Russian invasion of Ukraine

GornikDaze said:
Looks like my concerns about WW3 kicking off were unfounded. According to BBC News currently BBC1, the Queen has a cold, Covid restrictions are changing, the weather is a bit shit and we’ve won a gold in the ice bowling.
Click to expand...
Relax.
Macca's sorting it all out apparently.
As long as BoJo stays out of it we might have a chance!
 
Olympics closing, Xi satisfied, pretext all in place.

Looks like Putin has checked all the boxes.

Ships in place, to add to the land forces and equipment already in place, so the invasion will swift and sure. Cyberattacks on Ukraine will create chaos and, it feels like, from here it’s a matter of when not if this gets ugly.

My wider concern is about how far west, into Ukraine, Putin wants to go?

Will he simply use the pretext of ethnic Russians and only capture as far west as the western most shore of the Black Sea, or does he want the whole thing, including subjugating the 3M residents of Kyiv?

And, what will the world do that he cares about…and for how long?

It feels like Putin is looking at a massive long term gain for a mildly painful short term pain, and made the calculus that he can handle it…especially with the spike in energy prices that will fill his coffers. Or will they? How hard is the world going to push back?

Markets already anticipating a bad day, but 2% is just scratching the surface once the videos start popping up and world leaders start highlighting their impotence.

And people wonder why Ukraine wants to be considered “European” and in NATO and Russia wanted to avoid that at all costs???
 
ChicagoBlue said:
Olympics closing, Xi satisfied, pretext all in place.

Looks like Putin has checked all the boxes.

Ships in place, to add to the land forces and equipment already in place, so the invasion will swift and sure. Cyberattacks on Ukraine will create chaos and, it feels like, from here it’s a matter of when not if this gets ugly.

My wider concern is about how far west, into Ukraine, Putin wants to go?

Will he simply use the pretext of ethnic Russians and only capture as far west as the western most shore of the Black Sea, or does he want the whole thing, including subjugating the 3M residents of Kyiv?

And, what will the world do that he cares about…and for how long?

It feels like Putin is looking at a massive long term gain for a mildly painful short term pain, and made the calculus that he can handle it…especially with the spike in energy prices that will fill his coffers. Or will they? How hard is the world going to push back?
Click to expand...
All a bit of a pantomime I think. The west will take the moral high ground, feign outrage and use it as a convenient excuse to firm up NATO presence in Latvia, Poland, Romania etc. Not sure if Putin will settle for annexure of 'the Russian bit' of Ukraine or will want the lot.
 
Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese said:
All a bit of a pantomime I think. The west will take the moral high ground, feign outrage and use it as a convenient excuse to firm up NATO presence in Latvia, Poland, Romania etc. Not sure if Putin will settle for annexure of 'the Russian bit' of Ukraine or will want the lot.
Click to expand...
“Pantomime” is not the term I would use for what will happen on the ground in Ukraine in February, but the European response seems baked in, as you described.

The question in the USA remains, what are we willing, and not willing, to do to try to dissuade Russian expansionism? Does this military action undermine or exacerbate the desire to put defensive weaponry on the Russian doorstep, as they’ve shown they can put 100,000s of troops and heavy arms on their border in short order.

May we live in interesting times.
 
ChicagoBlue said:
“Pantomime” is not the term I would use for what will happen on the ground in Ukraine in February, but the European response seems baked in, as you described.

The question in the USA remains, what are we willing, and not willing, to do to try to dissuade Russian expansionism? Does this military action undermine or exacerbate the desire to put defensive weaponry on the Russian doorstep, as they’ve shown they can put 100,000s of troops and heavy arms on their border in short order.

May we live in interesting times.
Click to expand...
I think the US and NATO will be content with a new Berlin wall on the border of or half way across Ukraine. NATO stays relevent, arms industry keep on truckin' and the only actual expansion to have taken place since 1950 will be NATO including most of the old Soviet Blok countries under its wing. Biden ,Boris and Putin all get to wave their dicks and claim victory.
As you say, not great for those on the ground in Ukraine.
 
Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese said:
I think the US and NATO will be content with a new Berlin wall on the border of or half way across Ukraine. NATO stays relevent, arms industry keep on truckin' and the only actual expansion to have taken place since 1950 will be NATO including most of the old Soviet Blok countries under its wing. Biden ,Boris and Putin all get to wave their dicks and claim victory.
As you say, not great for those on the ground in Ukraine.
Click to expand...

As I was discussing with my 23 yr old son…

500B64AE-0442-447C-A514-900CDAA05F31.jpeg

I have the N-S line running at 1 o’clock, but it could just as easily be 11 o’clock. I’m not sure where all the strategic Russian assets are located along that area of the border.
 
So Putin doesn’t want more missile systems on his borders so invades another country so NATO will put more into Poland etc when he takes over Ukraine therefore more missile system on the border! The guy is a fucking idiot, does he expect us to ever invade Russia? He will invade and the human cost will be huge on both sides for Ukraine and Russia.
 
Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese said:
All a bit of a pantomime I think. The west will take the moral high ground, feign outrage and use it as a convenient excuse to firm up NATO presence in Latvia, Poland, Romania etc. Not sure if Putin will settle for annexure of 'the Russian bit' of Ukraine or will want the lot.
Click to expand...
Depends were all the oil and gas reserves are
 
Blue Maverick said:
So Putin doesn’t want more missile systems on his borders so invades another country so NATO will put more into Poland etc when he takes over Ukraine therefore more missile system on the border! The guy is a fucking idiot, does he expect us to ever invade Russia? He will invade and the human cost will be huge on both sides for Ukraine and Russia.
Click to expand...
At this point, it seems he’s going to take what he wants before the US & Europe decide Ukraine can become a NATO member and force the US to defend them!

Ukraine must be spitting blood after giving away their share of USSR nukes for a European promise of protection!

I guess the Germans meant helmets?!
 
BobKowalski said:
The West has enabled Putin and the regime to a large extent. London and New York is home to a lot of Russian money, Germany with its energy needs.

The Times is running a story about Tory donors with direct access to Johnson in exchange for cash and it includes a Russian with links to Putin.

Much as Johnson is burbling about ‘getting tough’, no one buys it because Johnson always talks a good game rather than delivering one, which, conversely, does make you wonder why any donor would spend good money in exchange for a Johnson promise :)

Joking aside, our system has the increasingly rotten stench of corruption.

www.thetimes.co.uk

Latest news & breaking headlines

The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment.
www.thetimes.co.uk www.thetimes.co.uk
Click to expand...

None of that enables Russia to invade Ukraine though does it? Nor has it influenced the UK response.
 
My biggest concern over this today, is I need to nip to Lidl and in this storm the best hat to wear is my ex soviet ushanka.

I just don't want the people of abbey hey to think a secret invasion has started and panic, but I do want to keep my head warm and dry ;-)
 
Last edited:
urban genie said:
My biggest concern over this today, is I need to nip to Lidl and in this storm the best hat to wear is my ex soviet ushanka.

I jist don't want the people of abbey hey to thing a secret invasion has started and panic, but I do want to keep my head warm and dry ;-)
Click to expand...
Can't see a problem.

dejected-man-utd-fan-after-mat-sunderland-v-manchester-united-stadium-JB188C.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top