Russia - threadbanned users in OP

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516713#Comment_118516713

When I was in Russia, I still remember passing a military base, with a checkpoint outside. It was in the minus 4-5c at least, with a slight breeze, so even colder than ambient temp. I was in a heated vehicle, dressed like a polar bear, and still cold. At the check point there was a soldier stripped to the waist washing himself from a basin of water, no problem. I asked another soldier about it, and he said, " He's from Siberia, and for him its a nice spring day". And then you remember it was the Russian winter which defeated both Napoleon and Hitler.

cheezums

is it time to tool up lads? a lot of our fishermen would be handy enough in a fight.

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118517513#Comment_118517513

We could do a china and claim everything from the coast of Galway to off the east coast of America ,hit everything flying or sailing with a large tax

Larbre34

A lot of mirth and derision on view in here today, but here's the facts.

1) These type of tests could be performed anywhere, in any open ocean. Russia has control of millions of square kilometres of it to use in the Arctic, the Black Sea and the Pacific.

2) At least 10 major trans-Atlantic communications cables traverse the Celtic Sea shelf. Also a concentration of the NATO SOSUS network, thousands of undersea microphones that track non-NATO submarines.

The concentration of communications cables is....in a route about 240 kms off the south coast of Ireland.

3) If you believe Russia is interested in a status of neutrality, or that they aren't seeking to find weak spots in the defence umbrella of the European continent (be that NATO or not), or indeed that they aren't seeking to divide it politically, then you're a fool.

SEPT 23 1989

The weakest president in the history of the United States of America

Why wouldn’t Putin take the piss?

it’s not even funny with Biden anymore it’s dangerous

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118517947#Comment_118517947

• James Buchanan's inability to stand up to the Slave states led directly to the civil war
• Rutherford B. Hayes made a pact in order to become president that ended Reconstruction and doomed civil rights in the south for the next 90 years
• Donald Trump threw his own intelligence agencies under the bus in front of the world's media rather than disagree with Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki summit

but yes, Biden is the clearly weakest president that the USA has ever had!

Freight bandit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118515515#Comment_118515515

The question is...would the US put up with this if the tables were reversed?....I'd guess not

Look at the sh!te haemorrhage they had over missiles in Cuba

AbusesToilets

If Putin attacks, it'll be the end of him. Russia has no capacity to stand up to NATO in military or economic means. You'd have to think that in certain respects, there are many in Washington who would relish Putin blundering into an expanded conflict in Ukraine. Bleed Russia, destroy their economy, turn the EU away from Russian gas permanently.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516449#Comment_118516449

How long did you live there for Elmer? Or maybe you are still there?

shillyshilly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118517916#Comment_118517916

something I forgot about, the Russian's have been noted the last few years mapping undersea cable locations....

Larbre34

There is little doubt Biden is weak. Far weaker than I expected him to be. I remember him well in the Obama administration and he was vigorous, combative, worked hard with the Congress members he'd known for decades.

He is now quite clearly ailing. Whether its simply old-age or some sort of neuro degenerative illness, or both, he's not there for America. Personally I think the reason we've seen so little of Harris is that she's shadowing in the background, learning as much as she can about everything until the moment comes.

You'd expect Putin to take advantage of that. And that's why this should be led by Europe, in Europe, in the interests of Ukraine and every other European State. We cannot depend on America anymore. After November and the mid-terms, it may very quickly slip into being an America that we do not recognise anymore.

Larbre34

Statement from DFaT.

brickster69

Germany to send Ukraine a field hospital but refuses to send arms.

https://www.newsweek.com/germany-russia-ukraine-christine-lambrecht-berlin-kyiv-1671927?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1642873734

Meanwhile Poland stepping up to help with a new alliance with Ukraine. Just a matter of time before Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania ask to be a part. Putin is collapsing NATO without a shot being fired.

https://twitter.com/ConGeostrategy/status/1484522102535462912

Manic Moran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516713#Comment_118516713

Yes, the only 'mountain' unit in the US Army as a whole is a Vermont-based reserve unit, the 86th IBCT, because the Army's mountain warfare center is in Vermont, right near sea level. No correlation at all to cold weather in Ukraine.

On the other hand, the US Marines's mountain warfare center is in the scenic majesty of the coastal state of California.

And though not mountain rated, units in places like Fort Carson (5,800 feet in the Colorado Rockies, 4th ID) or Fort Wainwright (Alaska, 1-25 ID) are probably quite well used to 'cold'. Even supposedly reasonable Ft Lewis in Seattle uses the Cascades and Yakima as a training area, which, I can tell you from experience, gets god-awful cold. So did Afghanistan, now I think about it.

Not that this is relevant to the topic, but we're not all in deserts and swamps, and Ukraine isn't Central Siberia.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518407#Comment_118518407

All sorts of bi-lateral arrangements are in place regionally. Some NATO and non-NATO members share heavy transport aircraft, fleet supply ships and oilers.

Hell, even the Brits have a deal with us in Ireland to provide Quick Reaction Alert fighter response to threats in our area of traffic control responsibility.

None of them are any threat to NATO, in fact most of them are facilitated by NATO extended partnerships structures.

Germany has very specific and well known red lines about war fighting, adopted at the foundation of the Bundesrepublik in the post Nazi era. Obviously had the Russians tried to invade Europe through Germany in a hit World War 3 scenario, Germany would have been all in, but that's different to this and their contributions in Afghanistan and to UN missions down the years have been entirely consistent.

So both you and Vlad can relax for a bit.

MeMen2_MoRi_

@Manic Moran you're a serving member of the US armed forces?

Posting details of how prepared the US (I'm grateful you're not using the term NATO) this is what my previous post was leaning too, this agitation has zero to do about the independent Ukraine, the Ukraine has been flipped from being a pro Russia to a pro NATO nation, NATO is a second arm of the US armed forces.

Like what has been found out from days gone by, an independent nation Cuba invited the USSR onto their lands, we all know how this played out, it was near nuclear war.

What Cuba and the USSR was doing back then was seriously provocative (I don't agree with it) and now, the US has played a part in getting a pro NATO, pro EU head of state into the leavers of power in the Ukraine. Happy days, as so far helping with leaning them towards joining the EU. Joining NATO? No, please please no, do not encourage that..

Why, because look back to the Cuban missile crisis.

Russia will kill Ukraine in a one Vs one.. we all know this is not a one Vs one.. there is 3 nuclear armed nations, I don't see Russia willing to die and not push that button when push comes to shove.

Everyone, should be arguing for both not to fight, and come up with solutions.. arguing about how strong one or the other is...

It's a no win situation

https://twitter.com/lucasfoxnews/status/1484907407918706694?s=21

sounds serious

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518867#Comment_118518867

Diplomatic dependants of the German Embassy are being shuttled out of Kyiv as well according to reports.

shillyshilly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518407#Comment_118518407

he's not though...

Ukraine isn't a NATO member... any overt response is going to be from non NATO perspective about what reactions will occur if there is any invasion into Ukraine.... because after all, the argument Putin is putting towards them, is he doesn't want Ukraine in NATO

What is happening is that this perspective is different from various nations, which is being construed into

"ohhh look France want to do this, but Germany don't want to do that.... it's the end of NATO "

It would be a different story if Putin went into Poland or the Baltic and Article 5 was invoked

Freight bandit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518863#Comment_118518863

The Cuban missile crisis was a response to the US putting nukes close to Russia....only they're allowed to do that...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518882#Comment_118518882

And the German navy chief has stepped down from his post because he said something pro Putin on an Indian tv channel. Dunno what he said though.

Larbre34

Putin went all-in weeks ago. He made it so he couldn't step back. Not in front of a home audience. Not in front of a foreign audience.

Unless someone in Russia steps in (a military mutiny, a coup of his Ministers etc) this thing is going ahead.

The embassies leaving is normal at this stage. Just like the first week of September 1939 and the first week of December 1941.

@Larbre34

@Larbre34 its not that bad, is it?

MeMen2_MoRi_

All Russia's fault if the game plays out?

Strong man can't be seen to be weak narrative

Yurt2

I'd tend to agree we're much more likely than not to see some sort of action in the coming weeks now. Just as Europe is emerging into the light after covid, an unholy mess of another sort breaks out.

And just like mid January 2020 when the covid chatter started to get louder, it’s time to start bulk cooking and stocking my freezer. Loo roll too 😂

shillyshilly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518889#Comment_118518889

People seem to forget the Russian's only left Germany in 1994.... there is a substantial amount of 1st and 2nd generation Russian families still living in Germany.

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118518733#Comment_118518733

All true but the relevance comes from taking units who live and breathe in subartic conditions are able to fight in subzero conditions in and around Ukrainian /Russian winters with ease ,

Where say the 10th mountain division based in new York ,which was known from Mogadishu BHD battle , and then Afghanistan but suffered alot of casualties not from contacts with the Taliban but from suffering from altitude sickness in the mountains chasing the Taliban ,alot of patrols had to be evacuated to lower altitudes ,

Unfortunately some military units aren't as effective outside of their AO

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118519013#Comment_118519013

More the fact over half the population of east Germany were on the stasi payroll

Dickie10

so in lay mans terms , how long before we see russia roll into ukraine? will they leave it at that or start for the baltic states or moldova?im presuming there going to retake all the former soviet republics? in the long term of course....