We say that every night. 🙃
If that tape exists and the Russians have it, they should just nuke us all now rather than release it.
I think Bezos had the right idea. Get the spaceship ready lads.
Jesus Christ. Nuke it from orbit.
This thread is hectic and interesting, I also think I’m going to have to moderate how often I check it in the days ahead though.
Goodnight all, I fall asleep hoping to wake up to news that Putin has been shot in the head by a colleague.
To be fair, I think the Ukrainians are doing a fair job bloodying the nose of the Russian army soon far. The high estimate of Russian casualties 5 days in is around 4,000. If it's even only half of that, it's still a bad start for the Russians. Comparing to the Russo-Georgian war, lasting twice that long, and Russian casualties sit around 350.
Yes, the Russians could potentially roll up to Kiev and subject it to such a hellish bombardment that it leaves nothing of the city's inhabitants other than the fillings in their teeth, but that kind of brutal onslaught in the full glare of 21st century media will only bring more international condemnation, more sanctions and more commitments for military support to Ukraine. The tunnel vision the Russians are displaying in all of this is pretty staggering.
There are unsubstantiated claims of a video of himself and CD doing the naughty thing in a Moscow hotel.
Whatever about the nukes, nobody wants it to come to that tape being released.
Yeah, it's not just as straightforward as people saying "the young people have access to internet and don't like him". I'm sure plenty don't. Their culture appears to tend to look up to figures like Putin though. I'm sure that that could change over time. But it does filter down somewhat even to the young people who have traveled.
I don't think the fella I know would be in favour of the war. I just mean in terms of their understanding of how their world works. That's just their normal
"The Russian Foreign Ministry: Those who supply Ukraine with lethal weapons will bear the consequences"
The poor guy writing out the list is going to get RSI.
(this a new threat, not the original)
The biggest load of bull honkey swallowed by apologists is the supposed stance and outlook of Russian speakers and ethnic Russians in Ukraine - that they all want to cut and run from the country and be absorbed by Russia. It's absolute swill. Ukraine has been transformed since 2014, and it was never particularly true before then either. Philosophically, politically and in terms of national self-identity it is a changed country. And this war has pushed it into never-going-back territory.
Putin and irredentist Russian nationalists over the border want to believe this is how ethnic Russians and Russian speakers think. Putin has been broadcasting it to the world this is how he thinks Russian ethnics should be orientated and is doing his damndest to will it into reality.
This maniacal sentiment trying to brainwash the world that this vision should come to pass because he sits in draughty lonely halls in the Kremlin meditating on it, is not just barmy, it's brought Europe to the brink of all-out-war.
Ukrainians, ethnic Russians and ethnic Ukrainian alike don't buy it for a second and are rejecting it with all they have, so why are foreigners eating it up? It's bizzare.
tonight is the night, Kyiv abu
Those Finnish mots can be dangerous yokes alright. Stunners.
He was unavoidably detained by Miss Moneyrouble.
Praying for the Ukrainians in Ukraine tonight. Kharkiv sounds like it’s suffered quite a number of civilian losses. I’ve a very bad feeling about Kyiv and what’s in store…Putin is backed into a corner, really hope I’m wrong.
Maybe you're right about time we stand for something more tbh. We can only enjoy the fruits of our civilisation if we have a solid image of the type of world we want. I Cringe sometimes at the world that we live in where particularly in Ireland we will make concessions on certain values if it means a few points to our GDP. It saddens me that this is a world where hapless buffoons celebrate a Saudi Arabia investment fund taking over their team so they can sign a few footballers.
I for one would be willing to sacrifice whatever trappings of modernity we have if it means we push back against tyrants like Putin.
I will of course answer but before I do, you should remember that just because I pick holes in "pro ukraine" posts doesn't mean I support Putin or Russia. For example, if someone says Putin is obviously mentally unhinged and I say I don't think he is, that he wants a Russian puppet in Ukraine as Ukraine are moving closer to the west, doesn't mean I actually support Putin.
Right, onto your questions:
Russia and Putin are 100% in the wrong for invading Ukraine. Ukraine and it's people are pro EU and Russia have no right to invade and force Ukrainians under the influence of Russia.
It is absolutely inevitable that Russia will win this war. Ukraine can not match the Russians. Zelenskyy unfortunately is going to end up dead or be put in a prison like Navalny imo. That being said, Russia can't control a country and population so big long term. 40m + people in a massive geography with a huge anti Russia population.
No, I don't believe Ukraine is governed by Nazis etc. However, in trying to understand why Putin views them as Nazis, he views them as such because Zelenskyy has taken measures to remove Pro Russia voices. When Putin calls them Nazi's, he's not calling them Nazis because they hate Jewish people, he's calling them Nazi's due to perceived actions during WW2. There's a belief or notion from WW2 that some nationalists in Ukraine sided with the Nazis to go against Soviet Russia. Now Putin is making out that those in power now are nationalists who are against Russia, therefore they are the same as Nazis.
Far right elements in Ukraine? By what barometer are you defining far right? I'd imagine, like most eastern european countries that gays and black people wouldn't be very welcome.
Do I wish for an overall Russian victory? No. I personally would surrender though. If Ireland got invaded by the UK, I'd rather live under British rule than die and be put under British rule anyways.
Yes I support Ukrainians right to defend themselves.
Am I more sympathetic to the Russian side? Of course not. There was a childrens hospital on RTE earlier and my heart sank.
Unfortunately, Ukraine is not going to win here. Russian will take control for at least a short time. The government will be removed.
Saw that in earlier thread. Very smart. Got to get the message past the state controllers and through to ordinary Russians.
That's a great idea, thanks for sharing it.
This idea of sitting back in case Putin launches a nuke is all well and good but when do you call his bluff.
Let's say he succeeds in Ukraine and kills 100s of thousands. Then decides to go for the baltics and if we touch him he nukes us and then Poland and Finland.
At some point you need to push back and the longer he goes the more brazen he'll get. If that covoy attacks Ukraine then I think that fully justifies a counter strike purely on humanitarian grounds. Theres kids with cancer cowering in fear or what's going on whilst we all sit back and worry about ourselves and our own little patch of grass. I for one would prefer not to live under the cloud of a threatened nuclear strike for years whilst millions of innocent people die just so I'm alright Jack.
The actual chess master (Garry Kasparov) has been highly critical of Putin for a long time.
In Georgia he just smashed the place up. But that was a much smaller country and arena. They couldn't put up a real fight.
Let's hope he won't do that here. Hard to see him doing that given this is a much higher profile situation for the west than Georgia was and he is already enduring crippling sanctions.
... racists, Fr Ted memes, attention seekers, proper military intelligence, offence junkies, great links, hysterics, thanks whores - (Glory to Ukraine, you know who you are), philosophy, psychology, pshychosis, and... no proper boards thread exists without, Kermit de Frog, genuine respect, best poster on this entire website.
apparently the Russians are putting Ukrainian flags on their tanks and military vehicles over the z or v emblems, beware they are morphing
Why have you not ignored the bullshitters and spoofers, like most of us have? The real news and interesting analysis here has been brilliant. I wouldn't know the difference between a MIG 19 and a BB gun but have been so well informed this week by GreenP and other military people on here. Also brilliant historical/political analysis by Yurt and others. It's actually a very good thread StevenToast.
The Russians must have deployed the s400 within operating range of this large convoy so they don't have to worry about aerial threats on the advancement to Kyiv?
What if he's pushed into a corner and he knows it's curtains for him very soon? Might that change his perspective on "the end of the world and mankind"?
Thanks for that, it was my first thought when he invaded was he after some resource or mineral, makes perfect sense and very plausible theory.
Hopefully not, one of the main battles in which that tactic was used, was against an Ukrainian red army division.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/44th_Rifle_Division)
Air strikes and artillery should be fairly effective against a tightly-packed convoy. No idea why they are driving so close together, makes no sense.
This is not true
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