Russia - threadbanned users in OP

All very true. The one problem is energy. We need energy and it just so happens that dodgy countries have a lot of energy and the EU don't. Also mass manufacturing within the EU means even more energy needed.

And people still claim he's nothing like Hitler.

Honestly. She's not my type anyway... bright red lips and cost a fortune in puncture repair kits.

To be fair there is also an argument that attempting to make Russia dependent on the EU and Europe for trade and continuing to do business with them was an effort to try and avoid exactly what is happening right now: and you could argue that any rational/intelligent Russian government would never have invaded Ukraine given the fact they're also reliant on the European market for their energy exports.

Indeed if Europe and the EU had zero dependence on Russian energy exports or trade exports in general then they wouldn't have the same leverage they do now in terms of sanctions and economic punishment.

It's all well and good saying with what we know now that Germany and Europe's policies w.r.t. Russia have clearly failed; but I think it's not so easy to argue that they should never have tried in the first place.

China doesn't have access to vast domestic energy resources. With the right attitude we can become energy independent pretty quickly. People in ireland need to accept that that means nuclear power here and we shouldn't be afraid of that. Look at Ukraine with multiple successful reactors even coming from a communist background.

The likes of Ukraine are ideally placed to be one of those countries to replace China on the supply chain. Not afraid of nuclear. Close to the ME for any additional energy. Large population who are not yet gone soft like us in the west and are willing to do manual work.

Also not really sure we should be surprised that China is taking a confrontational approach to the situation.

Naturally they're "open to offering military support to Russia" because they know full well the West and NATO don't want them to do so. Whether they actually do so and in any significant numbers is the question: I mean they also sent aid to Ukraine to the tune of some $700,000 so they can still claim "China has provided humanitarian relief to Ukraine". They could equally send 10,000 7.62mm rounds to Russia and claim "China has provided military aid to Russia".

They could also be trying to leverage for decreased support from Western nations for Taiwan in exchange for not supplying Russia; etc.

Brit journalist in serious condition. Both legs seriously mangled by shrapnel.

If anything good comes out of this mess, it will be the end of western led globalism. It has been tottering since 2008. A new cold war with Russia and China would just about do it I think.

It isn't amazing that China would back Russia. The US is clearly hostile towards China and has been for a long time. Any effort to co-operate with the US and the West in general seems doomed to failure - The Uyghur crisis, the HK riots, US support for Taiwan, etc etc. Perhaps the Chinese feel it is better to support a friendly Russia that can supply it with gas, oil and food whilst tying up US/NATO attention in Europe. The benefits of supporting the US in the conflict are dubious and short term. If the US managed to crush Russia, they would then move on to attacking China next.

I have to admit, I'm impressed with total media control that exists. Russia claims the US and Ukrainians are researching chemical/biological weapons and within 24 hours the script is entirely flipped that it is the Russians who are planning to use chemical/biological weapons. Really remarkable stuff.

Very good point. Man, there's been such a calamitous western policy. We made the mistake in the west in thinking that every country wanted what we had. So we figured if we open to commie China, capitalism and western contact would eventually bring them out of authoritarianism and into the 'free world'. Same mistake we made with Russia. Our policies have made China dominant. They were a 3rd world nation 25 years ago literally getting aid money from the west.

This is brave

Can't see how. There is barely a thing you touch in your home or work life that if not entirely made in China certainly has a number of parts that do. You sanction them and 10s of thousands of western businesses cease production in the morning. Millions of jobs and almost no alternative means of supply. Theres not a chance it happens.

The best option is for the EU to incentivise Eastern Europe to start production of certain critical items and the US do the same with central America. Its a double win for the US as it'll also stop the immigration from Central America if they help those countries and reduce the problems with drug cartels.

The Kremlin created baseless claims about labs in Ukraine.

A Russian military truck with a chemical warning symbol was recently photographed, that and other intelligence hinted that Russia could be preparing a chemical attack as a false flag or provocation. Given that Putin has openly used chemical weapons before, his forces have fired on a nuclear power station in this war, and prior to the invasion there was several small false flag attacks in Donbass (which were predicted, including the invasion itself), it's unsurprising those warnings were taken quite seriously. And continue to be.

Pretty much a death sentence.

Incredible bravery.