Yes, I am afraid of the end of the world and nuclear war. I question your sanity if you aren't.
But since you are so brave, I presume you are leaving your old life behind and about to travel to Ukraine to join the international brigade? Otherwise you are full of hot air and dangerous guff, egging us on to oblivion.
I dont think it's going to change. Putin has been planning all of this for at least 15 years. Ukraine is a major step to pushing the western frontier back, to get a puppet Russian adminstration in place like Belarus. Next it will be Moldova, than the Baltics and who knows how far.
Putin wouldn't still be alive at whatever point there was any immediate prospect of Ukraine joining NATO for real.
I agree with a lot of this, but it does boil down to a simple common denominator, Putin's ambitions.
If NATO never existed, countries would rapidly be creating such an organisation right now. Also people have to be naive if they think NATO is the real reason Putin is invading Ukraine.
I hope our ambassadors would lie too, if it was in Ireland's interest. I would expect a bit more artfullness, given our national character.
If they wouldn't, there's something wrong with our recruitment process!
Why would you want to speak with a person who just a few days before the invasion said there wasn't going to be one. And is no justifying it at every turn. Do you really think that these people are worth talking to. They'd shake hands with their right and stab you in the guts with their left.
Apparently NATO has a detailed list of its inventory. Members have equipment that sits outside that inventory, and presumably that's what's being sent. It's a distinction without a difference if ever there was one.
Nice to see Health & Safety hasn't completely disappeared!
It follows on from the Ukrainian man removing a landmine with his bare hands last week, cigarette in his mouth.
Its been obvious from the start.
Most people are routing for Ukraine but time to be realistic.
I don’t claim to know the solution.
But many are going to die over the next while but the end will be a Russian victory.
IMO the "West" really just has to do its utmost to support Ukraine and to try & make sure Russia/Putin doesn't achieve what they wish to do here despite the costs it is likely to impose on Western economy. This is of course contingent on not going so far as provoking armageddon, by remaining inside the kind of lines that I believe were quite well understood by US/West/USSR etc. during the Cold war. They've done that so far.
I think most of us do understand. It is the people (several posters this morning) saying "well, try to remember the Russian side/pov, we're definitely not doing enough of that" at this moment in time that may be ones that have a edit:very...faulty understanding of the situation in spite of all the knowledge about Russia and its history or of Putin they may have (or think they have!).
No, but It's probably closer to that than Russia's less than 500.
It's normal to have concerns and fears, I grew up during the latter period of the Cold War. You would let Putin "have" Ukraine, okay and where do you draw the line? He can take Moldova? Georgia? territory in Finland?
Where's the line according to you?
Send some money for bullets or bandages: IBAN DE05504000005040040066
https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrahunok-dlya-zboru-koshtiv-na-potrebi-armiyi
You’re looking at it through your eyes, not Putin’s paranoid ones
The problem with 'nukes getting close to Russia' is exactly the problem because it gives the Russians an excuse to attack. It also gives them a propaganda weapon. Russian citizens are not in favor of having a military alliance on their doorstep so they'll support Putin on this basis alone. I keep saying it, there is evil in both of these camps and it is now for the peacemakers to make peace, hopefully by way of a treaty that will de-escalate the situation.
Was this kind of short, almost bullyish reply really necessary?
Someone went to the trouble of sharing and articulating their opinion, which seems to be along the lines of 'for the greater good' from what I've read, and you have 'reacted' to it because it's at odds with your views.
This is quite ironic in the context of the situation being discussed in the thread.
The russian army's morale (or the lack of it)
There was a British military expert on the news at One and he is indeed pessimistic about the cities in the east and south (thinks they will fall after shelling and blockade). He does hold out a lot of hope for Kyiv though and reckons it would be much more difficult for the Russians to take.
It's a likely extermination of the 2 million people who comprise Ukrains civil society. This is Stalin / Pol Pot levels of horror about to unfold. I saw something a couple days ago that they are already going door to door looking for people in the areas they control, so the pogrom may well be already underway.
This was explained by Anastasiya Shapochkina on France24. Shes a Ukrainian academic working in Paris and an expert on Russian politics.
Things have already gone too far for any compromise with Herr Putin. As long as he remains full sanctions need to and will remain - even if for years and Russian resembles a medieval fiefdom. I've full confidence existing sanctions will remain - the risk to the rest of the world is too great. It's an even colder war than previous, but as long as Putin is treated like El Presidente in Moscow he'll be content.
If Ukraine and Taiwan aren't worth saving, at which point do we get to one who is worth it? This sickening attitude of my corner of turf if ok so fcuk everyone else is what has led us down this path. Expansionism is something countries like Russia and China will pursue as long as they're let. Chinese soft expansionism has large swathes of Africa and Asia already under its thumb. Its only a matter of time before the soft version turns hard. Putin will go as long as he's let.
I agree on the sanctions. Anthing the hurts the little man will only turn public opinion against the west and motivate Russia's military. There was 20yrs spent on unjustified wars in the middle east where their presence only solidified the feeling of animosity. The one justifiable military action, in Ukraine, the west is turning its back on for fear of reprisals that will come eventually in any case if they are to come at all. Except we'll have lost multiple allies before it done.
Indeed countries can't always do what they want. Especially when people more than willing to give in to dictators are around.
Russia invaded. As you say a country can't always get what it wants. Russia should be pummeled with sanctions until it gives up Ukraine and acknowledges it as a sovereign country irrespective of what it wants.
The Estonian cargo ship Helt was Sunk outside the port of Odessa ,
How is targeting of civilian vessels not an act of war by Russia also a war crime ?
Putin may win his "peace keeping" "de-nazification" mission but he's not going to win all the other economic/financial/technological/propoganda/etc. wars that are going on ..
During the last 20 odd years Putin has been in power the Ruble has gone from 29 to 108 against the dollar and its only going to get far worse....
stories today of russian banks now charging an additional 30% commission for russians to convert their rubles ...
the russian people and economy will be destroyed by putins actions and ultimately enough will be enough....
If Russia does do a false flag and fire on its own people i can understand the warped thinking a little:
In other news I think Xi has played Putin like a proverbial fiddle. Supplied him with American intelligence in advance of the invasion knowing full well hard man Putin wouldnt back down but Putin would think the Chinese are on his side.
Xi gets to see what might happed if China invaded Taiwan and they get massively disounted oil and gas and whatever else they need from a Russian economy on its knees and desperate for cash.
With Russia out of SWIFT it starts using the Chinese CIPS which obviously the Chinese control.
I see Sergei Lavrov has said this morning that Russia will carry on the war with Ukraine until "the end", but the question is what does Russia consider the end?
Another interesting accusation he made:-
"Offering no evidence, Lavrov said Russia had information that the United States was worried about the prospect of losing control over what he described as chemical and biological laboratories in Ukraine and accused Britain of building military bases there"
Not on the home front. More and more Russians are being exposed to the 'actual' news and things could start to bubble. Hence the talk of possible martial law. An 'attack' on Russia would give Putin support to go 'get em'.
Not just schoolkids getting this nonsense, but the entire country. The entire media landscape is pro-Putin propaganda being passed off as "the truth" and "reality". It's almost on the scale of Nazi Germany in the 1930s....anyone who goes off message is at risk from being banished from the airwaves (or worse). Russia's best known talk show host was taken off air last week for posting an anti-war message on Instagram.
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