Ukraine

[River Don]

I used to walk past an enormous mansion in Holland Park when I worked in West London.

It had been shut up for years, there was a big Porsche SUV with flat tyres and moss growing on it in the drive.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was an oligarch investment.

[Not Now Kato]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

[drfchound]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

And what about the next nation they try to annex.

[River Don]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

Is that a climb down from Russia?

Or does the issue of Ukraine nuetralty still involve the removal of the democratic government to be replaced with a pro-Russian dictator in the mold of Belarus?

[normal rules]

For now, to bide time, save lives, infrastructure and the global economy, I think this would be the best course of action.
Putin will not be around for ever.
His successor could be someone much more amenable.
This could be Putins way out.
Let him have it , while ever he is alive.
If this conflict continues , tens of thousands will die. Possibly hundreds of thousands. Ukraine will be reduced to a rubble heap. An unliveable swathe of land.
Central Europe will be awash with refugees.
The global economy will be shafted. For decades.
This is a peaceful resolution.

[Ldr]

For now, to bide time, save lives, infrastructure and the global economy, I think this would be the best course of action.
Putin will not be around for ever.
His successor could be someone much more amenable.
This could be Putins way out.
Let him have it , while ever he is alive.
If this conflict continues , tens of thousands will die. Possibly hundreds of thousands. Ukraine will be reduced to a rubble heap. An unliveable swathe of land.
Central Europe will be awash with refugees.
The global economy will be shafted. For decades.
This is a peaceful resolution.

I believe it is peace in our time??

[normal rules]

Yes. And a damn good song by Big Country also.

[Metalmicky]

Not sure Ukraine will accept this..... unless Putin back pedals and relinquishes more. 

[River Don]

One problem with the Russian offer.  The government.

I'm not sure the Ukrainians would agree to any deal that did away with the democratic system. That's what they are fighting for. they do not want to live under the rule of a Russian autocrat, even the Russian speakers, who are hanging on like grim death in Khakiv. They don't even want to escape the bombing if it means being evacuated to Russia or Belarus.

And I fear Putin cannot tolerate the existence of a democracy right on his doorstep.

[wilts rover]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

And a couple of weeks ago Putin said Ukraine should not exisit as it is not a proper country and historically part of Russia.

Only one of the above statements by them can be true.

[River Don]

Just reading some accounts of intercepted conversations of Russian forces. One lad complains "everyone here has got a f**kng assualt rifle. You drive down the street and its tat tat tat tat all the time...

Which makes you wonder where all these weapons might eventually end up.

[tommy toes]

Very good piece on the BBC this evening, following a Ukrainian born British passport holder in Calais, trying to get visas for his wife and kids to the UK.
He went on a wild goose chase from office to unmanned office only to eventually find he had to wait another week and then go back to Paris and try again.

He's one of about 10,000 trying to get here right now

Shocking, disgaceful behaviour by our government.
 
I agree with Alex Sayle....
Patel is the type of person who'd disconnect your life support so she could charge her phone.

[tyke1962]

Axholme the Putin apologist has gone quiet recently.

I'd rather trust RT than the BBC.

You can still get RT on other platforms, so that's good news.
TBH i can't be bothered posting any more, it's a waste of breath and everyone's made their minds up in any case. VICTORY TO RUSSIA!

Yeh about the time Russian troops came over the border to invade a democratic country and started killing its citizens .

LONG LIVE UKRAINE

[SydneyRover]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

And a couple of weeks ago Putin said Ukraine should not exisit as it is not a proper country and historically part of Russia.

Only one of the above statements by them can be true.

And either way you'd be taking the word of a liar and dictator.

[SydneyRover]

And words from another liar and would-be dictator

''Trump: US should put Chinese flags on F-22 jets and ‘bomb shit out of’ Russia
Trump tells Republican donors Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had he been president and calls Nato a ‘paper tiger’

how thick can he be?

[wilts rover]

Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms - Kremlin
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

And a couple of weeks ago Putin said Ukraine should not exisit as it is not a proper country and historically part of Russia.

Only one of the above statements by them can be true.

And either way you'd be taking the word of a liar and dictator.

Im taking a wild swipe in the dark but I reckon when he said he thought Ukraine was an anomily that shouldn't exist but instead be part of a Greater Russia (controlled by him) he wasn't lying.

[SydneyRover]

Fair point wilts

[albie]

Vlad's bought boy Boris has left an "oligarch loophole" in the plans to clamp down on Russian money:
https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/07/economic-crime-bill-oligarch-loophole-uk/

I thought I better mention it, just in case the BBC forgets!

[BillyStubbsTears]

I've just been reminded of the genius take on the Russian national anthem that Laibach put together 20 years ago.

https://youtu.be/pH4SRm9oe7c

Scarily pointing out Russia's need to dominate its neighbours. "The eternal union of fraternal states. United forever in Great Russia's embrace". But as the video shows when it ends, it's all a Potemkin Village illusion.

By the way, they did a whole album full of retakes of national anthems. Don't watch the Anglia video unless you have a strong stomach.

[River Don]

Putin is threatening a little economic warfare of his own now.

He's threatening to shut off Nordstream 1.

I'm sorry to say, this will probably have a more immediate and impactful effect on Western Europe than anything our sanctions can do to Russia.

[Bentley Bullet]

Anyone would think he previously supplied gas out of the kindness of his heart and not for the money created from it. His heart must be bleeding through the sheer ungratefulness of his generosity.

f**k the bas**rd. Let him keep his f**king gas.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Putin is threatening a little economic warfare of his own now.

He's threatening to shut off Nordstream 1.

I'm sorry to say, this will probably have a more immediate and impactful effect on Western Europe than anything our sanctions can do to Russia.

I disagree RD.

It'll badly damage us socially and economically. But we will come through. And the start of Spring is the least damaging time to do this.


The sanctions on Russia will devastate the country over 3-6 months. They will experience a Great Depression on steroids.

[SydneyRover]

''Economic Crime Bill: MPs back measures to speed up oligarch sanctions''

''The bill, which now goes to the House of Lords and is expected to become law later this month, contains several measures to tackle oligarchs and companies associated with Mr Putin.

These include:

Forcing foreign owners of UK companies to declare and verify their identities

Prison sentences of up to five years for those who fail to do so

Strengthening Unexplained Wealth Orders - powers brought into force in 2018 to counter suspected criminal money invested in property, but used only four times since then
Making it simpler for UK authorities to sanction individuals already punished by allies such as the US and EU

All good except:

''Since Russia began the invasion of Ukraine, UK assets held by some individuals, banks and firms close to Mr Putin have already been frozen.

But a number sanctioned by the US or the EU have not been targeted by the UK''

During the Commons debate, some MPs called for the UK government to go further and seize - rather than just freeze - assets belonging to oligarchs.

Several amendments to the government's plans were defeated in votes and the bill as a whole got through the Commons unopposed''

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60646119

[Bentley Bullet]

Putin is threatening a little economic warfare of his own now.

He's threatening to shut off Nordstream 1.

I'm sorry to say, this will probably have a more immediate and impactful effect on Western Europe than anything our sanctions can do to Russia.

I disagree RD.

It'll badly damage us socially and economically. But we will come through. And the start of Spring is the least damaging time to do this.


The sanctions on Russia will devastate the country over 3-6 months. They will experience a Great Depression on steroids.

Reminiscent of Scargill's untimely strike in the '80s.

[SydneyRover]

Putin is threatening a little economic warfare of his own now.

He's threatening to shut off Nordstream 1.

I'm sorry to say, this will probably have a more immediate and impactful effect on Western Europe than anything our sanctions can do to Russia.

I disagree RD.

It'll badly damage us socially and economically. But we will come through. And the start of Spring is the least damaging time to do this.


The sanctions on Russia will devastate the country over 3-6 months. They will experience a Great Depression on steroids.

Reminiscent of Scargill's untimely strike in the '80s.

Reminds me of all the untimely parties in number 10 while people were dying

[River Don]

Putin is threatening a little economic warfare of his own now.

He's threatening to shut off Nordstream 1.

I'm sorry to say, this will probably have a more immediate and impactful effect on Western Europe than anything our sanctions can do to Russia.

I disagree RD.

It'll badly damage us socially and economically. But we will come through. And the start of Spring is the least damaging time to do this.


The sanctions on Russia will devastate the country over 3-6 months. They will experience a Great Depression on steroids.

It's looking like we'll find out. Taken together with American plans to stop the sale of Russian oil, there are predictions oil could surge to $300 a barrel.

That would give us a Great Depression on steroids too.

[River Don]

The catch is Russia would cut off a massive chunk of income to help keep this war going. It would be a big gamble.

[Bentley Bullet]

Does that mean we won't be able to afford to go out and use our own cars and have to rely on Amazon to deliver our stuff?

[River Don]

Does that mean we won't be able to afford to go out and use our own cars and have to rely on Amazon to deliver our stuff?

Much more than that. Massive inflation in the cost of goods, including food.

[Bentley Bullet]

Does that mean we won't be able to afford to go out and use our own cars and have to rely on Amazon to deliver our stuff?

Much more than that. Massive inflation in the cost of goods, including food.

It's a war mate. What do you expect?

More to the point, what do you think we should do?