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

[Blue Valkyrie]

Seems we are going to have to call this megalomaniac's bluff regardless of the consequences, scary stuff

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=afe0b73d603b4653bb916ecf44c5ac02

Yes, of course we call his bluff. We are totally lost if we don't.

Great thread from my favourite author - read all the way through to get to why we have to :


[Tweet]1503053699798769666[/Tweet]

Oh and there's this :

[Tweet]1505729378117988356[/Tweet]

 

[Eric the meek]

Seems we are going to have to call this megalomaniac's bluff regardless of the consequences, scary stuff

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=afe0b73d603b4653bb916ecf44c5ac02

I don't read that as quite as scary as you do. I read it as all he - can - do. Sabre rattling after the event, which he didn't foresee.

He can't spare the troops to move to the Finnish border to intimidate the Finns, as he's lost a third of them in Ukraine. Even if they were available, it is questionable whether he's got the vehicles or the fuel to get them there anyway.

This is how the BBC see it:

'The Baltic Sea is about to become a Nato lake, facing Russia'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-61461805 17:03

 

[vegster]

I don't read that as quite as scary as you do. I read it as all he - can - do. Sabre rattling after the event, which he didn't foresee.

He can't spare the troops to move to the Finnish border to intimidate the Finns, as he's lost a third of them in Ukraine. Even if they were available, it is questionable whether he's got the vehicles or the fuel to get them there anyway.

This is how the BBC see it:

'The Baltic Sea is about to become a Nato lake, facing Russia'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-61461805 17:03

Putin couldn't take on Finland as the Russians would get an even worse mauling than the one they are getting in Ukraine at the moment. The Finns are well prepared for a war against Russia, the whole country knows what to do in the event of invasion and a high percentage of the male population have been conscripted for National Service. They are trained to fight hit and run against an enemy with overwhelming numbers and with minimal Finnish air cover.

 

[jakarta]

It seems Turkey don't want Finland and Sweden in NATO.

Well they can fvck off and see how they survive in a hopefully Post Putin World.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

It seems Turkey don't want Finland and Sweden in NATO.

Well they can fvck off and see how they survive in a hopefully Post Putin World.

They want F35s as a quid pro quo.

 

[jakarta]

They want F35s as a quid pro quo.

Never knew as a Middle Eastern Country why they were in NATO at all - they can piss off as far as I'm concerned...

 

[A1X]

[tweet]1526293852704890882[/tweet]

 

[A1X]

It seems Turkey don't want Finland and Sweden in NATO.

Well they can fvck off and see how they survive in a hopefully Post Putin World.

It’s posturing for concessions, just as we saw in the Brexit negotiations and happens in any major international effort such as this. It happened at Versailles. It happened at Potsdam. But when push comes to shove, people find a way to get a deal done.

 

[Bakero]

Never knew as a Middle Eastern Country why they were in NATO at all - they can piss off as far as I'm concerned...

Presumably, their government took a strong anti-communist stance in the 50s so they were deemed a useful ally by the US. Also, a pretty handy location for bases etc.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

[tweet]1526293852704890882[/tweet]

Thanks, that's fascinating and slightly heartening in that perhaps some sensible and sane voices are gaining influence in Russia. There's a lot that can be read between the lines there!

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Looks like the 82 day last stand at Mariupol is over.

Not sure what the deal was yet - probably find out tomorrow.

 

[Curious Orange]

Just the wounded who are being evacuated apparently.

 

[Insel affe]

Looks like the 82 day last stand at Mariupol is over.

Not sure what the deal was yet - probably find out tomorrow.

Russian soldiers swap.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Never knew as a Middle Eastern Country why they were in NATO at all - they can piss off as far as I'm concerned...

Turkey is also a Putin ally. The stakes for us are too high to let this go. Sweden and Finland are now a given as members. Turkey can withdraw if they want.

 

[Insel affe]

Never knew as a Middle Eastern Country why they were in NATO at all - they can piss off as far as I'm concerned...

Half the country is in Europe the other half obviously in the Middle East, a very important strategic area, and at the time of entry they were a progressive nation. Unfortunately they have taken some backward steps, but i think it’s always useful to have them on the inside moaning than on the outside gesticulating. They also have stood up to a long term ally in Russia, they have concerns, we may not deem them right, but the aim is getting Finland & Sweden on board as quickly as possible so Turkey will get concessions.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Finland has made up for the withdrawal of Russian electricity supply by importing all the shortfall from Sweden. Prices stable and there is even now a small net export to Russia. Vlad has a bloody nose on that one as well.

 

[The Clamp]

First Putin says there will be retaliation of the U.K. sends arms to Ukraine
We did
Nothing happened

Then he said if we keep sending arms there will be retaliation
We did
Nothing happened

Then he said if anyone else tries to join NATO there will be retaliation
They have
Nothing happened

Now he’s saying if Nato build military bases in Finland or Sweden he’ll retaliate…

Jog on, you moon faced slice of shit.

He’s got nothing except a mob of terrorist footsoldiers who rape and kill at will. They’ll all be dead soon, his underlings will cut his throat and Russia will be ringfenced and sanctioned out of all meaningful existence. A metaphorical oubliette.

You’ve had your pants pulled down Putin. Move your toys around, bring it. Bring your lunch too, we’ll have that as well. ****.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

If Putin lives to fight another day he'll build up his army again. It may take a few years with Chinese tech replacing his components from the west but he'll be back with a whole new layer of victimhood for his defeat.

Ukraine ( and probably Georgia ) needs to use any such time to get into NATO.

 

[essbee1]

First Putin says there will be retaliation of the U.K. sends arms to Ukraine
We did
Nothing happened

Then he said if we keep sending arms there will be retaliation
We did
Nothing happened

Then he said if anyone else tries to join NATO there will be retaliation
They have
Nothing happened

Now he’s saying if Nato build military bases in Finland or Sweden he’ll retaliate…

Jog on, you moon faced slice of shit.

He’s got nothing except a mob of terrorist footsoldiers who rape and kill at will. They’ll all be dead soon, his underlings will cut his throat and Russia will be ringfenced and sanctioned out of all meaningful existence. A metaphorical oubliette.

You’ve had your pants pulled down Putin. Move your toys around, bring it. Bring your lunch too, we’ll have that as well. ****.

And he's an ugly ****.

 

[Eric the meek]

Half the country is in Europe the other half obviously in the Middle East, a very important strategic area, and at the time of entry they were a progressive nation. Unfortunately they have taken some backward steps, but i think it’s always useful to have them on the inside moaning than on the outside gesticulating. They also have stood up to a long term ally in Russia, they have concerns, we may not deem them right, but the aim is getting Finland & Sweden on board as quickly as possible so Turkey will get concessions.

As the aim is to onboard Finland and Sweden asap, I'd like to see some kind of emergency resolution to bypass the Turkish veto. Few in Nato, or the EU for that matter, would be comfortable seeing the exiled Kurds extradited to Turkey and an uncertain fate.