Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Imagine just as it's been recommended to rebrand the air corp to the Air Force our few armed planes end up elsewhere

The fact Ireland doesn't have many embassies or consulates is purely a function of Ireland's size and demographics. We are an overwhelmingly (or certainly until recently have been) western European nation with a population of some 5 million. Our diaspora is largely confined to the Americas, Britain, and Australia. So the fact that Ireland has an embassy at all in Russia should tell you that there is a demand for it.

As for your assertion that it's "not the Irish state's problem" you're partially right; but the point is that Irish citizens may not be able to just up and leave Russia at a moment's notice. They may require time and support to unwind their Russian assets and try to return back to Ireland without being a further drain on Ireland's public services. Public services which are already stretched amid a housing crisis and war in Europe by the way.

You're also ignoring services for Russians who might want to escape Russia and work in Ireland.

Let me try a different approach: what exactly does shutting down the Irish embassy in Russia and the Russian embassy in Ireland achieve?

It's about giving them as much as possible while, plausibly, saying that they're not taking part. This has been getting ramped up for weeks and could eventually become a proxy war but actually involving Russia. NATO gets the equipment used in combat to reduce the Russian war machine, better than any exercises. While it's hard to see what the west can do to stop russia rolling into a non-NATO country, It's equally difficult to see what limit russia can put on the weapons being supplied against them, most country's are ignoring their threats now, not so a few weeks ago.

It has gone nowhere near to plan for putin.

If an Irish citizen in Russia needs consular assistance then they will still get it, all they have to do is ring the DFA on Stephens Green and ask to speak to the Russia desk. Theres no difference between doing that and walking into the Irish embassy in Moscow because ultimately they will still get assistance in so far as any embassy working abroad can do it. If they need an emergency passport the British embassy will supply it, an arrangement that has been in place for decades and works perfectly well.

As for your question I would ask does Ireland as a nation state really want diplomatic relations with another nation state whose leader has no scruples in his army murdering civilians, raping women and sexually abusing children? Im not alright with that and nor should the Irish State be. Its a waste of time keeping an Irish ambassador in Moscow with his phone bugged and all the rest, its not like he is going to convince Putin to end the war.

Germany have prioritised protection of their economy and wealth over the lives and welbeing of Ukrainians In the face of a country that uses war crimes as SOP and doctrine. They are atrocious; tiny and far less resourced Baltic states have done far more. And what really underlines the moral paucity of your'e defending them is the large numbers of Germans who are angry and embarrassed at their governments unhelpfulness the shenanigans of saying one thing and doing another that's been going on, which has been contemptible.

Are you for real trying to paint the Ukrainians as being muddle headed? They have prosecuted an extraordinarily well run military conflict against a previously thought to be unbeatable foe that has surprised the world and not put a foot wrong, but they aren't smart enough to be able to tell which countries have been helpful and which haven't? Zelenskyy has been universally praised, he's got the Germans sussed to a 't'.

Your appraisal is complete nonsense.

It shuts down a key hub of Russia's espionage and intelligence networks in Europe. Calling it an embassy is is a disgrace. That intelligence centre is assisting Russia's war effort and working against Ukraine's. In doing so it's playing a part in killing Ukrainians and enabling the commission of huge numbers of war crimes.

Basically any 4th Gen fighter would wipe the floor with Mig-29's. Most air-conbat nowadays is conducted BVR ( Beyond Visual Range) and the Gripens and associated AMRAAM's are excellent in this regard.

Migs, while simple and practical in construction, and with some having avionics upgrades, are only as good as their pilots and available weapons systems. Plus their radar is abysmal.

Another poster below mentions thrust-vectoring. Impressive to look at in an airshow display, not much good in a BVR dust-up. Did any Russian aircraft enthusiasts go to RIAT the year Mig displayed their Thrust-Vectoring proof of concept aircraft? It was before the concept was installed on the Su-34's. What an aircraft! Here's a vid of the display. Impressive at close quarters in a dogfight, but pretty useless against 5th gen fighters ( some of whom incidently also have TV) who can dispatch you from over100km away.

Anyone here at RIAT the year of this display? Anyone going this year?

https://youtu.be/BdVJPZAKAQE

Another German political figure who became a branch office for Gazprom, Manuela Schwesig, chief minister of the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is the latest member of Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) to come under pressure over her links to the Kremlin.

German political leadership has been bought by Russia for 20 years, especially at the top.

It's a deeply compromised State. The stories are daily now.

It's been posted for weeks now that Mariupol is about to fall and it never did. Unfortunately now though, barring an intervention they are now giving themselves days if not hours.

"Honestly from senior Russian official" = ex Russian official.

Sigh, not great to browse and see your comments lied about and twisted, but why expect better.

As per other post, I'm done defending Germany/Germans from all the hyperbolic comments posted (that stuff is really complete nonsense) so you're a bit late taking a cut now @cnocbui. However embarrassed & critical about poor/slow efforts of ther govt. they are + also over failure and coming home to roost of past policies, I don't think those Germans would agree with the more, well, extreme end of the comments about Germany posted on this thread. That would be some impressive level of masochism + self hate and flaggelation.

I was for real. I walk that back as maybe Ukraine did not "lose perspective" there but had their own perspective on it. A case of ask for everything, because we may be about to lose our country and our lives tomorrow. I'd never call people "childish" or "muddle headed" in such circumstances + didn't. edit: Asking for Germany to do more as regards weapons for Ukraine is certainly not such. I really don't know enough to know the full impact (on both Germany and the EU) of a full Russian oil/gas trade embargo imposed by Germany immediately to judge whether that is too big an ask...opinions seem to vary. Be surprised if anyone posting here does.

I think (?) you believe there should be/should have been a full NATO humanitarian intervention (basically what that earlier "close the sky" request from Zelensky was - I haven't heard it asked recently) i.e. US/NATO roll the dice with Russia, it ends the war in Ukraine quickly or it escalates it all. The fact that it has not happened after 2 months or so including Russia committing war crimes and crimes against humanity (though some intervention could still happen I think - just not "no fly zones" etc.) suggests my belief that the request, right or wrong, was very unlikely to happen was correct rather than nonsense. There's been so many nasty rows about all that here (could have been involving you I think?? edit: or maybe not - sorry) here and really no point going into it again (and again).

Some idea of the scale of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. According to the mayor of Mariupol the Russians are hitting it with very heavy ordinance now, likely they are using bunker busters.