What are defining by ‘universal’ though? Universal across ALL humans? Well clearly no because there are tribes which have isolated traditions and beliefs surrounding particular things that we find revolting.

Even if there was something that EVERY group of humans found reprehensible, there are still going to be individuals that will do it.

I find it hard to believe that they will be receiving anyone larger than a glorified PT boat. Certainly nothing larger than a frigate.

Of which there are plenty of that class up and down the Danube.

There are other ways into the Black Sea…

Edit: rather than just downvoting, why not consider that the Danube exists and is plenty of patrol boats/frigates based up and down it by Ukraine friendly nations.

Have you been paying attention in the past 5 years?

This isn’t necessarily a message to transgender people as individuals, but more a message to their followers that they cannot use their religion as an excuse for their bigotry and ignorant hatred.

Just because it may not make a difference overnight it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a step in the right direction.

Awww how sad.

Whilst the arrival of F16 and Grippen will help, it isn’t going to be some magic bullet wonder system that will win the war for Ukraine.

They have been rocking HIMARS for about a year at this point, Lepoards, Challenger2, Bradley, Patriot, Gepard, Excalibur etc from their allies. Not to mention the home grown/home developed systems that have achieved parity and even arguably surpassed the Russian Naval impact from the Black Sea. And yet they’re still at the point where they’re pretty much at an attritional grind. Russia has done well to adapt to much of these systems and tactics, using the last winter as an example of where they shifted focus from trying to gain ground to simply holding what they have (a-la Germany following the strategic failure of Op Michael).

I will steadfastly support Ukraine and strongly believe that Russia absolutely needs to be stopped and shown that their Imperial actions cannot be allowed. But we also need to be realistic and realise this isn’t as easy as we want it to be. That Russia aren’t the complete drooling fools that we want to believe them to be.

The autumn in Ukraine this year has been unusually dry from the reports that I’ve heard, so it depends entirely on whether that continues through to and throughout the winter.

This is something that I’ve been thinking about and came to the realisation of the last couple of months.

And this is exactly what Russia’s objective was after the disaster of last year. Politically and strategically is the best they can hope for. Drag it out and Ukraine’s allies and the world will get tired and stop caring. They’ll stop supplying weapons, and sanctions will soften, maybe even start leaning towards supporting or feeling sorry for Russia. Something that were already seeing with Slovakia cutting all aid to Ukraine and taking a ‘war is bad, negotiate peace’ stance that is a blatant and thinly veiled Russian supportive line. Which is funny since their new govt is Russia leaning.

US are also starting to waver recently with the whole House Speaker débâcle. And Poland/Ukraine relations are a little frosty at the minute too.

That’s before you even talk about the Russian strikes on the Ukrainian/Romanian border that are being almost ignored in relation to their severity. Or the Russian mining of the Black Sea. Or Russian missiles flying paths over Maldova on their way to Ukraine. It’s a piss take. And only a matter of time unless the world pulls its finger out.

It says they wanted to protect the unborn baby. Not the born one.

Duh.

It’s about time. The ‘Right’ has been well ahead of the game in the way they’ve been able to weaponise social media for a long time.

Don’t be disengenuous. It’s more than that and you know it.

It isn’t mutually exclusive.

Israel has been terrorising Palestinians and HAMAS has also be terrorising Israelis.

What are you talking about?

Both can be true. That Israel has been terrorising Palestinians, and that HAMAS is terrorising Israel.

I’m of the opinion that COVID is no longer news worthy beyond the minority it impacts. No different to the flu or various other low risk (to the vast majority) common community transmitted illnesses. It just is now. We don’t get news articles written and publicised at this level for a new flu variant or vaccine, so I don’t see the point for COVID.

Edit: some good discussion in the responses to this. But also some utterly dog shit ad hominem and trying to put words in my mouth. If only they bothered to actually read what I wrote.