If the Russians feel a sharp economic shock from this, it's still nothing compared to what the Ukrainians are feeling right now, having their houses blown up and family and friends killed. I don't particularly rejoice in the fact that ordinary Russians will suffer from the sanctions imposed, but if it ends up that it causes them, en masse, to apply enough pressure on their own government to end the war, then it will have been for the better.
God, I haven’t seen one of them in yonks. Do you remember you would go into those shops to make long-distance calls with the call-card….
Russia keeping it's stock market closed until at least March 9th.
Double the population of Australia isn't what i would call small.
The crypto market has taken quite a dent also and apparently it won’t be as simple as I thought for them to secure their money and to trade in crypto
LMFAO -OMG PMSL
Oh god - Desperate times but we have to laugh occasionally -
That twitter coup earlier - listen i would love it to end this way - renew all of our faith in humanity to get rid of Putin - but when i imagined a Twitter coup release - i LMAO -
Imagined CNN breaking the story
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CNN BREAKING NEWS: CNN have word that a super secret meeting has taken place between agents of the FSB, and high ranking political AND military leadership -The topic under discussion, toppling Vladimir Putin!! While not present at this secret meeting, CNN can EXCLUSIVELY report that options including
All are being discussed, and CNN WILL OF COURSE, follow this SUPER SECRET STORY with Growing anticipation. NOW WE TURN TO DISCUSS IT with the head of the CIA, and Deputy head of the FBI, whom, we are told, have just finished gathering their thoughts, after having apparently laughed continuously since this story was announced
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As I said, it will take millions of them on the streets (not a few brave thousand who get hauled off to jail) to potentially force the Mad Tsar to reverse course.
No sign of that yet. So they need to be squeezed harder.
Depends who holds a lot of Russia's debt.
I am still laughing at this btw -
What about all the irish people employed by the American Banks near the IFSC? Will they be okay?
Was watching something on Stalingrad earlier. The Russian tactics were to put in just the right amount of soldiers and firepower each time, to keep the Germans occupied. The Russians were lambs to the slaughter but ultimately it was to eventually lead to the full on assault of the entire red army.
Russia are believed to have put in about 150k troops and by the looks of things, they were their bottom of the barrel.
You'd wonder if what is happening is their Stalingradesque tactics, put in the minimum requirement to constantly wear down the defenses and then go full on at a later date.
Hopefully. But in the short term that means they'll hit Ukraine even harder and that's the heartbreaking part.
Though as the sanctions are coming from the west, I just wonder how far Putin can be pushed before he says Russia is now at war with all of Europe and the gloves are off.
Mostly they work in global securities services - providing outsourced services to very large asset managers. Russia is pretty insignificant in the overall scheme of things.
Russia is effectively defaulting at this stage - At the end of the day if some bond holders go under - Look it will impact the global financial system (to what extent i dont know)
What should be more important for Russia - is that no one will EVER purchase a bond from them again. Or lease them an aircraft - not the 'current' incarnation of Russia under putin
Just seeing Children killed by Russian bombs on BBC ten O clock news.
What a evil person Putin is!!
I am sorry, but this is delusional.
The Ukrainian army is vastly out-numbered in all aspects here while facing an opponent that is systematically destroying their country on a daily basis. While the Ukrainians have performed admirably and have given as good as they've got, the overwhelming Russian numbers will eventually just grind them down. Anything the Russians lose they can replace. Fuel, ammunition, men, equipment, planes, tanks, Russia have the capacity to make. Anything the Ukrainians lose in most cases won't be replaced and whatever the west is supplying is only a fraction of what is being lost on a daily basis. As long as Ukraine stands alone, it's only a matter of time until they are overwhelmed.
of the arse hopefully
It is crazy that Ukrainians went from the relative stability of Covid and social distancing and lockdowns to a war. From stuck in their houses for months to refugees.
This is the first genuine Refugee crisis in Europe since the break up of Yugoslavia.
Imagine what would happen if Putin died tomorrow from cancer? Would the war end?
😆
Could his Army even drive to the Polish border without stalling?
It would offer whoever replaces him with an opportunity to end it and blame the folly on Putin.
Russians soldiers shooting them indiscriminately as they flee is worse in my opinion. Whatever about the psyche of person pressing a button and letting misses fly you have to be a particularly sick cnut to point a gun at a child and pull the trigger.
pretty much, bowel cancer apparently...
Unfortunately I think you are right although I keep getting hopeful. I think they will level every city unless the Ukrainians surrender and I don't know if they will.
Not delusional. I would accept that things are arguably dire - But the whole situation is bizarre.
before this conflict began i would have agreed - but i heard a quote yesterday on LBC from Professor Michael Clarke
'People Say Russia has a Large Modern Army. Its not exactly true; The part of Russia's army that is large, is not Modern. And the Modern part is not large. They have a lot of people in Uniform.'
Add to that some of the shambolic displays we have seen - and the fact their main convoy is completely bogged down. Nothing is certain at all.
Add to that the fact the Ukrainians have a huge tactical advantage - they know the terrain. And they have done nothing else for the past 10 days but prepare for this. The Ukrainians are fighting for their homes and their country. The Russians DO NOT KNOW why they are even there? Their morale is as bogged down as their Tanks
The situation is dire - but its not hopeless - and economic sanctions ARE A FRONT in this war.
IMHO
So the french did move the Charles de Gaulle carrier to off the coast of Romania in the black sea , which is a curious move in the current situation ,
On the contrary, I think we may be witnessing the Russian state's will to prosecute this war cracking. And Ukraine's resolve hasn't budged.
This is one man's war - I don't believe the Russian military brass were or are behind it. Shogyu has looked like a bulldog with a mouthful of nettles the past few weeks. He's an army man and knows that taking orders from his President is his duty, but as I pointed out earlier in the thread, he's known to be a voracious reader of history, and is a far more intelligent man than Putin. He's also a soldier through and through, and it's likely he recognises this is a war with no upside for Russia. I can't remember where it's from, but some commentator said the other week "the last thing Russia needs is more land". It can barely govern what it has, and it's not going to hold down a country twice the size of Germany with a deeply hostile population armed by Nato.
The reports of a coup with him behind it (presumably from US intelligence, who have been pretty spot on let's be honest) are credible in my mind. Let's see how it plays out.
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