OV9

Sobering news coming out of the Ukraine at the moment.. can’t imagine the fear the average person must have knowing Russian troops are invading their country. Has any recent war improved the situation? I can only think of failure after failure where one country has invaded another.. thoughts for the Ukrainian people (and Russian soldiers, I guess, as they didn’t exactly get a vote in this!)

And Trump praises Putin’s actions in eastern Ukraine makes me want to vomit with rage.. what an absolute c*nt that man is!

Agreed on all points. I initially typed "on all fronts" then realised it would be a bit insensitive !

Nothing good will come of this.

It’s scarey stuff, and Putin doesn’t seem greatly concerned by the condemnation from the rest of the world.

He really doesn't does he...

I'm not altogether sure what we can do about it either - Full Scale military support is out but even then, supplying weapons etc to the Ukrainians might be seen as interfering and bring about his chilling threat. Hell, even sanctions might be an act of war in his mind.

Come back Covid, all is forgiven...

Well Ukrainians are known as being as tough as they get so they certainly won’t bend over to Putins invasion.

Also supposedly 6 Russian jets have been destroyed?

Dave!

I don't want to see UK (or any...) troops on the ground in Ukraine. I'm not sure Putin is quite mad enough to directly invade a NATO country. Which would leave the only other option as leaving Ukraine to it and letting them fall to Putin. Which is just as appalling as the other options.

The World seems to be regressing at the moment. Perhaps we should have hit pause at 1960 and kept it in that gear forever. Except the racism that is. And the threat of the cold war. The aqueducts. Sanitation. A fresh water sytem...

Not sure what Putin hopes to get from this. He’s probably wanting a swift take over with minimal damage but if the people of Ukraine fight as they say they will with many civilians armed it’s just going to end up turning into another completely ruined wasteland.

Gwaredd wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:58 am The World seems to be regressing at the moment. Perhaps we should have hit pause at 1960 and kept it in that gear forever. Except the racism that is. And the threat of the cold war. The aqueducts. Sanitation. A fresh water sytem...

Insane isn't it. We've never had it better and yet it seems people have never been more retarded.

dan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:25 am
Insane isn't it. We've never had it better and yet it seems people have never been more retarded.

It's all about taking back control Dan.

Mito Man wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:00 am Not sure what Putin hopes to get from this. He’s probably wanting a swift take over with minimal damage but if the people of Ukraine fight as they say they will with many civilians armed it’s just going to end up turning into another completely ruined wasteland.

He wants to rebuild the Soviet Union, it’s all he’s ever wanted. He wants to be seen as a Stalin type figure. No amount of tutting and finger wagging from other nations will stop him. I can only see this escalating. Welcome to WW3.

At least it will be quick. Russia vs the rest of the World.

Gwaredd wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:27 pm At least it will be quick. Russia vs the rest of the World.

Well - they are bit pally with China, so it's not quite that straightforward...

Zonda_ wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:41 am

Mito Man wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:00 am Not sure what Putin hopes to get from this. He’s probably wanting a swift take over with minimal damage but if the people of Ukraine fight as they say they will with many civilians armed it’s just going to end up turning into another completely ruined wasteland.

He wants to rebuild the Soviet Union, it’s all he’s ever wanted. He wants to be seen as a Stalin type figure. No amount of tutting and finger wagging from other nations will stop him. I can only see this escalating. Welcome to WW3.

I'm not so sure that's the case. More about not wanting a successful independent former Soviet state right on his doorstep as that doesn't look so great to his citizens and they might get ideas above their station (what does that remind you of? ). Certainly doesn't want EU and NATO influence creeping ever-closer to his doorstep.

It's staggering really, and Ukraine is a substantial country with a proper military so it could get decidedly ugly. Can't think of a more worrying time internationally in my lifetime.

Which is so frustrating when we seemed to be making some broadly positive steps as a species.

That said, it's the biggest of a number of incursions that Putin has made and generally got away with in Ukraine and other countries (I mean why are there more sanction options available to the west now seeing as he had already annexed a chunk of the country?).

It's horrible to say about a sovereign country, but probably the best result now is to let him take the 'independent' regions in the east and hope Putin dies before he plucks up the courage to make the next step in extending his empire.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the easy way out for Ukraine is for them to very quickly become a NATO state. Obviously that's not what they want, or they would have done so already, but it would put a stop to Putins plans overnight. (very simplified I know)

Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:32 pmCertainly doesn't want EU and NATO influence creeping ever-closer to his doorstep.

So he moves his doorstep closer to the EU and NATO??

"Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain."

Vladimir Putin

If they want the sanctions to hurt Russia they need to sanction China. Russia seem happy enough relying on China for trade as well as the other crackpot dictatorships.

Gwaredd wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:46 pm Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the easy way out for Ukraine is for them to very quickly become a NATO state. Obviously that's not what they want, or they would have done so already, but it would put a stop to Putins plans overnight. (very simplified I know)

Easy way to start WW3 and the end of humanity?