Lessons From the U.S. Civil War Show Why Ukraine Can't Win
Opinion of MICHAEL GFOELLER AND DAVID H. RUNDELL for The Newsweek

During the early years of America's Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sought a limited conflict against people he still regarded as fellow countrymen and with whom he sought reconciliation. Only after three years of stalemate did he turn to "Unconditional Surrender Grant," who in turn unleashed General William Tecumseh Sherman to "make Georgia howl" and help bring the war to its decisively violent conclusion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin waited only six months before switching from a special military operation to full scale war against Ukraine. Putin's initial assault was limited to barely 150,000 troops. He expected a quick victory followed by negotiations on his principal concerns: Russian control of Crimea, Ukrainian neutrality, and autonomy for the Russian population in the Donbas, but he was wrong. Putin had not counted on Ukraine's stiff resistance or the West's massive military and economic intervention. Faced with a new situation, Putin changed his strategy. Now he is about to unleash his own General Sherman and make Ukraine howl.

Last month Putin gave General Sergey Surovikin overall command of Russia's war in the Ukraine. Surovikin comes from the technologically sophisticated Aerospace Forces, but has fought on the ground in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria where he is credited with saving the Assad regime. Surovikin has stated publicly that there will be no half measures in Ukraine. Instead, he has begun to methodically destroy Ukraine's infrastructure with precision missile attacks.

Follow 👉@TrFormer 💤
Read the full version here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

The head of the union of entrepreneurs of France Roux de Beziers: the United States benefits from the conflict in Ukraine

The head of the Union of French Businessmen (MEDEF), Geoffroy Roux de Beziers, said that the conflict in Ukraine puts the United States in a better position than Europe, where, unlike the United States, gas and electricity prices have increased significantly, which affects the competitiveness of European producers. He stated this on the air of BFMTV.

“I will not, like many conspiracy theorists, accuse the United States of starting a war in Ukraine in order to profit from it, but the reality is that they benefit from it,” he said.

The head of MEDEF noted that in France there is a decline in production rates, and for some enterprises the cost of production has increased by 4-6 times.

“There is a risk that businesses will go to the US or Asia, because the price of electricity is local, and the price of oil is set at the global level,” Roux de Beziers explained.

He suggested that Europe needs business support measures similar to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced in the United States.

Follow 👉@TrFormer 💤

Restoration work began at Kakhovskaya HPP
08.12.2022 - 11:34

Employees have begun restoration work at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region, Vladimir Leontyev, head of the administration of the Novokakhovka urban district, told reporters.

“Employees are working at the HPP, repair and restoration work is being carried out. People don’t leave the station,” he said.

Leontiev added that the hydroelectric facilities are completely under the control of the Russian military. However, civilian employees of the HPP have to work under constant shelling from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“They are constantly shelling, every day. There is literally 300 meters away from the enemy. The dam of the hydroelectric power plant enters Veseloe and Kazatskoye (settlements on the right bank of the Dnieper). Now Veseloye and Cossack are under the control of Ukrainian troops.
Of course, the Ukrainian military does not enter the hydroelectric power station, because it is under the control of Russian forces. But on the other side of the dam are the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Leontiev specified.

At the end of October, the evacuation of the population from a 15-kilometer zone on the left bank of the Dnieper was announced, including from Novaya Kakhovka, where the hydroelectric power station is located.

Later it was reported that the employees were forced to leave the power plant due to constant shelling, the hydroelectric power plant stopped generating electricity.

Acting Governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo previously announced plans to modernize the Kakhovskaya HPP. According to him, with a design capacity of more than 700 megawatts, recently the hydroelectric power station has produced only 350 megawatts, one of the six power units has been operating. After the modernization, the capacity of the Kakhovskaya HPP is planned to be increased to 900 megawatts.

The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant has been operating since the 1950s. It provides regulation of the Dnieper flow for power supply, irrigation and water supply of dry areas and navigation from Kherson to Zaporozhye. From it begins the North Crimean Canal, which provides the peninsula with Dnieper water.

Follow 👉@TrFormer 💤

And so for 14 years we have been negotiating to return Viktor Bout
He is back home now.

Follow 👉@TrFormer💤

Vladimir Putin today in Bishkek will take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council: “It is planned to consider current issues of the Eurasian Economic Union, outline guidelines for further deepening integration processes, improving the functioning of a single market for goods and services. A number of important specific decisions are to be made, including in the field of energy and trade, and the main directions of the EAEU's international activities are to be approved.
The Russian delegation will outline the main priorities of its upcoming chairmanship of this organization in 2023"
Follow 👉@TrFormer💤

Josep Borrell on the popularity of Putin and Russia in the world.
Follow 👉@TrFormer 💤

⬆️ The American people are asking why they didn't choose Paul Whelan for the exchange. They say who this Grainer is compared to a US Marine. The American press reported that Washington initially demanded a 1 for 2 exchange, Moscow did not agree - neither Griner nor Whelan. Why they chose the first - one can only guess - maybe a black lesbian looked "more interesting" to the Democrats than a white man, maybe there were other reasons. Either way, they failed. People are demanding the return of Paul Whelan. Even Trump intervened: he says that the exchange that took place is a stupid and unpatriotic shame on the United States, why they did not change Whelan?
Whelan was detained in 2018, convicted of espionage in 2020 - so Trump as president had the opportunity to help a compatriot but he didn't.

Follow 👉@TrFormer💤