Russian invasion of Ukraine

[DrBlueBob]

The West was largely disbelieving Putin would actually invade (seems a lot of Russians didn’t think he would either) and that securing the two separatist regions was the actual objective.

Even if we had threatened this level of sanctions, I doubt if Putin would have believed the West would carry them out. The level of sanctions and unity is emotionally driven, triggered by an actual threat. Absent the reality of this threat no one would be even advocating these sanctions let alone implementing them.

I think Putin will begin to destroy Ukraine as punishment for refusing to be ‘liberated‘ and that will trigger further emotional responses - whether that extends to some military intervention, I really much doubt, but then I never thought Putin would be this reckless and I never thought the West would react so strongly, so what the fuck do I know.

I wonder if Putin's "short term end game" is the two separatist regions.

The rest can wait a while.

 

[west didsblue]

He raised a valid point. Seriously who in England gives a toss whether Ukraine is in NATO or not.

99% of people on here would have had no fucking clue whether Ukraine was already in NATO or not. 3 months ago.

What is key is that they don't get invaded and subsumed into Russia. Well look how that is working out.

A valid point that NATO should have just given in to Russian aggression??
I think you've forgotten that Russia don't respect weakness. They launched a biological weapons attack in the UK and we did next to fuck all. Appeasement doesn't work.

 

[wolviedinho]

The west will not put soldiers on the ground as they fear putin starting a nuclear war. This illegal war in Ukraine is already lost. Putin has everyone running scared.

 

[andyhinch]

Maybe but what have the ukrainians got to lose? A war they did not want, dying at the hands of a dictator only to end up becoming a part of the new Russia. Nothing should be off the table. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

It only a thought my you and will most likely will not happen.

Because Putin can claim Ukraine have declared war on Russia and really go in hard, he’s already claiming they’re trying to buy nukes.

 

[bluemoon32]

A valid point that NATO should have just given in to Russian aggression??
I think you've forgotten that Russia don't respect weakness. They launched a biological weapons attack in the UK and we did next to fuck all. Appeasement doesn't work.

In fairness, we did say they were very naughty boys for doing it & gave them a good talking to

 

[PragueBlue]

He raised a valid point. Seriously who in England gives a toss whether Ukraine is in NATO or not.

99% of people on here would have had no fucking clue whether Ukraine was already in NATO or not. 3 months ago.

What is key is that they don't get invaded and subsumed into Russia. Well look how that is working out.

They were going to get invaded regardless of any NATO application. Their only way to avoid that would have been to elect a pro-Putin puppet.

 

[Kirkstall Blue]

It’s the end game I fear, he’s sent in the elite troops and the children are terrified unless you can threaten Russia with a nuke then you have no chance of saving your country. He now wants all nuclear weapons out of Europe or else!! he can use cruise missile but we can’t

 

[dronefromsector7G]

Which one?

Are you Worsleyweb

 

[Coatigan]

It feels like this convoy is the heart of the war.

It's so bloody big, it's so visible, so many military commentators are saying it's such bad strategy, and yet if it gets to and surrounds Kiev then the war is over because millions of people will be cut off from food and supplies.

If it can be destroyed it will be a massive, humiliating blow to the invasion.

If it can be destroyed or stopped by Ukranians.

Otherwise, it is as much of a provocation as it is a humiliation. If it is hit by jets provided by the west, it is another level of rhetoric for Putin. He has already said, countries providing equipment will face consequences of that equipment being used against Russia.

It a one long convoy of chicken.

 

[bluesteel]

Bollocks.
There was an agreement in place that Russia would respect Ukraine's borders when Ukraine gave up its USSR nukes.
Any agreement with Russia isn't worth the paper it's written on, and NATO was never the real issue for Putin. It was and always has been his dreams of a Russian Empire.

I think that’s a pretty baseless argument about what he dreams, it’s never becoming a reality without WW3 anyway, but completely agree about the paper not being worth anything with that lot.