Russia and Ukraine

[Leonardo17]

It's a good thing the bill was passed. Not that it is coming from a country that is key to Ukraine even winning, as The Grand Nudger said something along the lines of, but it is good that it has been passed nonetheless, as it will help Ukraine.

My readings indicate that if Ukraine can mass air defense around their planned expansions of defense plants being built, more air-defense will help them better able to help themselves. More Patriots, that'll do it. That would be an investment and not a sunk cost

Also, by releasing more ATACMs, we help them extend the range of threat to surface targets, helping to interdict logistics. And of course $61B could see American F-16s being refurbished and sent over, on top of those donated by the Danes and others, which helps both aims -- long-range interdiction and surface-attack both.

ATACMS are a very important step. Why?
 
In the beginning of the conflict no one wanted to give advanced tanks (Because Russia could use nuclear weapons if someone gave advanced tanks). Then nobody was able to advanced artillery and other advanced systems like the Himars (Because Russia threatened to use tactical nukes in retaliation). Then nobody was able to give advanced fighters to Ukraine (Because could escalate the conflict further if that happened).
 
Recently, Germans were too scared to give their Taurus missiles (and the UK their storm shadows) to Ukraine. I don’t know about ATAMC but the Taurus is something that can hit Iranian subterranean nuclear facilities if it wants to. So this is a huge step as well.
 
So the next logical step is to either adapt Ukrainian artillery to readily available western artillery shells. The rate of artillery cannot be 5 to 1 or 10 to 1. Russia can afford to waste its soldiers indefinitely. Ukraine can’t.
 
The final step than is air superiority. They are talking about 20-30 F-16’s. I think that number should be in the 300’s so the Russian cannot use their glide bombs.
 
Ukrainians are not Syrians. The conflict could end very quickly if it can’t replenish its ranks.

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On S-300’s: Here they are trying to activate S-400’s in the south-East of the country, allegedly against PKK drones but more probably against Iranian ballistic missiles. Washington is still not letting us. We are probably about to get kicked out of NATO because them.
 
These are very advanced systems against airplanes and ballistic missiles. But patriots seen to be better against cheap drones etc. The Israelis had no problem striking Istafan despite the presence of S-300’s. This is probably also why the Greeks got rid of them by simply donating them to Ukraine.