[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Yes fair point, although I do think it is an important step.

Plus not opening NS2 means that Europe will remain reliant on the existing gas pipelines that pass through Ukraine from Russia, there must be ramifications of this.

Not least they could blow them up

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

How would we know if there have been protests? Don't underestimate the Russian state's ability to suppress news of dissent so as to appear to have total support (as well as crack down hard and fast to limit the scale of any protest)

Phone footage.

 

[beorhthelm]

Reading the EU wants to sanction all 351 members of the Russian Duma, but Putins EU stooge, far right Orban from Hungary is resisting.

Its at moments like this that EU proves it doesnt work well in its current form. You cant have 1 nation stopping 26 from what is a 96% unified approach

if the major countries individually sanction Russia, which they can, bypasses those who want to waterdown. how much do they want to follow through on the threats?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Looks like Abramovich keeps his football club.... for now.

 

[MJsGhost]

Looks like Abramovich keeps his football club.... for now.

I was pondering this on my morning dog walk... I guess restrictions could be put in place to make his enjoyment of owning Chelsea difficult, but could it ever actually be taken away?

I actually think hitting the rich and powerful Russians where it hurts will do more to put pressure on Putin than threats of military intervention, so I'd be all for Chelsea being taken off him if it's possible.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

<snip>

However, a rabble of farmers, kids party clowns and other dropouts aka DNR/LNR controlled by the Russian military and a Moscow puppet. in part of a country that was and is an actual UN recognised part of Ukraine, isn't actually Ukraine but shold be independent and also belongs to Russia?

Heaven forefend that a nation might export part of their population to dominate an indiginous people, and then lay claim to the land.

I can understand the UK objecting to the annexation on strategic grounds, but Russians with long memories can be forgiven for sneering if we attempt to take a moral high ground, and obtaining a strategic alliance necessary to stop Putin taking the whole of Ukraine will require clarity of purpose.

My personal view is we should never have let the buggers flood London with their looted and laundered cash and should seize all their assets (although they can keep Chelsea FC), and we should now divest ourselves of a dependence on Russian oil immediately even if petrol prices soar.

So far, Johnson is making the right noises, and Starmer is giving full support. Good.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Laughable that the 8 individuals / entities sanctioned by the UK just now have been sanctioned by the USA since 2014

A stronger sanction would be to exclude Russian entities from the SWIFT network, but that’s going to upset some mates no doubt

 

[Doc Lynam]

If our government seizes Russian oligarchs assets wouldn’t that implicate a few prem clubs?

 

[peterward]

Heaven forefend that a nation might export part of their population to dominate an indiginous people, and then lay claim to the land.

I can understand the UK objecting to the annexation on strategic grounds, but Russians with long memories can be forgiven for sneering if we attempt to take a moral high ground, and obtaining a strategic alliance necessary to stop Putin taking the whole of Ukraine will require clarity of purpose.

My personal view is we should never have let the buggers flood London with their looted and laundered cash and should seize all their assets (although they can keep Chelsea FC), and we should now divest ourselves of a dependence on Russian oil immediately even if petrol prices soar.

So far, Johnson is making the right noises, and Starmer is giving full support. Good.

yes my friend we have a long and shameful past of forced annexations or invasions of indigenous peoples, we all know the history of the British Empire, but that is behind us. We dont act like this in the 21st century, and the way Putin acts is as the modern incarnation of Hitler, he believes Russia has a right to subjugate and that might is right, he literally changes history to airbrush out russian mistakes and to create false narratives to justify his malign actions.

And whats worse is he thinks he is Russia and that his self interest is the same thing as Russias national interest.

Theres always this danger when despots are allowed to remain for too long..... long gone are those that can speak truth to power, its small group of fellow conspiracy quacks, still living in the cold war, though having enriched themselves, are willing to give unquestining fealty to the despot who sits atop the rotten festering construct he has made.

Glad too, that Boris and Starmer are being grown up on this issue and are on the same page, but a palace coup would be the nicest best option. (and I dont mean Vieira to Moscow!)

Carry him out in a box and the world can try and get on with peaceful discourse and fight the real issues of the day.

 

[peterward]

If our government seizes Russian oligarchs assets wouldn’t that implicate a few prem clubs?

Sanction them with criminal activity/liability and then put pressure on the prem to reassess them using fit and proper persons test.

 

[A1X]

I was pondering this on my morning dog walk... I guess restrictions could be put in place to make his enjoyment of owning Chelsea difficult, but could it ever actually be taken away?

I actually think hitting the rich and powerful Russians where it hurts will do more to put pressure on Putin than threats of military intervention, so I'd be all for Chelsea being taken off him if it's possible.

I assume the only feasible way is through some sort of nationalisation, which is probably immensely troublesome for the rules even if it was legally possible outside of football.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I think the time is nigh for Putin to face a vote of no confidence from the Russian people.
That will trigger a general election which may resolve this high-risk impasse

If Russia does invade, I'm backing [MENTION=17254]Solid at the back[/MENTION] to be first on here to spout "Game over"

 

[Baker lite]

I can only assume that UEFA will be moving the champions league final to another country?

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

I can only assume that UEFA will be moving the champions league final to another country?

The buffoons will probably move it to Donetsk

 

[beorhthelm]

I was pondering this on my morning dog walk... I guess restrictions could be put in place to make his enjoyment of owning Chelsea difficult, but could it ever actually be taken away?

I actually think hitting the rich and powerful Russians where it hurts will do more to put pressure on Putin than threats of military intervention, so I'd be all for Chelsea being taken off him if it's possible.

there is a presumption that rich powerful Russian have much sway over what Putin does. i'd expect them to be wary of losing their riches and power if they cross him, so stay out of the way. they spend much time abroad, applying for citizenship in other countries, buying themselves a second life away from Russia.

 

[Eric the meek]

I might be wrong, and I write from a position of scant knowledge of the effect of sanctions, but 5 Russian banks and only 3 individuals for the UK sanctions seems rather underwhelming.

 

[A1X]

I might be wrong, and I write from a position of scant knowledge of the effect of sanctions, but 5 Russian banks and only 3 individuals for the UK sanctions seems rather underwhelming.

Three individuals who are not resident in the UK and have been on the sanctions list of the US since 2018. This is really very small beer, rather justifying the US Government's concerns about how much the UK Government will actually be prepared to do.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I might be wrong, and I write from a position of scant knowledge of the effect of sanctions, but 5 Russian banks and only 3 individuals for the UK sanctions seems rather underwhelming.

I guess its an opening gambit in same way Russian troops have not openly moved into the disputed area . Germany's action is potentially stronger , though I am not sure if the Nord 2 building work has stopped...

 

[pb21]

I might be wrong, and I write from a position of scant knowledge of the effect of sanctions, but 5 Russian banks and only 3 individuals for the UK sanctions seems rather underwhelming.

They do seem a bit, er, meek.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I might be wrong, and I write from a position of scant knowledge of the effect of sanctions, but 5 Russian banks and only 3 individuals for the UK sanctions seems rather underwhelming.

Agree. I was hoping for / anticipating something with a bit more bite.

As it is, two plumbers from Vladivostok and a nanny from Moscow are left wondering why their Tesco Clubcard points have suddenly disappeared FFS.