The Invasion Continues...

[Damnloginpopup]

Thread two as thread one is complete...

I wonder if countries will ban flights from Russia? Aeroflot has been banned from Britain but there are still plenty of planes travelling to and from Russia.

Russians with their houses in Europe, their yachts etc will not be able to easily get to them. Russia will be more isolated.

@anotherperson1

How long could this war go on for. After three days they are fighting in the city. Could this be a short war?

I think many are v impressed it’s actually gone on this long.

…..and the lack of progress by Russian forces is thought (by some) to explain Putin’s apparent discomfort at times in his last TV appearance.

@anotherperson1

How long could this war go on for. After three days they are fighting in the city. Could this be a short war?

City fighting can be very hard if people are armed and resist.

Imagine if you were a soldier attacking London and every house could contain someone with weapons. Every street. Every apartment overlooking a street. You would have to clear them out.

It does come at a horrendous cost though and can escalate massively in terms of destruction and death.

@Tigersonvaseline

Why is India backing Russia? Pakistan yes but India?

Yes but if you look at the arms and trade between the two... also UAE :(

Its also why the UK shouldn't be getting into trade deals with India, we should be forging closer links with Europe again, its where our future lies, even if its not in the EU.

Putin has just threatened Finlsnd and Sweden with "serious repercussions " if they join NATO.

Anyone found any useful podcasts to follow on this. I usually listen to Newscast every day but Ukrainecast is headed by Victoria Derbyshire who I cannot bear to listen to(why the BBC are pushing her so much is beyond me ). I find analysis podcasts more useful than following rolling news.

@ouch321

Putin has just threatened Finlsnd and Sweden with "serious repercussions " if they join NATO.

Then they should join NATO asap (if they want too) we cannot have Putin dictating to us.

Thank you damn for setting up a new thread :)

With tears in my eyes I saw that Kyiv is holding this morning, and the smallest glimmer of hope grew larger as I heard that the MoD are preparing to ensure that Ukraine will NEVER be recognised with a puppet Russian government, even in the very worst case scenario a Ukraine government will be set up and 27 nations will CONTINUE to supply arms to the Ukraine forces regardless of what happens and whether Russia are successful or not.

This is powerful, because it means that Putin can not win, his forces will be constantly battling to stay in post, there will be no end to this until Ukraine is free again. So he is looking increasingly isolated, and now backed in a corner, which is a dangerous place for a man that is mentally unstable - but whatever happens Ukraine will remain Ukraine.

And what a truly beautiful place it is - sparkling the sunlight this morning .
Come on Ukraine the whole world is behind you, you can win this.
Planning to join the marches this afternoon in London. 12pm for anyone that wants to go.

This is powerful, because it means that Putin can not win, his forces will be constantly battling to stay in post, there will be no end to this until Ukraine is free again

True.

They may capture more of Ukraine but that does not mean fighting will stop and there will be constant fighting, with arms from the West, and an isolated Russia facing heavy sanctions. Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

Putin is supposed to enjoy chess. Can he see the consequences and see the potential moves his opponents will make?

And what a truly beautiful place it is - sparkling the sunlight this morning

We haven't always seen eye to eye but i agree entirely with the sentiment of all your post.

Its heart breaking what is going on there and whilst its also true that terrible things happen in other wars, Yemen especially, this one is in the heart of Europe and totally un necessary.

I hope Putin becomes seriously ill & is replaced by someone more pragmatic.

@Blessex

Does anyone know about the two provinces in the east of Ukraine - Luhansk and Donetsk? I have Russian friends - one of whom is staying with her mum in Moscow - and she says that these provinces are filled with Russian speaking people who were getting terrorised since 2014 and the pro-western Ukrainian government. And these people were cheering when Russia entered. Thing is I just don’t get it because surely if that were happening and they were getting so badly terrorised - they could have upped sticks and gone back to Russia. But that’s the story going down in Moscow. Also that NATO have been poking Putin for years by not sticking to the promise of NATO not going further east than Germany. And that all Putin wanted from the USA was a guarantee that the Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO and the USA wouldn’t give it.

Yes I’m from Donetsk originally. I left many years ago, long long before any war or discontent between Russia and Ukraine. We are Russian speaking. I consider myself Ukrainian- ethnically I’m half Ukrainian and half Russian (both my grandmothers were Ukrainian and both my grandfathers were Russian). When I left, Donetsk was a thriving city and no one was “terrorising” them for being Russian speaking. But a lot of the population believed Putins propaganda and joyfully attended the “referendum” back in 2014 and then declared themselves independent from Ukraine. Some members of my own family and some old friends. This has divided us, sadly. Other members of my family and some friends chose to leave and start a new life in Kyiv and now they are having to see history repeat again. It’s a bloody nightmare, they are feeling desperate. The world needs to do more to help. Because Putin won’t stop at Ukraine if wins this war there.

@timetochangeusername

Anyone found any useful podcasts to follow on this. I usually listen to Newscast every day but Ukrainecast is headed by Victoria Derbyshire who I cannot bear to listen to(why the BBC are pushing her so much is beyond me ). I find analysis podcasts more useful than following rolling news.

Today in Focus - Guardian podcast

Thank you alex it seems we have a true between us? Lets hope one actually happens in Ukraine, because we would all be much safer, including those in Russia if that were to happen.

We are cheek by jowl with the EU Alexandra.
We can't forge links with Europe, we are already in Europe.

The opposition man in prison has given a list of 35 oligarchs who benefits directly from Putin.

They should be targeted, movement curtailed.

Apparently Putin has a fondness for Biarritz? what's happening to his special place in France?

Will Macron seize it??

I am so sorry that this is happening to your country and it has become so divided mb it must be an incredibly painful time for you.
Knowing the situation, do you think many were simply brainwashed by the Russian propaganda? Do they really believe they would be more prosperous and happy under a Putin regime? I am sure there is complex history to why they voted and feel the way they do.

What does a compromise/solution (if is even possible) look like to you?

I think you know what i mean tiger the rhetoric between the UK and EU has hardly been positive in recent years has it?

With some members of the Govt intent on removing anything with european in it or our membership of it...

I disagree we are cheek by jowl with the EU, then again, i never quite sure if you are serious or not - see you comment on Biarritz?

One thing Putin has def done is to reinvigorate NATO and bring the EU closer together.

Bloody Hell, even got me an Keep to agree!! :)

@Keepyourheadscrewedon

I am so sorry that this is happening to your country and it has become so divided mb it must be an incredibly painful time for you. Knowing the situation, do you think many were simply brainwashed by the Russian propaganda? Do they really believe they would be more prosperous and happy under a Putin regime? I am sure there is complex history to why they voted and feel the way they do.

What does a compromise/solution (if is even possible) look like to you?

I don’t know if they were simply brainwashed. A lot of them were swayed by the promise of Russian passports and a lot of pensioners who were born and lived in the USSR remembered the “good old days” fondly and thought they would get bigger pensions if they had Russian passports. Sadly none of this materialised. Yet they remain defiant and still continue to blame Ukraine for all their problems. As it stands now, the once thriving region is completely broken now, there’s nothing left of economic value. People survive on benefit payments from Ukraine anlthough I believe some still continued to draw Ukrainian pensions but they had to cross the border to Ukraine every month to collect them.

This was just up on the BBC newsfeed - before rapidly being taken down again - but not before I got a screenshot…

@Tigersonvaseline

Apparently Putin has a fondness for Biarritz? what's happening to his special place in France? Will Macron seize it??

Possibly, supposedly Guryev has a similar fondness for London, I wonder if Johnson will seize Witanhurst..

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/25/tories-oligarchs-london-government-putin-donations

It doesn't matter what the rhetoric is.
We are still cheek by jowl with them.

For one... which EU country has anything remotely like a decent army??

Anyway we get it...all your posts are a a massive long complaint that we left the EU And this is an opportunity for you to go on and on about it.

And on And on.

Not me.

There is a list of 35 oligarchs close to Putin.
They should all be targeted, blocked, property seized, bank's accounts And assets seized wherever they are!!

UK, US, France, Germany.. Italy... everywhere!!

If Putin had a fondness for Cornwall and had a massive compound yes; it should be shut up and seized!

rino the actual footage of the bombed apartments can be seen on many other news channels. I saw it this morning, if anyone wants to see what Russian 'peacekeepers' look like as they 'liberate' perfectly happy people, they targeted an apartment block and fortunately (and incredibly) no one died, but I guess it was a message to instil fear. Shame it is just instilling pure anger and defiance.

@Tigersonvaseline

“ which EU country has anything remotely like a decent army??”

Stats aren’t everything but this may be of help..

www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-25-most-powerful-militaries-in-europe-2018-11?r=US&IR=T

Johnson has been pressing for tougher sanctions against Russia but has not been supported by the other G7 leaders. Re Swift etc. He can't get backing from Germany or Italy as they need Russian gas and oil.