AIBU to ask what your next move would be if you were Putin?

[Chowbellow]

So. You're Putin. You rule a massive amount of people. You're ex KGB. You want to take over the world perhaps (or maybe just want to play!).
What is your next move now that the West is in crisis as you won't supply them with oil/gas?
Your people are dying but you've loads of people. You've invaded a non NATO country so you know they won't touch you.

You can't suddenly arm a nation which is vehemently opposed to the cost of it, vehemently opposed to war and vehemently opposed to armies

Every country is vehemently opposed to the cost and concept of war. War is hugely expensive. Ireland has been slacking off, presuming that the UK or US will step in and perform defence duties on its behalf. And what do you mean it has "no desire to protect the EU states"?

Oh FFS

Ireland?

Putin is going to attack Ireland?

Lay off the glue.

I know very little about Russia

Talk about stating the bleeding obvious.

It is very obvious from your flights of fancy here that you know absolutely nothing about Russia, Russian history, or contemporary Russia.

I got the ferry to Ireland recently. I fell asleep for the first hour or so on it, on one of the window seats and when I woke up, I could see a frigate in the sea.

I don’t know whose it was prob Royal Navy? but I have never seen any other ship so close when crossing St George’s Channel/ the Irish Sea.

Bit of a shock, tbh. Wasn’t expecting that at all.

Even more obvious that you haven't read the thread since you appear to think Ireland is going to be attacked by Russia. If you had any comprehension abilities, you'd see that I stated (and indeed Russia has stated) that London is a target and Irish waters are the obvious place to fire from.

Ireland is never likely to be a target itself, so arming Ireland would be simply an exercise to either protect the UK or the EU.

@mathanxiety perhaps you could read the last paragraph and linked article from this poster.

If I were Putin, I would be quite pleased I had managed to stir the pot and got brexit. Influenced the American elections and got trump. Now I am after Germany. Would have my teams on social media talking about the immigrants that arrived a few years back, how energy prices would be lower if they were sent back home. I would also be dropping in theories and rants onto social media about negotiating with Russia to get the gas turned back on while simultaneously banging on about how Angela Merkel was wrong to sign up to deals with Russia. Lots of influencing the German general public about various things to get them infighting and disturbing the social order.

The UK is quite divided and disrupted already due to Brexit, food and energy prices but Boris has been annoying supporting Ukraine so I may start rumours about Ukrainian refugees, and Zelensky to reduce the support.

I'd be out to get Biden too so he can't get any more funding for Ukraine through government. Stirring up the mid term elections.

Also would try and get a rift between France and Germany as Europe is stronger after Brexit. Those Germans have bought all the gas and are risking the French being cold all winter. I might agitate arsonists in the south of France to cause wildfires. Distract them and make them spend money on their own country.

Ps nrtft just going from page one. Will read back and see what others have said.

I would be working on cyber attacks. The NHS system is old and vulnerable. Look for different systems in Europe that are also vulnerable. Try to take down a power grid.

Use monkey pox to stir social division. Get someone in the UK leadership to use the tighter laws that have been quietly passed/proposed on curbing demonstrations and the power of the judiciary. Make courts less independent. Ban foreign courts from ruling over the UK. Boris is a traitor needs pay back. Truss seems easy to manipulate. (Sorry still on page one)

Blimey @BlackeyedSusan

You’ve put a bit of thought into this. Be careful you’re not recruited…

Ban foreign courts from ruling over the UK

btw, what do you mean by this? Would n’t the thought of foreign supremacy be more divisive?

@Nolongerteaching (me neither)
If you ban the European Court ruling over the UK you can introduce your own laws that reduce human rights to UK citizens and gradually move to a more authoritarian state which we have been doing quietly over the last few years. This will take out Britain as an anti Russian power and revenge for supporting Ukrainian move towards Europe centred politics and western democracy.

France, support Marine Le Pen and rouse up the farmers and fishermen.

The US and Europe were the biggest power blocks that were "anti Russian"

If Ukraine had been successful I would be moving in on Moldova. I have already got break away blocks in both Moldova (?) and Georgia thus preventing them from moving towards the EU/NATO.

I am going to stir up Serbia and former Yugoslavia into trouble again. Won't take much effort.

Turkey is in Nato and I will move it even further away from NATO ideals than it is already.

Finland might need dissuading from joining NATO or need to reap the consequences of joining.

Keep the squeeze on Belarus keep them mine.

Keep poking various states with sorties into airspace and territorial waters so that their armed forces need the resources at home not in Ukraine or Serbia or on the NATO borders. It uses up their resources too.

I've read it, @chowbellow

Paper never refused ink, as they say.