Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.

Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.

The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Congress.

  • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    In the world of politics you never give something for free. The Republicans are asking for more stringent border security and more border funding. If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready. The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

    • SwampYankee@mander.xyz
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      11 months ago

      The problem is democrats love exploiting brown people for their cheap sweat shop labor.

      You could build an IMAX theater with all that projection.

    • SCB@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Border security wouldn’t stop migrant workers. The whole “invasion of the border” thing is never talking about those people, as was proven by farmers lamenting their absence in Florida.

      • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        I wasn’t referencing migrant workers with work visas, I was referencing all the people entering illegally. Of course farm owners are upset, their source of cheap labor dried up.

        • dragonflyteaparty@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          You know what would actually put a dent in illegal immigration? Fixing their country that we broke. They come here because being undocumented and working under the table with potentially dangerous conditions is better than their home country. Maybe we shouldn’t have destabilized so many democracies in South America.

          • webadict@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            If you expect us to take responsibility for our actions, then we’d have to have real solutions, and it’s just easier to complain about things, plus we’d have to arrest a looooooot of war criminals.

    • IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Bad news, Sparky: some of us actually lived through all the decades that conservatives imported exploitable brown people to boost profits. The shit you gargle from talk radio shows does not trump our lived experience.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Bullshit. You pass a law because it’s the right thing to help the country not because you got something for it.

      • lefaucet@slrpnk.net
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        11 months ago

        I agree with you, Maggoty, and that why neither one of us will get very far in National politics.

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              That’s demonstrably untrue. Otherwise we’d still be operating under monarchies.

              • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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                11 months ago

                Many monarchies were overthrown by people some ceeded power so they wouldn’t get overthrown.

                  • jimbolauski@lemm.ee
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                    11 months ago

                    I’m failing to understand how monarchs ceeding some power to retain others shows that politicians act selflessly.

    • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      11 months ago

      Or the Dems know that letting the GOP get their shitty ideas through just because Dems want something isn’t a good idea and are going to try to do it without the traitors’ party’s help

    • Cosmic Cleric@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If democrats were truly committed to supporting Ukraine then they would have made those concessions all ready.

      They have been, some substantial compromises actually. The Republicans still wanting more, in a non-compromising sort of way.

      Personally I’m hoping the FBI actually does checks on everyone in Congress, to make sure they’re not being compromised to vote in certain ways that certain countries wants.

    • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      George W. Bush set the precedent that The US does not negotiate with terrorists. Even when those terrorists are in Congress. They should stop setting precedents they don’t really mean.

    • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Or is it that the Democrats understand the rhetorical danger of equating an actual war in Europe involving a major nuclear power, with the ego driven pet project of a fascist demagogue?

    • Furbag@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Oh yes, more money to fix the perpetual, nebulously defined “border problem”.

      Sometimes compromise is not the solution. This is one of those times. I’m tired of Republican fearmongers getting rich off my tax dollars by funneling it into the border security slush fund.