Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Oh, I think his time is limited, both politically and physically. His military has really been shown up here and he won't get another bite.

So what?

The point is that any referendum held there will be returned by an overwhelmingly Russian majority.

Not sure what you are on about here (EU "Russia" and "Energy" policy - these are mostly remit of the states' own governments or have been in past...suppose that could start to change now, or pace of changes pick up e.g. most of these govt. sanctions on Russia are being agreed upon between the member states at the EU level in a coordinated way rather than the individual countries doing it themselves).

Also are you sure that graph means what you think it does? If you compare, the EU is generally coming out better than the national "political systems" on the graph. (edit: also seems an absolute nonsense kind of polling question too, it is so subjective + would need to see the whole thing to understand it better...is there a "don't know" etc?)

Most of the national political systems in Europe (very wealthy and free part of the planet with people from all over battering down the gates to get in) are "broken" according to respondants. I think that may be catastrophising.

Come on Ukraine. Ease up a bit. Give the Ruskies a fighting chance...

APT

The exodus will only continue - Russia is toxic - companies leaving voluntarily is a good thing - and the above is apt

Honestly, that might be a net win for the Russian people. Less obesity, less social media, less awful programmes. These are luxury goods with substitutes. Oil, gas, food...harder to substitute.

Seems I am behind the times. It was a previous one I was thinking of:

"The Chinese head of Interpol has disappeared — in China

PARIS — French authorities launched an investigation into the disappearance of Interpol President Meng Hongwei, whose wife informed French police that he went missing after returning to his native China last week, local media reported Friday.

Meng, a former government minister, was last seen Sept. 29, his wife said, according to unnamed French police officials cited by France’s Europe 1 radio station." https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-chinese-head-of-interpol-has-disappeared--in-china/2018/10/05/4e4878c2-c88f-11e8-9c0f-2ffaf6d422aa_story.html

The current UAE guy has been accused of torture, so as inappropriate a head of Interpol as a Chinese national. What next, one of Putin's stooges?

South Ossetia is the breakaway state in Georgia that triggered the 2008 war - it's about the size of County Clare and has a population of less than 60,000 including the occupying Russian forces. If the Russian forces withdraw then there's nothing to prevent Georgia from retaking it.

Maybe they are going to take the Boris Johnson approach to international agreements.

Get the agreement signed and then ignore it....

Putin is some gallbag.

From Sky News:

The West wants to 'cancel Russia', Putin says

The Russian president has been speaking after President Zelenskyy addressed US Congress.

Mr Putin hasn't mentioned President Zelenskyy's speech where he repeated his calls for the US to impose a no-fly zone, but has been hitting out at the West for having "geopolitical aims which don't include a strong independent Russia".

He added that the West is trying to "cancel" Russia.

Mr Putin also said the West would not succeed in what he called its attempt to achieve global dominance and dismember Russia. 

If the West thinks that Russia will step back, it does not understand Russia, the Russian president said.

Earlier in the speech Mr Putin said Russia doesn't want to occupy Ukraine.

He added Russia didn't have any other option but to carry out what he has called a special military operation.

Mr Putin went on to claim he had "no other option for the security of Russia" than to carry out what he has called the "special military operation" in Ukraine.

He added that Ukraine had planned aggression against Russia that would be been backed by Western powers.

He also said Western powers want to create an "anti-Russia" and do not care about the Ukrainian people.

Mr Putin added that the West is pushing Ukraine to "continue the bloodshed" by supplying it with arms.

God the details of the proposed peace deal with Russia are horrendous.

It's the equivalent of Hitler invading Poland, screwing up and getting bogged down, then trying to get a peace deal that will make it easier for him to invade the country properly in future.