O/T:- Ukraine [Incorporating 'Congrats to Russia' thread]

[queenslandpie]

Still flights from Moscow to Turkey I see and vice versa. The new back door to the Eu from Russia.

[hissingdwarf]

Todays developments bring madness one step closer. And that is both sides of the conversation.
Putin (in my personal opinion) is sabre rattling with the special alert status for his nuclear stockpile. (This tactic has been used by the Russian leader on numerous occasions.)
Never thought the spectre of nuclear options would be discussed again in Europe. Sad day for the whole world.

But…
Also the decision by the EU to arm the Ukraine is a dangerous one to declare publicly. By all means siphon off military hardware and ensure it ends up in the Ukrainian hands, but to openly admit to arming is a dangerous precedent to set. This is the sort of thing that someone who is in the position that Putin is in, stable or not, would do more than get his heckles up.

He’s already miscalculated the reaction from the west and actually weakened his position against NATO being at his border. His initial game plan was assumed by most, including me, to secure a security buffer between NATO and Russia. Install a puppet regime and firmly have the Ukraine back in his sphere of influence. NATO is shipping troops to the strategic points such as Poland at a rate not seen since the Cold War, so he has now weakened his ideal of security and no NATO interference. NATO is by its very nature an imperialist organisation, which Russia can’t tolerate. A more forceful NATO in the future will cause massive headaches for Russia going forwards.

[hissingdwarf]

The other major point form today (and that in no way means I’m trivialising the events on the streets of Ukraine each day.) has to be the resurgence of Germany in military political terms. The proposed increases to their military budget means that Germany are now moving away from their position of ensuring neutrality towards being a larger player with the military capabilities to back up their views. When a country commits to that sort of increase, on the back of the Covid Pandemic, then it makes a clear statement of intent.

[Glad2BeAPie]

Banning flights, freezing assets etc is all well and good. But it's not stopping innocent people being murdered, do they have to wait till Russia runs out of stockpiled supplies.

[hissingdwarf]

Banning flights, freezing assets etc is all well and good. But it's not stopping innocent people being murdered, do they have to wait till Russia runs out of stockpiled supplies.

It’s a difficult one for NATO because Ukraine isn’t in NATO, therefore doesn’t have the same military protections afforded to its members.
Doesn’t make the invasion by Russia anymore palatable, just means the policy of non interference is difficult.
Running out of stockpiled supplies? If by that you mean arms, weapons, artillery, tanks etc…then that won’t happen for a long time. Putin has built up the Russian military strength to beyond what it was when the USSR was at its most feared. The billions spent on the military by Russia vastly outweigh most other nations, including the US.
War is a costly thing and the one thing Russia has, it’s money. Lots of it.

That’s why the reasonable point is always made when the US invaded or weighs into help so to speak. The US doesn’t go anywhere unless there’s an oil reserve involved. Harsh, but true. Not saying the likes of Iraq etc…invasion didn’t warrant the removal of a character such as Hussein, but following the money is relatively easy with the US. Hence the instability of the Middle East. Western influences have ravaged the area and sowed the seeds of discontent for decades upon decades, but when a military incursion is warranted by the US, you can always look towards where the cash will flow back in from.
Russia…no need to guess. The oil and gas fields have totally changed the world stage. Putin and his inner circle have become billionaires over a few years and has been building towards this war for a long time now.

[i961pie]

‘EU announces it has agreed unanimously amongst all member countries to take in Ukrainian refugees for up to 3 years without asking them to first apply for asylum. Just been announced following a meeting of EU Interior ministers’
All while the Uk f00ks about talking about refugees needing to apply for a seasonal work visa.

Yeah Hoss if this crisis has proved anything it’s that solidarity and co-operation between nations just doesn’t work. Look at Putin, he’s a big fan of the EU.

To be fair it was one dickhead who sent a stupid email about seasonal work not the UK, what a moron?
(Him not you).😅

[LaxtonLad]

Just now after u mentioning it. UK seem to be RRR or KK

...and for us writing in legible English?

[Big Bob]

I see the yanks are rather quiet about it all

[i961pie]

To be fair it was one dickhead who sent a stupid email about seasonal work not the UK, what a moron?
(Him not you).😅

But we should be doing much more.

[BigFatPie]

To be fair it was one dickhead who sent a stupid email about seasonal work not the UK, what a moron?
(Him not you).��

Haha well you were probably right the first time.

To be fair, it wasn’t some random moron it was Priti Patel’s Under Secretary of State for Safe Migration. Given her reputation It’s hard to believe he would have put it out without the approval of his boss.



Btw grateful to learn that I’m not the only one sad enough to have Flightradar24 on my phone!