Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Probably more like the desperate attempts by the UK to prop up Sterling during the 1992 crisis. That's where Soros really first broke into the big leagues.

Of course the RUB is operating in a totally artificial market right now. It's not a 'currency' in the sense that we in the West understand it.

I'm just looking at it from an Occam's Razor point of view. I think that having realised his first stupid plan has failed, Putin's thinking is now in a "holding pattern" mode because he can't quite accept the fact that he simply can't have what he wants. In short, no one knows what will happen next.

I am though, very encouraged to see heavy vehicles finally getting sent in. One hopes that having taken this new step, it will be followed with the transfer of fighter jets.

As for Putin, obviously no happy retirement, courtesy of a huge bounty, unless someone, sooner, does the job for free.

The US Senate "resurrected" the Second World War Lend-Lease Act, enabling President Joe Biden to more efficiently ship weapons and other materials to Ukraine, Politico reports.

Honestly that sounds like nonsense, the Russian leadership don't seem to care at all who knows about their war crimes, if any soldiers were to speak out I suspect they'd just be swiftly shot/locked up

You are probably right.

I am just curious about so called red lines at this stage. So far invasion, slaughter, raping torturing and mass killing of civilians (imo we are not aware of a fraction of this yet) are not crossing any red lines. So let's say the Russians kill or probably worse for his sake abduct president Zelensky then is that crossing a red line?

Translation.

This "grandfather" spent 20 years in prison. He stole the uniform of the Russian Federation and biscuits and documents of an officer from a tank standing in his yard.

When you have Nukes gas and oil they let you do it. No red line exists for Russia.

As much as the British mastiff and jackals are needed and they are an improvement over the last vehicles they sent 8 years ago classified as death traps by British commanders ,

They need offensive armour, IFVs, tanks and artillery,

So do you reckon killing or doing worse to president Zelensky, and let's face it the longer this goes on the greater the possibility, will really make no difference in our response to Russia.

Zelensky is probably relatively safer now than any point over the past 3 years.

Also

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv this week, an EU spokesman said Tuesday

Hypothetically him being killed would be a massive blow because he is a tremendous asset, but it wouldn't really change anything.

It's only 6 weeks ago the West thought Ukraine would fall in days and you would have a decade long insurgency with Ukraine Militia fighting from the forests, Zelensky was to be evacuated and lead his government in a different country.

Well the wheels have been fúcked off the Putin Fun Bus and we are playing a different game now.

NATO don't need to put boots on the ground, plenty of far more motivated boots there, they just need the tools to do the job.

It's actually depressing to think that nothing will be done about it apart from a minutes silence. All these special forces and navy seals, army rangers etc etc appear to be nothing more than a bag of ****.

Coal ban looks like it has been delayed.

One aspect of the last few weeks is how shockingly clumsy and inept the Russian media are - they are like a relic from the 1970s Soviet Union. I guess they are so used to lying to their own people that they don't realise their propaganda won't work on anyone outside the country with even a modicum of intelligence.