Zelensky visiting ❤

[MsAmerica]

Zelenskyy visits Britain as Prime Minister Andy Burnham signals more support for Kyiv
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/zelenskyy-visits-britain-as-prime-minister-andy-burnham-signals-more-support-for-kyiv

Zelensky visit sends clear message of support for Ukraine, Burnham says
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8me5vyjg2o

Zelenskyy to visit Britain Monday as Burnham announces Stone Cloak technology transfer to Ukraine – media
en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1188296.html

This is worrying behaviour from the US, at the UN:

.. the US joined North Korea and Russia in voting against extending Volker Turk's term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
After the vote on Friday, France's UN mission criticised the US and compared it to North Korea and Russia. "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore,"
Turk has criticised Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's military conduct in Gaza. (BBC)

There’s more than one way of doing it. Who cares how it’s achieved?

He could be Hannibal Lecter's evil twin but he still hasn't invaded, unprovoked, another sovereign state. Strange most of the people criticising VZ are not as vocal about that yawning moral vacuum, Putin, who cares nothing for the lives of even his own young countrymen and women.

Glad to see Andy Burnham reaffirming support.

Well quite. Being soft doesn't pay the UK residents' taxes.

Net immigration and boat crossings are down but some people won't believe the data

Low net immigration could cost the UK

In Starmer's last week there were no crossings/immigrants.

Since Burnham there have been nearly 900 immigrants.

(I am being tongue-in-cheek here, I suspect this is to do with the wind)

Boat crossings are down in Europe, the UK deal with France is in operation.

Brexit means the UK can't check if the asylum seekers were rejected elsewhere, so they will keep trying to come to the UK (other reasons apply too ofcourse)

You only hear about it in the media when people arrive.

It's very simple.

We can pay our foreign aid in sterling, or use Roubles in Britain.

I know which I prefer.

It’s a great deal. For one-tenth of our defence budget and no regular UK troops Ukraine de-fangs our main military threat and speedruns our learning on drone and electronic warfare. We send them mostly older munitions, and it’s part financed by seized Russian assets.

Obviously, a weakened Russia is also a danger to us.

How you count that depends on whether you think Russian aggression was inevitable anyway. Looking at how active Russia had been with assassinations on UK soil and spying on assets, I tend to think that it was.

If Ukraine lose and Putin (who I think is damaged in Russia but not enough for them to do anything about it, even if they could) goes into a NATO country, bouyed by success, it would be a disaster. We could be looking at a World War.

Ukraine are fighting a proxy war on behalf of the West (as well as of course for themselves) and need all and any support we can give them.

God, I miss the old Soviet warhorses.

Prevention is always cheaper (and less painful) than the cure.

It's amazing how the Ukraine has turned the tide on Putin. A million Russian men have lost their lives fighting a war that did not need fighting. Made an enemy from a neighbour, destroyed the Russian economy.

Putin has lost I just wondering how long before he accepts it and concedes.

Totally agree. I think he is the single bravest and most admirable person around since the death of Alexei Navalny.

If Ukraine is defeated, it will have awful long-term repercussions across Europe.

Exactly!

Everyone should have an open chequebook. The U.K. should remember back to an unchecked Hitler.

What I read is that Putin was cautiously avoiding conscripting Moscow residents. He'd rather import foreigner as cannon fodder instead.

Unfortunately, the billions dribble out. If the U.S. had given Ukraine a ton of money upfront, that would have been better. And, more unfortunately, when the Israel-Palestinian disaster hit, my first thought was that it would take American money away from Ukraine.

You've missed the data from the last 3 days.

Data that contradicts that net migration and small boat crossings are down?

It's down way down, lowest in 5 years according to the latest data. Looks like Starmers plan is actually working....

I think Imdunfer is referring to small boat crossings as a few boats arrived over the last few days. 3 people died today.

The numbers are still down 45% compared to last year.

No, data that shows record crossings from completely new departure points on different size boats in the last 3 days.

Indicating that the smugglers are circumventing the controls and "smash the gangs“ is failing.

I think you are talking about this tragedy? 4 people dead, a 1 year old injured

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yd2j93r7ro

Smash the gangs was far too simplistic, as is stop the boats.

The UK tries to take a free leadership position in Europe without any interest in backing it up with money or soldiers (money in this instance).

The reason we are a focus of Russia and Iran is due to us trying to be a World leader when we can’t even defend ourselves.

And Zelensky isn’t necessarily the hero people want him to be. There is a lot of internal dissent and they urgently need an election regardless of the war.