Russia - threadbanned users in OP

In reality one of the biggest reasons for our independence is due to British public opinion in 1921 turning against the Auxillary campaign in Ireland. If Britain had been a more authoritarian regime at that time they could have doubled down and suppressed the country with brutality like many other countries were. In reality that is still the case to this day. If Britain becomes an authoritarian aggressive regional power again ( not beyond possibility) our independence is in serious danger. They have a large Army in close proximity to us with a land border not to mention a large Navy and nuclear weapons. In a pure geopolitical strongman sense we are to Britain what the former Soviet states are to Russia, complete with contested region and all.

Rumours abound that a Second Russian Ship has been struck. Hopefully we will get some visual evidence to clear up whether this is true or not.

The fact that FORTE11 is performing some surveillance could indicate some truth.

Live Updates: Russia's war in Ukraine (cnn.com)

Still, they might have and might not have. They're not going to tell.

Rumors of another sunk ship https://twitter.com/AlexKhrebet/status/1522506742789287936?s=20&t=PYp8fqFyjQygJbR05ohuMw

How on earth are we in a 'much more strategic position than Ukraine'?

Sounds like some credibility to this Hit on a second warship as Royal Air Force RRR7236 is joining FORTE 11 in pinging the black sea

That's ridiculous. The likes of China would find it tough enough even to organise the invasion of Taiwan, just 100 miles off their coast, how do you think they're able to project force onto the other side of the world?

The only plausible future scenario you mentioned that's remotely likely would be an authoritarian UK since they're next door to us. That's about it, and a stretch at that.

I'm not seeing it (your point). Can you elaborate please?

For clarity on my geo-strategic point, truly strategic locations are those where competing spheres of influence (or what used to be called Empires in the bad old days) collide.

Ukraine is clearly one such location, Ireland is clearly not.

Although we are obviously the centre of the universe in every other way :).

Its a lot to do with the system,,,,,competency is not necessarily a guarantee that the most competent will automatically rise to the top. There's lots of external factors at play as well. The good old-fashioned Irish "Pull" is alive and very well in Russia too.

At the rate things are going for the RuSSians the May the 9th Parade could turn out to be the world biggest Funeral March.

Well a good contribution to that worthy aim would be to put a missile or two into the rescue flotilla.

We've been speculating for some time that the Russians have a bizarre and distorted view of what "Nazism" is and that now appears to be confirmed. They think it is anyone who is "anti Slavic" and "anti Russian". This guest on the Solovyov show claims that the USA, the EU and GB are creating a new 'global Nazi empire' with Ukraine as the starting point:

The UK didn't because we were neutral and leaning towards them. The Germans didn't because they'd have to go around Britain and couldn't. The royal navy was just too strong.

Any country that could launch an amphibious or aerial assault on Ireland and take it over would almost certainly have the resources to dominate the eastern Atlantic from Ireland.