would your DS join up

[mariamari2]

Hypothetical but if you have a DS aged 16-25 would they join up in the event of the government requesting volunteers to go and fight in Ukraine. If they did would you try and stop them. I have hear stories about so many young men in Ukraine volunteering and it got me wondering what would young British men do?

Absolutely not .

And if conscription became a thing, both would be exempt because of physical issues.

To go and fight in Ukraine no, to fight in this country if it were necessary maybe.

For this country? I’d try my best to stop him. I know I’d be proud if he did but I’d rather him home and safe.

He would. He’s lost his passport thank God. Otherwise I could see him heading off this weekend.

@Dillidalli

For this country? I’d try my best to stop him. I know I’d be proud if he did but I’d rather him home and safe.

Do you mean if your country was invaded, you would prefer that your son stay at home? Btw, what do you mean by "For this country?"

Ukrainian men are defending their country. They are fighting for their families' lives. If Britain was under direct attack, maybe the men here would fight too (albeit Boris & Co would be on the first private jet out ).

But knowing many Ukrainians, they are a great a very brave nation.

Apologies, I thought it was for your homeland, not Ukraine.

We are not going to fight in Ukraine. It just isnt going to happen.

It'll be big talk and sanctions but at the end of the day, it'll be "well, we're not actually going to do anything that risks Nato lives."

If Putin steps further, that's different but nato has 3.2million troops so I dont think we will be facing conscription for a while yet.

DS has been trying to join the RAF for the last 2 years. Application keeps getting stalled as it gets stuck in admin. He has my full support.

My ds wants to join the forces after his college course , I don't want him too but its up to him but I won't be disappointed if he changes his mind

No, cos I'd break his ankles first

Just kidding. No, mine wouldn't volunteer to fight in Ukraine. Why on earth would they? They're not soldiers.

If in some hypothetical parallel universe the tanks were rolling down our local high street, then I imagine we would all do what we could.

The govt wont even send bona fide troops there let alone request volunteers.

I imagine there are some British civilian men who would only be too happy to go over there and fight Putin though.

I could not admire the Ukrainian people more. They've been dealt a shit hand and it feels wrong that they're being left to defend themselves and their homeland alone.

To go and fight in another country? Absolutely not.

If we were Ukrainian, I would imagine so, yes.

No I definitely wouldn't. It's hard to watch what is happening, but war is futile and the only people who ever win are the very wealthy, who don't give two fucks about who will get killed in the process. He isn't going to line their pockets.

DS was an army cadet, loved it but would be rejected from the forces on at least 3 counts. (ADHD Coeliac and colour blind) He’s a lovely lad but would never survive a war so I’m grateful he wouldn’t be accepted

Men in Ukraine are being conscripted, last I heard today they weren’t allowing men between 16 and 60 to leave the country because they had to stay and fight. Doesn’t sound very voluntary to me.

Anyway back to your question. My DS is too young but I’d be very worried about DH. He wouldn’t volunteer, he knows how strongly I feel about it.

No because he has ASD and dyspraxia.

@BeforeGodAndAllTheFish

We are not going to fight in Ukraine. It just isnt going to happen.

It'll be big talk and sanctions but at the end of the day, it'll be "well, we're not actually going to do anything that risks Nato lives."

If Putin steps further, that's different but nato has 3.2million troops so I dont think we will be facing conscription for a while yet.

Op was asking a Hypothetical question, not you thoughts about if we are going to war.

I would absolutely try to stop my child going to any country to fight but would be extremely proud of them if they did.

Nope, I'd be sending DS to family in (neutral) Ireland. He has an Irish passport.

So are those who are anti-war (and I get that) saying that citizens shouldn’t defend their homeland?

Hypothetically if Russia takes Ukraine and continues to advance East, that people shouldn’t rise up in defence? Just let
Russia walk all over Europe due to lack of manpower?

I’m not saying I would want my sons to fight (I have three and would be devastated) but what else to do in the face of direct aggressive attack if not try to defend?

@SiobhanSharpe

Nope, I'd be sending DS to family in (neutral) Ireland. He has an Irish passport.

What do you mean ‘neutral’?

If we were in Ukraine they undoubtedly would. They're fit young men with useful experience. They'd do what anyone in their position would do - go and hope for the least bad outcome. Of course I'd try to find any loophole I could to get them out of it.

National service is still a requirement in my native country so, if we were living there, he wouldn't have a choice. If it wasn't a requirement and he chose to serve voluntarily, I wouldn't try to convince him to do otherwise. I would worry immensely, but I would be proud of him.

@Quincythequince

Ireland is not a member of Nato. They wont be pulled into a war if Putin attacks a nato country.

If Putin comes to the UK, then Ireland may be hit after but Putin isnt going to come to the UK. We'd be going to Europe to support if he hits a nato country. Ireland wont be.

before not being in NATO doesn’t make you a neutral country though.

Putin won’t get to the UK, but that wasn’t my point and it wasn’t what the OP asked.

You just keep running until there’s nowhere left to run to? As if this hypothetical mad leader got as far as the distance from Eastern to Western Europe, you think the West-most country would be safe?