This is a direct result of Trump cutting off intel. It’s fucking unconscionable. I’ve never been this embarrassed and ashamed to be an American.
Just wait, we’ve still got almost 4 years of this.
I mean… possibly.
One of the possible outcomes here is civil war, potentially followed by balkanization of the US. Or, the beginning of a fascist regime here, utterly divorced in all meaningful ways from our (deeply flawed, but still somewhat democratic) current system, with simmering insurgency that will stretch on for decades. Or, some fragments of our government regain enough sanity and backbone to actually fight back against the fascists. Or any number of other insane scenarios that would have gotten you laughed out of the room as recently as 9 years ago (or, in some deeply oblivious circles, 2 months ago).
But one thing’s for damn sure: Pax Americana is done. I genuinely do not see how US foreign policy and soft power bounces back from this. We no longer lead the free world in any meaningful sense (that’s not a jingoistic reminiscence - it’s commentary that any shred of credibility we had on that front is entirely gone now).
I doubt Trump cutting off Intel would have made any difference. Russia already reclaimed 40-60% of Kursk before Trump backstabbed Ukraine. It was only a matter of time that Russia recapture Kursk territories from Ukraine.
Edit: the bigger question is, how will this affect Ukraine in the negotiating table after they pull out from Kursk.
@Sunshine Wouldn’t surprise me if Trump was now sharing Intel with Russia.
#justbackstabbingtraitorthings
Let’s hope that they used the time to improve the fortifications along their border. A retreat from Kursk would suck on a strategic level but it might free up a large number of their elite forces that are currently deployed there. Insanely impressive that they’ve been holding on for so long.
Still sucks, because I believe the idea was to hold the territory long enough to exchange it for the parts of Ukraine stolen by Russia during peace negotiations. Amazing the brave fighters have held out so long.
The question is what will happen with the resources on the area after ukraine retreats. Will russian keep pushing into sumy? Will they distribute forces through the other fronts?
I guess that Koreans will stay as a defensive force in the area.
I have been following the war in Ukraine since the beginning. From the look of it, I think Russia ran out of steam. Their offensives slowed down in Kharkiv and even on eastern Ukraine. These areas would be reinforced after Kursk is done and I doubt Sumy will be attacked. In some sense, the attack in Kursk worked a little bit to draw Russian resources away from other fronts.
Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian incursion launched in August 2024. After a January report that North Korean troops had pulled back, they were reportedly redeployed to Kursk last month.
Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, capturing around 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) and marking the first foreign invasion of Russia since World War II. After six months of fighting in the region, Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region, the Russian military claimed.
