I was thinking it must be something like this. I believe NATO/USA are doing a hell of a lot more in the background than we all know about and quite right too
You make it sound like there is no possibility of alternative energy supplies, when there probably are. LNG from Australia, the gulf and US being just some.
I think you are vastly overstating Russia's capabilities. The entire world is laughing at Russia's efforts in Ukraine, you don't think that smarts Putin's ego?
As for the baltics, Poland would be gagging to engage Russia. It'd not be worried about avoiding Kaliningrad to get to the baltics.
Russia mobilising to attack the baltics isn't going to go unnoticed. I'd be betting NATO will react quicker, and air supremacy would be in place in short order.
If you are willing to command troops from the comfort of a computer in Ireland, then yeah. Oh, and ask nicely for a gun - hopefully they'll have one for you.
That 40km convoy would be on Russian soil so now you're really running the risk of this going nuclear. You're not really thinking this through.
Any risk you think you're mitigating now is magnified by 50 if his war moves to the baltics.
Apparently, the invasion came as a huge shock to people. Many anecdotal reports from refugees that they woke up to news that martial law had been declared and that Kyiv airport had been bombed.
The EU is still spending billions on Russian oil/gas, because we can't just "stop" our reliance on them instantly. It's something that has to be phased out (and is planned to be phased out). Stopping Russian oil/gas is going to hurt us, absolutely, but that's the price we are willing to pay.
As for Nestle, it's just one component, every company that stops doing business with Russia, big or small, sends a message and has some impact.
Edit: And for Wall Street, it's typically some Ru debt held by Americans being sold to other Americans. Not much of it either by the looks of it.
Luckily no need to wait if you have military experience... if not, who are you going you join up with, the British army?
It's not the fear of fighting. It's the fear of thermo nuclear Armageddon, which you cannot guarantee isnt more risky if Russian troops are engaged by NATO.
It's easy to say Tally Ho! Let's go get them, but NATO themselves (many would love to take on the Russians) have said its too great a risk.
Ireland is still going to get it's gas and other countries will pay. If Ireland relied solely on Russian gas it would do **** all and everyone knows it.
I find you quite sickening, challenging people to do XY or Z in order to validate having an opinion.
What have you done to help Ukraine? Have you donated any money, have you vounteered your home to house Ukrainian refugees?
No, is it not common sense. Why are you battle ready for others to fight, but not you. Is it for age, health reasons?
I was frankly shocked at how poor the Russian military was/is. We’ve been hearing for years what a fearsome set up it is. The USA/U.K. would blow it apart in days in a straight non nuclear battle. The lack of stomach for battle is even more surprising- that’s the intangible that wins wars. It helped end centuries of British rule in Ireland.
If Russia attacks the Baltics it is ww3, and hopefully it will be conventional. If Russia attacks the Baltics do you expect NATO will tip toe around Kaliningrad?
I think you underestimate Putins ability to control the narrative into the long term. Those that want to know what is going on already know. Those that don’t will buy a line that NATO is funding an insurrection in the liberated country. I have western educated (including Trinity) friends in Moscow who say they show their families footage of the bombing and destruction and their families don’t believe it. Say it’s all a NATO fabrication. I don’t think that vast parts of the population will ever believe that the Ukraine thing has gone ‘belly up’ and even if they do, it’ll be blamed on the west and there’ll be a hardening of the belief
Okay, but you seem to have now hopped to hypotheticals about Ireland. We get one third of our gas from the UK and two-thirds from Corrib. The UK gets around 3% of it's gas from Russia, what is your point?
And people usually do something or threat others about doing something.
They lied about invading Ukraine and they did it anyway. No threat was needed. They are threating about using nukes, so they won't do it.
I have donated money/supplies to my home town housing Ukrainian refugees. I don't have a spare room to provide.
Conversely I find it sickening people are willing to send people to fight, but not prepared to do it themselves. I'm okay with having a contrary view to you.
If Putin is going for the Baltic states,Sweden and Finland would join NATO in a flash,and Sweden and Finlands navy and airforce would take out anything Russia have in the Baltics together with German and Polish airforce and Navy.
That's fine, and are you willing to suffer the consequences of an oil and gas shock?
While I understand your anger, what are you doing to help the fight? If you travel to Ukraine I'm sure the army will be more than happy to accept and train you as a volunteer. Are you willing to do that?
Agreed, in a conventional war it would not be along lasting contest.
Putin and Lavrov are always looking for excuses to justify their invasion plans
More waffle. It doesn't matter which army you sign up to now as none are fighting for Ukraine and even if they were all fighting it again wouldn't matter as we'd all be on the one side. Language would probably be the deciding factor one would imagine. Easier not to die when you know what's being said.
You conveniently avoid any questions people ask or points they make regarding nuclear war and the avoidance of it going forward to continously bleat the same tune. You seem very happy to live with the threat hanging over you for the rest of your days. Thankfully there's people with more morales and courage out there.
During the Cold war the gas kept flowing because Russia is very reliant on it. They can switch to export to e.g. Asia, but all those infrastructural changes take time obviously. The latest figures seem to be that Europe will reduce its reliant on Russian oil/gas and related products by about 80% in 2022. We're all going to be hit by higher oil/gas prices anyway. The biggest importer is Germany so they'll take the biggest hit, but polls show that a majority are willing to take the hit to decouple themselves from Russian reliance.
when / if mariupol falls russians will be free then to move onto next illegitimate target ...
the big question is will putin risk throwing an extra 150,000 conscripts into ukraine in april and how will that go down with brain washed russians...
I'm avoiding questions? I've responded to all as far as I can see. List out what you think I've not responded to.
There currently exist units that speak/commanded by English speakers. Specify and you will be accommodated.
If you wait until NATO get involved they won't need you, they will have plenty of troops and a conventional war could be over before you're trained.
Boris Johnson not talking nonsense shocker!
With every day that Ukraine’s heroic resistance continues, it is clear that Putin has made a catastrophic mistake.
And you have to ask yourself why he did it. Why did he decide to invade this totally innocent country? He didn’t really believe that Ukraine was going to join NATO anytime soon. He knew perfectly well, there was no plan to put missiles on Ukrainian soil. He didn’t really believe the semi-mystical guff, he wrote about the origins of the of the Russian people; Nostradamus meets Russian Wikipedia.
I think that wasn’t what it was about. I think he was frightened of Ukraine for an entirely different reason. He was frightened of Ukraine, because in Ukraine, they have a free press. And in Ukraine, they have free elections. And then with every year that Ukraine progressed, not always easily, towards freedom and democracy and open markets, he feared the Ukrainian example. And he feared the implicit reproach to himself. Because in Putin’s Russia, you get jailed for 15 years, just recalling an invasion, an invasion. And if you stand against Putin in an election, you get poisoned, or shot.
And it’s precisely – that’s what happens – and it’s precisely because Ukraine and Russia have been so historically close, that he has been terrified of the effect of that Ukrainian model on him and on Russia, and he’s been in a total panic about a so-called “colour revolution” in Moscow itself.
And that’s why he’s trying so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine, and that’s why it is so vital that he fails.
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