Russia invades Ukraine

I felt like that's what our defence minister was suggesting by saying "gone full Tonto" the other day.
It's a moot point really though, we are where we are, and i'm not sure how we can get out of it.

 

This is why people as old as Biden and Trump shouldn't be allowed to hold high office. Someone who's weeks away from checking out shouldn't have their finger on the nuclear button.

 

And you accuse me of being blinkered, my word. Where have I said where Labour is all good. Tory is all bad it has proven that, many fold, needless Austerity and the continuation of it, for starters.

 

Went there for a couple of months for work in 2003 when it was quite antiquated but reasonably free. Met a local girl, established a reasonably profitable small business, learnt the language. Nowadays it's far less free (though on an everyday level you'd never know it) but St Petersburg has developed into one of the best cities on the planet. Culturally it always had it, with the Hermitage, Marinsky Theatre etc, but now it's also full of world class bars and dining establishments which cost a fraction of the price they do in most of Europe. Also, educated progressive Russians tend to be some of the most interesting people you're ever likely to meet. And believe me, most of them hate Putin far more than you could ever imagine.

 

Very insightful, thanks. I hope normal Russian people somehow manage to overthrow Putin, easier said than done I know!

Take care.

 

I suppose saying it is a long game refers just to diplomacy and national policies. I suppose all countries try and create leverage with each other.

 

Personally, I think he's more likely to be overthrown from within. Believe it or not there are actually plenty of sane people in the Russian government, who also don't want their lives to be thrown into disarray. I believe that once things in the economy start going seriously tits up, an internal power struggle is likely to start.

 

Does the news regarding Russia banning all UK flights from Russian airspace affect you?

And are you using a VPN?

 

This is how I see it going, the west will be establishing links with groups within Russia who may have the ability to do this. I'm sure the West won't mind leaving a few weapons caches at the border that any willing Russian dissident can find...

 

Maybe the time for the Westto do something was before the invasion?

 

I'm now more worried that the only person I could think of who is recognised as pretty much universally nice is from a 1970s sitcom.

 

Spot on. Like allowing Ukraine to join Nato in the first place perhaps?

 

It's just so terribly sad to see a sovereign nation invaded and and rest of the world just sits back and watches it happen.

 

When the leader of the invasion basically says "If you do anything to try to stop us, I'll nuke you" there's not a lot of avenues open to you.

 

Russia has announced its banning UK flights to Russia in response to the Aeroflot ban.

 

Just to clarify I wasn't suggesting I have a better solution just how depressing it is.
It’s extremely uncomfortable watching a country put up such a fight against awful odds. It’s a bit like schoolyard bully pushing around a weaker kid, whilst we just watch from the edge of the playground because we fear getting beat up ourselves.
I accept in this analogy the "beating" could be a nuclear war. But does this basically mean the nuclear deterrent will allow Russia to do whatever they want

 

It's harsh but the Ukraine isn't in Nato. There isn't any debate. It's a humanitarian crisis at the minute. If the Russians invade a NATO country then fair enough. I'd accept we might get nuked. I wouldn't be too happy about it mind but I'd be dead with every f cker else.

 

I don't know the answer. I don't know what we should do. While I understand sanctions they don't hurt Putin they hurt Russian people. The hope is he will be removed from within when the lives of those suffering become unbearable. Has that ever happened? That's a genuine question as I don't know, but I can give many examples when it hasn't, when the dictator remains in power no matter how bad it gets. The other alternative is war. Let's assume for a minute that Putin isn't crazy and the threat of armageddon is a bluff, a "conventional" war in the Ukraine, and undoubtedly surrounding areas, with the military power of the opposing sides, would blow Eastern Europe back into the stone age, and maybe further afield.

The solution of course is to talk, but if one side of the argument won't, I just don't know.

 

It's very harsh given they want to be and the process for being accepted to NATO is rather murky.