Not really no. It's seems to me it's more symbolic than anything, it means they are hitching their wagon to the EU, no ambiguity. Makes it harder for Putin to play his propaganda games down the line. Even if they don't get accepted, it's a smart move considering the current atmosphere.
There's no point reaching out to these people at all. Putin controls the narrative and they have a tendency to entrench and back their strong man anyway. We can only hope that those Russians who haven't drunk the Kool-Aid can get the message to the others.
That or it finally dawns on the rest why their lives are now sh1t. Hammer them economically and...er...sportily(?)...as hard as their army is hammering Ukrainian civilians militarily.
Is there anything to protect Moldova from Russian invasion if it becomes part of the EU?
You do realise that in a war situation all collabotaters are dealt with. Worth bearing in mind.
I am just watching the BBC news here showing trains full of refugees arriving in Berlin, and the overwhelming generous reception they are getting.
The concourse was full of German host families holding up signs offering accommodation so much so they were outnumbering the refugees.
The sheer humanity and decency of the German people is really heartwarming and quite emotional to witness.
Such a stark contrast to the sheer brutality from the Russians.
I agree somewhat, but I think the mass cut-off of Russia, of almost everything, sends a message from the world that the Kremlin can't hide. If they don't get it now, they never will.
Yeah and you're right but these kind of images will be all around Russian TV. The Americans were doing the same thing in Afghanistan and Iraq and they called it the battle for 'hearts and minds'. Its will play well for Ukranians to an extent, but it's mostly for the people back home to support the 'special operational, as they call it.
Scoff at it if you like but it's as important in the propaganda war for Russians as any of the violent images thst we've seen which have boiled our blood or the compassionate images which melted our hearts.
We're entering Donald Trump "very fine people on both sides" territory with that post.
If you are Russian, I think you have a great deal of soul searching to do about what your country has become under Putin, and whether this war should be conducted in your name and if you're happy to have it conducted in your name. A good deal of soul searching about Russia's role in the world and how it ought to relate to its neighbours and the world as a whole.
It's easy to shrug your shoulders, and you appear to be doing so - but if the best you can do is going to Google and plugging in a search term to find some bad sh*t that other countries have done, you'll have lost the respect of a lot of people reading your posts.
Perhaps that doesn't bother you, perhaps you're happy for Russia to become the Millwall of the international community - "nobody likes us and we don't care". But this is going to come with costs for Russia, and you need to reconcile yourself with that. This is not one where you can hope your country can brazen it out and hopefully have a comeback special on HBO after a certain length of time.
I’m all for banning sporting events etc…to send the loudest message possible but the worry is that censorship would only further embolden the Russian people into hating nato and probably Europe. The fact that only a minority use access to this information as you allege(and you’re probably right) should not warrant restricting this access entirely. Iron curtains are erected to keep information out, the west has no need for such a thing, it’s not a part of our principles.
The internet is dominated by big tech and if the ability for Russians to create accounts is removed it essentially limits their access to information. Allowing them to gives them the opportunity to troll the world with their disinformation but this must be a sacrifice we’re willing to make for the greater good. I would trust that big tech seem to have gone after the largest purveyors of disinformation already(deliberate misinformation) and trust them to ban those people, but a sweeping ban on all Russians seems short sighted and not in our best interests in the long run.
Even though his kids are hiding in Germany.
Yes you are trying to excuse it, you've done nothing but that since you activated this account recently. As men, women and children are being shelled and butchered by Russian forces invading Ukraine you are focusing in on some bullshit PR exercise in a thinly veiled pretense at being "balanced" here
Here's a video for you (there are many like this, it will never be shown in Russia) Warning NSFW. This is one of the milder ones
I don't see him keeping any part of the Ukraine as any way acceptable to the Ukrainian people. It'd be akin to the British coming here and saying "Hey lads, you know how we have those 6 counties? Well, we'd like Donegal now too, thanks"
I also don't see the NATO condition being a goer either. Surely this whole debacle shows the need for Ukraine to further align itself with NATO/EU so that it can protect itself better?
More superb broadcasting from the Ukrainians. You really have to take your hat off to them.
It's interesting that they claim the order to attack was signed on January 18th. A month after that people were still saying "there is no invasion".
They are using aircraft and drones we've have been tracking them.
And no they wouldn't need thousands of special forces on the ground , Syria and Afghanistan are huge and special forces were deployed in small operating bases ,
Will the catastrophes never end! 🐈
Ahh that's so nice of them while they are blowing up their brethren not too far away
Sanctions getting personal now
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60582327?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=62212def980bea49f4b7af52%26Russian%20cats%20banned%20from%20competitions%262022-03-03T21%3A22%3A37.162Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:a51ffb8f-9497-4f5e-a395-c775cc6274d0&pinned_post_asset_id=62212def980bea49f4b7af52&pinned_post_type=share
There's a get out jail card here surely for Putin, who may be never have intended to go this far, and to save face in the process. And that is a peace agreement with Ukrain, brokered by China, appearing as the peacemakers, with the condition that Ukraine never join Nato. Putin gets to make his point and gets to keep some of east Ukrain in the process. Ukraine and the west would probably be willing signatories at this stage, and China keeps access to western markets. Otherwise it's curtains for Russia's economy and China would never give up access to western markets to support a mere $1.578 trillion economy that is Russia (not even 5 times that of little old Ireland's).
Should read at war with his sympathisers.
Every input in agriculture is up at least 50% in Agriculture. If it is vital then it is double or treble the cost.
That is global, before all those costs have fed through record prices are being set weekly.
Food inflation alone is going to be a global story and turn the world upside down.
Food inflation and supply is a follow on from Ukraine crisis but it may be where the world is most affected.
The Arab Spring started off the back of a fertilizer price hike that is hardly registrable compared to what's going on now and that is before the supply crisis.
Wheat and corn prices are a globally significant story now, more than Ukraine is.
Food supply is treated with contempt so few outside of agriculture are aware or care.
Fair play to them. Imagine if they didn't invade them, they could be saved the effort.
But, likely propaganda. We've seen Russian soldiers breaking into shops to get food. I doubt they have enough to give to civilians in any meaningful way
We are at war with the tyrant putin and his regime, but we are also at Warwick his sympathisers.
There's drones and satellites for that. Ukraine is also a massive country to defend. It would need thousands of special forces. As I said, unless there's either a specific target or the mission is to protect Zelenskyy, then western special forces will not be there unless just in an advisory capacity.
If he had continued with the exercises off the coast of Ireland and amassed a force there and invaded Ireland?
But gurkha's don't hide in tanks and large colums of vehicles .
I'd rather fight 10 Chechens than one gurka armed with a kukri
See Bismark.
So the enemy cannot get it.
Good piece on Prime Time about the Russian media propaganda machine. They're not quite at North Korea levels, but not too far off it either.
Interesting how they have to follow the Putin party line of depicting Ukrainians as 'Nazis', degenerates, drug users, terrorists etc (it seems an extraordinary way of describing the government and citizens of a neighbouring state).
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