Current Affairs Ukraine

[BlueToff]

Such a tightrope. Appease to de-escalate and that may embolden him to take aim at another ex USSR country he wants back, until we get to the point he goes one too far but by then has a bigger army, more weapons.

On the other hand if you go too far with sanctions that starts to cripple the country then they may attack outwards anyhow. Although you would imagine with the resources Russia should be self sufficient unlike say NK...

The support of Belarus too makes the other Baltic countries easy targets if they fancy taking those

But there's nothing NATO or the EU or the US or UK can do.

Russia have the power, they have China's backing to boot and let's face it, they'll go invade Taiwan next.

 

[larrygobfiend]

So that justifies invading them ?

I dunno, but it’s easy to just see things from our point of view don’t you think?

What If say China suddenly started striking up a military alliance with Mexico… would the US just let that happen?

 

[LocalNative]

History will not look kindly on Russia.

I still think this is a flex from Putin and don't believe it will escalate to all out war. But we'll see, we're talking about a narcissistic madman here at the end of the day.

 

[BlueToff]

I dunno, but it’s easy to just see things from our point of view don’t you think?

What If say China suddenly started striking up a military alliance with Mexico… would the US just let that happen?

But NATO is a collective that has been around for years, not just one nation (like your example) striking up an alliance...

 

[PhilM]

The support of Belarus too makes the other Baltic countries easy targets if they fancy taking those

But there's nothing NATO or the EU or the US or UK can do.

Russia have the power, they have China's backing to boot and let's face it, they'll go invade Taiwan next.

Having troops and assets in the Baltic states is enough. For all Putin's emboldened ideals, he's not a stupid man and would know it would be disastrous for him.

Ukraine was an easy target because it isn't/wasn't part of NATO, and we had made it clear that due to this they would not be challenged in a direct way.

There was an American politician on Twitter comparing the situation with Cuba, which is false equivalence. Is NATO putting nuclear weapons in the Baltic?

Would we have amassed such weapons in the Ukraine? Not a chance in hell.

 

[larrygobfiend]

Playing devil’s advocate btw… just trying to understand the point of it all

 

[peteblue]

Has anyone woken Biden up yet to tell him……

 

[daza_1973]

There's already 5 Countries in NATO that border Russia.. Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Turkey.

Germany doesn't they gave Poland back after WW2

 

[BlueToff]

Having troops and assets in the Baltic states is enough. For all Putin's emboldened ideals, he's not a stupid man and would know it would be disastrous for him.

Ukraine was an easy target because it isn't/wasn't part of NATO, and we had made it clear that due to this they would not be challenged in a direct way.

I don't think they can be challenged in a direct way anyway and Putin knows that, as do NATO

 

[summerisle]

Playing devil’s advocate btw… just trying to understand the point of it all

Well here's the point of a massive loon.

 

[Mrk]

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Putin and Russia's action ends the pretence of the sovereignty of nations within Europe. The UN like the League if Nations pre WWII is proven to be an ineffective talking shop. The USA is the only bulwark against the expansionism of the former communist and communist states Russia and China, Taiwan maybe next. Iran too has its eyes on firing up the middle East. These are worrying times, the general world prosperity post WWII could be ending and a phase of war, the likes of which this generation has never seen could be dawning.

Defence spending has always been the easy target when other needs must, especially amongst the heavily dependant continental European countries who heavily rely on the US to bail them out for free. Only Britain and France spend anything notable on defence.

We need a strong presence in Washington, unfortunately we have Biden.

 

[devogue]

Well here's the point of a massive loon.

What an utter scumbag c***

 

[peteblue]

Playing devil’s advocate btw… just trying to understand the point of it all

I think you make a fair point. Russia needs to feel safe. However, safe from what? NATO in Europe is a basket case…

“The chief of staff of the German army has given a bleak assessment of the situation in a highly unusual post on LinkedIn, reports Justin Huggler from Berlin.

Lt-Gen Alfons Mais said the German military was largely powerless to intervene and claimed politicians had ignored repeated warnings about Putin's intentions.

"In my 41st year of peacetime service I would not have believed that I would have to experience another war," he wrote. "And the Bundeswehr, the army that I am allowed to lead, is more or less blank. The policy options we can offer in support of the Alliance are extremely limited."

"We all saw it coming and were unable to get our arguments through to draw and implement the conclusions of the Crimean annexation. That doesn't feel good! I'm being eaten up!"

Though he was not explicit, Gen Mais appeared to be referring to chronic underfunding under Angela Merkel that has left the German military poorly equipped. German military watchdogs have warned in recent years that underfunding has left the armed forces unable to fulfil their Nato obligations.”

Merkel, again……..

 

[PhilM]

I don't think they can be challenged in a direct way anyway and Putin knows that, as do NATO

With Ukraine, they couldn't.

It's been mentioned on here about Estonia, Latvia etc, and Russia, as it already has been, will continue with its subterfuge and attempts at destabilisation.

But militarily, they can be challenged. The USSR, with all its might, never attempted to take on NATO. The former is now weaker and the latter is now larger.