Boris Johnson to address nation as he describes Russian invasion as 'catastrophe for our continent

[Ponyclubkick]

Anyone finding the tone of this really quite terrifying...

I’m not one to get myself in a tizz over sensationalised news but this is starting to feel very different!

@AndNowNo

I have some sympathy with Russia which will sound odd. I don't condone killing all those poor people in Ukraine, it's dreadful and I'm truly shocked to read the news this morning, but we know Putin is a control freak who has said all along if Ukraine tries to join Nato this is what will happen.

When the Iron Curtain fell many years ago there was a tacit agreement between the West and Russia that there would be a wall of of neutral countries.

Why does Ukraine need to join Nato?

Why?

Ukraine enjoys a higher standard of living than Russia, life was going well. Why poke the bear??

Sure, self-determination is important, blah blah blah, but in the end if it's going to cost you your economy, airports, ports, human lives, everything, why bother?

I think Ukraine is insane. Someone please enlighten me as to why Ukraine needs to join Nato. I would genuinely be interested in sensible articles which explains this step.

Absolute nonsense.

Why does Russia think it has the right to dictate to a sovereign nation that poses no threat to them whatsoever?

I think today has made it blindingly obvious why becoming a NATO member was in Ukraine's interests.

No idea why you're siding with a clear aggressor.

Good for her!! Liz Truss does not pull her punches.
About time, we should kick him out of the country, what we would need him here for? It is not like her is representing Russia, only Putin as a puppet.

I’m surprised he’s not wanked himself dry over this. He’ll really try and go full Churchill

@Keepyourheadscrewedon

Good for her!! Liz Truss does not pull her punches. About time, we should kick him out of the country, what we would need him here for? It is not like her is representing Russia, only Putin as a puppet.

I wonder if the Russian ambassador speaks English. Otherwise Truss may have had trouble with the concept of interpreters again.

I just wanted to let everyone know I have seen the error of my ways and changed my username to something more suitable.

Only joking I'm not Jesus, felt like a username change.

@Ju2020

Don't think Boris has any credibility whatsoever, nobody trusts a word coming out of his mouth. He has caused much damage to the reputation of the UK overseas. Simply put we have become a laughing stock. What can we do with a sum total of 60,000 UK troops? That's probably one Russian tank division, we need to be realistic, the West has poked the bear once too many times and this is the result I'm afraid.

This keeps being trotted out, but it is just not true. Any quick google will illustrate that (despite Boris), the UK is still in the top 5 of global economies, global power rankings, and global armies. In Europe we, and France have the military power. Germany has the financial power. Other notables US, Japan, South Korea, India.

Then you have China and Russia. China may well hold they key, and that in itself is also very frightening.

Good for her!! Liz Truss does not pull her punches.

Actually made me laugh out loud.

@OurLordAndSaviour

I just wanted to let everyone know I have seen the error of my ways and changed my username to something more suitable.

Only joking I'm not Jesus, felt like a username change.

well played.

BigWoollyJumpers

But it wasn't Johnson sitting opposite Putin at the table. Instead he had a re-scheduled phonecall

@EnjoyingTheSilence

I’m surprised he’s not wanked himself dry over this. He’ll really try and go full Churchill

Ha. Expect to see him holding a cigar in 3, 2, 1...

This is balm from above for Boris.

He is an impotent (in the World power, not sexual sense!) fool, who has not even rebuked his defence minister for making an arse of himself.

Yes, we have laid down the red carpet for Russian oligarchs, and can now take it away, but we can't do much else.

We should leave the US, NATO (of which we are a part) and the EU to deal with the problem, and take several steps back.

Frankly, we need to think of what we want and allow Russia and Putin a way back. We don't want a world economic collapse and to enter a new cold war for the next 70 years (or worse...the last hot war).

Our line in the sand is not Ukraine but the other side of it. Of course, if Putin goes there, all bets are off.

You're not @OurLordAndSaviour, you're a very naughty boy!

I wonder if the supervisors might notice how much fun is being had, god one can only imagine what happens...lucky you!

We should leave the US, NATO (of which we are a part) and the EU to deal with the problem, and take several steps back

What a brilliant idea, and let Putin rampage over Europe until he reaches here. That worked out brilliantly last time didn't it!

I think the point is, is this where it stops?

The million dollar question appears to be: Is Putin...

a) a unhinged meglomaniac who is striving to reunit all of the USSR and/or achieve world domination

OR

b) a misunderstood leader who is genuinely worried and provoked by the advancement of NATO to the East

I think the former, but then I suppose I would say that - having only ever seen the news from this side of the fence.

Totally agree @BackwardsPrawn

But when you compare him to the USA's unhinged megalomaniac (45), he does seem to veer towards B

@Keepyourheadscrewedon

We should leave the US, NATO (of which we are a part) and the EU to deal with the problem, and take several steps back

What a brilliant idea, and let Putin rampage over Europe until he reaches here. That worked out brilliantly last time didn't it!

Was just about to say the same - by the by, we have the second largest spend in NATO, second only to the USA. Quite a major player there too. We can't just "step back".

I think the word with those in the know is that conscription will be making its way back, rumoured to be those between 18 and 25 although assurances are being drawn up that it will begin with those aged 20-25.

An announcement will probably be made at the end of next week unless a miracle happens. It is going to be a huge administrative task but an army is needed as soon as possible.

@jgw1 I'm actually referring to the Minsk agreement more recently and Yalta before that when the victors at the end of WW2 carved up the world so to speak. It was agreed after WW2 and after the formation of NATO that the West would not expand its sphere of influence beyond Western Europe under any circumstances and so Russia withdrew from its 'occupation' of Eastern Europe only for the West to promptly renege on that promise and come right to Russia's front door. How would the US react if Russian troops were stationed in Mexico or Cuba for example? Remember the Cuban missile crisis? I don't condone Russia's actions by any means but they've been watching and waiting, took notes from the unlawful invasions of Iraq and Syria and the catastrophic bombing of Libya, and are playing the same game. Ukraine's President is inexperienced in the political game and should never have said he wanted to join NATO. That was the red rag to a bull, extreme provocation. Having said that all sides need to down weapons and come to the negotiation table, as the human cost in any war is totally unacceptable.

[quote alltheapples]@Alexandra2001 exactly Putin wanted Boris Johnson elected, not Corbyn.
Lets not rewrite history here.[/quote]
And Corbyn was the one flagging concerns shouting Russian money funding UK politics. The Tories were grabbing the cash with both hands.

@Keepyourheadscrewedon

I wonder if the supervisors might notice how much fun is being had, god one can only imagine what happens...lucky you!

The son of god is on this thread so we could ask them.

I would choose A post because if he was B he would have stopped at the separatists area and not gone further. Then instigated dialogue. That didn't happen. He is hellbent on bringing the USSR back together.

We should leave the US, NATO (of which we are a part) and the EU to deal with the problem, and take several steps back.

What a great idea. I mean the EU as an organisation doesn't have its own military, and let's opt out of our obligations as part of NATO so we get expelled. Why should we expect others to take part and step back ourselves anyway?

What a brilliant idea, and let Putin rampage over Europe until he reaches here. That worked out brilliantly last time didn't it!

Sure did, without the Russians we would have been rampaged over.

@TheReluctantPhoenix

This is balm from above for Boris.

He is an impotent (in the World power, not sexual sense!) fool, who has not even rebuked his defence minister for making an arse of himself.

Yes, we have laid down the red carpet for Russian oligarchs, and can now take it away, but we can't do much else.

We should leave the US, NATO (of which we are a part) and the EU to deal with the problem, and take several steps back.

Frankly, we need to think of what we want and allow Russia and Putin a way back. We don't want a world economic collapse and to enter a new cold war for the next 70 years (or worse...the last hot war).

Our line in the sand is not Ukraine but the other side of it. Of course, if Putin goes there, all bets are off.

We can't we are a member of NATO and have mutual defense pacts. If Russia sets foot in a NATO country its war.

Err I think you mean the US post you are getting confused about how the last world war ended.