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His biggest problem is that taking Ukraine puts him right on NATOs border, which is exactly what he wants to avoid in Ukraine.
Norway
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
And of those countries, which of those fall into the category of “former soviet”? So maybe he’ll run the same playbook in the Baltic states and Poland now that he knows he can?
The UK sanctions do look incredibly weak, sure it gives them the ability to ramp them up but the only think that might have made Putin think twice is to implement the most severe sanctions right from the start. But ofc that would hit Tory funding, their investments and their mates,
And potentially some members of thee Lords, t.ex Lebedev
Today I signed our first wave of sanctions targeting oligarchs and banks close to the Kremlin. We will keep ratcheting up sanctions if Russia refuses to de-escalate.
Bless.
It's like she thinks she's having any effect at all.
Surely even she can't be that deluded. Oh... erm...
https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1496394034239221762?s=20&t=gQgltarrPEZc3Rlxq1gAHA
So the Tory party will be continuing to take all that dodgy Russian cash, eh Liz?
Righto...
willard Full Member
And of those countries, which of those fall into the category of “former soviet”? So maybe he’ll run the same playbook in the Baltic states and Poland now that he knows he can?
I think they're all NATO member states. Any attempt to use Putin's Ukraine playbook on them would be much more likely to result in horrific escalation. What's happening in Ukraine is bad enough, hopefully Putin is not so unstable as to risk WWIII by directly invading a NATO member.
hopefully Putin is not so unstable as to risk WWIII by directly invading a NATO member.
Give him time...
hopefully Putin is not so unstable as to risk WWIII by directly invading a NATO member.
Let's be honest, looking at just how 'unstable' he looks at the moment is why we're all so worried. He looks madder than a box of frogs to me, sat at the end of his giant table like some mad king, eating a big portion of madness.
You just need to see the looks on those poor blokes faces who were arranged in front of him the other day. A look that said, collectively... 'OH SHIT!! He's gone completely hatstand"
Quite, quite mad.
On that basis isn't it long time we went back & liberated the people of Bordeaux....?
Let’s be honest, looking at just how ‘unstable’ he looks at the moment is why we’re all so worried. He looks madder than a box of frogs to me, sat at the end of his giant table like some mad king, eating a big portion of madness.
You just need to see the looks on those poor blokes faces who were arranged in front of him the other day. A look that said, collectively… ‘OH SHIT!! He’s gone completely hatstand”
Agreed.
He is, quite literally, the definition of lunatic.
He is, quite literally, the definition of lunatic
That's lucky, the moon is waning
Sat at the end of that table, Putin reminds me of Tony Montana.
Didn't realise Dan Walker had moved into news presenting. Felt sorry for him when he got the boot from MOTD but thought he was excellent in that clip. He took a completely different approach to that which we are used to. Maybe it's because in his previous job he had to 'hide' his intelligence and he's transferred that skill to interviewing politicians, we are so used to the interviewer looking for any opportunity to demonstrate how smart they are that it's refreshing to see a sports presenter playing rope-a-dope with a government minister (and Truss is certainly a dope if nothing else...)
Micah Richards fronting Newsnight? Robbie Savage on Hardtalk? Bring it on I say.
I imagine that anyone from Finland is very, very concerned at Putin's remarks too.
Meanwhile in Brexit Blighty, we wake to the news that the government is sanctioning three - yes three - individuals and five banks that noone has heard of.
A large amount of grubby cash is being laundered in London and the Tories are in hock to Russian donors. There may or may not be some link between the piss-poorness of the UK's sanctions and the amount of money propping up an increasingly dogmatic Conservative Party.
we wake to the news that the government is sanctioning three – yes three – individuals and five banks that noone has heard of.
My thoughts exactly. Feeble.
Kiev
I do hope this isn't going to affect Tesco Chicken Kiev's. Supplies were disrupted during the great fuel shortage of 2021. I'm not going through all that again. #sadface
Western sanctions will make little difference - he can just trade with China.
Russia stands to gain a great agricultural and manufacturing resource from Ukraine and there's not a lot to stop them.
Lyse Doucet and Orla Guerin are now both in Ukraine. It doesn't bode well.
The other 2 horsemen of the apocalypse are on their way
☹️
If Kate Adie dusts off her flak armour then we're definitely in the shit.
Glad to see John Simpson news report just now as I thought he retired. Note - I am not replying to anyone but just posting in general because of John Simpson. I like his style of reporting / analysis of Putih.
It looks like CCP (Not the Chinese people) is showing support and probably try to push Russia (CCP is very good at this sort of things) into some sort war to distract their intention for Taiwan. i.e. open two fronts. (Channel 4 news interview with CCP member)
Putin just basically declared war. Explosions in Ukraine. ****ing terrible.
A friend of mine living just outside Kharkiv has just texted and said they can hear shelling.
The question now is how quickly this escalates from a 'local' war into a global one. Personally I hope we keep our troops out of it and just stick to sanctions and refusing to be Russia's laundry service but I just know Johnson will see this as his opportunity to become the Churchill figure he is so desperate to be.
I'm worried.
My friend and her 4-yr old son were evacuated earlier.
How on earth can this be happening other than insanity.
**** Russia.
We have an office in Kyiv, not sure what's going to happen. Hope those guys and girls stay safe out there.
It’s ugly and seems a bizarre thing to be happening in this century.
I hope there’s minimal casualties.
Woke up at 4 stressing about my own petty shit, and have just seen this. Jeez, I really didn't think he was mad enough to actually attack Western Ukraine. And it is madness, he's gone full Hitler, and I fear how this plays out across Europe and the damage he does until he falls like all dictators eventually do.
He's not going to stop with Ukraine is he?
https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/1496685246233862152?t=LiL3Y6qSrp6fwwIGVrtWyw&s=19
Trump being Trump
“To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history. All relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me,” he said
He’s fully mental
Absolutely senseless 😢
What a murderous ****
I've been hesitant to come on this thread, Initially I dismissed Putin's troop positions as a way of driving up gas and oil, getting his finances back in order post Covid. Thinking he would be nuts to invade, but the more I've read up on it, the more concerned I've become.
Now he's actually invading (again) I see this as his long ball game. He's generally always played under hand politics in the past, preferring to blame others or deny any involvement. But he definitely doesn't do anything without reason.
The attempts to disrupt democratic processes throughout the last 15 or so years have never really come to the public eye of how much involvement Russia has - and in some cases I think he genuinely has some success in turning votes (trump/brexit more recently France and Russia). Now that we have a level of political instability in Europe, with COVID and every country having a vocal and large rightwing faction (which I believe he's been stoking), its prime time to show his cards.
I'm sure we will see Russian bots on Facebook for a few months again.
There a ton of resources in Ukraine, he absolutely doesn't care about the people or deaths - my view is that he is long term resource gathering, the real question is why?
the real question is why?
I think he wants to build an empire
if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history
Is that Putin threatening to use nuclear weapons?
Personally I don't think it's empire.... I think that's old Russia thinking, Putin although absolutely dedicated to Russia thinks bigger than that.
I think it's either for financial gain - car batteries etc or my real underlying fear, he preempting the rest of the world with climate change.
Is that Putin threatening to use nuclear weapons?
Yes, that's how I read it
Personally I don’t think it’s empire…. I think that’s old Russia thinking, Putin although absolutely dedicated to Russia thinks bigger than that
You could well be right, however if I was Georgia I'd be thinking pretty hard about defensive strategies right now
Woke up at 4 stressing about my own petty shit, and have just seen this. Jeez, I really didn’t think he was mad enough to actually attack Western Ukraine
What’s he got to lose thou?
He gets lucky and he gets it all or he gets a bit of it.
He can always go back to the negotiating table and negotiate some agreement.
however if I was Georgia I’d be thinking pretty hard about defensive strategies right now
Don't forget large parts of the Baltic's Sweden / Finland who both extremely worried, parts of Asia and places like Alaska used to be under Russia control and we know Alaska is full or resources.
What’s he got to lose thou?
Absolutely nothing - he making more money from the oil and gas price rise than loosing from the 'sanctions' at the moment.
Would full on sanctions earlier worked in preventing this?
While the world was talking, he'd already made the decision to invade and was preparing a ground invasion. He is an utter nut job...in control of a huge nuclear arsenal.
I'd like to see the UK government, all governments actually, freeze the assets and accounts of people and companies linked to Putin. It will not be enough, not now, to stop the war or save Ukraine though and I have no idea what will.