Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Would agree they definitely need to be watched carefully and pressured.

For the best if they are left out of the stuff like the weapons supplies to Ukraine anyway. I think Orbán probably wants to be like a Hungarian "Putin" (have that level of dictatorial power and control in his own country) but I'd say Putin's usefulness to him or his party may have declined since the invasion and the increasing isolation of Russia from the West.

His/Hungary's potential usefulness to Putin/Russia has gone up a good bit though. If Hungary can slow and disrupt EU sanctions (they are already doing that to an extent), or pass Russia information about what is going on inside the EU/NATO high level discussions or even (at a stretch...don't know if they'd be brave enough to do this? - edit: would need something sizeable in return off Russia too!) try to obstruct and delay Finland and Sweden joining NATO that would be a great help for Russia.

I'm confused about Spew Tin's rumoured impending medical procedure.

If it's anything other than minor surgery, he won't make the 9th May Charade.

If he does make the 9th May Charade, it can only have been minor.

If the best 'source' is the NY Post perhaps we should just ignore such rumours. Much as we would like them to be true.

You sayin witches don't exist?

Sorry that's , Jewish Nazi drug addled wiccan Ukrainians if you please , 🤔

But don't worry cause they've all become soft ,pluralist western leaning liberals so they won't last more than a few days against the mighty Russian traditionalists ... Oh , well , ahem ...

Many of the people who support loons, actually set their beliefs and principles on what the loon says.

If one of these loons made a speech today that George Soros conspired to invent the moon by launching a big ball cheese from an EU cheese mountain into space, the supporters would be on here tomorrow giving out and telling us why said loon is the only one talking sense about the waste of launching cheese into space when there are starving people in Africa.

Lack of street marches in Russia in support of the 'special operation' is very telling.

I quoted an article in good faith. At no point did I say it was the "best source".

If you can relay information from elsewhere that you don't class as "rumours", and shouldn't be "just ignored", then please do tell us. Otherwise don't deride what other posters share, and keep your sarcasm to yourself.

Probably the regieme isnt organizing "spontaneous" protests for fear of them getting hijacked by an anti-war agenda ..

Or could it be that ordinary Russians are now so terrified of showing any kind public opinion, thinking that they might be mistaken for an opposition march and arrested, facing fines and 15 years prison? When you see an elderly lady being arrested for holding a daffodil on the street, that's the kind of paranoia facing anyone who "steps out" as it were. You would be nearly afraid of holding up your hand to stop a taxi on the street in Moscow at the moment. Of course, it could also be that a majority do not support what's happening in Ukraine, but I doubt that, at the moment anyway, but even so, there has to be serious doubts creeping in about the Govt narrative.

Something very heavy went overhead about half an hour ago. Nothing on flight radar 🤔

Any sign that the 155mm howitzers have entered the battle yet?

We've got Conor McGregor....

I've heard that even pro Putin and pro war protests and marches are banned in Russia, as the authorities are terrified of any type of street demonstration (they think that if they allow them, this would immediately embolden anti Putin and anti war people to take to the streets). We're talking about a Grade 1 dictatorship, nothing spontaneous is allowed.