Comments by "GorillaGuerilla🇺🇦" (@gorillaguerillaDK) on "Privatization of Russia's war fighting" video.
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Profiteering from war isn't new, but the use of mercenaries were on a decline, and what makes this different is that it's a direct involvement as a operative outside of but for a state.
Something similar happened when groups like the former Blackwater started taking a more aggressive role.
But even them to as bad as they were, they were hired to provide security details to VIPs and facilities.
Now, as Acadmi, and similar companies owned by the same group of people, they are involved in all sorts of shady shit and participate directly in the war in Yemen, in training Chinese pilots, training and acquisition of weapons for a range of smaller states/countries.
Oh, and of course, providing the US Homeland Security with extra personal during the 2020 BLM protests, where they acted as "federal agents" with next to no accountability....
The close ties Academi has to a certain group of political operatives in the US is also quite worrying....
But at least, so far, Academi et al hasn't the same ties to the Intelligence Services, (although they do have their own), as ChVK Vagnera has to GRU....
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@nian60
I honestly don't think sending Gripens would benefit Ukraine much.
And I don't say so to criticize the Gripen, I think it's an awesome plane, and think it would have been great if my own country had bought it instead of the F35.
However, IMHO it simply takes to long to train pilots to another plane, so it's a lot better getting them planes they're used to.
But if Germany gives the green light to give Ukraine "big cats" here on the 20th this month, then it sure would be great if Sweden would offer them some.
I know Poland has offered to send them 12-15 of their Leopards, as I recall it Spain has also offered to do it, and if countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of course Germany also send some, then togheter with the IFVs/light tanks and infantry vehicles, and artillery they are receiving it opens up the ability of full scale combined warfare.
In regards to air I think they have better use of anti-air weapons.
Just my humble opinion!
And of course I don't mind!
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@blousesarebest
No, Blackwater doesn't exist anymore, it's Academi now - but aside from that, it would probably make it a lot more difficult for Ukraine to get accepted into the EU.
Most European countries has signed an international resolution to stop the use of mercenaries.
This is why it was so important that Ukraine offered an acceptable structure for foreign volunteers, (their "foreign legion").
Funny fact, Russia has also signed this resolution, which is why ChVK Vagnera and similar organisations/companies doesn't exist officially as PMC.
However, they might be registered as Security Services, (like G4S), as a form of "cover"....
IMHO another issue regarding Academi and the possibility of their involvement - I don't think the owners are interested in assisting Ukraine!
There's several issues at play, aside for it not being in the best interest of Ukraine to hire them.
There are rumors, but to my knowledge yet unconfirmed, that Academi and ChVK Vagnera has been collaboration on projects in Africa.
And while it is a private owned corporation, Academi is still tightly linked to a specific group of political interest groups in the US and to say it mildly, they are not particularly fond of POTUS Biden.
A last reason is also that POTUS Biden isn't particularly fund of companies like Academi - and if you recall it, he was involved in removing immunity of Blackwater operatives for their involvement in the Nisour Square massacre.
Biden can barely trust his own security detail - I think it's safe to assume he's not interested in helping funding an organization that would be happy to see him gone.
But of course, that's just my assessment of how the Biden administration views Academi!
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@minimax9452
Ukraine started a de-radicalization process of the Azov when it went from being a militia to being part of the official defensive structure of Ukraine.
This was required as several countries refused giving military aid unless the radicalization issue was dealt with.
This doesn't mean there isn't people who have far-right stands in Ukraine.
This is the case of all countries, however, in Ukraine the far-right collision have less power in the national assembly than it has in most other countries.
(Last election a joint collision of far-right parties only managed to get around half of the 5% votes needed to be represented in the Rada).
The thing is, the Ukrainian Nazis don't want Ukraine to become members of NATO or the EU, the only thing they detest more than these organisations is the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory.
So no, unlike the neo-nazis in ChVK Vagnera, with the well known nazie and "former" GRU Lt.Col., Dmitry Utkin as a poster boy for this part, Ukraine doesn't have a PMC fighting in Ukraine.
What it has is a Foreign Legion, that basically functions under the same regulations as the French Foreign Legion which is an integrated part of the official French military.
This also means it's up to individual countries how they view their citizens taking part in the war, (some countries have laws that requires that the government regulates whether and/or when its citizens can be allowed to volunteer for military service in other countries).
Yes, the Iraq war is a great example of a return to the use of private companies - and sadly it's a growing problem, with the primary players being organisations from USA, Russia, China, and now Türkiye also has companies that are involved in the industry.
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@asdf3568
Western Media also believed that Russia wouldn’t invade Ukraine back in 2014 or again in 2022
Ukraine has a "nazi-problem" the same way as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, USA, and many other countries have a "nazi-problem"
Or for that matter, Russia - only Russia don’t see it as a problem, they just put them in high ranking positions inside organizations such as the ChVK Vagnera!
At least Ukraine has made an effort to deal with far-right radicalization, (which was part of the requirements for them to receive the support they’ve gotten from NATO).
This is why Azov went from being a Hooligan Militia and after restructuring was made a part of the official Defence of Ukraine!
If you notice, several key people in the forming of the Azov battalion haven’t been part of it for years!
And you know what, when it comes to defence of the country against invaders/occupiers, then it’s suddenly less important if one vote left or right - in Ukraine you can find soldiers who are far-right, fighting shoulder to shoulder with soldiers wearing Unicorn patches, or being ANTIFA!
And if Ukraine really had such a huge "nazi-problem", don’t you think that would have been reflected in the elections?
Last election in Ukraine, the far-right parties formed a coalition party, and even then, they still only managed to get around half of the five percent they needed to become part of the National Assembly!
Oh, and by the way, the navies in Ukraine, like Nazies everywhere else, oppose membership of the EU and NATO!
Only downside from the Russians perspective is that the only thing the nazies despise more than the EU, NATO, and their own President, is Russia - and they heavily oppose the idea that Ukraine should become a puppet state under Russian hegemony!
And all the ridiculous "Bandera" BS, are you going to use the same ridiculous kind of arguments against Finland?
Bandera isn’t revered for his ties with the navies, but for his opposition towards the USSR, and especially Russia!
But perhaps next up you’re going to call Finland nazies for the ties it had to Germany and them fighting against Russian/Soviet invasion?
I’m asking because I had relatives who volunteered for the war in Finland, solid SocDem/LibDem relatives, who went on to become part of the resistance movement during the nazi occupation….
But guess we're all nazies for opposing the Russian regimes feverish imperialist wet dreams…..
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It is.
Blackwater, or Academi as it is called now basically serves a similar function, and also operates in some of the same areas in Africa as ChVK Vagnera. There has even been rumors of collaboration between the two.
What is really disturbing if we look at Academi in the US is the close ties it has to a certain group of very rich American Evangelicals and Politicians.
As you might know, one of the founders of Blackwater was Eric Prince, the brother of former US Sec. of Education, Betsy DeVos, and is known to have acted as "special advisor" to FPOTUS Donald Trump.
During the BLM protests in 2020 Homeland Security hired Private "Security" Companies, (another term frequently used by Private Military Companies), to operate as "Law Enforcement", against protesters, and they did so with very little accountability.
In the same way it's far from unreasonable to suspect that groups like ChVK Vagnera and ChVK Patriot will be used in similar fashion inside Russia - just as they are operating with next to no accountability in regions of especially Africa.
Oh, and Academi is heavily involved with assisting Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and people such as Eric Prince has also played a role in assisting Chinese "companies" as advisors on the PMC industry and "private" prisons, (in the Xinjiang province).
The later might have been the reason why FPOTUS Donald Trump wasn't particularly interested in criticizing China's treatment of the Uyghurs, but what do I know...
I just find the rise of this industry incredibly worrying!
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