Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I suppose it was prosperity for those who worked in a factory and getting great wages, production bonuses and it got them through tough times. I'm told factory wages are only one third of what they were. Minimum wage in a lot of cases, the recruiting agencies are coining it.

That's the reason I don't live in the UK.

There seems to be a high rate of sudden death syndrome there.

Thankfully I moved away in time.

So called "peace deal" with the tyrant would leave Europe very unstable for years to come, with a madman on its borders planning his next invasion.

So your little jaunt means your wee microcosm is representative of 150 million people?

Were you all over rural Russia I wonder? Did you visit every village, which would have taken you decades? Or more likely just seen a city or two.

And perchance it escaped your memory, Putin was not in charge of Russia then.

He can declare victory all he wants and attempt to hold what limited territorial gains Russian forces have made, but Russia will remain under sanction and Ukraine will continue to receive heavy weapons. This is not a recipe for being able to consolidate gains made. Saying he's demilitarised Ukraine would look ridiculous to us, and awful fishy to many in Russia considering what Ukraine are getting for an arsenal right now. Funnily enough the concept of getting rid of the Azov battalion is something that I believe Zelenskyy would have been open to discussing back when we thought there was a chance of negotiation in all this.

It's really not been worth it for Putin, but this we know. Time for him to retire, or even better have a good long, long, long sleep.

He says numerous times he wants the ussr back and it’s demise was a catastrophe (for Russia). None of this should come as a y surprise to any of us. The mistake was not fostering a western style democracy and the time to do it would have been in the 90s. Too late now.

If Russians want to know what a fascist is they should just look in the mirror at their own government.

If true, disgusting

"Ukraine has accused Russia of planning to hold a ‘Victory Day’ military parade in the captured city of Mariupol on 9 May to celebrate victory over the Nazis in the second world war, AFP reports.

Ukraine’s military intelligence said an official from Russia’s presidential administration had arrived in Mariupol, to oversee plans for the parade.

In a statement, it said:

Mariupol will become a centre of ‘celebration’. The central streets of the city are urgently being cleaned of debris, bodies and unexploded ordnance.

Ukraine’s military claimed a “large-scale propaganda campaign” is under way, adding:

Russians will be shown stories about the ‘joy’ of locals on meeting the occupiers.

Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boichenko, later told Ukrainian television there were ongoing “works” in the city, as if the Russians were preparing for something.

Boichenko said:

They are removing signs of the crimes they have committed."

Cherry-picking history we can blame anyone and everyone for Putin

Fact is, he's been in power for two decades, enjoys genuine support among Russians and many over there seem to share his nationalism and twisted views of the world. That is where the ultimate responsibility and blame lies.

Send even more poor conscripts to the slaughter.

Instruct manufacturing to focus on war the effort, increase military spending, jail more Russians who hold up invisible banners.

Probably try and tap the likes of China and India for "aid".

I am not cherry-picking at all. I am going back to the source of all of this. 1993 was a bifurcation point where everything could have gone differently. Then the West chose a convenient tyrant over the democratic principles and that led to the current state of affairs.

You are saying that "[Putin] been in power for two decades". Ok, so what did the West do for the last 20 years except facilitating Putin? In 2008, Georgia lost South Ossetia to Russia. No real reaction from the West. Then in 2014 we know what happened, and some sanctions were imposed, but the West was happy for Ukraine to have a bleeding hole in its side forever, as long as the business with Russia can continue.

This war will end one day, maybe even very soon. What is the plan for the future? Does the West want to persuade Ukraine to give up its territory to Russia in exchange for a "peace deal", so that the gas can flow unimpeded to Germany? Will the West chose another convenient compromise?

No, I don't believe it can ever go back to the "same old, same old" Putin has destroyed completely the old order, and a new order is being formed at the present time, and what it will look like when complete, will not even remotely resemble the old one. First up, security. There will be massive increase in military spending, and self sufficiency in oil and gas. Economically, likewise. Russia will bear the brunt of economic fall out, especially from the EU, UK, USA, Australia and other aligned Country's. They will form even closer cooperation / security groupings. Putin broke all the rules, and that will never be forgiven, and the world needs to make an example of what happens when you behave like he did.