In an interview with The Economist on May 24th, he called on nato allies supplying weapons to Ukraine to end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. Mr Stoltenberg’s clear, if unnamed, target was the policy maintained by Joe Biden, America’s president, of controlling what Ukraine can and cannot attack with American-supplied systems.
The Economist
Well, ruz has been asking for it, especially with what putin's doing to Kharkiv.
The rumours about ruz 'craft heading to bielorussia (based on Flightradar) were true. putin shouldn't take photos with lukashenka (who is huge) - he looks tiny next to him. Or maybe the photographers don't bother about angles any more. Surprise guest janukovich (UKR president who fled the country, Maidan protests) is also there, with lavrov and MoD new head belousov.
Analysts think putin hopes to sell the 'situation' at home as a victory (over NATO), provided he can keep the territories he has occupied up to now.
Rumours that the 'rotation' in ruz MoD is preparation for blaming the army for the fiasko looming on the horizon. Well, maybe not quite on the horizon yet, but.
And, of course, putin is yelping about Zelenskyi's 'legitimacy' - of course he knows the UKR constitution does not allow elections during war (which is why janukovich's plane was in bieloruz, him not shown in person, to indicate putin still wants to uproot Zelenskyi). UKR parliament extended the martial law for 90 days on May 8.
ruz T-90 tanks have appeared in mil videos, one was even tugged away by UKR this night - indicating better units in action, without corresponding success. Thank God and UKR army.
US Excalibur 155 mm, JDAM-ER, M30/M31 and GLSDB have been jammable by ruz, development needed and in progress.
Hikvision (Chinese surveillance cameras) has quietly left ruz market, rumours.
Edited: things must be serious, Orban's squealing out:
Viktor Orbán does not want his country to take part in operations outside the military alliance’s territory
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he was seeking to “redefine” the terms of Nato membership due to his long-standing opposition to aiding Ukraine against Russia’s war.
“Our lawyers and officers are working [to define] how Hungary can exist as a Nato member without taking part in Nato operations outside Nato territory,” Orbán told national radio on Friday.
The Hungarian leader has refused to send military aid to Kyiv and has repeatedly delayed EU sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He is also adamantly opposed to Nato training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine.
“There have not been many situations in the history of Nato when a member state would stick to the basic idea of Nato as openly and clearly as Hungary does now, and therefore . . . its position within the military alliance would have to be redefined,” Orbán said.
His position is that Ukrainian forces cannot win on the battlefield, that the west should avoid a conflict with Russia by any means and that Kyiv should agree to an immediate ceasefire. The US has said a ceasefire now would amount to capitulation.
actually, what an idea (nothing new with him, of course) - "a Nato member without taking part in Nato operations outside Nato territory". So, hoping ruz won't come to NATO territory, or would his troops go against ruz then? But of course, he does
not want to leave and give up all the nice cakes, just have all the benefits from both sides.