Russia - threadbanned users in OP

It's particularly crazy as Greece would have stronger cultural ties than most European countries to Russia.

What we are discussing here is Putins invasion of Ukraine, and nowhere else, not an invasion of Europe which would be a 100% different scenario, as you seem to be suggesting. War gaming is one thing, actual implementing it is something else. The UN-NATO Military manoeuvres planned for 2024 have been several years in the planning. For the US attack on Iraq, they began staging operations late 2022, but the attack didn't actually start until March 20, 2003. The ideal world (and start of ww3) would be to hit Putin's military when it was staging his forces for the actual attack itself, after conveniently finishing his own war games. That would have stopped it dead in its tracks, for sure, but like I said, started ww3. Two weeks advance notice would at best have given Zelensky a small chance to move critical stuff away from the front.

The Greeks also have a surprising amount of military equipment (owing to their rather bellicose Turkish neighbors). Some of which would be very familiar to the Ukrainians. Might have been a considerable misstep on the Russians' part.

My whole point is about the 2-week time factor, and what is possible to do in that time. As you mentioned, it took the US almost a month to respond to the Sept 11 attacks, and this from a Country with the best military in the world. Regarding the current situation in the Baltics, the states themselves are on a high state of alert, the complete opposite to what Ukraine was on pre-Feb 24 2022, and backed up by NATO. They are 100% prepared for any attack by Putin at any time, 2-week advance warning or not. Everything that they need to repulse Putin is already there, ready to go. But what could Ukraine have done with their 2 weeks warning?

Well that's one way to ensure an increase in supplies for Ukraine. Absolutely insane, the potential consequences of killing an EU and NATO prime minister. Russia proving yet again there's no line they won't cross.

Me thinks these lads went to Russia probably thinking they were going to be getting paid to fight for Russia behind the lines, logistics or IT specialist and have been handed a rifle and told they will be going over the top,and came up with that nonsense story, hahaha, delighted for them.

The usual question: why isn't the West/NATO responding militarily, rather than with the usual expressions of "outrage"? It only emboldens Russia to do it again

Sounds very plausible.

Why not agree on them? They have to out down a number for the sake of the agreement and they know people won't hit whatever they put down (unless they have other reason to). Yes it applies to environmental agreements as well. Don't get me wrong, I think if people commit to a number they should match it but that is not the world we live in.

Like when a new building (children's hospital) is being made. It will take longer than announced and go over budget.

Europe hitting spending targets might won't effect US decisions. Trump is just finding an excuse, no more than Putin claiming Nato was encroaching. He would find one irregardless to pull out of Nato commitments and Putin would have had another excuse for invading Ukraine.

Technically that's still advancing forward.

Russia tend to loose massive amounts of armor when they advance after taking a town or village. Let's hope it holds true again!

That’s the world Putin has created.

Sorry you feel that way about Russian soldiers who kill rape and maim innocent people.

I feel nothing when I watch these videos.

Back when things like the videos of Saddam's execution and others were going viral, i refused to watch. I'll happily watch gory, from pimples being popped right up to jarsquatter, but always would have drawn the line at videos showing people actually dying. When there was an appeal to stop people sharing WhatsApp images of a fatal M50 accident a few years back, I was an AH mod and was as quick to throw the banhammer as I could be.

But when it comes to russians being blown up, all I can think is "fck em" and I'm not sure why. It could be because of knowing what happened in Bucha that the alternative to the occupants being blown up like above could be far, far worse for the innocent locals. There was a photo of the aftermath of a civilian car having being fired on and it partly showed a young child, lying in the dirt and wearing a snow suit similar to what my youngest had that really hit close to home. Either way, fck the invaders and I'll sleep well knowing they're regularly being blown up in this manner.