Russia - threadbanned users in OP

No they are in danger because of the Russian dictator and the campaign of genocide he is waging against the people of Ukraine. If the authoritarian regime in Moscow pulled all its invading military back to Russia nobody would be in danger at all. Every life lost and about to be lost is 100% the responsibility of the Russian dictator.

I'm sure you think its fair. However he's not pro ukranian in any way shape or form. And he's the furthest thing from a history buff.

He's a Serbian nationalist posing as history geek who takes every opportunity to over emphasize every Ukranian loss and Russian gain. And every one of his Youtube video titles almost bar none are clickbait.

It's honestly a bit weird that all you do in this thread is push his youtube channel.... Do you fancy him or something?

Ireland is not a neutral country as confirmed by the last Taoiseach.

I think we're just missing "what about (insert place here)" and then it's B-I-N-G-O.

For the peace treaty people, the quickest way to get peace is for Russia to stop their invasion. But that option isn't usually mentioned in the posts for some very strange reason.

Whats being posted is the result of ordinary people using mobile phone cameras and posted online. How? I don't know, VPN connection maybe? If the clip posted says that Journalists are being arrested, I do not know how that's happening.

More detentions .. this time Moscow

Yes, and it caused such a furor that they set up security to catch anyone doing it, and they did catch some people who. So these people are deep in the DoDo now...

And then the lorry drivers go on strike.

This is how mass movements start. But it actually means getting out there in the first place. Granted Russian police guarrantee would beat the lard out of you but if the people want a difference there has to be movement.

You'd be better off just leaving the country. Hurts them in every way. Many good Russians left their homeland because they couldn't support the system.

Ireland is not a neutral country. We are militarily not part of any alliance. But we are and have made it very clear we are very much part of the democracies of this world and stand against the oppressive authoritarian dictatorships of which Russia is one.

Its Russia, and forget all that you have considered "normal" here in Ireland, or indeed the west generally. Its hard to fathom just how deep the corruption is unless you have actually been there and experienced it yourself. So, maybe the journalist / bystander gave the policeman some rubles, and then later the policeman had second thoughts about it and took a pic of the journalist / bystander, just in case...you never know.

There will not be any workers going on strike in Putin's Russia, because Putin will consider strikes as an anti-Russian activity, and if there are not any laws presently, (I'm pretty sure that there are) Putin will introduce new laws PDQ, overnight if needed.

I really don't get how some people pretend the current model of the Russian war economy is sustainable.

Russia's GDP is completely average for a country of its size.

Sure, their form of Government means they can pump money into military funding in a way that democractic countries cannot.

But it's finite. There is only so much pushing around of roubles you can do on a limited economy for so long. What are they spending now on military. 30%? That's completely, 100%, unsustainable in even the medium term.

This wierd persistent myth that they're some sort of superpower is perplexing.

I would say the fact they're 2 years into a war against their poor neighbour and faring badly is more or less the ultimate fact of the matter that can't be danced around. I note China, despite its support in some aspects, is shocked at the terrible performance of the Russian army. I say shocked, but to some degree, I would say delighted.

Putin is still going because he has no other choice, no more than Hitler felt he had no choice after 1943. That's pretty much it. There isn't a future for Putin if he admits defeat and withdraws in humiliation. But of course there is a future for Russia, and obviously, a better future.

But Putin won't allow that. Like Hitler he'd likely be content to see Russia burn and spin his tale of woe, betrayal, blame his generals, blame the people, before he'd admit that he made a monumental, for the history books, blunder by invading.

Also the west is never going to supply Ukraine with actual war-winning weapons. It's pretty obvious that the strategy is for Russia to burn out and retreat of their own accord and admit defeat.

Ukraine suddenly getting an influx of war-winning weapons is a receipe for nuclear disaster by a vengeful maniac and not really sure why people don't get that. The goal is for Russia to reach collapse stage and be forced to withdraw.

Not very nice for the people and soldiers of Ukraine but it's realistic.