Ukraine

[Fatmarley]

Ukrainian citizen confronts Russian soldiers after tank runs out of fuel

 

[k90tour]

The simple facts are Putin is a dictator of a failing state. There is no democracy in Russia, any opposing views are murdered or imprisoned, as is the free press.
PS It is bizarre how petrochemical states almost always become rogue states and dictatorships.

Let's not forget the use of nerve agent to kill a Putin critic in Salisbury.
Putin plays by his own bizarre and murderous rules with his own population, never mind the West.

 

[Enfield boy]

“Nadine Dorries says culture is the third front in the Ukraine war”
(BBC)

Thought she'd defeated "culture" single handedly, eating ostrich c0ck live on C4.

The simple facts are Putin is a dictator of a failing state. There is no democracy in Russia, any opposing views are murdered or imprisoned, as is the free press. It is a state that is becoming increasingly isolated and it appears the invasion of Ukraine is primarily to stop that nation impacting Russia’s only real income stream (petrochemicals). It really does look that simple even if the state propaganda may be very different. Sadly he looks to be well on the way to achieving that end as it appears Russia is now close to fully taking the key costal area around the Crimean peninsula where the key reserves lie.

PS It is bizarre how petrochemical states almost always become rogue states and dictatorships.

Pity Maggie spaffing our oil and gas didn't stop it happening to the UK.

 

[Amber Audio]

No ifs or buts, just do it. Pontificating on here will achieve the square root of diddly squat. This is real action that will help real people, right now.

https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Thanks - donated. A real pity it’s needed.

 

[Seeker_UK]

It had better be; the original was developed in 1946. I fired one in 1975 and missed!

A close escape for the barn door, then.

 

[Seeker_UK]

The BBC is currently showing

picture of 400
Not much like the M25.

That's not the logistics convoy.

 

[palindrome]

No ifs or buts, just do it. Pontificating on here will achieve the square root of diddly squat. This is real action that will help real people, right now.

https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Done. I note that the government will match all donations too.

John

 

[PsB]

https://twitter.com/MatasMaldeikis/status/1485569942023983109

I heard Italy is finalizing a dossier: they are reasonable people, so they're not asking for the whole Roman Empire back. No, just Savoie, Nice and the Côte d'Azur, please, which were Italian ~150 years ago, almost yesterday in the grand scheme of things. You see, the deal was they would just lend these to Napoleon III, in exchange for his support of Italian unification. They had a verbal understanding: nothing written, mind you, as the matter was sensitive and had to be dressed up a bit with a fake treaty. Fast forward, and unification no longer seems such a great idea, what with the Mezzogiorno and everything; they have also heard good things about current property values on the Côte. The Treaty of Turin and the fact the locals voted in a referendum to join France are neither here nor there: Nice has always been Italian. Just listen to the way they speak French.

 

[Minio]

That's not the logistics convoy.

Agreed.
Not a good route for a logistics convoy I would say.
Reports continue on convoys bound for Ukraine experiencing mechanical problems though.
And pictures of trucks in mud.

 

[DonQuixote99]

For the convoy in Ukraine, that's not so much of an issue - it's using metalled roads.

Uh, if you have to stick to the road the frontage of attack is really restricted.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Uh, if you have to stick to the road the frontage of attack is really restricted.

When I last checked, logistics convoys (which I was referring to) don't attack.

 

[-alan-]

What worries me of late is that there doesn't seem to be any way to turn this thing off.

If Putin's concerns are around how the changing political landscape around the old Warsaw Pact countries has left Russia vulnerable economically, leaving him with massive reserves of military power and relatively little else - and he's being rendered a pariah by the West and large parts of the rest of the world - how do you get him back to the table ?

If we deploy effective economic sanctions, it proves his case for him internally. He can't realistically be defeated militarily, and will use hardships arising from the current sanctions as further justification as to why he has to press on militarily.

For the life of me, I can't see a way out for him diplomatically - which means barring him being overthrown internally, we're looking at an ever more desperate leader with a strong military and little else to bargain with other than further actual or threatened military aggression.

Anybody on here have any other more optimistic insights into what other ways this might go ?

 

[clivem2]

No ifs or buts, just do it. Pontificating on here will achieve the square root of diddly squat. This is real action that will help real people, right now.

https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

I’ve donated.

I hope western countries can wean themselves off Russian oil and gas immediately so they stop funding the Russian offensive.

 

[DonQuixote99]

What worries me of late is that there doesn't seem to be any way to turn this thing off.

If Putin's concerns are around how the changing political landscape around the old Warsaw Pact countries has left Russia vulnerable economically, leaving him with massive reserves of military power and relatively little else - and he's being rendered a pariah by the West and large parts of the rest of the world - how do you get him back to the table ?

If we deploy effective economic sanctions, it proves his case for him internally. He can't realistically be defeated militarily, and will use hardships arising from the current sanctions as further justification as to why he has to press on militarily.

For the life of me, I can't see a way out for him diplomatically - which means barring him being overthrown internally, we're looking at an ever more desperate leader with a strong military and little else to bargain with other than further actual or threatened military aggression.

Anybody on here have any other more optimistic insights into what other ways this might go ?

Good question. Any number of commentators are saying the Western policy must offer Putin an out, but I haven't heard what this 'out' might be. Agreeing that the Ukraine must give up all it's armored divisions?

 

[PsB]

The Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, is on his way to Washington for a "working meeting". Announced today, taking place tomorrow.
https://www.presidentti.fi/en/press...to-to-make-a-working-visit-to-washington-d-c/
And he's taking the foreign minister and the minister of defence with him.

The Finns are not asking for Karelia back, although they only lost it 77 years ago and Finnish tourists could still, until last week at least, go to visit their parents' houses there and sit for coffee and a chat with the current occupants. No hard feelings, eh? But on reflection, and seeing what's happening to non-members further south, they may be thinking about banging in that NATO application one of these days. There might be a little window of opportunity to do so now, and you never know when the next opportunity will show up.

 

[kensalriser]

I read, I read these thoughts about the insignificance, stupid cruelty of Russia and the beautiful, smart, helping West with weapons, and I understand Putin more and more.

you don’t even have any alternative media or views.

What alternative views are there? You either support the invasion and murder or you don't. Do you support it?

 

[mentalp]

No need to declare captured Russian tanks, other equipment of invaders as income – NAPC
https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/804441.html

 

[gavreid]

Nice has always been Italian. Just listen to the way they speak French.

and drive their cars, they make Paris look civil!

 

[tones]

I hope western countries can wean themselves off Russian oil and gas immediately so they stop funding the Russian offensive.

I'm hoping that this event produces a whole sea change with respect to how we acquire energy. When the German Greens are prepared to keep going with nuclear, you know something is happening...

The West believed that improved economic/commercial ties will automatically lead to western-style liberal democracy. Both China and Russia have now proved this to be completely wrong. We should therefore not make ourselves beholden to failing petro-states.

I find it astonishing that we are busily buggering up the planet for the entire human race and all some people can think of doing is shooting at and blowing up other people. We don't actually deserve to survive.