A deal with Trump is a much more important policy goal for Putin, even the decreased availability for his populace can be spin as a non lethal sacrifice/weapon to “liberate Ukraine from nazism”.
I’m thinking its all a show/lie. When it doesn’t show up he is to be able to tell the American people that Ukraine is driving up prices and attacking american fuel…
IIRC there was a group being trained to fly the F-16 but it was other countries offering to give them the planes so we couldn’t even be bothered to commit a 60 year old airframe
Considering the Ukrainians have been blowing up refineries and fuel storage depos for months now, I agree with you. That diesel doesn’t exist.
Also I remember reading that Russians implemented fuel rationing in some parts of the country.
Russia still has refineries, just because there is a shortage doesn’t mean they don’t still produce some.
A deal with Trump is a much more important policy goal for Putin, even the decreased availability for his populace can be spin as a non lethal sacrifice/weapon to “liberate Ukraine from nazism”.
I’m thinking its all a show/lie. When it doesn’t show up he is to be able to tell the American people that Ukraine is driving up prices and attacking american fuel…
Oh, definitely. He’s gonna use it to cut all US support to Ukraine. Which would also help Putin a lot.
The US supports Ukraine?
They still offer intelligence support I believe. Don’t think they give anything else otherwise and haven’t ever since Trump took power.
IIRC there was a group being trained to fly the F-16 but it was other countries offering to give them the planes so we couldn’t even be bothered to commit a 60 year old airframe
That’s probably the point, now that ‘US has a deal’ Ukraine targetting Russian refineries is a ‘no no’.
Just the latest orders down the chain from Putin.
AFAIK the fuel rationing only applies to gasoline, which Russia produces significantly less of