafia. This year marks ten years since the start of the war in Ukraine, when Russia occupied Crimea and
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