There's a difference between knowing what's going on and speaking about it or against it though, especially when you look at how protesters are being treated in Russia and the threat of 15 years in prison for the mere mention of war etc, I think we could be mistaking Russian peoples fear of speaking about what is happening with an ignorance of what is happening.
It's quite simple and I'm really scratching my head why this isn't bloody obvious; in every other war where the US/NATO went in the threat of thermonuclear armageddon wasn't on the cards. Even the many proxy wars the East and West were involved in during the 20th century. When the risk of thermonuclear armageddon was on the cards in the Cuban missile crisis, both sides blinked and for good reasons. Never mind that the wars the US has jumped into didn't exactly go to plan for all concerned, save for arms dealers and other bottom feeders.
Let Russia destroy Europe and the West
More hysterics. Russia is having a hard time destroying a nation they thought they could just roll into and even if they look like they've won in a week, they'll be bogged down in a bloody insurrection that'll send more and more bodybags back to Mother Russia. An attack on Europe/NATO would make their Ukraine misadventure look like a kid's playdate, with ice cream for all. And well they know it.
The same Mother Russia that is going bankrupt by the day, that will be cut off from the vast majority of the rest of the world, whose airlines have to skirt all western airspace, until they run out of parts for their aircraft and can't fly anymore. Hell, since yesterday Aeroflot can't even take bookings. Their banking system is fúcked. Their currency costs more to print than it is worth. Forget western governments, the corporate world is attacking them and hard and in many ways on a day to day basis they actually have more power. Western governments actions and rhetoric hurt, but corporate actions will send them back to the good old days of the Soviet Union, but not in the way Putin dreams of.
I said people like you, learn to read what your replying to before going off the deep end. We are in a different world since Putin invaded Ukraine, calling people hysterical because you think were safe is pretty small minded and narcissistic after the last week in my opinion.
Not really amazing, we know exactly why there's been no pushback on Russia. Same reason why Russia has never pushed into NATO, despite fairly regularly taking the piss. Other countries like Iraq and Iran have no nuclear deterrent.
Attacking Russia on principle is a stupid move when there's a possibility of nuclear escalation. People can't eat principles when you've fucked your environment.
One possibility here is a negotiated de-escalation. Russia agrees to NATO enforcing a no-fly zone for all aircraft between Poland and the self-declared autonomous regions in the east. It means a longer war in East Ukraine, but will certainly allow Ukraine to route forces elsewhere in the country.
The apparent incompetence of the Russian forces in the West is likely a distraction anyway, Russia is using it as a way to ensure that Ukraine's defences are spread thinly rather than all focussed in the east.
Are younger or older than 10 years of age?
It's very grim, but the more coffins go back to Russia, the more people will wake up there
The main reason Putin is tolerated or even admired over there is because he drastically improved the standard of living for most Russians especially in his first stint of President.
They are not rich by any stretch of the imagination but compared to Soviet times it's a different world.
People disappearing, or 25 journalists having tragic accidents falling out windows was all tolerated because of the economy, there is many other reasons too, but largely the economy, at the end of the day people are understandably selfish, 'well my life has improved why should I care if that dissident managed to hang himself from a tree with 2 broken legs".
But think about just 10 days ago.
Putin and some of the intelligence thought it was 3 days to topple Kyiv and the soundings from the West were very wishy washy Sanctions.
Well 10 days later and fúcking wheels have been blown off the Soviet fun bus.
Unless Putin has botoxed himself completely retarded he is acutely aware of the peril he is in.
It's why you are seeing a mammoth crack down in Russia.
What if some anti-Putin opposition political figure set up a provisional government (or similar) in Russia and applied for EU membership?
Also for all the "they don't know what's going on" stuff, the fuckers in IKEA seemed to know something was up. I'm sure anyone with an interest in the financial markets know what's happening. Anyone who follows F1 will know what's going on. Anyone who watches football knows what's going on. Any boxing fans know what's going on. The 10s of millions (total) followers of the influencers on Instagram know what's going on. All those people queuing up to take their money out know what's going on. Everyone who was going to go on holidays knows what's going on. Anyone who works in shipping knows what's going on. All the people who work even tenuously in logistics know what's going on. And the millions who work in and around the army, air force, navy and all the merceneries and paramilitaries know what's going on.
I'm past the point of "understanding" for the Russian people at this point. Their government doesn't want to be treated as good-faith actor, fine. And yeah, oppression and brainwashing have an effect but come on ffs, the pretence that none of them know what's happening, **** that.
To be honest, I don’t think a no fly zone is impossible. At some stage the west has to ask it’s self, how much slaughter is too much. If they get away with it now, they will always get away with it.
Fair enough , sorry! Yeah it feels a bit hopeless. They are turning into North Korea
I don't know how to use boards anymore.
I found this video yesterday of his 1st inauguration in 2000...how menacing does he look on his walk in at 1:07..he still walks like that,apparently he was trained to swing his left arm while keeping his dominant right arm straight in case he needs to grab a weapon from his spy days.
Has anyone heard that?
He makes Yeltsin look like a teddy bear.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YSfSmVGiQjI
Russian troops opened fire on a civilian vehicle, carrying a father and son along with the dogs they were evacuating from the town of Ivankiv in the Kyiv region. The father was killed and the son recorded the encounter on his phone.
The video is heart breaking ...
No need for the **** off escalation. That wasn't directed at you (or any other poser for that matter), more towards the Russian propaganda machine, it is still the line they hold pretty much.
Don't lump me in with russian supporters or apologists. Just because I claimed Ireland was as safe as Brazil at the moment. **** off
I don't believe Russia can afford to start a Nucleur war. Its the end of the world if so for everyone.
Yeah, IRA bombings famously turned the British people in favour of the IRA cause...
Terrorist tactics are grand as a very long term strategy. In the short term they'd just help boost morale and support for Putin to help him get over the hump of unpopularity brought on by sanctions.
Some probably still are....sure it's only a special peace keeping mission.
We are better than that and aspire to be better again. I should and am able to say "Putin is a poison dwarf fascist with a tiny mickey who should be put down like the rabid cur he is" or "Putin is the leader we all should have and I will follow him to valhalla". In shítholes like Russia I can only say one thing or face censure or worse. The official script is already written. In a free society is isn't. That's the difference. Or should be. But the human nature of the herd mind can make fools of lofty aspirations when emotionals run high.
Not confirmed if this is the column near Kyiv under attack.
Correct. They left Aleppo in absolute ruins after 1 month of sustained heavy air strikes. They flattened it to rubble. They dropped massive (200-500kg of explosive) unguided bombs including enhanced blast, fragmentation, and concrete-penetrating bombs on Aleppo. They even did 'double tap' bombing on that city and there wasn't half enough outrage about it. That is what are capable of. They did the same in Grozny in 2000.
However they have not used their massive air strike capability in Ukraine yet. It has been all artillery and missiles to date and their cruise missile accuracy is questionable. It could be one of the reasons they have not claimed full air supremacy - the Ukrainians air defences probably still pack a punch. They have used attack helicopters and some short-range fighters but not their long-range attack aircraft and bombers. They had complete air supremacy in Syria and as the ground offensive struggles, we could see Putin become more vicious.
We can't. The West would obliterate Russia in any conventional conflict and it would immediately go to a very dangerous nuclear escalation.
Time for a Ukrainian paramilitary organization to blow up economic targets in Moscow and try assassinate some key Putin heads a la the 'RA.
If the IRA could do it in Britain in the 70's and 80's some Ukrainians definitely could now, coupled with the fact they would in most likelihood have much more soft support / sympathy from the "other side". Getting to the stage there isn't much to lose, he's bombing the fcuk out of them either way.
You misunderstand what I'm saying. If NATO enforcer a no fly zone, and they havento fight Russian planes, then nato is at war with Russia. So the NATO troops in Poland are boots on the ground. They're just in Poland rather than Ukraine and Poland is fair game for Russian attack because they're at war.
Are you suggesting NATO could win the entire war with Russia from the air. Without boots on the ground? Thst strikes me as the kind of arrogance that Russia showed when they invaded Ukraine. "Shur, defeating the enemy would be easy" is the sentiment Russia expressed snd were all laughing at them for it. Let's not do the same thing ourselves.
Isn't it amazing that US/Nato never had the balls ever to stand up to Russia. They have gone into other wars before with less valid reasons. They would make you sick. Attacking a nuclear plant and shelling it. If this isn't a threat to Europe I don't know what is. Let Russia destroy Europe and the West
Exactly! I posted about that Czech fella as a warning.. we need to hold on to these liberties.
Yes but that's also WW3 very, very quickly. Russia would be immediately outclassed, which would quickly raise the spectre of nuclear warfare
Some were always more equal than others.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/e050b53be62f0ae2404c620976170938.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://we.vanillicon.com/v2/eedacf599b4135dfd56d6fdbddcbd867.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wa.vanillicon.com/v2/a08d55691d6f78a042612a7aa18ff3ab.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w2.vanillicon.com/v2/282101dc2976956f9dfc87f7a2ef2413.svg)
