In spite of the melodrama about the inditement of Trump, news marches on; Turkey approving Finland for NATO, and critical systems lost by Russia
Much as the Khazaks gave the middle Finger to Russia by taking over the Russian space programs launching facility , two new events transpired
quote
Turkey approved Finland's bid to become a member of NATO, clearing the block that had delayed it joining the alliance and creating a nightmare scenario for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Finland's efforts to join NATO, motivated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had been delayed as Turkey held out on approving its membership.
On Thursday, Turkey's parliament approved a bill that allows Finland to join, becoming the last member of the alliance to do so.?
end of quote
Even if Russia occupied Kyiv, the damage to Russia geo politically cannot be fixed,
Secondly ,
quote
Ukraine's special operations forces recently published footage showing a Russian Zoopark-1M counter-battery radar being destroyed, according to a Friday?intelligence update?from Britain's defense ministry. It said the footage was released on March 23 and that the attack unfolded in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.?
Several Ukrainian media outlets?reported?last week that Russian Zoopark counter-battery radar systems had been?taken out?in combat by Kyiv's special operations forces.?
Britain's defense ministry said both Ukraine and Russia have been constantly trying to eliminate each other's counter-battery radars throughout the 13-month-long war.
"These systems are relatively few in number but are a significant force multiplier," the ministry noted in its update. "They allow commanders to rapidly locate and strike enemy artillery."
"However, because they have an active electromagnetic signature, they are vulnerable to being detected and destroyed," the defense ministry said. It added that Russian forces have lost at least six of these systems and "likely only has a very limited number left in Ukraine."
end of quote
I do not underestimate the AMERICAN importance of a Trump trial,. However, in the context of geo politics, these two events, while less thrilling to some on lookers as to a Mugshot of Donald Trump really do need to be paid attention to as to the global balance and its import.
Long after Donald Trump is no longer an active contender for the White House in 2024, we really do need to remind, as an example the American audience, as to not personalize history to such a degree that truly game changing dynamics as an example, Finland being a NATO member bring. If or not Trump goes to jail will not in terms of import hold a candle as to the stellar long term impact of the Finnish addition of 800 miles of NATO territory facing the Russian Federation
quote
Finland cleared its final hurdle to joining NATO, bringing a geopolitical nightmare for Putin close to reality
Sinéad Baker?Mar 31, 2023, 6:03 AM
Turkey approved Finland's bid to become a member of NATO, clearing the block that had delayed it joining the alliance and creating a nightmare scenario for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Finland's efforts to join NATO, motivated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, had been delayed as Turkey held out on approving its membership.
On Thursday, Turkey's parliament approved a bill that allows Finland to join, becoming the last member of the alliance to do so.?
Outside countries need the support of existing members of NATO in order to join, which Finland now has.
Only formalities remain before Finland becomes a member, including document signing,?The Associated Press reported.
NATO expanding is a strategic disaster for Putin, who sees the alliance as Russia's greatest threat.
He tried to justify his invasion of Ukraine by saying that he needed to prevent NATO getting bigger and closer to Russia's borders.
But the invasion caused Finland to abandon its long policy of neutrality. Public support for membership soared, and both Finland and its neighbor Sweden sought membership in May 2022.
领英推荐
Finland has more than 800 miles of land border with Russia. It joining NATO would?more than double the length of the border between NATO countries and Russia, taking it from around 750 miles to around 1,600.
Russia threatened Finland and Sweden last year for trying to join, saying Russia would retaliate if they became members. Its statements became more measured over time, but Russia's ambassador to Sweden?said this month?that the two countries will become a "legitimate target" upon joining.
Most NATO members quickly approved Finland and Sweden's requests to join, but Turkey delayed the process by months, declining to support either country.
Turkey's president had accused Finland and Sweden of supporting groups that Turkey sees as terrorists.?
He said earlier this month?that Finland had taken "authentic and concrete steps" to address his grievances, and that he now supported Finland joining.
Turkey has not yet approved Sweden's bid.
emd of quote
also
quote
Russia has lost hard-to-replace systems that help its forces find and destroy Ukrainian artillery, and Western intel says there aren't many left
Jake Epstein?Mar 31, 2023, 4:31 PM
For you: Insider Today newsletter — the day's most fascinating stories.
Email address
By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our?Terms of Service?and?Privacy Policy.
Russia appears to have lost at least half a dozen hard-to-replace radar systems that have played an important role in Ukraine helping its forces find and destroy Ukrainian artillery. Western intelligence believes Moscow may only have a few left in the fight.?
Ukraine's special operations forces recently published footage showing a Russian Zoopark-1M counter-battery radar being destroyed, according to a Friday?intelligence update?from Britain's defense ministry. It said the footage was released on March 23 and that the attack unfolded in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.?
Several Ukrainian media outlets?reported?last week that Russian Zoopark counter-battery radar systems had been?taken out?in combat by Kyiv's special operations forces.?
Britain's defense ministry said both Ukraine and Russia have been constantly trying to eliminate each other's counter-battery radars throughout the 13-month-long war.
"These systems are relatively few in number but are a significant force multiplier," the ministry noted in its update. "They allow commanders to rapidly locate and strike enemy artillery."
"However, because they have an active electromagnetic signature, they are vulnerable to being detected and destroyed," the defense ministry said. It added that Russian forces have lost at least six of these systems and "likely only has a very limited number left in Ukraine."
Both Ukraine and Russia are prioritizing the restoration of their counter-battery radar fleets, the UK said, though it noted that Russia will "likely struggle" to do so because sweeping sanctions targeting Russia by the international community have disrupted its supply of advanced electronics needed to work the systems.?
The Zoopark systems allow Russia to detect incoming Ukrainian munitions and track their trajectory.
In a grinding war that has featured heavy exchanges of artillery, systems like these are critical to have in the arsenal. According to an open-source intelligence?analysis?from Oryx, Russia has seen at least seven Zoopark-1М radars destroyed, damaged, or captured — a similar figure to what the UK has provided.??
During Ukraine's lightening-fast counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Kyiv's military?confirmed?that it captured a Zoopark-1М "as a trophy" during what became a rout of Russian forces in the area. Britain's defense ministry?said?at the time that the Zoopark was just one captured item in a massive amount of "high-value equipment"?abandoned?by Russian forces.??
end of quote
Andrew Beckwith, PhD
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/03/31/trump-arraignment-secret-service/ While I get a thrill out of this as a confirmed Trump hater, and I am one, it still will not rate a second compared to the Finnish NATO joining. This is where the danger lies. In the mist of all the US personalized politics, about the trial of Trump, as an example, the sheer mendacity of the tendency to personalize ones hates of public figures (especially Trump) is no substitute for a clear eyed view of what is really going on. As an example, if an American going abroad wants to lose his/her way and bore the audience to death, then go micro manage about Trump Sincerely put, if there ever was a danger of inward focusing at the expense of what people really have to worry about , this is it.