Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

Ahhh Russia....

Any idea if there will be a change of Regime there? probably not if all the dissenters and news outlets are killed, closed down..

I’d venture “terminally so”, irrespective of whether Russia survives its “special operation” or not, and irrespective of whether it wins it or not: Western economies were made to (re)learn their lesson about lots of eggs and absurdly few baskets, and are busy transitioning away from fossils, irrespective of the nuclear/green mix, in one big hurry.

I think that article is misleading,yes there was protests ,but alot of the protesters are complaining about the cost of living and higher than usual inflation,

Smaller groups were demanding some kind of neutrality, others demanding the country leave the EU and Nato ,

Usual far right basketcases .

America and Nato are backing Ukraine for the long haul, does everyone think cheap Russian gas will be returning anytime in the next decade plus ,and it's not as if we here suffer extreme cold weather,it might get a little colder for some , but nothing comes close to what the Ukrainans are going to suffer this weather,

A bit of decent planning will make things a little easier,give it time we have people complaining nobody warned them this was going to happen

There was a tweet earlier supposedly from a Polish minister saying they expect to face a war with Russia in the next 3-10 years,

The poles have gone above and beyond to help and support Ukraine so if the eu breaks unity now and go back to Putin with begging bowls,In 3-6 years we will be doing this again only instead of Ukraine+ several other states facing putins troops and weapons .

*Tweet added *

We ( the royal we ) always seem to assume that people with opposing views are far right or far left, in most cases they are not. But it's a handy (lazy) label to slap on as it then makes it easier for the subsequent judgements on their motives to protest. People, everywhere, are usually concerned with the well being of those immediately around them, children, spouses etc. When a threat is perceived, people will naturally defend theirs and their loved ones way of life.

There is a lot of merit in shared responsibility in this whole Ukraine conflict, not solely down to the actions of Russia, we in the west need to self reflect, at a macro level it is a case of preserving our way of life, dressed up as 'stand up against Putin'. Nobody's hands are clean here, Russia, The West, nor Ukraine.

Personally, I try to get my information from as many perspectives as possible, I have a healthy distrust of the MSN, but equally, I take what I read in the non MSM channels with some degree of scepticism also, but it is possible to come to conclusions with those balanced views.

Our MSM (BBC, SKY NEWS, RTE, CNN etc.), call it what you want, state TV, state propaganda, the 'free press' is pretty much 100% biased and full of spin, just as those on the opposing sides are, as we all know, the media is an extremely powerful tool in shaping public opinion in whatever way a particular society wants/needs it to be shaped.

example: early this morning I watched a clip on Sky News where the reporter was mentioning the IAEA report on the situation of the NPP. The IAEA did mention damage from munitions at the plant but did not specify their origin and in the same sentence, the reporter cherry picked some words out of the report, out of context, that the IAEA did notice a Russian armoured vehicle at the Nuclear power plant, talk about spin. Of course there would be a Russian armoured vehicle there, there have been there for months. The thing is, that attempt to re-enforce the narrative, will work on a % of people who are quite happy to accept what others want them to think.

Ukraine have some blame for getting invaded and occupied 8 years ago and again 7 months ago.

But with the IAEA we seen the Russian military vehicles,and heavy weapons before they arrived ,the west didn't plant them there,we also seen shells from Russian occupied territory and the explanation from a Russian fsb agent how the Ukrainans magic shells that spin 180 degrees just above the ground to make it look like they came from Russia.

Stick to rt or Sputnik that way you will only ever see the truth.......

(According to the Kremlin)

Our tendency to 'care' for others really doesn't last that long in the west, we do not have the stomach for it. the Russians know hardship, they can put up with a lot more than we can for longer. We have had a blessed couple of decades in this part of the world but when there's a possibility that our 'I want everything, and I want it now' lifestyle is threatened, we cower. We even freak out when we lose the internet for a couple of hours.

The game that the Russians and the west are playing with each other means, death and suffering to ordinary people in Ukraine, people just like you and I. This is the real tragedy. Leaders of both sides have the power to stop this but it is not going to happen any time soon. There is a long term strategic fight going on, and Ukraine is the latest casualty. Russia will not walk away from the eastern provinces or Crimea, so if this is what Zelensky is expecting to happen, he needs a dose of reality. It's an awful thing that is happening, but it must stop. I have family members living not a million miles away from the nuclear power plant, if a missile was to hit something that it shouldn't hit and there was some kind of radiation leak or meltdown, god help them. They are the people I'm thinking of.

But ,but ,but we need to negotiate don't let Zelensky do anything to the Russians .

Surprise ,suprise

Have you been following the Great Chinese silk road plans train networks and roads from bejing to Berlin in a few Short years, along with a massive military build up on a scale not seen since WW2 ,

20 + aircraft carriers under construction, another similar number of destroyers being built 5 at a time in shipyards when people laughed at the idea they could build 10 ,they will have a Naval fleet in the thousands ,they are already busy figuring out how to move troops when and where they need them.

China is one to watch

Its irrelevent what comes behind Putin. Russia is a country of 120m with a fast declining population, and a workforce with no skills beyond fossil fuel extraction.

As future world power they will never keep pace with Germany, France, Britain, Canada, or Japan.

Their place will be alongside powers like Italy, Spain or Australia.