Russian invasion of Ukraine

From "The Analyst":

UKRAINE & FULL MOBILISATION

Ukraine is facing one of its biggest challenges. It has 1.1 million men and women in the military.
It has an average age of 39 for men on the front lines. Many of them have been fighting pretty much non stop for two years with only limited time back home. The pressure is beginning to show on them and on their families.
Research in November showed a huge decline in volunteers- those who would have, and the rest don’t want to fight. The front lines are seen as static and everyone is wondering how they can break the stalemate.
Russian pressure in manpower is huge and they currently have the initiative not that they’re making much progress.
The military needs manpower if it’s to fill the losses it’s taken or build new units.
It needs manpower if it’s to relieve the men who have fought for two years and need a break, who could then train and command the troops for new formations and potentially change the pace and direction of the war.
Since November the inevitable result of full mobilisation has been under intense discussion.
The army wants it as soon as possible, with a target of 450,000 men and women being the aim.
The cost of that is said to be $13 billion - a great deal of money for a country that is heavily dependent on EU grants and international loans and donations.
Then there’s the cost of taking these people out of the economy and the resulting deficit in the workforce that’s needed to keep the defence industries and everything else running. This has always been a historical issue in war. I was given a book on my hometown for Christmas describing the arguments between the Ministry of Food & Agriculture demanding increased production on farms for food as the U-Boat campaign cut Britain off in 1917 from its imports, and the Army who were demanding more men and took them for the front. Meanwhile the local farmers argued they couldn’t increase production if they had no manpower to do the work. When offered women to fulfill the role they were disinclined to accept - social attitudes changed noticeably by WW2 and The Women’s Land Army changed things dramatically.
Ukraine is still in that 1917 phase, not so much in agriculture but in industry in general.
Then there is Zelensky and his long held belief that he’s having to recognise cannot stand, that the youth of today will rebuild the country post war. They are its future.
Yet the argument is just as strong that if the younger fitter people don’t fight for their country, firstly they risk having no country at all, and secondly they will have knowledge and experience that in 10-20 years, if the Russians try again, that can be used and called upon. They will form the reserve army of the future.
Generally, now the inevitability of full mobilisation is essential. There is no choice.
One of the things that Zelensky and parliament are trying to insist on is that existing and new recruits get at least 30 days off a year - at present it’s 7-10. That has its challenges but it makes things more palatable for everyone.
There are also benefits in demonstrating to The West and America in particular, that Ukraine is taking this war to its maximum - everything it can do it will do - this is its ultimate sacrifice. This is how serious things have become.
There is of course someone else watching this - Putin. He sits with demands for ever more men and the rate at which Russia kills its own in wasteful meat attacks creates more demand. Post election can he risk full mobilisation? It’s expensive, they probably don’t have the capacity to
absorb that many men and what of an already depleted workforce in key industries? Russia too, bizarrely conservative, doesn’t consider women for men’s work - even though they did in WW2. But if Ukraine does it it’s an excuse for Russia to. Yet doing so would debunk once and for all that this is just a ‘special
military operation’. It’s a war of imperial conquest, any suggestion it was anything else would be gone.
I long ago thought Ukraine should have mobilised in full. CONTINUED…(1/2)
CONTINUES… (2/2)

It’s not quite too little too late, because it can make a difference. It has to, because the weight of the war is on the shoulders of too few who have already given so much.
If Ukraine wants to win - even at the very least convincing the Kremlin it isn’t backing down - then this should have happened long ago and it must happen this year - before the spring and any new offensive either side plans for.

Slava Ukraini !

Note: This is a difficult and sensitive topic. Ultimately it is for the Ukrainian people to decide the way forward. A bill is being prepared for consideration in the parliament
 
Has there been anymore info on the 50bn euro from the EU? I know some high ups in the EU stated they would send the funds with or without Hungary's permission but not heard anything since. Looking at it I dont think they meet until the 15th Jan. Hopefully they can get moving quickly.
 
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