It makes me wonder how much intelligence China had on the status of the Russian military ahead of this war.
Russia most likely wouldn't gave gone ahead without Chinese say-so or, at a minimum, an understanding that they wouldnt object. Did they just blindly accept what he told them? It looks that way.
Had they done their military intelligence homework surely they'd have seen that Russia wasn't equipped to fulfill its objectives?
Its a very foolhardy approach to take.
Very interesting read - Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev resigns over Ukraine war, saying he has 'never been so ashamed of my country' | World News | Sky News
Also Vladimir Putin's diplomat QUITS in protest over Ukraine war as Russia backlash grows - World News - Mirror Online
He continued: "In 18 years, he [Lavrov] went from a professional and educated intellectual, whom many of my colleagues held in such high esteem, to a person who constantly broadcasts conflicting statements and threatens the world with nuclear weapons!"
He called out the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for warmongering, lies and hatred and not diplomacy.
Yes Brexit is the absolute beacon example of how a government should run an impartial facts based referendum.
😂
Ukrainian army repelled Russian forces offensive attempt near Dovhenke at Sloviansk direction, - General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine says in the morning report
Interesting that a referendum being upheld is anti democracy
Just imagine if Brexit had been defeated first time and then the British government decided they wanted to run the referendum again...🤔
Compare Britains response to the Ukrainian crisis and how the EUs response is kept in line with the German and French response. France, Italy, Austia, Germany, Hungary would rather stay on Putins good side even if that means slowly letting him creep across Europe. Very similar to the Cold War appeasement most of those countries took towards the Soviets. Thankfully the Yanks, featuring the Brits, took the opinion that Russia needed to be beaten not appeased. I'd rather be divided from continetal Europes power games, thanks very much.
They've also figured out that its probably better to just lend aid to the enemies of their opposition rather than confront directly with American troops as long as they're not religious or ideological crackpots like the Taliban.
America gets to accomplish its aims geopolitical aims without losing an american life, gets to keep its arms industry happy by selling product and keeping Americans in jobs and making homeland security that bit easier as they're a step removed from all conflicts. Just the threat they will get involved would be enough to put off most conflicts except for head the balls and Russia.
The Russians are not advancing all across the line.The are stuck behind a river to the north and stuck behind Seivierdonetsk north east.
They are advancing from the south into Ukraine defence positions.militaryland.net/ukraine/deployment-map
@Francie Barrett The position of Ukraine in the east looks increasingly untenable. Russia are making advances all accross the line and it's clear that Ukraine are struggling to plug the gaps..
It's not as bad as its been made to be ,
There is already discussions of a large Ukrainian counter offensive to take place in the next 8-10 days ,in alot of the cases the Ukrainans pull back from a village where there is nothing to hold and when the Russians push forward the Ukrainans hammer them
This war has made Russia a global laughing stock from all quarters. Any perception people had of them of being a strong, respected superpower totally banished. People watch in awe as their propogandaists continue to spout all sorts of off the charts nonsense. The fact is they have been getting pummelled by an in comparison minnow.
Pure lipstick on a monkey stuff and it will take decades and Putin's demise to have them return to any semblence of where they were in January 2022.
If it wasn't so horrific it would be comedic.
Slava Ukraine.
A brave man. I'd imagine that there's many colleagues of his who feel the same but are afraid of the repercussions.
Both he and his family will need protection from intelligence agencies in the West and I hope they're afforded it.
I'm sure that Odessa is the most efficient way to get Ukrainian grain to the rest of the world, in normal times, but if Odessa cannot be used because of mines in the Black Sea or missiles pointed at grain warehouses, is there anything that can be done to get the grain out of Ukraine overland into Romania, down to Bulgaria and into Greece, out into the Med? Can ordinary people set up networks to transport some of this grain and improvise places to store it? Is this already happening to an extent? I guess this wouldn't compare in terms of the tonnage you can move over sea in a logistical network designed to carry that kind of cargo, but something is better than nothing.
The other option is for NATO to finally move forces into Ukraine, confront Russian forces on the ground and rout them. Call Putin's bluff on the nukes. Putin might be well advised not to f**k with the food supply coming out of Ukraine in a total way, lest it leaves the West with no other option.
That's if Taiwan allow it I suppose. Might be more now that there guaranteed help from America they won't have as much dealings with China in regards to investment, you might see as a way to say thank you to America you might see a lot more trade deals and investment from America into Taiwan now.
The position of Ukraine in the east looks increasingly untenable. Russia are making advances all accross the line and it's clear that Ukraine are struggling to plug the gaps.
Was saying this weeks ago, but giving Ukraine some parts to get some obsolete MiG's back in the air and other equally obsolete S300 air defence systems simply wasn't going to cut it.
More than one way to invade a country. Chinese can get involved in funding substantial infrastructure, building factories and investing etc. Gradually over time infiltrate the system with China friendly thinking. Tactics used also by western powers.
So you are going to fight?
The reaction I can see Russia doing on Odessa is the same with mauripol if that's the case. I mean maybe not with infantry but with missiles etc. Destroy the warehouses storing the grain and destroy the port. Problem. Solved in Putin's eyes. No grain to ship from Odessa no ships to contend with then.
..
The nuclear threats made in the media were intended for the western people, to scare them away from supporting Ukraine and supporting sanctions against Russia. The real threats, if any, will be made on other channels.
Not a bad idea:
Lithuania has called for a naval coalition “of the willing” to lift the Russian Black Sea blockade on Ukrainian grain exports.
The Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, proposed the plan during talks with the UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, on Monday in London.
“Time is very very short. We are closing in on a new harvest and there is no other practical way of exporting the grain except through the Black Sea port of Odesa,” he told the Guardian.
There is no way of storing this grain and no other adequate alternative route. It is imperative that we show vulnerable countries we are prepared to take the steps that are needed to feed the world.
A barley field near Kyiv in 2016. Landsbergis said ‘the worst is yet to come in the next five to seven weeks when the first harvest arrives and there is no place to put it’. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Landsbergis proposed that a naval escort operation – not run by Nato – could protect the grain ships as they headed through the Black Sea and past Russian warships. He suggested that, apart from Britain, countries that were affected by the potential loss of grain such as Egypt could provide the necessary protection.
What we have seen now is just the beginning. The worst is yet to come in the next five to seven weeks when the first harvest arrives and there is no place to put it, so that means people in northern Africa, the Middle East and south-east Asia will be paying exorbitant prices for wheat, corn and the other commodities they need to put food on their table.
He said Ukraine needed to export 80m tonnes of wheat alone this year and the only option was through Odesa, the last Black Sea port held by Ukraine.
His plan, under gestation for weeks, would require demining parts of the Black Sea to ensure safe passage, as well as the agreement of Turkey, which guards the entrance to the Black Sea.
“This would be a non-military humanitarian mission and is not comparable with a no-fly zone,” he said.
In this endeavour military ships or planes or both would be used to ensure that the grain supplies can leave Odesa safely and reach the Bosphorus without Russian interference. We would need a coalition of the willing – countries with significant naval power to protect the shipping lanes, and countries that are affected by this.
Nato as an alliance should not take a role, he said.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has warned of “a hurricane of hunger” if Ukrainian grain is not exported. The world’s 41 least-developed nations import a third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia. Soaring food prices have already driven inflation levels in Egypt to the highest level since mid-2019.
if Putin would have no problem. In accepting Ukr joining NATO once he gets a slice of Ukr then he should not have a very big problem in Ukr joining NATO if he gets no. Slice . He would have conseeded to the position of Ukr joining in the first case , it’s only a matter of what he will get in return. I don’t think either option would be accepted by Putin .
Definitely i say they wish putin had of waited a few years and when they were ready invaded Taiwan same time Russia invaded Ukraine.
A LOT has happened since UKR made that statement re interest or not in applying for NATO membership. So that was then and THIS IS NOW. It would not surprise me if ALL BETS are off now. Remember Burcha for starters
China must be so pissed off with Putin right now. Before Putin's disastrous invasion, China only had an ambiguous US that had recently withdrawn demoralised from Afghanistan to consider when deciding upon an invasion of Taiwan.
Now they've gotten a US that has reconfirmed over the past 3 months that it is the only global superpower and is no longer ambiguous in its defence of Taiwan. Pooh may very well focus his expansionist nationalism northwards to get his revenge on Putin.
Well said. We don't ban Beethoven because of the Nazis, or Shakespeare because of the Black and Tans, or Seamus Heaney because of the IRA. Demonisation of entire groups based on behaviour of the worst members only ever fuels more violence and misery, even if at times like this the temptation is understandable
Absolutely, some of the press are just reporting the whole thing factually ('a 21 year old Russian soldier has been found guilty of murder in a Ukrainian court' and giving the basic details) but no doubt the Kremlin fruit loop propagandists on the nightly TV shows will spin it as "fake news" and so on. But it's a subject that the propagandists would 'much' rather not prefer being aired in their media at all - stories of young Russian soldiers being ordered by their commanders to kill helpless Ukrainian civilians.
I'm curious how they'll spin this. Wouldn't surprise me if they say it's Ukrainian lies and propaganda and that in response all the soldiers who surrendered in Mariupol get the same sentence. I hope not.
No, what we shouldn't do is worry about what will Putin say, or do. He has widespread support as a president and for the war both in Russia and abroad.
It is a huge statement from Biden. Its out there now for it to sink in for China. We'll they now know that they will have to take on the Americans and possibly Japan, India and Australia if they invade Taiwan. Will be interesting now what way China goes now in regards to this. Will they still do so which I believe they will eventually but they will really need to ramp up their military even more. Will they now help out Russia even more as now they know they might need their help when this confrontation happens with America which I think is more when it will happen. The only true way I think China won't invade Taiwan and I don't know why America just doesn't nip it in bud is just ask Taiwan can they station say a division of marines on the island. Least if that's done I can't see China invading Taiwan then. No point giving China the chance and a war will break out least if that's done it would give China the biggest question to ask, do we invade Taiwan even with thousands of U. S. troops and equipment on the island. No way an invasion would succeed or be at even even greater cost to China.
Widely reported, but how?
"Sham trial created with falsified evidence, in order to poison attitudes against Russian operations."
Totalitarian states only understands one language,and thats Power
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