Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Well, democracies do dispense with some of their normal "rule of law" and extremely generous freedoms under many special circumstances. That was seen clearly during natural disaster of Covid-19.

Now it is a human agent putting societies in the West under a severe threat. Russia has to be hit every way it can (bar militarily) and for future security our societies may have to be disconnected from it now. This may be for the long term, especially in event Putin succeeds in his desires here. That is still possible I think, but the level of brutality it might take is awful given Ukrainian population don't seem likely to go along with it. You have to wonder though, has Putin finally gone "crazy", in the offhand way we apply to a tyrant like Stalin/Mao/Pol Pol etc? How far would he go? Will Putin be willing to create that level of suffering in Ukraine & would Russian state/the army/security services etc. be a willing instrument?

No more new visas, and removing people known to be tied to Putin & Russian leadership seems a good idea. Whatever about UK and emigres, I'd say it could happen sooner than you expect in EU anyway. I believe the fury with Russia + fear of it which will build up in the former "Soviet bloc" members could be to something to behold if this continues and situation gets worse in Ukraine.

• Your smart a*se reply cuts no ice. The least you could have done was to express some sympathy. "Oleg Fedko lost his wife Irina, 27, children Sofia, six, and Ivan, six-weeks, and parents Oleg Sr, 56 and Anna, 56

after what Russia/Putin did to Chechnya/Grozny and Georgia/Tbilisi and the Chechens are now dying to fight alongside this murder machine and Georgia are not sanctioning Russia like most other European countries, seems Putin does get what he wants through force, total subjugation

While NATO can only defend a fellow member, are there red lines that could be crossed? Is there anything that would trigger a.."ah, fook this" moment from NATO?

Radio Moscow gone off the air?

And how many more Russians are following in behind them, Ukraine would defeat Russia given there amazing spirit and determination if even some additional strong air support was supplied. It's just too big an ask without the west actually providing intervention. God i really hope i am wrong and they can somehow pull off a miracle but i doubt it.

Throughout the thread i have seen time and time again comments about not intervening before in this case or that case, this country or another country and why should now be any different. Well maybe its time we all as a world stand up to bullies and say enough is enough, we failed before are we going to fail yet again in Ukraine.

I don't know...it's getting late now and I don't think I want to consider that vista in too much detail (despite posting about it). Am just hoping for a better outcome.

Yes, that's what happened in former Yugoslavia. Completely airborne assault to halt ethnic cleansing and mass displacement outside of NATO countries.

No, I did not. However, you are referring to official EU documents. Most people that I know do not even read them. What is Ukrainian language policy is about is a bit different:

https : // www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/parliament-passes-ukrainian-language-bill.html

It was seen as largely pro-Ukrainian and anti-Russian in Russia (I doubt that Eastern Ukraine saw it differently but I do not know a lot of people from there). If I were in Eastern Ukraine, I would not like to be called "ethnic minority".