Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Rt is nothing but a Kremlin misinformation system ,it's not a news channel or anything like it ,

It's the KGB broadcasting and some poor sods are buying Into it hook line and sinker ,

Id Gladly see it banned outside of Russia ,they have offices all over the world including on college and university campuses that's an intelligence operation

Not the last time this will be said.

It does matter what the threshold is because if there is one there needs to be a reason for it to be whatever it is which you don't seem to be able to answer. Or rather you can't answer it because you know it has no answer but are refusing to admit that because it will make you look ridiculous.

Some Ukrainians did volunteer to fight for Germany, motivated by their hatred of Communism, but the country as a whole didn't. They were welcoming to the Germans in June 1941 because they saw them as liberators, but the Germans themselves put paid to that idea pretty quickly. In fact the Germans' plan for Ukraine was starvation: grabbing all the grain and using it to feed Germany. Ukraine suffered horrendously under both the swastika and the hammer and sickle.

I think the fact is that neither Ukraine or Georgia are getting into the EU any time particularly soon. It's one thing to make an emotional pronouncement about wanting them in the club, but the practicalities of it come to the fore when it really gets discussed. If those countries don't meet certain criteria to join, but are still admitted, you're opening up a pandora's box of complaints. The Balkan states will be asking questions, for a start. If the Ukrainian/Georgian governments are corrupt, you potentially have more rogue actors in the EP and CoE, and the EU is already at odds with Orban. If Ukraine and Georgia aren't of a certain standard economically, there could be discontent about Ukrainians and Georgians taking up job opportunities in the west of Europe but not really offering much opportunity themselves.

Worse, Timmy contradicts himself by saying the threshold, if there was one, is irrelevant but then stating that it's because they are a large area and not some village therefore implying that the threshold does matter 🤷

Fair enough, that's your experience. Like I say the ones I know and they are well educated, the best they come up with is " there are two sides to every story" . If you probe them at all on what is happening they resort to the usual broken English, don't understand, mode.

The Chinese hold trillions of US debt. Which is no good to them at all if the US turns around and puts down strict sanctions. Russia has a big warchest of foreign currency which is effectively worthless to them while sanctions are enforced.

Apparently, there is an age differential. Older people are much more likely to believe the non stop lies / propaganda being pumped out by state TV. Younger people are more sceptical (less likely to watch TV at all and have far greater access to social media).

There wasn't much of an intelligentsia nor middle class in Ukraine for a very long time as they ended up dead, in gulags or somewhere out West. They had to relearn much of this idea of statehood and culture after independence. They did of course continue that black market shadiness and blatant corruption from the Soviet days, of which there are still vestiges. That said their concepts of hospitality are pretty much identical to the Poles and in western Ukraine they would see them as cousins.

You brought this whole argument up about whether the DPR and LPR independence movements should be allowed, so either you come up with something to back your argument or we move on.

No I didn't. And im not arguing anything. Ive not taken a side if they should or shouldn't be.

I was replying to someone who asked the question if they should be recognised with my own question about why they should be and not a village, house etc. You tried to answer my question and failed.

IMHO we should be sending those anti- tank missiles for sure. We may not be part of any military alliance but we clearly are not neutral in this conflict.