Looks like Finland are rapidly heading towards nato membership
Hopefully they join and Sweden follow them.
And hopefully that also triggers a proper debate on the topic here; even though the government seem to want to avoid it.
Reporters who visited Bucha say they were shocked at the number of destroyed Russian military vehicles and equipment they saw.
To Ukraine and its reputation and general feeling towards this country.
Do you know, who made it? Do you know these people? What if is it is done by Russians?
Do you know the context? What if it was actually a Russian tank, which killed them? It was a skid trail just next to them. Or anything else could have happened.
I don't want to stop any decent discussion. Yet discussion should be based on facts. How people can discuss mistreatment of Russian prisoners, if they don't know, if this even happens.
I imagine those in the Kremlin are thinking of Simo Häyhä right now.
That how they pronounce Simon Harris in Russia? Reckon he'll be the man to lead Ireland into NATO do they?
I'm not au fait with how much the UK is doing for the refugee crisis but I think they deserve a lot of credit for the straightforward way they're conducting themselves regarding their military aid and political support.
https://youtu.be/pNLJEA3jWUo
I wonder what Orbán thinks of it all?
It is possible that Hungary could block such a move, same with any possibility of Sweden joining.
Why were the Russians allowed to relocate? Why not take em out before they got to the east?
That's the main obstacle for Finnish/Swedish NATO memberships. Finland pretty much has a green light from all member countries (including Turkey), but Hungary is a bit of a question mark with Orban being Putin's pal and all. If Hungary doesn't oppose, then Finland will be a NATO member within a couple of months. Sweden, maybe a little later. The Swedes like to talk a lot before actually doing anything.
Internally, there is enough political and popular support for NATO membership in Finland now (within the government there is plenty of support for membership, and most of the opposition is also in favour), so it's just a matter of time before the application is submitted. The military is already compatible, and military spending is well within the requirements for NATO membership as well.
Intel now suspending operations in Russia:
I know Orban is a colossal ..... but why would Hungary oppose Finland and or Sweden joining NATO it just makes the alliance stronger.
I don't know if this was posted before, but thought some here might appreciate
The Congo, The Ivory Coast. The Argentine used to be another. Even The Soviet Union and The GDR. I've heard Zelenskyy say "The Ukraine" once or twice when speaking in English. In much the same way English speakers say Paris, not "Paree", or Florence not "Firenzay", or Moscow not "Moskva" and so on. Kyiv/Kiev has become a name with politics behind it since Russia annexed Crimea, because Kiev is the Russian name for the place, so much more like the Irish Free State/Eire names and the politics behind those.
The Ukrainian forces just don't have tha kind of capacity. They have neither the weapons nor more importantly the numbers to be able to do that. It's easy to forget when seeing how well the Ukrainians have repelled and contained Russian forces just how outnumbered they are. Ukraine's successes have shown two things; their resolve, their bravery and better tactics and how crap the Russian forces actually are.
I'm not too surprised that putin and his minions thought this would be over in a fortnight. It should have been. On paper, but the reality of decades of backward Russian military thinking and corruption and cutbacks meant the Ukrainians rewrote that script.
He has backed sanctions and generally gone along with the EU, even if he's been less cooperative on support. Orban suits himself. There's no real benefit to his opposing their entry and he's about to start losing access to the EU gravy train.
Yet discussion should be based on facts.
Facts are good. Verified information and media from reputable sources is good. But discussion can also be fruitful if conducted in an open and respectful manner on speculation and surmise. Being able to consider possible outcomes from a theoretical premise is one of the cornerstones of human intelligence.
My stance is that neither side of a conflict should by any act, or by any act of omission, perpetrate war crimes. I have seen evidence that I believe strongly suggests Russian military personnel have committed such crimes. I have not seen evidence that Ukrainian military personnel have committed war crimes, but I am capable of imagining that they have or that they will.
As you say, this is a discussion board; it's perfectly possible for us to talk about this whole subject and to explain our personal and individual thoughts and feelings without resorting to mud-flinging.
RIP to that Romanian protester who died ramming the gate of the Russian embassy in Bucharest. (his car caught fire and he died)
Ukraine's successes have shown two things; their resolve, their bravery and better tactics and how crap the Russian forces actually are.
Sorry, couldn't resist! :D
Covid. College, jobs, living at home.
Covid came along to disrupt their get-togethers. Most of them were college students with too much time on their hands and are probably either finished college or dropped out. They are now all working to survive or to pay back their student loans. Many are back home living with their Mums.
The sharp, short shock of real life is the great leveller when it comes to idealistic millennials who, upon leaving full time education, suddenly realise that people have more important things to worry about other than changing your name to "they/them", veganism, Tik-tok "small waist, big Bang" videos and buying soybean-based clothes and food online from "sustainable companies" in China on their €800 i-phones, also made in China.
* sorry. I live in a house full of teenagers. I need a holiday.
Gowan the Harris
Yes, fine, drag Antifa into this as well. 🙄
Maybe want to throw "something, something libtards" in there too?
This thread is degenerating fast.
The most recent set of sanctions the US announces today (probably co-ordinated with the EU) are clearly very finely calibrated and will bear careful analysis. Looks like they are designed to force the Kremlin to make some pretty horrendous financial choices as their offshored reserves get completely frozen.
A Russian debt default looms.
Jaysus lads could ye take yer imaginary edge lord identity politics nonsense to one of the 4 million threads that already exist that cater for that lobotomized horséshít.
Haven't the capacity and necessary air power to do that - and the 'West' haven't helped them in that regard. What did Zelensky say - shotguns and rifles are great but not much good against tanks and heavy artillery etc.
The man himself to address the great & the good of Irish politicians this morning. Apart from being diplomatic and thankful for the shelter given and political support, hopefully he'll also give them a bit of a bollicking over the fact that we haven't sent a single bullet their way and are hiding behind the skirts of supposed neutrality. Whilst we wring our hands at the sights of war crimes openly being committed.
Zelensky speaking to us now
I agree. It's a message board and you can discuss here whatever you like. Just set up a new thread and discuss, how people should behave on a war front theoretically. But if you discuss such things in this thread and attach some (unconfirmed) behaviour to real countries, then it is a different matter. We are living in extraordinary times. Ukraine needs our 100% support and in my opinion we should give at least this to them.
Why such horrible things which happened in Bucha, shouldn't be given our full respect and concern and are diminished by this whataboutery?
Majority of people here have hearts on the right side and are willing and choosing to give 100% support to Ukraine. Especially if it costs nothing. So I strongly object to call these people including me idiots* by cynics, who prefer to spread doubts and in this way keep playing into Russian propaganda. Sorry.
*they were called in that way earlier in the thread
He is clearly aware of the relative size of the financial industry here: multiple calls for 'global banks' to cut Russia off.
I wonder is there an
air with these addresses. Does Zelensky really have a time to be crafting a specific messsage for each two-bit country, setting out the extensive historic links between Ukraine and New Zealand etc.
I'm sure he doesn't write the speeches himself.
But he is 100% aware that he is the No 1 brand in the free world right now and he is using that brand for the furtherance of the very survival of his country and its people. We shouldn't make light of that in any way and we should reinforce his message to all our elected representatives such that we stand on the right side of history here.
And - we should firmly reject the useful idiots Wallace and Daly who parrot Putin's propaganda. Send them packing at the next election.
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