To admit I have no idea wtf is going on with Russia and the

[Dustlandcinderella]

I follow the news and can see that There is a lot about Russia and the Ukraine. But I can’t quite figure out what is happening , what the background is, and what the truth is (bearing in mind in any war there is propaganda on each side).

Am I the only person who doesn’t actually understand what’s going on

@DickeryDock

If I ever need to know what is going on and have missed the build up to something. I check out Newsround as they write a simple explanation 🤣

Just what I suggested!

@TheReluctantPhoenix I cannot see your theory tbf. His bark is worse than his bite.
I seriously have no education other than chess in terms of manoeuvres.
Does he seriously think he's going to jeopardize world trade for parts of Ukraine just because it was once Russian and he wants it back.
Apart from gas what else does Russia actually have to offer?
Serious question.

@Monty27,

Loads of commodities and a well educated population! Look at the number of top mathematicians and scientists from Russia.

And, as for the chess analogy, maybe. But, if you are wrong, what does knocking over our king look like?!

@Monty27

Apart from gas ...that mere trifle.

Without Russia's fossil fuels inflation will cripple our economies. Admittedly it will cripple Russia too.
And no amount of solar panels and wind farms can provide the cheap reliable energy that power our industry and gets European cities through winter.
If war in Ukraine had an easy predictable outcome, we'd not be in this position.

Europe has shown no inclination to stand up to Putin. Germany needs to grow a pair, frankly, and do something about Nordstream.

ReluctantPhoenix I can’t think of a worse strategy, to be honest. Someone needs to tell Russia (and China, too) that they can’t behave like that. As people have failed to give a shit about Hong Kong’s treatment, chickens will start coming home to roost.

Putin is a bully, pure and simple.

Here's a good article for everyone interested in the history of the question.

www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/12/west-gets-ukraine-wrong-helps-putin-little-russia-00007977?fbclid=IwAR3uNKmfe3Oftik-2GvnQsCMVdS79Jr8_LdAb4UjlBkLqClwij62-nLcHnE

Thanks. Is he really going to fall out with all these "allies" of his because of Ukraine though? I don't get it.
We know what we've been told by the meeja about the energy crisis but there must be a lot more to it.
It's genuine naievety here.
@TheReluctantPhoenix
I'd really like to be able to understand how someone could hold so many, even super powers whatever or whoever they are, at ransom, because they want Ukraine back.
And we'll find out who the king actually is? Excercet missiles?

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants

Who will be this person to tell China and Russia what they can't do, and what will be their authority?
Unfortunately, when humanity casts off its mantle of civilization we quickly learn that that the strong will do as they please and the weak will suffer as they must (as Thucydides kinda said).
We would all like to be the strong ones in a position to assert our will, but this is far from guaranteed.

Putin needs to go.

Do you think we have spy’s over there? I feel daft asking this question but surely we must have intelligence on the ‘inside’?

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants,

And the Versailles Treaty was a total irrelevance to WW2.

Where Putin has come from matters. Putin is a bully, but it is far from ‘pure and simple’.

Your ideas stem from the simple unipolar world that existed 30 years ago. China ‘owns’ the US, look at its treasury holdings. And Russia, due to its size and nukes, cannot easily be ‘stood up to’, especially by a weak EU who cannot even be bothered to arm themselves.

And, given the way Europe have condescended to the U.S, going crying to ‘mummy’ may be a bit harder.

@Monty27

Who are all the superpowers being held to ransom. US and Russia have an interest in the outcome. US is technically stronger, but Russia still has the power to hit them where it hurts.
China doesn't care about Ukraine, but no doubt enjoys seeing the US and NATO squirm and will take advantage where they can.
So we find ourselves in a stand off.

[quote FurryAntiWaxer]@Monty27

Who are all the superpowers being held to ransom. US and Russia have an interest in the outcome. US is technically stronger, but Russia still has the power to hit them where it hurts.
China doesn't care about Ukraine, but no doubt enjoys seeing the US and NATO squirm and will take advantage where they can.
So we find ourselves in a stand off.[/quote]
I'm just asking questions I don't know the answers to.

Basically better enjoy our gas heating while we have it, as soon we won't have that luxury. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The west didn't need to get involved, Ukraine even said that. Sleepy Joe, Boris and Europe have sadly brought this on themselves. We're fucked.

I truly don't have a clue beyond an awareness that Russia has long laid claim to the Ukraine which hasn't been an independent country for long I don't think.

@OneTiredMam

Basically better enjoy our gas heating while we have it, as soon we won't have that luxury. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The west didn't need to get involved, Ukraine even said that. Sleepy Joe, Boris and Europe have sadly brought this on themselves. We're fucked.

The west is not involved, all countries you mentioned explicitly ruled out military intervention. But yes, keep looking into your own pocket.

@Joystir59

I truly don't have a clue beyond an awareness that Russia has long laid claim to the Ukraine which hasn't been an independent country for long I don't think.

Not for long, only for a thousand years or so, with periods of Russian occupation, granted.

I don't really like TheReluctantPhoenix's idea/solution/suggestion, but I do think it might be the realpolitik of the thing.
Putin taking two regions of Ukraine and coming out of it with a deal may be the least worst option.

@TheReluctantPhoenix

I'm fast realising that there are a huge portion of people in the west who have no idea how much relative economic and military power our countries have lost over the last decade, and what it actually looks like when truly hostile countries have the upper hand.
We are indebted to the eyeballs, have sold off our gold reserves, have total dependence on imports for food and energy and our military is bloated with wasteful spending and depleted by pointless wars.
Good luck telling anyone anything. They will be the ones telling us.

@IntermittentParps

I don't really like TheReluctantPhoenix's idea/solution/suggestion, but I do think it might be the realpolitik of the thing. Putin taking two regions of Ukraine and coming out of it with a deal may be the least worst option.

He does not need those two regions, for more reasons than I have time to list. It is only a platform for further action. In a few weeks there will be "separatist" movements springing in other regions, and "peacekeepers" moving in to pacify.

@forinborin sanctions are being placed today therefore... involvement.

If we all stop saying 'the Ukraine' will everything de-escalate?

Perhaps we will all become Russian soon. Does that mean we get to keep gas central heating?

[quote OneTiredMam]@forinborin sanctions are being placed today therefore... involvement.[/quote]
And it makes you sad because you will pay fifty pence more (or what was the estimated impact) for gas? When the last Ukrainian soldier falls, it will become your problem.

@Joystir59

Perhaps we will all become Russian soon. Does that mean we get to keep gas central heating?

Unfortunately I don't think so, most of Russia doesn't have central heating. Gas is for sale, not for making people's life better, you know.

It's quite frightening really. Feel even more weary than before having read all that.