Is Russia ramping up to invade other countries?

[FirstCuppa]

The news seems to be suggesting they've had fighter drones over Poland.
Is it just me or does this feel like WWII all over again?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2enwk1l9e1t

I know we haven't funded our military (other priorities, quite rightly), but is that the only reason we aren't getting involved in Ukraine, Gaza and now this? Anyone else feeling twitchy that we seem to just be letting everything escalate?

“Is it just me or does this feel like WWII all over again?”

Yes cos we all know WWII started with the drones…

Why would you look at the weapon over method?
Maybe you didn't do History GCSE.

Too early to say what the Russians are up to but they are certainly testing the limits.

I know we haven't funded our military (other priorities, quite rightly

It's an old fashioned POV but it used to be said that the first priority of any government should be defence of the nation, it's borders and the population.

If it can't do that then there's no guarantee that that government or it's electorate will have any say or control over other aspects of national life.

I think Russia just wants to wind everyone up and distract us. Not actually invade.

Putin's main aim at the moment (after Ukraine) is probably to split NATO, rendering it ineffective.

The response to last night"s events will show how far he has got with that.

I know a very old man who lived through the second World War . He Told me he thinks there will be another war. He said this is how they start, small and pushy. Let's hope he is wrong

It's like their constant cyber attacks they just want to annoy us without actually starting a war.

@wsaq123 Clever. But still reported.

Russia don't have the men or the equipment to mount any kind of invasion of anyone. It's taken them 3 years to advance just 60 miles into a neighbouring non-NATO country.

Remember in the 80s, when they used to say it would only take them 7 days to be lining up the tanks at Calais?

At the rate they are going, I expect to see them there in the late 23rd century.

It's just so depressing that men still want to kill each other for greed. I thought we had the banking sector for that kind of toxic masculinity these days?

Agree the cyber attacks are clearly all part of it. I can see a day where we go back to cash and ditch the internet. I am actually weirdly looking forward to the potential of a simpler existence!

As for the slow advancing, it's drones that scare me. I don't feel we as the public have had enough warning of what it must be like to be attacked by them. I read about a man hiding under a tree with his kids killed in front of his wife in Ukraine and the image stuck with me. The idea they're training kids to do it, like an extension of a computer game, is sickening.

How can we realistically have another world war given 1) the existence of nuclear weapons and 2) globalisation/integration. Surely future major wars must necessarily be contained, at least for the first reason? Having said that, I suppose it doesn’t rule out a major European war (which technically we already have going on in Ukraine) but, if the US, remains invested in NATO then, again, there should be containment. Another reason to invest in our defence.

Well we are involved in Ukraine. We supply weapons, training and intelligence. We are also involved in the Gaza conflict as we supply weapons to Israel

Blimey, that got zapped quickly! I clicked on "report" and it took me to the "lost this down the back of the sofa" page, and when I came back to the thread, it had already gone!

I did a report as soon as it came on 😉

I think nuclear is a bit of a red herring. It's something no country wants to use obviously so it's almost not worth having, in my opinion. Trump is doing his best to disrupt global trade and Russia has so many sanctions I guess they don't care. No point having a rule book if the person it's written for refuses to learn to read.

Supplying weapons to Isreal has only just stopped, right? Disgusting considering it was clearly genocide in October. Still, shows how profitable war is and why our idealistic 90's dreams of "not getting involved" never worked. Maybe one day we will use our science and tech for things that aren't mass destruction. We can but dream.

We are involved to an extent but didn't Trump say Ukraine can't use weapons that might actually hit Russia?

So making them fight with one hand tied behind their backs, effectively? Maybe I have that wrong?

This is a very concerning development and it's a real test for NATO, Russia is actively seeing what NATO will do now. The drones were Iranian made, apparently.

This also makes sense of the news a little while ago that France ordered hospitals to have capacity for 15,000 casualties by next March. Seems like they are expecting, at the very least, an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.

I do wonder if we are looking at the slow fall of the west tbh. At the recent meeting of heads of state in China Xi Jinping was saying it’s the end of a world order where U.S. / European dominance prevails. U.S. has taken a step/ back from the world and China is stepping up to fill that gap. Even the Australian P.M. was there and I wonder if that has a lot to do with Trump killing off five eyes. India has been courted by U.S as an ally for a long time, shit all over that partnership too and so nudged towards China.

When China makes a move towards Taiwan (2027 is touted) I would not be atall surprised if Russia starts increasing its push into other countries forcing NATO members into a two sides conflict assuming U.S. defends Taiwan and we all join in.

The US has been (by various means) effectively been limiting the reach of any medium to long range ordnance it has supplied to Ukraine, preventing strikes deep Russia by US built weapons.

It looks like Ukraine might now be getting around that to some degree by starting to build their own long range weapons such as the Flamingo Long Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

That, and all the warehouse fires that have been linked to a Russian terrorist group (most in Poland) but there was also one in the UK recently. Definitely here to cause unrest.

The drones shot down is proof that if Russia is not dealt with harshly, they'll keep going. Russia did the same with two drones last week over Poland.
Because they were no threat to them, they allowed them a free pass to Ukraine to kill more civilians.
Russia doesn't possess morals when it involves other countries. They risked killing hundreds of citizens in Salisbury in pursuit of a retired spy.
They targeted and killed 24 elderly people just now, who were queueing for their pensions.
They happily kill individuals cycling home from work. In fact they treat it as a sport.
They even target horses! One a rest home for horses and then seven more last week at a horse club.
They are one sick regime, one that Reform admires.
We need a Ronald Reagan or JFK to deal with them, not wiffle waffle Trump. "I'll see in two weeks." "I'm not thrilled that Israel bombed Doha."

Yes, Russia is notorious throughout History for having no war morals. It's not changed under Putin. I did a degree with a varied international cohort and many of them had stories from their country of origin about how ruthless Russian military are.

I think Trump knows exactly what he is doing personally. I have no idea why we are following and pretending he will ever stand up to Russia. He has no need to as he isn't in Europe, so the creep doesn't directly affect him. Plus they'd get to swoop in and save the day and he'd get points for the next election. It's no skin off his nose to wait.

I also think this, but really they'll just be replacing it with more of the same; rich men with weapons and money looking for more. So not sure why they think it will be any different. We have tried this since Roman times and it doesn't work.

I think everyone sees Trump is onside with Russia, surely? Everything he does helps them along and stops them being attacked. I think he might be dim enough to think he has more control over Putin than China atm, but obviously Putin won't be controlled by either. India now with them, which is an interesting addition but I can see they've had their own social media storm of anti-West bots, as we have had with immigration. I can't see Trump backing Taiwan at all - it's also run by a woman so he won't have time for that. Fun times.

"Wind us up"?
Are you one of those who thinks Russia is harmless? You think they do it for fun?
Do you along with Farage and Trump admire Putin, "because he's strong".
Russia's not strong. They're cruel, but they can't tell the difference.
Cruelty is strength, kindness is weak and the Russian people go along with it.

I must say it dismays me that the only real interest shown to "That Evil Empire" is when they come closer. The only time it makes MSM headlines.

Do you along with Farage and Trump admire Putin, "because he's strong".

Thanks for asking. I think all three of those people are risible. That doesn't mean I think they are harmless.

I agree with PP, I can see China invading Taiwan and claiming more sea the Putin trying to take advantage and spread out some more. I also think Isreal don't just want Gaza. We need to be wary of all three. The fact the world is allowing Isreal and Russia is even more worrying. How many more pictures of starving kids and apparent mistaken targets can the world tolerate.