I doubt that will ever happen, to be honest. Russia seems to demand the kind of leader who rules the place with an iron fist. That could be for reasons such as a sense of machismo in Russian culture, or since it's such a big country with lots of potential fractiousness, it requires an authoritarian to hold the whole project together, but whatever the reasons, Russia has now had quite the history of utterly ruthless leaders.
Now, you may get a relatively palatable leader for those of us in the west, like Boris Yeltsin, but inevitably that will just give way to another Putin.
I think the main lesson going forward is that you just have to keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get carried away (or more specifically the Russian government, not necessarily their people). But that can only happen if the current Russian project implodes, and that is not yet a given.
Why aren't Europe / the wider world, banning Russians from their countries?
It's such an obvious sanction to uphold!
No more Russian immigration, either.
What good does punishing a few billionaires do?
Surely, it's the ordinary Russian on the street that needs to be impacted by sanctions? Not because they are at fault, but because the Putin regime must be connected inextricably to their loss of rights/opportunities.
The EU / USA / NATO should announce a ban on Russian migration to Europe, with immediate effect.
What will the average Russian think when wanting to holiday: "Oh let's go to Central African Republic this year?".
This just in: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian president Vladimir Putin are discussing a place and time to hold talks, according to a spokesperson for Zelenskiy.
The spokesperson also added that Ukraine is ready to talk about peace and a possible ceasefire, Reuters further reported.
Earlier today, the US State department cast doubts about whether Russia had legitimate plans for diplomacy, saying that Russia must stop bombing Ukraine first.
“Now we see Moscow suggesting that diplomacy take place at the barrel of a gun, or as Moscow’s rockets, mortars, artillery target the Ukrainian people,” said State department spokesperson Ned Price. “This is not real diplomacy. Those are not the conditions for real diplomacy.”
The Guardian live blog
"With a maximum payload of up to 37 tonnes (81,600 lb) and a volume of 340 m3(12,000 ft3), the A400M can carry numerous pieces of outsize cargo, including vehicles and helicopters that are too large or too heavy for previous generation tactical airlifters, for example an NH90 or a CH-47 Chinook helicopter or a heavy ..."
It's nonsense so the Russians can get time to regroup. Would trust them an ounce. They can talk when the Russians retreat.
Of course not they have their own worries with another region trying to break away , who's leader publicly stated Russia would defend its citizens outside Russia
It completely chokes those in their teens, 20s and 30s. All of those brands they have become accustomed to when growing up. All those streaming services, coffee brands, phone manufacturers, clothing manufacturers. You'll end up turfing thousand's of out retail and distribution jobs, no access to Western technology. Pissed off young people who have found themselves back into a Soviet time machines. Deal with that Vlad.
Right, but so what?
Like, what's the idea behind it re: this invasion?
Bringing equipment into Ukraine...... From Poland.....
Sure, but that's a given in this conflict I would have assumed.
This shouldn't be excluded from sanctions either. It should be stopped and it will be painful. The alternative is an embolldened Putin, turning his attention to the Baltics and starting WW3. I think suffering a drop in Gas is preferable for a few months is preferable to heading into a Europe wide war and increased possibilty of nuclear strikes from both sides. We can't do the hand wringing and usual tut tutting on this any more. Putin needs to be put down and delaying it endangers us all. It started with poisoning one spy on foreign soil, then Salisbury where blind luck avoided an entire town being poisoned to death, now this. When do we say enough is enough or are we also so precious about our comfort we're happy to watch others die oblivious that our day of reckoning is edging closer.
The UN Security Council vote won’t matter as Russia will just veto the resolution.
Vermin
20 minutes into Winter on Fire on Netflix.
Poor Ukrainians can't catch a break. You can see the ferocious passion in the population about the love for and making their country better. It goes some way to explaining the resistance of today.
Part of me feels guilty for not watching these things closer. We've been relatively comfortable over this way all this time.
As an aside, I'm just remembering now, I was in Berlin in Jan 2020 and Putin was in town to meet Merkel and Erdogan at that hotel Michael Jackson dangled the kid from beside Brandenburg Gate. I was staying close by. All 3 leaders passed by. It didn't seem to be widespread news at the time.
Its weird now thinking about it in the context of how easily Putin is throwing the word Nazi about! I literally seen his car traverse the east/west divide. As they travelled hotel up to the Bundestag area.
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That should put their EU accession on hold for good.
Stop talking. Support Ukraine with money and support shown outside Embassies around the world. Talks is cheap.
That said, punishing Serbia could push it into the hands of the Russians.
Agreed. Gas should be included. It will hurt, but needs must.
Not much time left for Zelensky..
Have you seen the terms.
putin will decide when the meeting is called and what will be discussed.
Ukraine military to be disbanded and all weapons handed over ,a Russian government to be installed ,and Russia permanently stations it's troops and weapons as peace keepers to deter Nato aggression against Ukraine , ukraine will submit to never applying to join nato and ukraine will be neutral
Not Eskimo hunt. I’m just also sick of your scaremongering bravado posts ruining the thread.
But yet I'm saddened by Eskimo hunt
You got there before me. Turkey hunts with the hound and runs with the hare. They have definitely sided with Ukraine this time, hence the clear delivery of military aid to that particular airport. All day, black Hawks have been taking off and switching off their transponders before approaching the border.
Surely the Ukrainians will reply with a version of “**** that….”
Yeah that would be a no
They're already in the hands of the russians by keeping trading with them. You can trade with Russia, or the EU. Not both. Come back when you've made your decision. BTW Russia won't be buying much in a month.
Teenage boy will learn to love Voltek system. Voltek system has 4x memory of competing Kazakh model at 2x cost. Voltek system feature mechanical keyboard with electrical shock prevention and low-radiation monitor. Voltek system has many games free of western propaganda such as: Snek, Row-Boat, Bomb Squad, Tetris, Simulator and more.
Remember Azerbaijan recently .
Turkish drones and weapons wreaked havoc against the Armenians
Some grounds for optimism from China and that emotionless trunk of wood, Xi Jinping.
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