Current Affairs Ukraine

[bluenotred]

Given the level of backing down from the west since Putin's 'reminder' on Sunday, I think nothing short of a full scale declaration of war on a NATO country would provoke their involvement.

What backing down? The west have ramped up the sanctions big time since his reminder. Putin has to hope the west don't get involved militarily, he would get his ass kicked.

 

[verreauxi]

I kind of agree mate

I'm trying to look at what will actually happen, unfortunate as the outcome may be.

Me or you or anyone here sitting here 'cheerleading' for one side or the other isnt going to alter anything.

Sociopathic fruitcup here is, you know, "just trying be objective, call it like it is, etc., etc.," Really objective stuff.

 

[Kev The Rat]

What backing down? The west have ramped up the sanctions big time since his reminder. Putin has to hope the west don't get involved militarily, he would get his ass kicked.

the total rejection of the no-fly zone option, which was a bit more of an open question last week.

 

[Cool_Blue]

I've seen the images of the damage being inflicted on ukrainien cities.
This wanton destruction of buildings and infrastructure just makes me angry.
I just can't see the point of it
is there any military advantage in destroying a city before occupying it.

This is what is making me angry, just what exactly is this wanton destruction of life and property supposed to achieve? Does Putin think things will just get back to normal in a week or two? ?
He has misread the situation big style here and for all the media controlled bullsh1t the Russians are fed, they will see gradually through it all, and the sooner the better.

 

[peteblue]

Why do you want Russia to win, mate?

Also, how are you here 24/7?

There are six of him…..

 

[LinekersLegs]

Interesting thread

Agree and found this a pretty interesting rebuttal too

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

I kind of agree mate

I'm trying to look at what will actually happen, unfortunate as the outcome may be.

Me or you or anyone here sitting here 'cheerleading' for one side or the other isnt going to alter anything.

Another call from a friend this evening - business has never been so brisk for some as Russians attempting to evade detection in the face of sanctions, continue to launder their money to London, at a slightly higher cost than before.

Good luck to them. There is another bomb about to hit their financial system and very important sector.

They will resemble a third world state if this continues.

 

[bluebud]

I read a tweet earlier by JimmySec but can’t find it now, suggesting that one possible solution to help “close the sky” without putting Nato planes into action would be to use one particular type of missile (can’t remember the name) which would be based in Poland to shoot down Russian cruise missiles but not manned planes or helo’s.

Interesting I thought.

Was also told earlier that the Ukrainians are using regular domestic drones to deliver payloads and destroy Russian tanks and missile launchers.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Good luck to them. There is another bomb about to hit their financial system and very important sector.

They will resemble a third world state if this continues.

Worrying - a third world state with the worlds largest nuclear arsenal

 

[Kev The Rat]

 

[Yarrgh]

This is what is making me angry, just what exactly is this wanton destruction of life and property supposed to achieve? Does Putin think things will just get back to normal in a week or two? ?
He has misread the situation big style here and for all the media controlled bullsh1t the Russians are fed, they will see gradually through it all, and the sooner the better.

This is key. It won't take long I hope.

 

[Kev The Rat]

This is key. It won't take long I hope.

Whats interesting is the lack of political discourse in Russia that presents a proper alternative to the 'strongman' politics that have controlled it for generations.

They cant join the EU, they cant join NATO - they have the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and are the largest country in the world.

What is the way forward?

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Why do you want Russia to win, mate?

Also, how are you here 24/7?

Drugs...

 

[Runub]

Can’t see Putin going for this, seems more like the “burn down everything around him” kind to me but desperately hope there are some off ramps found be it this or another one.

I agree with your burn down everything theory. He will be gone one way or another, it is just a question of how much damage is done to Ukraine, Europe or even the world in the process. I just don’t get why he chose to do this when it was obvious he would never get away with it without Russian economic ruin or worse. It is almost like a suicide by cop situation on a sick scale

 

[Martin Alvito]

Agree and found this a pretty interesting rebuttal too

I don't think he realizes that he is actually saying the same thing. Ukraine is of such strategic interest to Putin that its accession to NATO would be intolerable. Full stop.

If that's the case, then the waves of NATO expansion did push Putin into a corner from which he lashed out, and NATO is hardly "an excuse". He may differ somewhat on the precise reasons why such expansion would be intolerable, as compared to Kissinger, Mearshimer et al, but at the end of the day the foreign policy of the US and its allies provoked the war.

That's not the same as starting it, but there's plenty of blame to go around here.