Ukraine: Invasion Imminent?

[L00b]

8 minutes ago, Waldo said:

Not sure the Russian people had much say in the matter.

 

I wasn’t suggesting a pre-emotive strike, rather a retaliatory one, in response to a Russia invasion.

 

I do hope you’re right about the effectiveness of sanctions though. Time will tell.

Oh, I'm convinced that they did not. And for all the skull-cracking by the OMON in Moscow and St Petersburg tonight, the mood music from social media evidence is Putin has definitely not got popular support for this Ukrainian invasion.

 

That's precisely why Biden and all the others are underlining in their PR that this is a "Putin/Kremlin war", not a "Russian war". Driving that wedge between Putin and the common Russian people, bit by bit.

 

For all his declared imperialist aims, Ukraine is the last bit of "buffer" that Putin can go after without bumping hard into NATO to his North West to South West (and on that front, I'd expect Finland to apply for NATO membership within weeks , and to be accepted within record time) ; then, as the sanctions start to bite hard and turn him into an economical supplicant to China to his South East, he can't afford to take them on either.

 

A scarier unknown, is the potential for events to spiral out of control in the Balkans, particularly Moldova/Transnistria. Chechnya could also reflare, there are insistent reports that 'both sides' (Chechen president Kadyrov  for Putin  ; ex-Chechen guerilla fighters for Ukraine) are fighting in Ukraine, with heavy casualties.

Edited February 24, 2022 by L00b

[melthebell]

55 minutes ago, trastrick said:

Well, there's one opinion!

 

We'll call that the "U.S. President is insane" theory.

 

Next?

he really is if youve seen his latest carcrash telephone interview on Fox News LOL

[SheffieldBricky]

I have to say if you saw Boris speak today Truss and Patel at his side looked absolutely haunted.

 

Putin's speech and his threat to cause great harm to anyone who tries to stop him makes me think he knows something we don't. 

 

Here's Farage all those years ago

 

Farage vs Clegg: Row over Russia's role in Crimea - BBC News - YouTube

[trastrick]

1 hour ago, altus said:

He didn't want to disrupt agent orange from undermining trust in US democracy.

We can call that the "Sedition Theory".

 

Next?

[altus]

6 minutes ago, trastrick said:

We can call that the "Sedition Theory".

 

Next?

The "big egotistical baby can't accept rejection" theory is a better description.

[trastrick]

Not everyone was surprised at this dangerous turn of events.

 

Robert Gates, who was U.S. Secretary of Defense under Bush and Obama  said of Biden, "I think he's been wrong on every Foreign Policy and National Security Issue over the past 4 decades"

 

Obama himself was reported to have said, "Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f... things up."

 

Now, Is this the person who should be Leader of the Free World, that is on the brink of WW3?

 

Totalitarians do what totalitarians do. They are a fact of life that freedom loving countries have to deal with.

 

My God, when you look at this poor specimen his Party have put in office, you don't need a psychology degree to know that this is a great opportunity for them to make their moves.

 

Children in a classroom act up in a similar way when they get a teacher who obviously has lost the plot. Bring in another teacher and they quiet down.

 

It's called respect, and you can't get it unless you earn it.

 

Elections have consequences.

 

Or the old common sense, "Don't cut off your nose, to spite your face!"

[trastrick]

31 minutes ago, altus said:

The "big egotistical baby can't accept rejection" theory is a better description.

Ah, the "Immature Egoistical" theory.

 

Next?

[Guest]

The worst  unfortunately happened, re run  of Croatia/Bosnia from 30 years ago. I really hope that they will hold Kiev .

[cgksheff]

1 hour ago, croat77 said:

The worst  unfortunately happened, re run  of Croatia/Bosnia from 30 years ago. I really hope that they will hold Kiev .

Sadly, it is unlikely. Then there will be years of internal resistance warfare.

[Kidorry]

11 hours ago, L00b said:

You can't, pragmatically.

 

 And shouldn't, morally :  common Russian people have kept Vlad in power for 20 years, they get to shoulder their share of the consequences.

 

Ukraine was right not to perform any pre-emptive strikes "within Russia". That would have made Ukraine the aggressor.

 

All that needs to be done, is for the latest sanctions to be implemented fast and, much more importantly, maintained steadfastly until Putin loses power.  It won't take long. 

I beg to differ there because, when was there a fair election in Russia. If you did oppose the mob you got eliminated.