Just a quick question or two for you: do you just post on PB or do you get assigned other forums as well? And I've noticed a curious change in your writing patterns between 6pm and 11pm - has the body behind the keyboard changed?
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
This is the worry. We can sit here and appreciate the finer distinctions of everything bar NATO troops getting involved as being sufficient to keep us out of war, but I doubt Putin is spending a lot of time mentally separating the gradations involved here.
We might be getting to the 50-50 stage where a massive Russian financial system collapse either brings Putin to an end or is the final trigger for WWIII.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
Apparently Ukrainian pilots landed in less useful planes in Poland yesterday. They've had a kip and are flying back in the Polish Migs.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
Dow futures down 600 points now...market obviously thinks putin is winning....
I am so glad you are here posting the truth. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see how I have been misled and lied to all these years. I have no doubt that, single-handedly, you will bring about the defeat of the west!
FTSE futures seem to be up significantly, unless i'm misreading something.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
Yes. I'm not quite sure where this hawkishness is coming from, unless MI6, the CIA and other intelligence agencies have unquestionable information that his regime is definitively teetering now. That could very well be.
Dow futures down 600 points now...market obviously thinks putin is winning....
I am so glad you are here posting the truth. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see how I have been misled and lied to all these years. I have no doubt that, single-handedly, you will bring about the defeat of the west!
FTSE futures seem to be up significantly, unless i'm misreading something.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. For all HYUFD goes on about realpolitik, he's basically defending the position of a man whose approach to international relations is to spread propaganda about gays and Jews corrupting the West and how Russia is the last bastion of Christian purity. I mean, if that's not a moral crusade, and a lunatic one too, then what is? Realpolitik and Putin are polar opposites.
HYUFD is really all over the place here. He has no idea, absolutely no fucking clue at all, what he's talking about and it's kind of embarrassing to see it. I normally take pleasure in shooting his stupider arguments out of the barrel, but honestly, this Putinist turn is just a bit sad and tawdry.
I wish I could pretend surprise at his attitude but considering his past views on democracy, and some of his views on religion/morals I'm not remotely surprised he's sympathetic to Putin.
I'm not sure he finds the notion of Christian purity etc as off-putting as you and I do.
Night all, play nice with each other!
Aha! HYFUD is reincaration of Madame von Krüdener (I claim my £5)
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Long-term lurker, but stepping in now, as I feel this one is dangerous.
Their strategy is not to win the argument, but to poison the argument.
By putting these views out there, it can in turn create discord and disagreement.
I'd encourage the troll to be banned and removed. Don't tolerate it, nor be entertained by it, nor "be stopping other sites being infected by it". Simply remove. Done.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
Apparently Ukrainian pilots landed in less useful planes in Poland yesterday. They've had a kip and are flying back in the Polish Migs.
All starts to make sense.
But where does it stop? Ukrainians in Challenger 2 tanks? RAF pilots resigning and joining a Ukrainian Foreign Legion?
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
Apparently Ukrainian pilots landed in less useful planes in Poland yesterday. They've had a kip and are flying back in the Polish Migs.
All starts to make sense.
But where does it stop? Ukrainians in Challenger 2 tanks? RAF pilots resigning and joining a Ukrainian Foreign Legion?
Just a quick question or two for you: do you just post on PB or do you get assigned other forums as well? And I've noticed a curious change in your writing patterns between 6pm and 11pm - has the body behind the keyboard changed?
Body?
Software update is more likely
BTW, since PB appears to have an element of Wordpress code in it, please make sure all the patches are up to date since WP is the hackers CMS of choice....
Daddy, daddy, when you were my age, what did you want to be when you grew up....i wanted to be a scientist or a doctor.....daddy daddy, what do you actually do...i argue for the government with people on an obscure political message board in the West...oh....tear in the eye of what a sad pathetic individual daddy is.
Dow futures down 600 points now...market obviously thinks putin is winning....
I am so glad you are here posting the truth. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see how I have been misled and lied to all these years. I have no doubt that, single-handedly, you will bring about the defeat of the west!
FTSE futures seem to be up significantly, unless i'm misreading something.
I trust you more than some Russian bot
To be fair DOW is down. Probably a timing thing to do with market close on Friday.
Yep. I personally invaded Ukraine. The useless idiots are revealing themselves. For all the anti-Corbyn foaming there are tankies on the right too. They have some influence on government as well.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
Can't say I find that entirely re-assuring, if I'm honest.
I agree. I worry that too many people are ruling out the possibility that Putin might no longer see the use of nuclear weapons as a purely deterrence measure and/or has lost sight of what the purpose of deterrence means. It is obviously meant as a threat to Russia as a country. But if he has come to see himself and his regime and the embodiment of Russia - one and indivisible then this changes things. It no longer becomes about a threat of NATO invading Russia. It becomes a threat that failure in Ukraine means his downfall. If so, we are at least at the stage where one can contemplate he might give the order. Which then means you need others to step in...
While we're talking about leaders losing their marbles on a power trip is it true that Liz Truss has suggested we form an International Brigade where British youngsters can go to Ukraine to fight?
Has she been reading Orwell? We need Hartlepool's finest with a load of Kalashnikov like we need a hole in the head.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Have made zero secret of personal theory, that Boris Johnson is (another) non-card-carrying Putinist. Whether for love (of power), or money, or God-knows-what, who can say? Likely all of the above in his case, again IMHO.
Response from more than one BJ fan has been to call me (I paraphrase) wrongheaded.
Now another notable supporter of Prime Minister endorses the gist of Putin's argument, in name of (supposed) realpolitik.
Ok, so which is it?
Or, like your Fearless Leader, do you wanna have it all ways? Have your cake, eat it AND bust-up the bakery?
What evidence of Boris actions makes you think this?
Boris is a serial liar and a cheat, a lazy individual who thinks he can wing it and doesn't show any leadership, but AFAIK all the evidence is everything is about Boris career progression / saving his own behind when he has been caught breaking the rules.
I can see how people think Trump is a Putinist, but things like Brexit, Boris calculation was all about his idea backing Leave was best for his career.
Putin" s made a career cultivating such types as 45 & BJ, for his own ends, either directly or (more usually) indirectly.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Long-term lurker, but stepping in now, as I feel this one is dangerous.
Their strategy is not to win the argument, but to poison the argument.
By putting these views out there, it can in turn create discord and disagreement.
I'd encourage the troll to be banned and removed. Don't tolerate it, nor be entertained by it, nor "be stopping other sites being infected by it". Simply remove. Done.
With that I'll go back into lurking.
With 36 posts, you are hardly lurking. A lurker would be in single digits.
Dow futures down 600 points now...market obviously thinks putin is winning....
I am so glad you are here posting the truth. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see how I have been misled and lied to all these years. I have no doubt that, single-handedly, you will bring about the defeat of the west!
FTSE futures seem to be up significantly, unless i'm misreading something.
I don't think FTSE futures are open - you're probably seeing Friday's move.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
It looks as though the EU will give Ukraine the money to buy fighter jets…..delivery heaven knows when!
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Still, looking on the bright side we now all know the side effects of too much botox and over indulging in the old steroids for that muscle man on a horse look.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
The Russians are very good at palace coups. Ideally, such a coup should be almost bloodless, at the point of overthrow.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
Have made zero secret of personal theory, that Boris Johnson is (another) non-card-carrying Putinist. Whether for love (of power), or money, or God-knows-what, who can say? Likely all of the above in his case, again IMHO.
Response from more than one BJ fan has been to call me (I paraphrase) wrongheaded.
Now another notable supporter of Prime Minister endorses the gist of Putin's argument, in name of (supposed) realpolitik.
Ok, so which is it?
Or, like your Fearless Leader, do you wanna have it all ways? Have your cake, eat it AND bust-up the bakery?
What evidence of Boris actions makes you think this?
Boris is a serial liar and a cheat, a lazy individual who thinks he can wing it and doesn't show any leadership, but AFAIK all the evidence is everything is about Boris career progression / saving his own behind when he has been caught breaking the rules.
I can see how people think Trump is a Putinist, but things like Brexit, Boris calculation was all about his idea backing Leave was best for his career.
Putin" s made a career cultivating such types as 45 & BJ, for his own ends, either directly or (more usually) indirectly.
It looks as if Putin's wasted his money, if so.
Trump was incredibly good value for Putin. The US political dysfunction from Trumpism will likely still be poisoning America decades after Putin is dead.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
I don't really understand the theory that if this goes nuclear it is going nuclear on Ukraine. Putin's threats on that are against NATO, I think?
Over-running a post nuclear holocaust Ukraine is hardly a victory worth securing.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
The Russians are very good at palace coups. Ideally, such a coup should be almost bloodless, at the point of overthrow.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
Rasputin didn't do too well after a spell at the palace as well.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
The Russians are very good at palace coups. Ideally, such a coup should be almost bloodless, at the point of overthrow.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
They both fly the mig29
The Polish ones have been souped up a bit, IIRC. Plus they have a good stock of spares and missiles, I believe.
Also the Bulgarians fly Mig-29 and Su-25 - the latter would be very welcome in Ukraine, I suspect.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
The Russians are very good at palace coups. Ideally, such a coup should be almost bloodless, at the point of overthrow.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
Rasputin didn't do too well after a spell at the palace as well.
Beria was one of the most evil men in history, but I can't help wondering at what point did it register that Kruschev's denunciation meant only one thing - the pieces had all been played and he was a living dead man.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
They both fly the mig29
An airforce is about more than just the aircraft - parts, ammunition, ground teams, infrastructure, pilots.
There is not much point in having 1,000 aircraft if you have 10 pilots and 2 engineers.
Can't help but think that "luxury brands, jewellery and electronics" signals that the Russian populace are fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
Long-term lurker, but stepping in now, as I feel this one is dangerous.
Their strategy is not to win the argument, but to poison the argument.
By putting these views out there, it can in turn create discord and disagreement.
I'd encourage the troll to be banned and removed. Don't tolerate it, nor be entertained by it, nor "be stopping other sites being infected by it". Simply remove. Done.
With that I'll go back into lurking.
With 36 posts, you are hardly lurking. A lurker would be in single digits.
Stick around and tell us what you think.
Thanks, I've been following you all for 10 years, just haven't felt qualified to say much till lately - but I love the opinions of a lot of you (I recall a couple years back just before lockdown, someone on the train saw I was viewing this site and asked me - I said yes, and he said he was also a fan). I have posted a few times in the past, but being careful - I don't like seeing this Johnson twat doing this nonsense and I don't think he should divide or anything of that nature.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Still, looking on the bright side we now all know the side effects of too much botox and over indulging in the old steroids for that muscle man on a horse look.
Seen a bit of roid rage up close and personal. Wasn't pretty. Though no amateur Rugby League player ever invaded a sovereign country, nor threatened a nuclear first strike to the best of my knowledge. Not even in St. Helens or Warrington.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. . .................
Do explain how we get there ... preferably without very significant loss of life.
As far as I can see, the options suggested by pb.com are (1) a palace coup by those surrounding him, (2) assassination by the West somehow, (3) massive uprising by the Russian population.
None of these look likely in the short term. (1) and (2) are unquantifiable in terms of probability, but if they are tried and fail ... I shudder to think of the consequences.
Optimistically, (3) is maybe possible on the timescale of ~ months if things go very badly in Russia.
I do not advocate an outside power doing it (2). Let me be totally clear on that.
Beyond that, I don't really care. I don't necessarily think it's likely in the short term either. There would be a visceral thrill in (3) happening. I do like a good pro-democracy revolution, but I'd like to know it would succeed before I got excited about one beginning. Failed revolutions tend to be very, very unhappy events indeed. The ideal would seem to be (1). Putin is shuffled into a very small room indeed, and a reform-minded person takes over and shifts Russia towards a more sensible stance. That's a reasonable hope.
Ok, well now let's look at the fall of past dictators to get an idea of probabilities.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
The Russians are very good at palace coups. Ideally, such a coup should be almost bloodless, at the point of overthrow.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
And Khrushchev
Yes, indeed, although at least Kruschev escaped with his life.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Putin's Russia has now made 2 out of the 3 Classic Blunders.
1) Land war in AsiaEurope 2) Spit on the table in front of Elon Musk
Any minute now he's going to go against a Sicilian when death is on the line....
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Dow futures down 600 points now...market obviously thinks putin is winning....
I am so glad you are here posting the truth. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see how I have been misled and lied to all these years. I have no doubt that, single-handedly, you will bring about the defeat of the west!
FTSE futures seem to be up significantly, unless i'm misreading something.
I don't think FTSE futures are open - you're probably seeing Friday's move.
Looking to be a chaotic open on financial markets tomorrow...has the west miscalculated
Yes. I have sold all my stocks and have converted them into Roubles so that I will grow rich as the Russian economy grows and grows. Thank you for the trading tip!
The hilarious thing about Russian shills is that they can't stop themselves from pushing every Russian talking point. So he has to simultaneously argue that the Ukrainians should surrender, the West has miscalculated with sanctions and the West is to blame for the invasion. It all just makes it so obvious what a groveling scrote he is. Spinning for such a sad case as Putin is really emasculating. Maybe he has a submission fetish.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Putin's Russia has now made 2 out of the 3 Classic Blunders.
1) Land war in AsiaEurope 2) Spit on the table in front of Elon Musk
Any minute now he's going to go against a Sicilian when death is on the line....
Nice of the EU to take the focus away from the UK though...
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
They both fly the mig29
The Polish ones have been souped up a bit, IIRC. Plus they have a good stock of spares and missiles, I believe.
Also the Bulgarians fly Mig-29 and Su-25 - the latter would be very welcome in Ukraine, I suspect.
Polish pilots have a good reputation helping out in wartime.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
They both fly the mig29
An airforce is about more than just the aircraft - parts, ammunition, ground teams, infrastructure, pilots.
There is not much point in having 1,000 aircraft if you have 10 pilots and 2 engineers.
I will bet they have mechanics and probably excess pilots. They have been losing aircraft. And probably need spares.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
Apparently Ukrainian pilots landed in less useful planes in Poland yesterday. They've had a kip and are flying back in the Polish Migs.
All starts to make sense.
But where does it stop? Ukrainians in Challenger 2 tanks? RAF pilots resigning and joining a Ukrainian Foreign Legion?
It feels as though we've gone from expecting Kyiv to fall on day 1, to cheering the plucky Ukrainians on, to all out proxy war, with the Ukrainians being given access to unlimited amounts of Western materiel in a very, very, very short space of time.
I am in favour of giving the Ukrainians whatever they need and if that's Challenger tanks so be it. Putin on the other hand may start to see the levels of western assistance as a provocation, if he hasn't already, and decide to escalate.
Part of me thinks we may be closer to war than we realise. The other part of me thinks that if the markets and the banks collapsing this week don't do for Putin, his own generals will.
It's very impressive the way that pretty much every country that counts has piled on against the Russian invasion. It's a refereshing change to see political leaders actually stepping up to the mark.
One thing about the air war in Ukraine. Both sides have planes. But am i right that there haven't been many, if any, direct encounters? Certainly no evidence of dogfights.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Sweden sending thousands upon thousands of offensive missiles. A major land war in Europe. Switzerland implementing financial sanctions. Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy. Paddington bear the leader of the free world. Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight. The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect. Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go, Where the world is in reverse.
Putin's Russia has now made 2 out of the 3 Classic Blunders.
1) Land war in AsiaEurope 2) Spit on the table in front of Elon Musk
Any minute now he's going to go against a Sicilian when death is on the line....
Nice of the EU to take the focus away from the UK though...
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
This is as close to NATO v Russia air warfare as we can get before the RAF are over Lviv.
As you all know, I'm quite hawkish on this stuff but given Putin had lost it, I wonder how wise it is.
I think we should help the Ukrainians as quietly as possible. All this trumpeting of it by the EU, followed by a Highway of Death scenario, might push him over the edge.
I think this is both true, and not that big a deal.
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
Flying within the hour?
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
They both fly the mig29
Perhaps I'm wrong then. If they're different planes though it is impossible in my view.
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Poland, Bulgaria & Slovaks are in the frame for transfers. The logistics of this and timing though, opaque. It may have occurred already, it may not get off the ground in good time.
I don't think it matters to the Poles whether the EU are in on this or not, they have their own purpose.
Leon may be surprised though, the West, including the continentals, based on connecting the dots with both public information and some estimation, may be getting seriously deep in, up to the balls anyway. . In fact some countries not part of NATO (and I don't mean the Swedes) are involved as well.
Apart from the Italians, who apparently remain remarkably inactive....
It's very impressive the way that pretty much every country that counts has piled on against the Russian invasion. It's a refereshing change to see political leaders actually stepping up to the mark.
China and India abstained on the UN Security Council resolution deploring Putin's actions, so not all of them
More shelling in Mariupol. Just spoke with my mom. She said goodbye. Her part of town has been evacuated, but she is staying. She said: My life started in poverty and it ends in war. Enjoy peace. Love you all! https://twitter.com/AKirilenko_True/status/1497941425400565763
It's very impressive the way that pretty much every country that counts has piled on against the Russian invasion. It's a refereshing change to see political leaders actually stepping up to the mark.
China and India abstained on the UN Security Council resolution deploring Putin's actions, so not all of them
One thing about the air war in Ukraine. Both sides have planes. But am i right that there haven't been many, if any, direct encounters? Certainly no evidence of dogfights.
There was a posting yesterday from one of the Eastern cities about some aur combat. It gave the impression the Ukranian plane came out on top but as always there is no way to verify thst
More shelling in Mariupol. Just spoke with my mom. She said goodbye. Her part of town has been evacuated, but she is staying. She said: My life started in poverty and it ends in war. Enjoy peace. Love you all! https://twitter.com/AKirilenko_True/status/1497941425400565763
The Greeks are going to hate Putin , or his memory, for decades after this. More Greeks dead.
More shelling in Mariupol. Just spoke with my mom. She said goodbye. Her part of town has been evacuated, but she is staying. She said: My life started in poverty and it ends in war. Enjoy peace. Love you all! https://twitter.com/AKirilenko_True/status/1497941425400565763
So the (at least third) report earlier today that Mariupol had fallen to Russia was still incorrect?
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Poland, Bulgaria & Slovaks are in the frame for transfers. The logistics of this and timing though, opaque. It may have occurred already, it may not get off the ground in good time.
I don't think it matters to the Poles whether the EU are in on this or not, they have their own purpose.
Leon may be surprised though, the West, including the continentals, based on connecting the dots with both public information and some estimation, may be getting seriously deep in, up to the balls anyway. . In fact some countries not part of NATO (and I don't mean the Swedes) are involved as well.
Apart from the Italians, who apparently remain remarkably inactive....
But i thought their nuclear arsenal was all concentrated in subs? And the others are ICBMs? Why would they need to put them in Belarus?
The Russians have breached the INF treaty to put nuclear warheads on short ranged ballistic missiles - did this a while back. See Kaliningrad. I would expect the weapons in question to be similar.
Do some people really think that the difference between Putin deciding to destroy the world or not is really going to come down to the technicalities of NATO membership?
Had Ukraine not tried to join NATO Putin would likely not have invaded it in the first place.
NATO should not have tried to absorb the old nations of the USSR
You're on the wrong side.
It's also stupid. Putin has said time and again he wants to re-establish a greater Russian empire. He's said Ukraine isn't a real country. Sovereignty is whatever he decides it is when he feels like it. Did Zelensky going on about Nato membership push him over the edge? Possibly. But the fundamental problem was always there. He demands submission. Ukrainians will never submit to his rule.
Exactly right. The only stable outcomes of this situation involve Putin not being in power. For all HYUFD goes on about realpolitik, he's basically defending the position of a man whose approach to international relations is to spread propaganda about gays and Jews corrupting the West and how Russia is the last bastion of Christian purity. I mean, if that's not a moral crusade, and a lunatic one too, then what is? Realpolitik and Putin are polar opposites.
HYUFD is really all over the place here. He has no idea, absolutely no fucking clue at all, what he's talking about and it's kind of embarrassing to see it. I normally take pleasure in shooting his stupider arguments out of the barrel, but honestly, this Putinist turn is just a bit sad and tawdry.
I wish I could pretend surprise at his attitude but considering his past views on democracy, and some of his views on religion/morals I'm not remotely surprised he's sympathetic to Putin.
I'm not sure he finds the notion of Christian purity etc as off-putting as you and I do.
Night all, play nice with each other!
Don't you dare come out with that. I have never once said I was sympathetic to Putin, I have said I want economic sanctions, I just do not want war with Russia over Ukraine, a non NATO nation, which may well go nuclear.
I am also damned if I am going to take lectures from a former Farage voter like you on nationalism!!
A Senior Advisor the the EU: 'Flying in #Ukraine skies within the hour.' In response to "EU countries will provide 'fighter jets' to Ukraine under Brussels funding: Borrell".
That 3.5 mile convoy looking mighty unsafe all of a sudden.
I simply do not believe that the EU will send fighter jets for combat against Russian jets over Ukraine, tomorrow
It is pathetic, delusional EU nonsense, and if it happens the EU will get Putin threatening fire and brimstone over Brussels. Who will fly these planes? From where? How? When? Why?
The EU is posturing. The willpower is not there. Probably for the best as it could kick off WW3
My guess is the Poles are handing over their Mig-29s, probably will announce getting F-35 early and in greater numbers. After this is over.
Poland, Bulgaria & Slovaks are in the frame for transfers. The logistics of this and timing though, opaque. It may have occurred already, it may not get off the ground in good time.
I don't think it matters to the Poles whether the EU are in on this or not, they have their own purpose.
Leon may be surprised though, the West, including the continentals, based on connecting the dots with both public information and some estimation, may be getting seriously deep in, up to the balls anyway. . In fact some countries not part of NATO (and I don't mean the Swedes) are involved as well.
Apart from the Italians, who apparently remain remarkably inactive....
That's my impression, too.
As somebody said earlier, it does make one wonder what is going on behind the scenes. It does seem to strongly suggest that the previous public assessments that fall of Kyiv etc were only being delayed were massively wide of the mark, and also must surely (we hope) hint that something is going on within the Kremlin. When previously neutral countries are getting involved to the extent that they are, one really does wonder...
More shelling in Mariupol. Just spoke with my mom. She said goodbye. Her part of town has been evacuated, but she is staying. She said: My life started in poverty and it ends in war. Enjoy peace. Love you all! https://twitter.com/AKirilenko_True/status/1497941425400565763
So the (at least third) report earlier today that Mariupol had fallen to Russia was still incorrect?
The pattern seems to be that Russians get into parts of a Ukrainian city, then get kicked out/cut off. This seems to have happened several times in various places.
Comments
Just a quick question or two for you: do you just post on PB or do you get assigned other forums as well? And I've noticed a curious change in your writing patterns between 6pm and 11pm - has the body behind the keyboard changed?
We might be getting to the 50-50 stage where a massive Russian financial system collapse either brings Putin to an end or is the final trigger for WWIII.
How many fell through a place coup?
I can't think of any, but there may be some. Hitler survived place coups. Idi Amin survived.
Mugabe possibly was removed from office by this method, but he wasn't killed ... he left with Grace & his money.
Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Honecker, Mobutu, Amin .. they all fell in mass uprisings.
Palace coups are very rare. It is a hope, but I would not give it a high probability.
This is the fight for democracy.
https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1497664641966780416?s=20&t=tvnr3s09m1_VDWtlRPOx_Q
Aha! HYFUD is reincaration of Madame von Krüdener (I claim my £5)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_von_Krüdener
Or have we all forgotten why Trump was impeached the first time.
Their strategy is not to win the argument, but to poison the argument.
By putting these views out there, it can in turn create discord and disagreement.
I'd encourage the troll to be banned and removed. Don't tolerate it, nor be entertained by it, nor "be stopping other sites being infected by it". Simply remove. Done.
With that I'll go back into lurking.
But where does it stop? Ukrainians in Challenger 2 tanks? RAF pilots resigning and joining a Ukrainian Foreign Legion?
The Poles have about 30 MIGs that they are in the process of phasing out and replacing with F16s. They would not be averse to handing them over to the Ukrainians in return for the cash to complete the transition.
What you been up to in recent months?
Software update is more likely
BTW, since PB appears to have an element of Wordpress code in it, please make sure all the patches are up to date since WP is the hackers CMS of choice....
I personally invaded Ukraine.
The useless idiots are revealing themselves. For all the anti-Corbyn foaming there are tankies on the right too.
They have some influence on government as well.
Maybe, just maybe, flying this week. You'd be insane to get into an unfamiliar plane and fly off to fight.
Has she been reading Orwell? We need Hartlepool's finest with a load of Kalashnikov like we need a hole in the head.
A major land war in Europe.
Switzerland implementing financial sanctions.
Germany increasing defence expenditure by 50% overnight, dismantling all previous Russian foreign policy.
Paddington bear the leader of the free world.
Russian ruble more than halving in value overnight.
The possibility of a nuke being dropped within 200km of 4 different EU memberstates (Lviv makes by far the most sense to target of all Ua cities) being a real prospect.
Russian trolls targeting PB.
Through the looking glass we go,
Where the world is in reverse.
New livery isn't very technical.
Jake Cordell
@JakeCordell
Luxury brands, jewellery stores and electronics retailers in Moscow say they've been slammed today.
"It's been crazy. Everybody's getting rid of their rubles before tomorrow" one shop assistant told me.
https://twitter.com/JakeCordell/status/1497991248791191552
Stick around and tell us what you think.
Bit of a reverse from 1974.
Anna Leopoldovna, Tsar Peter III, Tsar Paul, and Lavrentiy Beria, all fell victim to such. The overthrow of Ceausescu was more bloody, but essentially involved his own security forces turning on him.
Over-running a post nuclear holocaust Ukraine is hardly a victory worth securing.
Only an experienced PBer would go for a Neil Oliver vid to wind people up.
If you have a new car it takes a little feel comfortable. Much more in a plane, much more in a plane in a fight.
Also the Bulgarians fly Mig-29 and Su-25 - the latter would be very welcome in Ukraine, I suspect.
There is not much point in having 1,000 aircraft if you have 10 pilots and 2 engineers.
Tins of baked beans might be a better investment.
Wasn't pretty.
Though no amateur Rugby League player ever invaded a sovereign country, nor threatened a nuclear first strike to the best of my knowledge.
Not even in St. Helens or Warrington.
1) Land war in AsiaEurope
2) Spit on the table in front of Elon Musk
Any minute now he's going to go against a Sicilian when death is on the line....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41970317
I am in favour of giving the Ukrainians whatever they need and if that's Challenger tanks so be it. Putin on the other hand may start to see the levels of western assistance as a provocation, if he hasn't already, and decide to escalate.
Part of me thinks we may be closer to war than we realise. The other part of me thinks that if the markets and the banks collapsing this week don't do for Putin, his own generals will.
Serve FIFA right if they win the whole thing by default.
A Belarus referendum has voted to allow Russian nuclear weapons to be based in the country
https://twitter.com/ForexLive/status/1498082872644849666
He's not a Tory MP fortunately.
I don't think it matters to the Poles whether the EU are in on this or not, they have their own purpose.
Leon may be surprised though, the West, including the continentals, based on connecting the dots with both public information and some estimation, may be getting seriously deep in, up to the balls anyway. . In fact some countries not part of NATO (and I don't mean the Swedes) are involved as well.
Apart from the Italians, who apparently remain remarkably inactive....
https://twitter.com/AKirilenko_True/status/1497941425400565763
- Everyone* was AOK with the Big Crocodile continuing to be Chief Thief
- Everyone was 100% dead against Grace becoming Chief Thief
*In the sense of everyone at the top of Zanu.
I am also damned if I am going to take lectures from a former Farage voter like you on nationalism!!