Russia

[HeliX]

The Russians have taken Chernobyl, and Hostomel airport (which is 20km from Kyiv). Kyiv probably falls overnight.

[opusManx]

1 hour ago, HeliX said:

The Russians have taken Chernobyl, and Hostomel airport (which is 20km from Kyiv). Kyiv probably falls overnight.

Yep, read the same. Lets hope no mishap befalls the other active nuclear plants.😬

[HeliX]

2 minutes ago, opusManx said:

Yep, read the same. Lets hope no mishap befalls the other active nuclear plants.😬

Ukraine's armed forces reporting they've taken the airport back...

 

[quilp]

It's a difficult situation in the Ukraine, given that around 44-46% speak Russian in the home, in the two areas particularly in dispute, 97% of the population are Russophones.

Western media don't seem to be asking them how they feel about it all. 

[Mr. Sausages]

Gerry Adams is fluent in English.

[code99]

53 minutes ago, quilp said:

It's a difficult situation in the Ukraine, given that around 44-46% speak Russian in the home, in the two areas particularly in dispute, 97% of the population are Russophones.

Western media don't seem to be asking them how they feel about it all. 

Not true. The Western media have been asking these questions. Some Russian-speaking Ukrainians are pro-Ukraine, the others are pro-Russia. Like us westerners, they want to have the right to choose their own government. 

One thing they all agree on is that they don't want to be bombed! 

[wrighty]

57 minutes ago, Mr. Sausages said:

Gerry Adams is fluent in English.

He wasn’t when they had him voiced by an actor 😉

[Mr. Sausages]

9 minutes ago, wrighty said:

He wasn’t when they had him voiced by an actor 😉

 

[Bombay Bad Boy]

Well that didn't take long

 

[Max Power]

God bless those Russian people who risked taking to the streets to protest against Putin's stupidity!

[code99]

7 minutes ago, Max Power said:

God bless those Russian people who risked taking to the streets to protest against Putin's stupidity!

He may be charged with war crimes...failed to donate to the Tories

[Max Power]

Panic over, Eurovision is safe....

https://news.sky.com/story/eurovision-song-contest-russia-will-be-allowed-to-compete-despite-deepening-ukraine-crisis-12550591?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

[La_Dolce_Vita]

9 hours ago, Chinahand said:

You are really saying if a peaceful democratic society wished to join a security alliance a non-peaceful non-democatic neighbour has a veto on this. 

Before getting into the nitty gritty of who is and isn't a democracy or peaceful country let's just start with the general principles of what is and is not bonkers. 

Putin is antidemocratic. He wishes to use violence to install a compliant autocrat who will ignore the democratic will and follow Putin's dictats. Belarus is a near perfect example. 

Opposing that isn't bonkers. Ensuring deterrence against that isn't bonkers. It is very sad deterrence has failed and possibly that is NATO's policy failure as Putin pushed in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea etc without a sufficient western response to his use of violence to enforce his geopolitical sphere. 

It's a security alliance that was created to counter Soviet military power and which exists largely to continue as an alliance against Russia.

I don't think this is about self determination. It's about balance of power. I mean, Ukraine wouldn't even be joining NATO soon anyway. It's too much of an affront to Russia and the United States knows this. Yet the United States wants to keep asserting it's position in Europe by making it clear that inclusion in the alliance could happen.

And I am not talking about vetoes but rather that if Russia has the power to prevent a reduction of its sphere of influence and to counter an extension of US influence then it will use that power.  And it would no different to how other nation states have acted in the last. 

The United States talks about self determination but this has not been a value upheld by that nation. Condemning Russia is hypocritical.

Ukraine should really stay militarily neutral. It's not in a good strategic position. That's unfortunate but for the sake of world peace, it might just have to do.

Putin is undemocratic but then the United States haa been meddling in the Americas for decades.and often with violence. That's not democratic.

I am not sure why you think NATO could have failed in those regions and countries. What do you think NATO's purpose is?

I am not saying all this in support of Russia. I am really just saying that talk of self determination being the values of the US and Britian is bollocks and how it is unsurprising that Russia has felt it necessary to assert its power in that region.

 

[La_Dolce_Vita]

10 hours ago, manxman1980 said:

When was the last time NATO was aggressive towards Russia (or the Soviet Union/USSR)?  Don't forget that Russia annexed the Crimea two years ago and hardly anyone batted an eyelid.  Russia also has a habit of having puppet states such as Belarus to do their bidding as well.

The Ukraine would feel pretty justified in requesting membership of NATO given that the country border both Russia and Belarus.  

Putin is also saying he doesn't want a NATO member right on the border with Russia, however, if he does occupy Ukraine then he will have exactly that.  Doesn't make much sense does it?

 

I mean the threat posed by NATO.

The United States set up compliant and friendly regimes. It's not a good thing but that's how it has been. Why is Russian influence over Belarus and other nations so remarkable?

The Ukraine may feel it is under threat, and it is.  That doesn't mean NATO membership should be extended.  Why not neutrality?

Edited February 25, 2022 by La_Dolce_Vita

[Chinahand]