Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

sligeach

The world's response to the attack on Ukraine by Russia has been shameful, toothless and cowardly. The sanctions are garbage. Do you see Putin $###### himself? Exactly the opposite. The sanctions will affect the West as much as it will Russia. Besides, Russia has a $600 million reserve. Any affects will take a long time to bear fruit.

Russia has said it knew these sanctions were coming. They've been reducing their dependence on imports. The US, UK and other countries intelligence predicted all that has happened thus far. What did they do to prevent it? Nothing!

Putin is a mad man and a very dangerous person. Listen to him with his thinly veiled threats about reacting with such force the world has never seen to any country who interfere. Going about the Ukraine government being druggies and neo-nazis. Putin should be taken out. Cut the head off the snake. He's a bully and is a real nuclear threat.

And he asks the Ukrainian army to turn on their own government. Sure that'll happen, after the Russian warship taking out 13 Ukrainian soldiers on Skull Island, bombing civilian targets, running a tank over a motorist, etc.

Countries like Germany and Italy will in a way have blood on their hands. They're blocking the move to remove Russia from the Swift banking system. Money can be replaced, lives cannot. Essentially, they care more about their own economic success than innocent Ukrainian lives. And the upcoming UN security council vote at 10pm is pointless, as Russia will veto any resolution.

Akrasia

I hope its all just propaganda.

Acting 'loco'

So your enemies have to re-assess his 'range'

In Poker you're playing against the range of hands your opponent could have and still bet with them. A Conservative player will never call with less than a top pair while a better poker player will bet with a much wider, but still predictable range, and then you'll have the wildcards, the player who will go all in with anything

In the long run they always lose, but they usually get better hands to fold early on until their opponents figure out their range

There is no long run with nuclear war so the player who is willing to bluff and who makes it plausible that he might just go all in on 7-2 will cause players holding much better cards to fold until they know for certain that they cannot be beaten

North Korea have used this strategy for decades to dissuade any action against them

Grandeeod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691611#Comment_118691611

Should be sent out peacefully or dragged behind a truck. While we are an absolute micro minnow in all of this, it's the least we can do.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694126#Comment_118694126

I'm flying to Bulgaria on Sunday. Regretting going with aeroflot now.

lulublue22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694215#Comment_118694215

says it’s effective immediately - all Russian aircraft. May seem like a small thing but every action against Russia / Putin is a step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned. Reinforces that Russia is out on a limb.

letowski

Illia Ponomarenko, the defense correspondant of the Kyiv Independant just put an update of the Russian invasion to date. He is a god follow on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1497325254808592387

It was notable the fierce fighting going on in the Kherson region today. Russia has made some advances there, but were met with stubborn resistence. I think it could be a point of emphamsis for the Russian Forces as I imagine they have some sort of pincer movement plans to cut the Ukrainian Forces in half, fighting in the east. Hopefully the Ukrainians can hold their lines.

600 million dollars in reserve means nowt to the private billionaires he'll piss off with all this.

He's biting the hand that fed him. I think he's showing the delusion of a dictator that's been in power for 22 years.

This will eventually cause his downfall I'd say. It's all about the money nowadays.

lulublue22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694333#Comment_118694333

I agree. Money talks. I think he’s also underestimated Ukrainian resistance and to an extent the push back he’s getting from the west. He expected sanctions I’m not sure he expected the pile on he’s getting.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694188#Comment_118694188

Putin should be taken out. Cut the head off the snake.

How exactly?

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694429#Comment_118694429

I'm not sure about the pushback.....He would be dim if he wasn't expecting at least this level of pushback from the International community and more imo .... in fact I'd imagine he would have factored in more

If he did expect it, then its worrying

If he didn't then that's worrying too as maybe he is a delusional headcase.......

Christy42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118693981#Comment_118693981

Rich people like big bank balances. They will happily off Putin if they feel they are better off without him.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694513#Comment_118694513

Oh it was just speculation on my part. I dont know how much power and influence they wield individually or collectively. I just wondered if maybe Putin decided this might be also be the way to chop them off at the knees.....perhaps before they did it to him.

Is there any info out there to what extent putin calls the shots or how much he has to get some form of consensus from these oligarchs we hear so much about.

johnnyskeleton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694060#Comment_118694060

Theyre preparing fod further Russian army casualties. They werent expecting to be fighting a longhaul war.

They wont use an ICBM for a few practical reasons:

1. Use of nuclear weapons of any sort would prompt an immediate response from everyone, including China.

2. The US would detect its launch and most likely prepare their nuclear response. It is not always clear what the target is, and a missile aimed at Kyiv could seem to be against any European city.

3. Even if they did want to use a nuclear weapon, they have sufficient air superiority that they could just use a gravity nuclear bomb.

Russians have military parades every year, including their Topol-M launchers. Typically in May, there is no reason to think that a paraded ICBM implies its use.

The money calls the shots.

sligeach

Russia has vetoed the United Nations security council resolution condemning their invasion on Ukraine. No surprise. I think it was 11 votes yes, 1 against(Russia) and 3 abstentions(including China). The other 2 I'm willing to bet were India and the UAE.

The China abstention sends a message to Putin, in itself

sligeach

I think this weekend will bring massive devastating developments and shame for the inactive West.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694561#Comment_118694561

I agree, no need for the ICBMs and if it was Kyiv being targeted then a gravity bomb could be dropped. I think its highly highly unlikely they would drop a nuclear device....

There was however some speculation earlier about the possible use of thermobaric bombs so that could be the next escalation....the speculation was based on the assertion of those doing it that Russian forces were being hampered and delayed by Ukrainian resistance (beyond what they expected) so they may want to get back some of that timetable by using more devastating weaponry albeit not a fission device.

If they use a daisycutter on a city I think all bets are off

circadian

https://twitter.com/scribblercat/status/1497338480061526018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1497338480061526018%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2Fliveupdate%2F18hnzysb1elcs%2FLiveUpdate_f05ca856-968e-11ec-b7ec-ae77e7aaf93e%2F0

This isn't good if true.

crushproof

Ommpphhh China abstaining is a big one, Putin is running out of allies very quickly.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694663#Comment_118694663

Yep I read about them earlier, if the blast doesn't get you the unburnt fuels are toxic...if you are unlucky enough to not die instantly then the its possible that while the blast might have blinded you and left you with horrific internal injuries etc you could remain conscious and in agony etc

All bets should be off if they are used imo.........perhaps all bets should have been off long before this.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694700#Comment_118694700

Abstaining from what?

Security Council vote to condemn the invasion.

lulublue22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694500#Comment_118694500

I don’t know - It feels as if he’s losing face - China haven’t exactly endorsed ( publicly at least ) his stance. As mentioned above their abstention from the UNSC vote is a message to Putin as was the two national banks putting limits on Russian capital. Turkey has stated that NATO needed to act sooner and has moved on to language such as full scale invasion , Bulgaria has closed it’s airspace . Major sporting events have been cancelled. There are protests at home. Ukraine is putting up decent resistance - Zenlensky and his gov are playing a blinder. There have been 3 neutral ships in neutral waters hit by Russian forces. He has threatened Military action against Sweden and Finland if they join NATO. It feels as if things are going to come to a head soon.

AyeGer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694748#Comment_118694748

Basically China refused to condemn Putin. He will be happy with that.

This will eventually lead to a European army. It's been in the pipeline for a long time but this will accelerate it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694764#Comment_118694764

No, they were never going to condemn. Their abstention is a public distancing

AyeGer

Putin looks quite angry and unhinged in his national addresses to the nation. I wonder is that genuine anger or an effort to look tough and try to frighten the opposition and the West.

lulublue22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694764#Comment_118694764

Don’t think so - it was a major talking point this evening - abstaining from vote was viewed as a nudge to Putin that he needed to regin things in.