Which countries is Russia a threat to?

[Wobblylegs1]

National Service is back on the agenda in Germany and France and on R4 Any Questions this weekend it seemed to be taken for granted that there is a ‘growing threat from Russia’.

Obviously, there is a threat to the old soviet bloc be because Putin sees them as ‘Russian’. Surely he wouldn’t be interested in expanding into Western Europe though? Russia already owns a huge sprawling chunk of land and struggles to sustain its population. Putin is bonkers, but I haven’t seen any suggestion that he has 1930s-style ‘conquer the whole world’ delusions? I don’t really understand what sort of a threat he poses and to what end? Anyone care to share their thoughts?

There won't be a 1940s style invasion of the UK with soldiers and tanks because being an island makes that rather difficult, but that doesn't mean 1940s style invasions with soldiers and tanks haven't gone away, just happened in Ukraine, can easily happen again in other neighbouring countries. War hasn't changed as much as people like to think it has, the old style is here, just with the new hybrid style added on.

Very much agree with that post...

"War hasn't changed as much as people like to think it has, the old style is here, just with the new hybrid style added on."

...and very very very much agree with that comment.

There's still a bit of an obssession that warfare had gone fully cyber/auto/remote..it very very definitely hasn't, mostly the new tech is an add on used to improve the existing modes of warfare, not replace them.

Worth bearing in mind as an example that despite the futuristic predictions the Ukranian electricity supply system isn't being disrupted by "cyber"....the Russians are trying to do it the old fashioned way.

Agree with you and @notimagain

Just realised I meant to write "doesn't mean they have gone away" not "doesn't mean they haven't got away", oops

If you look over history Russia has taken over Poland many times in the past.

But why? Even Trump in his madness is attacking Venezuela because he wants its oil and other natural resources. What is the benefit to Russia from attacking the UK?

Because of Christian nationalism, they want to restore Europe to how they think it should be. No more ‘’wokeness’’including no LGBT etc.

It is reminiscent of the Nazi Aryan race ideology. It’s a big movement. Plus, Putin is a megalomaniac and just wants to because he can, same as Trump. Read the US national security plan and it will start to piece together in your mind.

They are just like Israel, they want to dominate their neighbours.

I mentioned upthread that DS2 is currently studying in Estonia. Today he had a phone notification of a test of their new warning system. He found it disturbing that the system itself is not delivered by phone but is delivered by sirens throughout the city reminiscent of those used in ww2. Clearly Estonia is taking the threat from Russia very seriously.

In the Netherlands the sirens get tested at midday on the first Monday of the month

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats

He found it disturbing that the system itself is not delivered by phone but is delivered by sirens throughout the city reminiscent of those used in ww2.

Might well be a case of the old way of doing something being considered the most robust....

That was my assumption too.

I'm sure the authorities are very much aware of the possibility of mobile phone networks being knocked out.

When I moved to Finland 18 years ago I was freaked out on the first Monday evening I was there, when the air raid siren went off. Turned out they tested every Monday evening at 6 (later changed to midday) in the city I was in. Weekly at midday in my current town when I was living in the main part of town, but now I live too far away to hear it so don't know if its weekly or monthly but certainly regularly anyway. For an actual emergency they use every means of communication - the sirens, automatic texts to all phones, radio, tv. There was an emergency in my town when there was an accident at a factory and toxic gas was released and power cut everywhere, and there was radio alerts and news flashes telling us to stay indoors and close all windows and vents, possibly the siren too but I was in a loud bar and didn't hear anything, just wondered why the hell the lights had all gone out.

Also the US and UK will stand together if WW3 were to happen as they always have

Is that WW1 6 April 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 or WW2 7 Dec 1941 - 15 Aug 1945, you are referring to there?

I mean we only had to wait 2 - 3 years before they got their act together... So I'm suuuuurreeeee it'd be fine.

Trump already knows that Putin has used nuclear and biological materials on UK soil.
That he constantly pushes against UK defence lines, has used drones and planes in NATO air space.

He knows the war has caused huge economic issues for UK/EU.

None of that matters to him, Russia hasn't the means to directly attack Germany France etc but it does or will, once it consolidates its gains in Ukraine to go after other Eastern European states, the Baltics spring to mind.

He wont honour art 5 over this and that means he can increase his hybrid warfare against UK/EU.

The US never needed any other countries support for the Gulf wars or Afghanistan, they only asked for it because those Presidents still believed in collective action.

We in Europe will soon have to start being much harsher towards the US, probably trade sanctions, travel restrictions (as they are doing to us) removal of US military bases, intel sharing, they need to know that their actions have consequences.

Much of this will have huge affects on us too but we cannot just stand by and carry on being taken for idiots.

If our own government are letting Putin away with using biological/nuclear materials here, without any serious consequences, then we can’t really complain the US isn’t particularly bothered by it.

There has been several ‘instances’ over the years where as you rightly state, they’re more than teetering on the ‘line’, they’re taking the absolute piss crossing it, yet it seems to be brushed under the carpet here so of course he’ll keep pushing and poking because there are clearly zero consequences.

That’s what Trump means when he say we’re weak. We let people/countries take the piss and we can’t seem to muster up the strength to put a stop to things that are negatively affecting us. We can’t seem to get our act together for the greater good of our own citizens so we don’t help ourselves really!

Yes i read somewhere that after Salisbury the US put more sanctions on Russia then the Conservatives did, thought at that time, Russia was funding the Tory party.

Yes we are weak but so is the USA, they are more than weak, they are complicit in aiding Russia, against their former allies.

We don't have the economic or military clout to stop countries like Russia or to be able to return migrants, say back to N.Africa but as the US is finding out, their ability to stop wars and boss counties around with Tariffs is proving rather difficult too.

The UK and Europe need to become more friendly with China who are going to eclipse the US soon.

Trump is busy preparing to invade Venezuela. I guess - and hope - that Greenland can consider itself lucky. Ditto Canada.

People are in La La land on here. Spot the middle classes. America is doing exactly what it did in WW2, making billions selling technology and arms. That is all America is interested in. Leader of the free capital and free billionaires, driver of democratic lies and propaganda. It is not Europe’s friend. It is certainly not Britains friend. Trump admires Putin and wants to be him, wants to be a dictator. We are back in the age of male ego and rule by force and Britain, ha! Britain is Americas useful deniable vassal as much as Belarus is Russia’s.

Why not? Perhaps we’ll buy into Chinese propaganda instead and agree that facial recognition and CCTV, essential to keep law by force in Britain now, is fully democratic and beneficial to freedom and essential to liberty.

i can’t help but wonder if they will push the Russian threat whether a threat exists or not to justify bringing in/back national service and conscription. Governments have spent years cutting and underfunding the military and there’s no money to restore it now but they don’t have to bother when the country’s menfolk will fight for free

We need to remember him (Zelenski ) giving a standing ovation to a SS member. That tells you all you need to know about his 'morals'.

In fact America is debating leaving NATO at the moment.

Arguably that could be good as NATO would basically be the European defence force we need at that point. Germany and France are gearing up, Finland and Poland never really stopped. Britain prefers to make more superyachts for the Royal Family and hangers on than the naval ships we need though.

This is entirely without context and you know it. Don't twist it.