Is Ukraine about to have a war?
But Europe knew, and so did Boris. They put paperwork and beaurocracy ahead of strength - lets see how that works out. I am not slating European leaders per se, just speaking the irrefutable facts - Europe is about to get exactly what it has brought upon itself.
Europe need to be strong, and stand up to bullies, but it chose to write laws about the strenght of vacuum cleaners and the rules for grooming dogs, whilst ignoring inernational security.
We reap what we sow.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Chatted to a grey-haired, very well connected, older neighbour - while out walking dawgs a few weeks back.
He has close connections at Oz Fed Govt level.
He said "I hear via `certain people' that there is a strong view Putin will not stop at the Ukraine."
At the time I laughed quietly to myself and thought he was being overly dramatic and pessimistic.
Now I'm not so sure.
He has close connections at Oz Fed Govt level.
He said "I hear via `certain people' that there is a strong view Putin will not stop at the Ukraine."
At the time I laughed quietly to myself and thought he was being overly dramatic and pessimistic.
Now I'm not so sure.
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That’s what you get when the likes of Germany spends 1.4 % of GDP on defence and Russia spends 4.3%.
The EU would rather spend money on quangos and pet meaningless projects rather than defence, I’m just surprised it never happened earlier. When the wall fell Europe and the U.K. couldn’t offload the Military fast enough, just look at the reduction in armour and manning since the Gulf-war, and the decline in the RAF since the wall came down.
That really will have the 180,000 odd Russian troops quaking in their boots, heck Bruggen had more than that on one station if memory serves me correctly.
The EU would rather spend money on quangos and pet meaningless projects rather than defence, I’m just surprised it never happened earlier. When the wall fell Europe and the U.K. couldn’t offload the Military fast enough, just look at the reduction in armour and manning since the Gulf-war, and the decline in the RAF since the wall came down.
The UK is preparing to send a "clear message to the Kremlin" by increasing its number of troops deployed across Europe - as NATO hopes to prevent Russia from "choosing a path of bloodshed and destruction" by invading Ukraine.
The UK already has more than 100 troops providing training in Ukraine, 900 military personnel based in Estonia, and a Light Cavalry Squadron of around 150 people is deployed to Poland.
The whole Belarus adventure could also be seen as a giant sales pitch for Russian weaponry, (no messy footage of them being taken out in a real battle) and a 'brotherly' demonstration to Lukashenko of disapproval for his weakness in allowing anti-government demonstrations to go on for so long. In the background, Kazakhstan will have been watching and taking fevered notes. Blowing up a pipeline might have helped further drive up the price of gas, no bad thing for one who is in the business of selling and needs hard cash quick. In the meantime the acid-pumping policy of dissolving and sloughing off the eastern edges of Europe continues with Crimea and eastern Ukraine, etc.
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I do think we have all hung the Ukraine out to dry after talking them into giving up their Nuclear capability.
The Minsk accords were a deal that the Russian segment of the Ukraine could stay Russian, schools etc, but Kyev never accepted that.
So now we have the alternative, much less pleasing.
Why do countries put stupid people in power?
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Looking bad…….from CNN
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to order Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine, Rep. Ted Lieu said Putin's actions and words show "his goal and intent is to take over all of Ukraine."
"This action by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin further confirms that [GOP Sen.] Mitt Romney was right when he called Russia the No. 1 geopolitical foe. Depending on where their forces go, it could determine whether we enter a very large war or not," Lieu told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"This action by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin further confirms that [GOP Sen.] Mitt Romney was right when he called Russia the No. 1 geopolitical foe. Depending on where their forces go, it could determine whether we enter a very large war or not," Lieu told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
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I just don't get why we don't simply give the Ukraine the weapons that it needs to adequately deter the threat or repel it if necessary. I have no doubt that NATO has the capability to combat the Russian Army. Somebody with a little military knowledge, please educate me.
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They’re ramping up the sabre rattling
US Rep. Gerry Connolly is pushing back on Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the ordering of Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine is not a "peacekeeping" operation.
H"This is not a peacekeeping operation, and we need to stop enabling Putin with even the use of that word," Connolly told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "These are units of the Russian military who are using the pretext of the independence of Russian-occupied sovereign territory of Ukraine to further that occupation and to expand it," Connolly continued."Right now, Russia's surrogates and Russian troops occupy about a third of Donetsk to Luhansk. What he proposes to do immediately is to extend that to the remaining two-thirds. That is an invasion by any sense of the imagination," he added.
Connolly told Blitzer there are "three immediate things" the United States should do in response to Putin's actions:
H"This is not a peacekeeping operation, and we need to stop enabling Putin with even the use of that word," Connolly told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "These are units of the Russian military who are using the pretext of the independence of Russian-occupied sovereign territory of Ukraine to further that occupation and to expand it," Connolly continued."Right now, Russia's surrogates and Russian troops occupy about a third of Donetsk to Luhansk. What he proposes to do immediately is to extend that to the remaining two-thirds. That is an invasion by any sense of the imagination," he added.
Connolly told Blitzer there are "three immediate things" the United States should do in response to Putin's actions:
- "Impose some of the most consequential sanctions ever contemplated by an alliance like ours that will cripple the Russian economy in virtually every critical sector."
- "Shore up our NATO borders to make it very clear to Putin that we are prepared to protect NATO members from any incursion on the part of Russia."
- "Help the Ukrainians defend themselves, and that means providing military equipment, training, and the like, to help them defend their own territory against the Russians."
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Yes he did, shame they never listened to him re the endgame.
All the sabre rattling so far has come from just outside the borders of Ukraine.
I just don't get why we don't simply give the Ukraine the weapons that it needs to adequately deter the threat or repel it if necessary. I have no doubt that NATO has the capability to combat the Russian Army. Somebody with a little military knowledge, please educate me.
Numbers possibly a little out of date - but it's not an even match.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...as-2022-02-01/
Multiple flights of Javelins etc have arrived over the last few weeks.
But I imagine you'd need to continue to get bigger, more advanced weapons systems quickly into theatre as well - and presumably train troops in their use.
Challenging if Russia is already there on the ground having invaded...
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
A somber read regarding the disarray and pusillanimous reaction in European capitals, and Washington, in response to Russia’s invasion…..
Politico London Playbook…
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...tions-ratchet/
Politico London Playbook…
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...tions-ratchet/
UK's Sajid Javid, "The Invasion of Ukraine has begun"
From Sky News, 22 Feb 2022
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-c...-news-12548470
JAS
The invasion of Ukraine "has begun" and Britain will now impose further sanctions on Russia, Cabinet minister Sajid Javid has told Sky News.
JAS