Russia - threadbanned users in OP

If anyone can do it it will be the West.

No one in Europe would starve but the diet would change.

The real goal would be China and Russia focusing on the trade with each other and the non Western world.

Sideline Europe and build a block to oppose America

I wouldn't be surprised if Russia and China have long had an understanding that they would work together to increase their leverage in the world and weaken the West, and take opportunity to do that long term and as situations arise.

The Russian Minister for Defense might not know what Putin is planning but I'd guess Xi jinping does and that he would see this as a build up to taking Taiwan in years to come.

Cost. The economics of nuclear are horrendous.

If people argue for it from a national energy security position or to reduce carbon from electricity then that's different. I hope France follow through with their reactors but they are not looking at it as an monetary investment.

It is supremely ironic for Irish people to parrot a British point of view regarding Crimea.

Britain, that country that went around the globe invading, subjugating and redrawing boundaries; many of which created problems that persist to this very day. Northern Ireland being one, a British line drawn right across Ireland, balkanizing the island and creating an apartheid-like state.

Those injustices came to a head in 1969 and before Britain would commit her own troops to quell the ethnic violence, there were a few days when people wondered would the army of the RoI step-in. That never happened and it resulted in a 30 year low-level war.

You'll find however, among certain British points of view that the IRA were actually proxies of the RoI.

Today of course we have the GFA and the commitment to peaceful means. We've accepted the NI british statelet has a right to exist until the majority of the people there express otherwise, democratically.

I wonder why then, would some Irish people not accept that Crimea also has a democratic legitimacy to take her place among greater Russia?

@BluePlanet I wonder why then, would some Irish people not accept that Crimea also has a democratic legitimacy to take her place among greater Russia?

There was no legitimacy ,

Just Russian soldiers who said having a vote with no options or face violence at the hands of the Russian military,

Why were Russians only allowed to vote, why was Russian soldiers and groups bused into Crimea from Russia allowed to vote ,

Why were Ukrainians blocked from voting ,

And how did 110% of the population vote to join Russia , when in 1991 3 million in Crimea Russians applied for Ukrainian citizenship ...

The big bad west/NATO/USA have not invaded Ukraine or Russia, nor have they ever threatened to. They exist in the Baltic states at the explicit desire of the democratically elected governments there. Russia on the other hand has already invaded and is occupying parts of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. There is only one side here that is breaking international law and invading, killing and annexing foreign territory. The defence here seems to be sympathy for the Russians because they feel threatened and surrounded. Yet nobody threatens them, NATO exists at the will of sovereign members that host them which is their right. Nobody has ever declared a desire to invade Russian territory. However, if Russia continues with its plans to occupy and invade Ukraine, killing many innocent Ukrainians and ruining the lives of others, Russia itself will have created the only situation where their unfounded fears might actually materialize. By invading, they'll go from a country that nobody cares about beyond trading for natural resources, to a menace that must be faced by all of Europe and NATO. This is not even in the interests of Russia.

If Putin sends his army home, his citizens will be safe. Nobody really cares about Russia, NATO has no interest in occupying any part of it. The eu just want to pay for natural resources. The eu by its very nature can only expand by the will of countries that wish to join it. It is only the Russians who wish to use war, violence and coercion as a tool to expand. I know which type of regime I would like to be associated with. I'd rather be bribed by economic stability than subjugated militarily. Putin is old and his expansionist strategy is very old, you get more bees with honey. In the long term there's only one winner here and it isn't the maniac threatening people.

Not on this ,

That I can remember but hey .....

Not likely last year but I've been posting about putin and his actions in Ukraine for about 8/9 years,

And for most part I've been correct on what, where he was going to do, or did it

Hilarious at this point how your salivating at the prospect of a strong Russia and strong China. Two places where you simply wouldn't have the freedom to actually publish such opinions of contrary even if you wanted to.

Its gas how much the likes of yourself hate everything about where you grew up.

Sidelining Europe. New super powers. East focused. Its all absolutely hilarious. When did this start with you? Was it when Ireland invaded its neighbours in an imperialist manner? Or what started this self hate.

Buying oil from head chopping women traffickers is NOT corruption if you’re a NATO member, only bad guys like Russians are corrupt just like in the movies.

I don't want it. I think China is a global threat to Human decency, not just democracy, basic freedoms. Russia is a small support cog in that

Just because I don't want them to rise doesn't mean that they will not nor that it is not obvious what their strategy is long term.

The next fifty years is all about mid to East Asia, China and India mostly and a cohort of their neighbours, where over 50% of global economic growth will be.

Pointing out something happening is not the same as wanting it. There are many things in life like that. Do you understand that?

I think the ending of Western hegemony will be a retrograde step for the world. I classify myself as a Western Chauvinist.

Does putin think siding up to china will bring him more power ,if anything if something did kick off china would send the Russians as cannon fodder,

And I'm sure that coal fired aircraft carrier Will hold up well compared to the 10+ Chinese ones under construction

Even the Germans are changing the tune

What Biden situation.

If the war is clearly because of Russian aggression then any US President will get political support at home. If (as the Russian trolls seem to think) that it's due to US or NATO aggression Biden or any sitting president will meet massive domestic political opposition.

The idea that Biden needs a war to defuse his situation totally mad.