Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

So Germany is increasing its defence budget to over 2% of GDP and exporting arms to a war zone for the first time since the 1940's - in Finland there is a push to join NATO and Sweden considering the same - Mad Vlad is achieving the exact opposite of what he set out to do

Unintended consequences and all that. The problem is that western foreign policy is just as vulnerable to this unpredictable chaos. Who could have seen that arming the Mujahedeen from 79-89 would lead to 9/11? Sometimes I think it's a case of every action resulting in equal and opposite reaction - this will also apply to the consequences of a rapidly expanding NATO.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Hmmm - co-inky-denky?

Mikhail Watford: Ukrainian oligarch's death investigated by Surrey Police

The death of Mikhail Watford in Wentworth, Surrey, is not being treated as suspicious by police.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[bluethrunthru]

If you have got £500 cash you could pick up a football club or a super yacht on the cheap - seriously if you were crewing one of these superyachts owned by an oligarch would you be hanging around? I mean no matter how good your wages are you are unlikely to be paid them anyway.

Meanwhile Raab is "building up legal cases " to confiscate stuff

 

[bumbleblue]

Think this is a really interesting thread:

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Think this is a really interesting thread:

Very good - this may be the EU's hour. NATO has too much cold war baggage.

 

[meltonblue]

It's boring, in so far far as it's the same old protagonists with their boring placards turning up in every thread when their are much more important things to read, report and discuss.

Not really sure who you’re referring to there. I would argue that our inability or inaction to sanction more widely is incredibly important in the current situation though. It might be boring to you but it’s the main weapon we bring in this war and so far we’ve turned it into a rusty spoon.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Not really sure who you’re referring to there. I would argue that our inability or inaction to sanction more widely is incredibly important in the current situation though. It might be boring to you but it’s the main weapon we bring in this war and so far we’ve turned it into a rusty spoon.

We're all (all nations) struggling to apply these sanctions as far as I can tell. Russian citizens who in many cases suddenly and mysteriously became very rich in the 90's have bought their way into the property, energy and leisure sectors across Europe over the last 30 years.

 

[Grassland Blue]

Is that Jodie Comer on the end poised to assassinate the evil twat?

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

If everyone practiced what they preached it’d certainly make things easier.

Point noted, but I wouldn't really say 2 posts about different topics admittedly slightly off topic equates to dozens about Johnson from the same protagonists. I'm no fan of Johnson but sometimes it does derail the thread.

 

[Rascal]

You're moaning about this but you’re bloody loving the confrontation side of having posted it, since you’re only really replying to or talking about the people who are being most confrontational about you posting it.

I took the time to reply to your post with a variety of different reasons and political and economic angles for why it’s not a credible argument, and you ignored it. Why?… because I don’t think you really posted it for debate.

I do not have a degree in twitter like SWPs Back, so didn't think it was my place to reply.