Putin has put his nuclear arsenal on high alert Seriously escalating the conflict to a new high level Desperation or strategic manoeuvring
I have to wonder if the 'ordinary people' - the general population - in Russia are aware of how the actions of their leader(s) are being seen around the rest of the world, in particular on the European continent? Those people surely cannot possibly continue to believe the propaganda bullsh1t being used by Putin to justify the invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation? There's an almost unanimous rebuttal of Putin's claims and revulsion to his actions that surely can't be unseen and unheard in Russia itself, especially as we're in an age of such easy and widespread media broadcasting.
You would think that the Russian people would know, but he has switched off social media and all they get fed is state TV news. Load of bollox and mean while he threatens the world with his nuke arsenal.
Just got out of bloody covid and this mad twat is threatening nukes. Fuck knows how this is gonna end up. At least I was too young to even notice the Cuban thing in 1962.
The Guardian has been interviewing people in Moscow, and there is indeed widespread opposition to the war, as well as some support. Unfortunately, Putin has acquired almost absolute power and has control of the 'security' services, so it takes a very brave person to stand up openly against him.
In reallity I think we are fighting the Kremlin rather than Russia. I heard that France has surrendered??
Let’s hope that diplomacy can de-escalate some of the situation, but I won’t hold my breath. https://www.reuters.com/world/talks...says-ukraine-presidential-advisor-2022-02-28/
Putin is a psychopath for sure and the best we can hope for is a military coup or disaffected lone wolf assassin - it isn’t inconceivable. Meanwhile, the Ukraine is being led by a comedian who behaves like a dignified and glorious statesman whilst here in the U.K., we have a statesman who behaves like a comedian and who can’t help lying. Only yesterday he stated that we were ahead of all other states in welcoming Ukrainian refugees whilst Poland, Estonia et al are welcoming them all with open arms and not restricting entry only to those who can show they have resident family members. I voted Tory but he has become an embarrassment. I suspect the vast majority of Putin’s front line grunts are young 19/20 Yr-old conscripts who genuinely believed they were on exercise and have no political awareness. These “innocent” and naive soldiers are being sent into the cities and slaughtered by the Ukrainians. The Russian regulars are a different question but much of the Russian public are unaware of what is going on. Captured Russians are being allowed to phone home and speak to their families and inform them of their capture only to be told they didn’t even know they were in Ukraine and “what the hell are you doing there?” You know how serious it is when Liz Truss goes on TV and “passively” encourages U.K. citizens to go and fight in Ukraine . . . . totally nuts by the way!!! The last thing we need next is a five year hostage negotiation with Russia. Furthermore, Germany has altered its sworn post-war commitment never to supply munitions to a war zone and has further promised 1000 anti-tank and 500 stinger missiles and. . . . that is just Germany. Any number of other states have promised munitions too, including drones from Turkey. You can almost bet that for every refugee leaving, there will be 3-4 “freedom fighters” crossing the border in the opposite direction. One massive uncertainty is how the weapons will get to the Ukrainians as the Russians will have aerial surveillance of all the main border points and arterial routes and simply blast them before they can reach their destination. Perhaps they can borrow 100000 surplus donkeys from the Taliban and bring them across country singly!! Anyway, should you have any doubts about the incompetence of the frontline Russian grunts, I will post a couple of video links. You’ve got to feel sorry for the young conscripts who are being led into a slaughter by a lying, cheating psychopath. One can only hope it ends soon. If you Google the “V” and “Z” insignia, you will see that both these columns were Russian https://youtube.com/shorts/Cph9B8Bukxo?feature=share and
Good post, @Alan Gilbert. It's a terrible scenario and I feel as sorry for many of the Russian grunts as I do the Ukranians having to fight for their home. Unlike Chechnya and Crimea, which he got away with, it seems Putin has made a serious tactical error this time with unprecedented responses from so many countries. I think we can safely say Johnson and Truss are not fooling anyone with their crap but in a way it doesn't matter. They're just small people in a much bigger picture. Liz didn't even realise it's actually illegal for people here in the UK to go and fight for Ukraine. Perhaps she was too busy posing in front of flags to check the facts first. Rhetoric and lies are all we get from this government.
I have to say that what Poland is doing is nothing short of incredible, they are showing the world what compassionate and caring people they are. They are just letting them in with no strings attached, we on the other hand want to know if they can support themselves before they give them a visa. For God's sake, we let thousands of people who cross the channel in rubber dinghies that we have no idea who they are, we put them in hotels give them money for years to come, and we're asking the Ukrainians who really do have a bloody good reason to flee, if they can support themselves. What brain dead politician came up with that idea. The other day I sent an email to the office of the CND. This is what I asked them: "Still think it's a good idea to get rid of our Nuclear weapons. Answers to the Ukrainian government. They got rid of theirs, and look what's happened. When do you plan to march in Moscow". I never got a reply, I wonder why that is.
I absolutely agree re the Nukes and I suspect the Ukrainians would too. They only de-nuked after receiving security guarantees from both NATO and perversely from Russia itself. The flip side of course, is that nukes can end up in the hands of peeps like Putin. Ukrainians and Poles etc need to be a little careful of their handling of black/Asian minority refugees. There are a few ugly reports starting to surface. Racism has been as issue in some Eastern European countries but now is not the time to allow it to be promoted into the headlines. I wish I could be negotiating for Ukraine . . . I would be demanding unconditional withdrawal, war reparations and compensation for families of the war dead or . . . . a completely clean slate, withdrawal and the handing over of Putin and his top ministers for prosecution in The Hague. As you will no doubt understand - I would be crap negotiator!!
If any country can truly sympathise with the plight of the Ukranians, it's Poland. I don't suppose they want Russia on their doorstep again, either.
In the US there's an odd split with a faction of politicians and TV empty suits seeming to support Putin. Here's an example of our "press".
Putin, Xi, all the other pariahs they respect strength and despise weakness, and the weakness stench coming out of the White House these days is like chum in the water. They smell blood, and have become aroused by it. This would not have ever been possible with the other guy in the White House. What it had been Hilary Clinton? Same result as we have today, only we wouldn’t learn about it until 2028. And she’d be much richer for it.
