Hmmmm.... Russia is helping us?

[jimnyc]

Call me skeptical. I don't trust them much more than China.

I know that they can sure send a lot of supplies on just one trip, as that plan is absolutely enormous! I'll put a video of that beast at the bottom.

I'll be hoping for the best on this one, but won't be disappointed if it turns out to be useless crap.

--

Putin sends military plane to U.S. with supplies to fight coronavirus after talking with Trump

A Russian military plane carrying medical equipment has departed for the United States, the defense ministry in Moscow said Wednesday, as the Kremlin flexes its soft power amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Antonov-124, "with medical masks and medical equipment on board", left for the U.S. overnight, a statement said, without providing further details.

Video released by the ministry showed the cargo plane loaded with boxes preparing to take off from a military airbase near Moscow early Wednesday morning.



Contacted by AFP, the defense ministry refused to provide any further information on the delivery, which came after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Monday.

Rest - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronav...-donald-trump/


So it's not only the pure size of this beast. I think you'll get an idea of what I mean as our Marines load one with helicopters!! And normally when you see a plane cargo area getting loaded, you'll see a belt, a couple of workers loading it, and someone inside or 2 receiving the cargo. In this beast, the entire front of the plane opens, and while the cargo is loaded it looks like dozens of Marines in and out as well!

[Kathianne]

I think it's beginning to hit China, now Russia, that regardless of how much the President likes these guys, the American people don't.

[jimnyc]

I think it's beginning to hit China, now Russia, that regardless of how much the President likes these guys, the American people don't.

I think China is now getting the hint that they aren't fully trusted around the world! AS if they were prior.

[LongTermGuy]

I think it's beginning to hit China, now Russia, that regardless of how much the President likes these guys, the American people don't.

The "American" people who voted for Trump really understand how Trump thinks and how he makes good things happen....Not a matter of like or dislike ...(ones enemies) but a matter of getting things done and making good deals and always keeping the conversation line open.

Never Trumpers and Liberals in general will Never get it.

[jimnyc]

About along what I was thinking when posting. Like I said, I don't trust them much more than China.

--

Assertive Russia seeks to exploit pandemic, stealing page from Soviet playbook

Despite grappling with its own public health crisis, Russia is using humanitarian aid as tool of soft power while flexing military muscle.

Forced increasingly to confront its own coronavirus emergency, Russia nonetheless has capitalized internationally on the COVID-19 pandemic, Kremlin-watchers tell Just the News.

“The Russians are constantly looking for vulnerabilities within NATO and the European Union,” said Elisabeth Braw, who directs the Modern Deterrence project for the London-based Royal United Services Institute, a think tank. “They see one now in the form of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

“Russia tries to exploit the crisis for her advantage,” said Wojciech Lorenz, a senior analyst with the Warsaw-based Polish Institute of International Affairs.

The means are both layered and alarming, observers indicated, including unprecedented international military activity, along with propaganda, disinformation, and manipulation.

“To understand what Russia is doing, the most important place to look at right now is Italy,” said Braw. That is where Russian President Vladimir Putin sent 15 aircraft laden with medical teams and equipment to bolster overwhelmed hospitals in Lombardy. The humanitarian aid came not from Russia’s health ministry, but from its defense ministry — inside a military package.

“Italy was desperate and asked for help,” Braw said, noting that European and NATO countries initially did not respond to pleas from Rome. “And then Russia came along with not just supplies, but these 100 military doctors and military equipment. Then you see Russian convoys in Italy, traveling NATO roads. That’s something Russia hasn’t done in any other NATO country. It’s unprecedented. You have NATO’s primary adversary going into one of NATO’s founding members’ territory. That is unheard of. For Russia, that was quite a coup.”

Indeed, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation played up its actions in Italy, chronicling accomplishments, and showcasing its military vehicles emblazoned with heart-shaped Russian and Italian flags. But, while the United States and other armed forces increasingly focus on responding to the pandemic, the Russia defense branches have ramped up their martial bombast overall.

“The pandemic has had a negative influence on the operational tempo of NATO,” Lorenz said. “The Allies cancelled or scaled down a number of exercises, for example, U.S. Defender Europe 20. At the same time, it seems that Russia increased its military activity close to NATO's borders.”

Rest - https://justthenews.com/government/s...ge-experts-say

[Gunny]

Interesting. Who/what is the primary enemy at the moment? Russia or the Chinese flu? Of course there's something in it for Russia. Why wouldn't there be? We've sat on our laurels since WWII and actually not done much of shit but make messes in the World trying to export an ideology we don't even in reality practice ourselves.

These people are still hungry. World domination has been around as long as civilization. I don't know why anyone thinks it would just go away because we dropped nukes on Japan. What I've seen from these other countries in question is ignoring us or gently shoving us out of the way. Does someone think that is going to change without us pushing back?

So we won the World Championship in 1945. We've done a really piss poor job defending the title.

I'll add this: anyone who thinks these other countries fear us after the last couple of months of us hiding and crying like little children needs a good dose of reality.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

THIS...



... used to be the largest cargo air craft in the world, our Air Force C5 Super Galaxy, and I swear, the only reason Russia has that big cargo monster is because they had to ONE UP the Americans... like KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES'.

I've been inside a C5 Super Galaxy. You can play BASKETBALL in the cargo bay, and to get up into the cockpit, there's a staircase. The cockpit is huge, and along the inside of the upper top of the plane behind the cockpit is a passenger seat area the same as a civilian passenger liner. No windows though.

[FakeNewsSux]

THIS...



... used to be the largest cargo air craft in the world, our Air Force C5 Super Galaxy, and I swear, the only reason Russia has that big cargo monster is because they had to ONE UP the Americans... like KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES'.

I've been inside a C5 Super Galaxy. You can play BASKETBALL in cargo bay, and to get up into the cockpit, there's a staircase. The cockpit is huge, and along the inside of the upper top of the plain behind the cockpit is a passenger seat area the same as a civilian passenger liner. No windows though.

I hear ya, HPD. I worked for the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce back in the 80's and took a lot of people over to the Lockheed plant a Dobbins AFB just down the road in Marietta. That is a helluva plane! Just climbing that rickety ladder they would roll up to the cockpit 4 stories up was exciting enough. My office building was right under the glide path for landing at Dobbins. The first time I saw one landing overhead, it was so big, slow and close that it looked like it was just floating in the air.

[Gunny]

THIS...



... used to be the largest cargo air craft in the world, our Air Force C5 Super Galaxy, and I swear, the only reason Russia has that big cargo monster is because they had to ONE UP the Americans... like KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES'.

I've been inside a C5 Super Galaxy. You can play BASKETBALL in cargo bay, and to get up into the cockpit, there's a staircase. The cockpit is huge, and along the inside of the upper top of the plain behind the cockpit is a passenger seat area the same as a civilian passenger liner. No windows though.

Flown on one before. Hickam to CONUS. You sit up in the tail

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Flown on one before. Hickam to CONUS. You sit up in the tail

Yup, up the stairs and behind the cockpit, there's seating for 75 troops.