To feel distressed and heartbroken re Ukraine’s increasingly desperate pleas for help?

[UltraLightfly]

You can hear the desperation in their president’s (and former presidents) voices now. They are BEGGING for physical help. Begging for a no-fly zone to be implemented.

I KNOW we can’t do anything as it’ll cause WW3, but tonight, listening to a former presidents and the current presidents desperate pleas is actually quite distressing. Heartbreaking. Those poor people being left to their fate with the Russians

@Willyoujustbequiet

I honestly think it's a waiting game. He won't last more than a couple more years at best. Try to save lives in the short term by avoiding nuclear war. He'll be dead before he has the resources/finances to invade anyone else.

And then he’ll be seen as a Russian National Treasure and you’ll have people wanting to continue his ‘work.’

There won't be a nuclear war.

@alltheapples

Sadly I think if it keeps escalating at this rate there will be. I wish I could think there was another way other than surrender until such time Putin dies but I honestly can't see it. So we will have to agree to differ.

I cannot understand why the UN hasn't got involved. Their function is to maintain International Peace and Security. Russia was massing troops on the border for months, the UN had ample time to deploy peacekeeping troops yet did nothing.

Then last week they unanimously voted to 'deplore' the invasion. They have done absolutely nothing as this terrible situation has unfolded. Just sat on their backsides in New York and deplored it. They are useless and toothless,

@Willyoujustbequiet

I honestly think it's a waiting game. He won't last more than a couple more years at best. Try to save lives in the short term by avoiding nuclear war. He'll be dead before he has the resources/finances to invade anyone else.

He could linger on for another 10 years!

@crowsfeet57

I cannot understand why the UN hasn't got involved. Their function is to maintain International Peace and Security. Russia was massing troops on the border for months, the UN had ample time to deploy peacekeeping troops yet did nothing.

Then last week they unanimously voted to 'deplore' the invasion. They have done absolutely nothing as this terrible situation has unfolded. Just sat on their backsides in New York and deplored it. They are useless and toothless,

Jesus Christ. Do you understand the basics re NATO? Putin has not attacked a NATO member. Therefore, we cannot attack Russian forces.

Sorry,it doesn’t help that Russia have a veto version UN voting - which definitely doesn’t help the situation!

I'm praying that there are some in his inner circle who will know when to bring Putin a cup of polonium 210-laced tea or something quicker, and I really hope it's soon.

OP, try not to watch much news; try to channel your energies into as many calming and peaceful activities as you possibly can. You are right to feel so appalled but you also need to look after yourself, especially now.

@LizzieMacQueen

There is a solution. Let him take Ukraine without further fighting on the understanding of two things,

Those who don't want to live under his rule are allowed a safe exit.

Any 'western' country is allowed to join NATO asap so they have that protection going forward.

As others have said you can't just "let him take Ukraine". It is up to the Ukrainians if they want to surrender.

Also he does not want more countries to join NATO which is one of the whole points of this whole thing.

Look at this picture. He doesn't want Russia to be even more surrounded by NATO than it already is.

and let's say Ukrainians did surrender, and then he said Right Next it's Moldova, surrender now or you're getting the same treatment as Ukraine...do they just surrender instantly and give him Moldova? Then Poland etc?

@WomblingWilma

I feel sick to my stomach seeing those latest pictures in the news tonight of families dead on the pavement obviously killed while in the act of fleeing with their suitcases and their cat they were trying to save in a carrier beside them, while the world looks on scared to intervene by the threats of a deranged psychopath.

A horrific indictment on humanity.

I cried on and off all day after watching that. An entire family, fleeing with their pets. 💔 There was a small dog, possibly two dogs in the crate btw. The family has been identified (the lady worked in finance for an IT company and was recognised by a colleague, apparently they had only remained in Irpin that long because her mother was ill) and there are social media posts saying their extended family is looking for the dogs, as it is thought they survived.

@userxx

Surely we could take the fucker out ?

Absolutely! That is what I am constantly saying. Where is 007 when you need him!

Russia isn't the only country with nuclear capacity. If he nukes us, Russia will be no more within minutes too. He might survive in his bunker but he'll be the leader of fuck-all when he emerges.

The threat of nuclear war is just an excuse for us to do nothing - will nuclear bombs hurt less if he goes into a nato country and we have no choice to act?

What about our promises to Ukraine? Would this even be happening if they kept their nuclear weapons?

Nobody wants war, especially nuclear, but desperately trying to appease a mad man rarely brings peace. We're in a ridiculous position where Putin is deciding what constitutes an act of war from nato whilst simultaneously bombing the shit out of a neighbouring country - ultimate CF!

It’s sad but I’m more worried that nato will buckle under the pressure and change their minds and that ww3 will them ensue. I listen to LBC and the number of callers that ring in and say the government is not doing enough - do they not understand the risk it would pose for many more millions of people including the Ukraine? I’m feeling very upset about the whole thing. I think Putin has lost the plot and poses a danger to the whole world. I look at my children and I’m scared for them. We have to get as many people out of that country and give them safe refuge.

@lemmein

Russia isn't the only country with nuclear capacity. If he nukes us, Russia will be no more within minutes too. He might survive in his bunker but he'll be the leader of fuck-all when he emerges.

The threat of nuclear war is just an excuse for us to do nothing - will nuclear bombs hurt less if he goes into a nato country and we have no choice to act?

What about our promises to Ukraine? Would this even be happening if they kept their nuclear weapons?

Nobody wants war, especially nuclear, but desperately trying to appease a mad man rarely brings peace. We're in a ridiculous position where Putin is deciding what constitutes an act of war from nato whilst simultaneously bombing the shit out of a neighbouring country - ultimate CF!

It would be suicide to implement and enforce a no fly zone over Ukraine. I genuinely think he would press the button if nothing but to save face. This man doesn’t care about the value of human life. He’s demonstrated that to all of us now. He’s old and I think he’s trying to recreate the former Soviet Union as his lasting legacy. I’ve even read reports that he’s terminally I’ll with stomach cancer. If he fails I believe he would be intent on destroying the whole world. It’s utterly terrifying.

@L0stinCyberspace

At the moment, Putin is saying that enforcing a no fly zone will essentially result in WW3, while breaking cease-fires, massacring civilians and bombing Ukraine to bits. What will you say when (I suspect he will say soon) that supplying weapons or imposing economic sanctions is an act of war and he ups the stakes? He will not stop at Ukraine.

He has already said that….

@crowsfeet57

I cannot understand why the UN hasn't got involved. Their function is to maintain International Peace and Security. Russia was massing troops on the border for months, the UN had ample time to deploy peacekeeping troops yet did nothing.

Then last week they unanimously voted to 'deplore' the invasion. They have done absolutely nothing as this terrible situation has unfolded. Just sat on their backsides in New York and deplored it. They are useless and toothless,

The UN can't do anything without a resolution from the Security Council. Guess who has veto power?

The problem here is the security council and its make-up. That's what needs to be reformed. Ridiculous that Russia has veto power. Ridiculous too that Britian and France occupy two permanent seats while Africa has none and India is not represented.

The Falklands Islands have been British territory since 1833. The Argentinians invaded in April 1982, the UK forces fought the Falklands War to liberate the islands.

Thatcher did not have many women (i.e. Baroness Young) in her cabinet, just ‘the vegetables’, but at the time there were few Tory women MPs available to serve as Ministers in the Cabinet.

one solution put forward was for Zelenskyy to keep half of Ukraine

but what could would that do?
Putin and his army would surely come back?

Totally heartbreaking situation , under normal circumstances a bully meets his match but a mad power mad man with nuclear weapons at his control is another story !! A no fly zone would certainly escalate this situation in to something a lot worse for everyone. If a nuclear war starts it affects the whole world not just the countries attacked !! I think the only hope now is non nato countries to try and talk the mad man down , hoping China can help to de escalate this problem ! If the world unites without actual military force hopefully Putin’s advisors will say enough is enough !! (Praying this will happen ) more peace demonstrations everywhere required ?? I just don’t know !!

I cannot understand why the UN hasn't got involved.

Russia held the presidency of the UN Security Council as it invaded Ukraine. It was a joke, Russia calling emergency UN meetings to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

I don't think Putin is going to be taken down from the West. His position at home will become untenable very quickly. It's clear that he was expecting a quick win in Ukraine.
Instead, he's got a war that ordinary Russians don't want, sanctions that are going to do serious damage and an army consisting of a lot of young and inexperienced recruits who don't want to be there.
I'm not sure how this is going to end, but his position at home has already been hugely weakened by his own tactics, and the longer he keeps going, the harder it's going to be for even someone like him to cling to power. I think he has made a fundamental error.
I suspect that as he begins to panic and his position becomes weaker, he will hit out harder and harder. The only question is how much damage he is going to do on the way down.