He is doing this partly for his legacy, using nuclear weapons against a neighbour and causing likely retaliation and severe consequences for Russia will put him above Gorbachev in terms of being reviled for causing the ruin of Russia.
His propaganda was to paint this as a liberation not a punitive war of conquest. Nukes are the equivalent of taking the bullet himself.
Even Putin's family, his daughters. They must be asking questions now. I'd imagine they are being asked to talk sense to him.
I know little if them apart from one was turfed from Amsterdam after MH17.
Maybe I'm being a bit too "cloak and dagger", but is Zelinskyy attending the talks with Russia on the Belarus border in person?
If he's target number one (as he claimed himself), is it not easy for Russia to show, make silly demands that will be refused and have Zelinskyy leave - and then tracked back to wherever he's staying in Kyiv?
+ shiploads of weapons and munitions from NATO.
The rouble was always an extremely soft target in the event of any conflict. I said it earlier on in the thread, it's a mickey mouse currency and the number one signpost of how ill and un-resilient the Russian economy is. That's the result of political choices from a kleptocratic class running the country. A petrostate ran for the benefit of the very few at the expense of 140 million Russians. All the chickens are coming home to roost at once for Putin. It's a grotesque but fascinating watch.
Yea also, not trying to be funny, but can’t talks not just take place online now? Why even introduce a risk.
You'd imagine they'd be taken into whatever super-deep bunker the Russian super-elite have arranged for when missiles go up
Well it’s time for them to rise up so.
Fridman is Ukrainian born, from Lviv and has Israeli citizenship and Chubais is very much a liberal.
And as an addendum, the Putinistas were waxing lyrical about how great it was that Russia has such a small deficit. Wonderful, but that made the West's decision to flex and completely cripple Russia via the financial system all the easier. A strategic mistake.
Even the petrostates of the Middle East are smart enough to borrow on Western markets even though they don't have to. It's a geopolitical insurance policy in a worst-case scenario.
Yeah surely everyone knows how to operate Zoom at this stage. Even these old duffers could manage it
Actually I think probably about 50% of Russians are quite happily along for the ride, but that's no reason to demonise the other 50%. The Americans were no better with Iraq, etc. Same with the peak of Islamic terrorism: you can't demonise a whole group on the basis of the actions of a vicious minority. Some people in the West seem to think Russians can just take to the streets like in BLM protests and nothing will happen to them. It takes a lot of courage to protest when the result can be violence, imprisonment, being sacked from a job, etc.
He won't be going, just officials.
You would think in a situation like this, whatever is said inside the room would be extremely damaging to both sides. Too risky to have evidence of what was offered or refused going around on TikTok.
You announce it to say: don't f*ck with us or this could get a lot worse for everyone. Yes, it is just to scare people, but as others are saying, if you're a 69 year old with zero empathy and hellbent on a historical mission and it starts to go wrong, there comes a point where you don't have much to lose....
Er nope. Covid-19 is a virus, ultimately spread about randomly by all humans.
Nothing natural whatsoever about chosen wars of aggression and Russia (also a human invention) has begun one at the border of the EU.
Unfortunately for them Russians, are, well Russians. The Russian state and Mr. Putin does have some claim over them and they are going to (and should) catch some nasty consequences for what he/Russian leadership is doing.
I see argument that they can "tell the Russian people what is really happening", well, they can equally support or be beholden to Putin and be asked to help the regime on his behalf or be pressured to do it (esp. if their ties here are very weak and they are only in the West temp. on visa). If we are entering a new Cold war type phase of relations with Russia, which seems inevitable now given events unless invasion effort fails and/or Putin's regime collapses best they go home, enjoy the Great Leader's Empire + fruits of his efforts, & no more visas should be issued.
We can now add Spain to that so basically all closed off.
Putin has suggested his nuclear option. His generals would never allow for that. They would dispose of him first.
Crowds in Prague
The nuclear " button " in all countries isn't like it's ant & Dec's gameshow red button that some madman or politician drunk on vodka can press. There are a whole lot of procedures to go through with several individuals before anything can happen.
Is there a possibility of hyperinflation happening would you say?
Christ, sounds more like a rock concert.
I really think they would. That’s the problem with basing your dictatorship solely on a small number of super rich, I think the military would arrest him if he ordered a nuclear strike. He’s already publicly humiliated them and sent them unprepared on his personal adventure into Ukraine.
To be honest, Putin and his seniors have absolutely nothing to lose now. Once this is over, they will all lose everything. That is the part that truly terrifies me…
Would they tho? It depends. I say it's 50/50. If one doesn't you can replace them for someone who will do it. If enough don't agree then I say would have to be a military coup and remove Putin and his cronies. Problem with Russia is a lot more cronies seem to get into power right after the last ones are gone.
I join with everyone in recognising the Independent Republic of Kaliningrad 😀
A few weeks ago a full scale invasion of Ukraine was unimaginable. But here we are.
It might seem unimaginable for nukes to be used but in a few weeks time we could be all snorting iodine tablets.
If the military took Putin out rather than execute a nuclear war; they'd be widely celebrated for doing so.
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