Russian invasion of Ukraine

[aguero93:20]

That could actually be the most rational thing he's done ;-)

Covid was never creeping all that way along the table to him.

I don't know about that, if covid was desperate enough to go to Russia in the first place...

 

[cleavers]

I don't know about that, if covid was desperate enough to go to Russia in the first place...

Fair point.

 

[Ribble73]

All the evidence says you're completely wrong.

Putin has been humiliated multiple times and not done this.

Putin routinely threatens and does nothing.

He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by going nuclear. Which is why he hasn't done it, and won't do it.

It is not just Putin in this but a Cabal around him -who are if anything worse than he is on the Russian Nationalism front.

On the other hand his meeting with Xi the other day behind all the smiles etc was surely Putin being told to forget the Nuclear option -cos on any rational account the winners as it stands from all this are China with NATO and the USA being shown as weak to some extent and on the other hand Russia incompetent and needy on the other.

 

[Deleted member 13905]

I don't know about that, if covid was desperate enough to go to Russia in the first place...

i for one wish it fucking hadn't...

everything was arranged for taking the trans-siberian express.
moscow to vladivostok.
been wanting to do it for decades and finally got it all sorted & booked.
a dream about to come true.
7 days on a train that sells only vodka and dumplings.
£750 for a 1st class 2bed sleeper compartment!

and now there's no chance whatsoever ever ever of it happening .

man in seat 61 is a superb train travel website.

 

[Deleted member 13905]

sorry for going off-topic.

putin on the ritz, to make amends...

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Will Russia use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine?

Unfortunately - I think that this is inevitable. Putin is desperate for victory - things aren't going well - the West already hates him and has declared that he's a war criminal. "What's there to lose?" - must surely be his calculus.

Utter nonsense.

Like every other tin pot dictator he’s all fur coat and no knickers.

He knows the moment he does anything of the sort all bets are off and the full weight of NATO is going to obliterate Russia.

Likewise his one ally in China (who aren’t really an ally at all anyway, they are playing both sides to suit themselves) will turn on him if he does that.

Russia have absolutely fuck all to gain by nuking anybody.

If it were up to me I’d call his bluff tomorrow and have NATO jets over Ukraine.

 

[cleavers]

i for one wish it fucking hadn't...

everything was arranged for taking the trans-siberian express.
moscow to vladivostok.
been wanting to do it for decades and finally got it all sorted & booked.
a dream about to come true.
7 days on a train that sells only vodka and dumplings.
£750 for a 1st class 2bed sleeper compartment!

and now there's no chance whatsoever ever ever of it happening .

man in seat 61 is a superb train travel website.

We also had that down as a dream trip, won't happen in my lifetime now, especially given what I do for a job.

 

[cleavers]

If it were up to me I’d call his bluff tomorrow and have NATO jets over Ukraine.

I must admit I'm coming round to this thinking a year in, though it wouldn't be me in the NATO jets, so it's not up to me.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

It is not just Putin in this but a Cabal around him -who are if anything worse than he is on the Russian Nationalism front.

On the other hand his meeting with Xi the other day behind all the smiles etc was surely Putin being told to forget the Nuclear option -cos on any rational account the winners as it stands from all this are China with NATO and the USA being shown as weak to some extent and on the other hand Russia incompetent and needy on the other.

I don’t agree NATO are coming out of this looking weak at all. If anything I think it demonstrates that when push comes to shove, western democracies put aside their quibbles and come together for the greater good.

NATO are winning a war with Russia without directly firing a single bullet.

 

[Ribble73]

I don’t agree NATO are coming out of this looking weak at all. If anything I think it demonstrates that when push comes to shove, western democracies put aside their quibbles and come together for the greater good.

NATO are winning a war with Russia without directly firing a single bullet.

From the Chinese perspective NATO may have shown plenty of Unity but also the limitations as to getting Boots on the Ground etc (with Taiwan firmly in mind)