Kremlin says Putin ordered conscripts to be excluded from Ukraine operations and is now asking military prosecutors to find and punish those who allowed conscripts to go to Ukraine.
A visa centre being set up in northern France to assist Ukrainian refugees will not offer appointments or walk-in access, and its exact location will not be made public, the Home Office has confirmed https://trib.al/bOS5jbZ
All that rather crass talk about a Johnson revival/the irrelevance of Partygate etc is surely starting to pall already. The fact is that he remains deep into "can't do anything right" territory, and this is the worst example so far
A visa centre being set up in northern France to assist Ukrainian refugees will not offer appointments or walk-in access, and its exact location will not be made public, the Home Office has confirmed https://trib.al/bOS5jbZ
A visa centre being set up in northern France to assist Ukrainian refugees will not offer appointments or walk-in access, and its exact location will not be made public, the Home Office has confirmed https://trib.al/bOS5jbZ
What?
Is this just part of an elaborate performance art project? 21st century Kafka.
Unlike their intel regarding when the Russian invasion would come, the western intel agencies seem to be far less confident regarding Russian losses. The Americans gave a broad range of 2000-4000 killed, said that was likely conservative but they were not confident on the numbers. There are also strong suggestions that the Russians have lost contact with a number of front-line units.
To me, that ties up with the idea that the western intelligence agencies' sources on Russia comes from people who are close to the central decision making infrastructure i.e. these are individuals who know the intentions of Putin but who may be operating in a vacuum when it comes to what is happening on the ground. I also think it is entirely possible that some of the Russian ground commanders are falsifying their casualty numbers to the army command for fear of being sacked / demoted etc.
If that is the case, then it suggests the Ukrainian numbers may not be too far off the mark.
Sunak's chance of replacing Boris has not only declined, so his chances of being next Tory leader have diminished too in favour of Wallace after the Ukraine situation
If you want to provoke NATO into a no fly zone, what better way than bombing a hospital?
Putin seems to want to broaden things.
I very much doubt the hospital was targeted. The Russian jets will have chucked their bombs at the city, turned around and scarpered. I doubt there was any actual aiming involved.
Worth pointing out Russia has form for the repeated, systematic targeting of hospitals.
Indeed the Syrians have stopped providing locations of medical facilities to the UN, because they then turned around to Russia and gave them a 'do not bomb here list', who passed it onto their airforce, sans the 'not'.
If you want to provoke NATO into a no fly zone, what better way than bombing a hospital?
Putin seems to want to broaden things.
I very much doubt the hospital was targeted. The Russian jets will have chucked their bombs at the city, turned around and scarpered. I doubt there was any actual aiming involved.
Maybe. But the fact remains a hospital was hit. You have to ask the question given the implications. If you did want a no fly zone, this is the strategy you would follow.
The bombs were dropped during an agreed ceasefire. Cynicism layered upon cynicism.
You stack them at existing sites. The reason these are better is because they use a manufacturing process that is standardised. The first one will cost £2bn the 100th one will cost £50m.
All that rather crass talk about a Johnson revival/the irrelevance of Partygate etc is surely starting to pall already. The fact is that he remains deep into "can't do anything right" territory, and this is the worst example so far
You stack them at existing sites. The reason these are better is because they use a manufacturing process that is standardised. The first one will cost £2bn the 100th one will cost £50m.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
All that rather crass talk about a Johnson revival/the irrelevance of Partygate etc is surely starting to pall already. The fact is that he remains deep into "can't do anything right" territory, and this is the worst example so far
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
She is a consummate operator in terms of presentation (for her target audiences) and tactically good at times but is a total bullshitter and devoid of anything remotely resembling ethics. Also dangerously authoritarian in that she hasn't got ethical or intellectual restraints on the combination of nationalism and ego.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Heartbroken that she lost your vote obvs.
Obviously I'd never vote for, nor can I, but I just don't get the adoration, she seems to be a quite run of the mill politician at best, and yet her supporters adore her. It's just a bit weird and cultish.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
She is a consummate operator in terms of presentation (for her target audiences) and tactically good at times but is a total bullshitter and devoid of anything remotely resembling ethics. Also dangerously authoritarian in that she hasn't got ethical or intellectual restraints on the combination of nationalism and ego.
Interesting contrast between all those who have no voice, responsibility or power over the matter wanting a NATO NFZ, and everyone who does have responsibility and power unanimously saying NO.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
That also means World War 3 with a nuclear power. Not happening.
We stick to supplies that is it and only take military action if a NATO nation is invaded
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
I'll allow Starmer and Davey. But Johnson? The man who got worse terms than May by giving in to every EU demand yet seems to think he got a better deal? Who thinks partying and lying to Parliament is following the rules and showing integrity?
No. Sturgeon is like Johnson in many ways - she's a rabid nationalist, a divisive fool, utterly untrustworthy, administratively totally incompetent and promotes genuinely nasty cronies to positions that they are utterly unfit for.
But she is more capable. Johnson for all the hype will never win another election, but she's won either two or four depending on how you count it.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Which major western countries have big opposition parties who support something like this? If there are not, I suggest there is an understanding in the west that ATM it can't happen. Listen carefully for example to SKS.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Heartbroken that she lost your vote obvs.
Obviously I'd never vote for, nor can I, but I just don't get the adoration, she seems to be a quite run of the mill politician at best, and yet her supporters adore her. It's just a bit weird and cultish.
What adoration for her has been seen on here for example? If any I'd say the whining about her far outstrips it.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
speak for yourself - did you get this bothered by syria,Yemen or Congo ? You cannot guarantee the destruction of the UK and Europe on the back of emotion and disturbing pictures
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
I am afraid what Russia's actions have really done in terms of making the world more dangerous is showing that those with nuclear weapons can do pretty much whatever the hell they like.
I think we can kiss any hope of non-proliferation a sad goodbye.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
The large losses won't be NATO large losses, I promise you. Not initially. If we provide Putin into going nuclear it will be tactical nukes aimed at Ukrainian civilians
What a fucking twat, yet some people prefer to focus their ire on Scott P.
Tory MP brands calls for UK to take in more Ukrainian refugees ‘left wing’ ‘illiterate’ and ‘immoral’. Same MP who attended meeting hosted by far right Europeans a while back.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
You stack them at existing sites. The reason these are better is because they use a manufacturing process that is standardised. The first one will cost £2bn the 100th one will cost £50m.
£2bn for 1,000 homes? Even £50m for 1,000 homes? That's eventually £50,000 cost of generating for every home.
Versus a tidal lagoon costing £7.5bn that powers 1.6m houses. That's cheaper on day one than the final cost for mini-nukes you quote. Your initial cost per unit is 40 times that of tidal.
And how long do they last? Not the 120 years minimum of a tidal lagoon. And how much do they cost to dismantle? Compared to the virtually zero of tidal.
The economics of these mini-nukes are still stupidly expensive.
I don't want it to become received wisdom that Johnson has been saved by the war. He could still be ditched before the GE. I don't think so but he might be. It depends on the polls. Plus he might not have been ditched in any case. Lying to parliament, breaking Covid laws, generally being corrupt, this clearly isn't enough for Tory MPs. It would have depended on the polls. Common thread - the polls.
It almost seems bad taste discussing our party politics in the current situation but here is an idle thought. If Ukraine situation is resolved in next 12 months then Johnson will decide to go rather than risk being ousted or losing the election having decided he has enough for his 3 volume memoirs?
PMs want a legacy. Boris's jury is massively out.
On that note, surely Brexit alone (whether you love or hate it) gives him a meaningful place in the history books beyond most PMs? Both the referendum before he was in power and forcing the final act in 2019. I can’t imagine anything he might do will equal that for good or ill, short of a place in WW3.
On a bight outlook - Brexit, covid, end of Putin. That's huge.
Looking less brightly.. Brexit, covid, pontifications of Putin. Hopeless!
Who knows.
Quite. But either way he gets a legacy. 100 years from now he’ll be discussed even if he went tomorrow. Not all PMs get that.
Neville Chamberlain has entered the chat.
Lord North has also entered the chat.
Massive difference though - the settled view is that those men made mistakes (though I’d debate the point on losing the American colonies). We can’t know what the settled view on Brexit will be. I am happy with it, and you are not. The nation is split too. We can’t know what it will look like in 100 years.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Hooray for collective punishment! Let's round them up and put them in camps.
Nice try with the Nazi equivalency - doing Vlad’s work there…..
Clearly I meant targeted on the kids of those enabling Ukrainian kids to be killed - I’m sure they don’t have a prob with kids being killed yes?
And opening a second front whilst Russian army stretched - quite obvious.
But yes I am a Nazi and want every Russian in a camp…..
Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63 There is no waiting this out. This isn't chess; there's no draw, no stalemate. Either Putin destroys Ukraine and eventually hits NATO with an even greater catastrophe, or Putin falls in Russia. He cannot be stopped with weakness. https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1499441249652293640
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
Why are we asking for visas for refugees? It’s bizarre.
Because many people vote Tory to keep out the forrin menace.
Implementing refugee quotas through bureaucracy seems needlessly cruel. Buy a pritt-stick and glue a visa in at the border if you have to. But for goodness sake don’t sent people on a wild goose chase.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
No, she's not. She's a quine.
You don't know your Scots quite well enough ...
What I have found fascinating about my year of Scottish politics is that compared to handy, Nippie looks and sounds completely sane. Even when promoting policies that are bonkers.
You are not prepared to stand firm against Putin. It's a perfectly reasonable appeasement position as long as you are happy for Ukraine to become a Russian puppet state and risk Finland, Sweden, Moldova and Georgia to go the same way.
The choice is simple and stark. Act robustly against Putin or let him roam with grisly impunity and all that comes with it.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Heartbroken that she lost your vote obvs.
Obviously I'd never vote for, nor can I, but I just don't get the adoration, she seems to be a quite run of the mill politician at best, and yet her supporters adore her. It's just a bit weird and cultish.
Not just her supporters, her approval ratings in England are higher than our own party leaders.
No one bats a thousand, but she is a good communicator, doesn't patronise or insult, and gives at least the impression of listening to people. In other words comes over as a caring human being.
Pardoning Scottish witches does seem a bit odd, but it really isn't something that bothers me either way.
A really good news story that your sad hatred wants to demean
The only person demeaned with comments like yours is yourself
I'm with Scott on this one, I'm judicially reviewing Patel if she lets this lot in without visas. Rules are rules.
Scott’s comment was out of order, Big G was right to flag that up. You are trying to reply with, can’t you see this has Malcolm Tuckers hands all over it, after the Tory refugee crisis this week this government move it comes across as a bit cynical?
But To be realistic about it, they are sick, their families with more than war to worry them, someone in government must clearly have been trying to help them for days - a special type of wave through for them I think matches the warm spirit we really are as a nation. In terms of the medi care they need, our NHS is a great place for them to come. Do you see my point? It’s not just good for them, good news stories in this situation is good for all of us - we can actually save lives with this action not lose them.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
I am afraid what Russia's actions have really done in terms of making the world more dangerous is showing that those with nuclear weapons can do pretty much whatever the hell they like.
I think we can kiss any hope of non-proliferation a sad goodbye.
Which is why China, bizarrely, is the best hope this doesn't go nuclear. If Xi isn't on the phone telling Vlad not to use nuclear weapons because it will fuck things up with Japan etc I'd be surprised.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
No, she's not. She's a quine.
You don't know your Scots quite well enough ...
What I have found fascinating about my year of Scottish politics is that compared to handy, Nippie looks and sounds completely sane. Even when promoting policies that are bonkers.
EU intelligence diverging from US quite significantly:
"From our estimate, the KIA figure on the Russian side was anywhere from 7,000 to 9,000 a few days ago." "It's not a popular war in the Russian military from what we've seen. People are terrorized, threatened with lawsuits if they decline to fight."
If the EU numbers are correct then we'd be expecting to see at least one Russian front on the brink of collapse, which I don't think we're seeing yet, unless the poor Russian supplies means that many more WIA were turning into KIA than normal.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
No, she's not. She's a quine.
You don't know your Scots quite well enough ...
What I have found fascinating about my year of Scottish politics is that compared to handy, Nippie looks and sounds completely sane. Even when promoting policies that are bonkers.
I know she's wrong that to "close the sky" doesn't involve fighting.
I don't think that distinction matters any more.
Liubov Tsybulska @TsybulskaLiubov Lots of killed and wounded after terrible bombing of the maternity hospital. 1170 killed civilians only in Mariupol city. We don’t ask to fight for us, just close the sky. If that’s how democracies react to RU war crimes, then something wrong with these democracies.They’re broken
We can hardly blame them that they are not that particularly persuaded by the argument it would escalate things into a 'real' war, it being pretty darn real to them already.
If we escalate it's not us that get nuked in the first instance, it's them.
trick is stealthy escalation. Flood them with Starstreaks this week, revisit the MiG 29 transfer next.
I think the MIG transfers will happen quietly as it loses press focus.
You are not prepared to stand firm against Putin. It's a perfectly reasonable appeasement position as long as you are happy for Ukraine to become a Russian puppet state and risk Finland, Sweden, Moldova and Georgia to go the same way.
The choice is simple and stark. Act robustly against Putin or let him roam with grisly impunity and all that comes with it.
I've moved more to this position. I think Putin is essentially playing the game of "mad vs bad" but, from everything so far, when the West responds, he is all bluster. Publicising you are sending thousands of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to your foe is pretty provocative but he hasn't done anything.
EU intelligence diverging from US quite significantly:
"From our estimate, the KIA figure on the Russian side was anywhere from 7,000 to 9,000 a few days ago." "It's not a popular war in the Russian military from what we've seen. People are terrorized, threatened with lawsuits if they decline to fight."
If the EU numbers are correct then we'd be expecting to see at least one Russian front on the brink of collapse, which I don't think we're seeing yet, unless the poor Russian supplies means that many more WIA were turning into KIA than normal.
For “EU intelligence” we can presumably read French/German and I guess it’s credible that they have more open comms into Russia.
You jest, but buy now, pay later for basic food purchases, never mind petrol, is apparently a thing now.
The entire cost of living problem is getting properly out of control. My electric and gas bill is going up by about 45% in April, but it's from a comparatively low base and we can absorb the cost without any real difficulty. Mr & Mrs Average with their two cars to keep on the road, their two smelly kids growing out of their clothes every few weeks, and their extortionate mortgage or even worse rent are liable to be left really smarting by this latest episode, and that's before the bills get jacked up by another hefty chunk in the Autumn. One imagines that the knock-on effects on the wider economy will be considerable: a lot of these families are going to be finding treats like eating out and holidays increasingly unaffordable.
Nor had I appreciated how much rents had gone up in recent years. Prior to buying my flat in 2015, the place I'd been renting had set me back £650pcm and was just about to go up to £675pcm. Similar properties in this neck of the woods now start at £900pcm - and we're a good forty miles away from London. Get further into the commuter belt and it gets progressively worse, of course.
Quite apart from the fact that this is going to leave a lot of affluent households just about managing, and many of those who were only just managing before in real hardship, the political ramifications are going to be considerable. Wait and see what happens when the second energy price hike hits in the Autumn, at the same time as pensioners on fixed incomes are starting to feel the cold. You have to imagine that there's going to be a lot of downwards pressure on the Conservative polling floor; however, if they manage to keep above 30% then there will be renewed questions about Labour's electability, together with a lot of head scratching about exactly what continues to motivate the Tories' legion of robot voters.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
No, she's not. She's a quine.
You don't know your Scots quite well enough ...
What I have found fascinating about my year of Scottish politics is that compared to handy, Nippie looks and sounds completely sane. Even when promoting policies that are bonkers.
Handy?
Mr Salmond. Very handy in the garden.
Ah. Seems so long ago now I was wondering if it was a name for Messrs Sarwar, C-H or Ross.
Aircraft flying near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and near Finland’s eastern border with Russia have noticed interference with their GPS signals, according to Finnish authorities.
The interference began soon after Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö met Joe Biden in Washington on Saturday to discuss deepening defense ties between Finland and Nato due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin told Reuters she had no information about the source of the disturbances, nor about whether they originated in Russia, while the foreign ministry said it was looking into the events.
“If they would be caused by outside influence, it would surely be said publicly,” Marin said.
The Kremlin did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the reported interference.
As I noted on Saturday we need to invade Kaliningrad to secure peace in Europe.
What would you do with Kaliningrad if you had it? Persuade the 650,000 Russians that live there to become model Western citizens? Clear them out and give the space to Poland or Lithuania? None of the options look terribly practical.
Aircraft flying near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and near Finland’s eastern border with Russia have noticed interference with their GPS signals, according to Finnish authorities.
The interference began soon after Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö met Joe Biden in Washington on Saturday to discuss deepening defense ties between Finland and Nato due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin told Reuters she had no information about the source of the disturbances, nor about whether they originated in Russia, while the foreign ministry said it was looking into the events.
“If they would be caused by outside influence, it would surely be said publicly,” Marin said.
The Kremlin did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the reported interference.
As I noted on Saturday we need to invade Kaliningrad to secure peace in Europe.
What would you do with Kaliningrad if you had it? Persuade the 650,000 Russians that live there to become model Western citizens? Clear them out and give the space to Poland or Lithuania? None of the options look terribly practical.
If you think invading Kaliningrad is a good idea then he's got seven bridges to sell you.
You are not prepared to stand firm against Putin. It's a perfectly reasonable appeasement position as long as you are happy for Ukraine to become a Russian puppet state and risk Finland, Sweden, Moldova and Georgia to go the same way.
The choice is simple and stark. Act robustly against Putin or let him roam with grisly impunity and all that comes with it.
The West cannot even decide whether to allow Ukraine a few aging MIGs to help stop the bombing of children's hospitals, it seems.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Heartbroken that she lost your vote obvs.
Obviously I'd never vote for, nor can I, but I just don't get the adoration, she seems to be a quite run of the mill politician at best, and yet her supporters adore her. It's just a bit weird and cultish.
Not just her supporters, her approval ratings in England are higher than our own party leaders.
No one bats a thousand, but she is a good communicator, doesn't patronise or insult, and gives at least the impression of listening to people. In other words comes over as a caring human being.
Pardoning Scottish witches does seem a bit odd, but it really isn't something that bothers me either way.
Seemed a bit forgetful when asked about Alec salmond though... I think she is competent and that compares well with the U.K. pm. I think her caution on Covid probably matched more of the public than Johnson’s more open instincts, which I think more closely matches the pb demographic (not all, obviously). I also think we have a bit of the grass being greener going on. We don’t tend to see the scrutiny down south.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Hooray for collective punishment! Let's round them up and put them in camps.
Nice try with the Nazi equivalency - doing Vlad’s work there…..
Clearly I meant targeted on the kids of those enabling Ukrainian kids to be killed - I’m sure they don’t have a prob with kids being killed yes?
And opening a second front whilst Russian army stretched - quite obvious.
But yes I am a Nazi and want every Russian in a camp…..
If you're talking about killing the children of the relevant people -- even if the relevant people are war criminals -- then you are the bad guy. I'm open to the concept of extrajudicial killing in EXTREME circumstances and where there no reasonable hope of justice being served (that's just war), but targeting non-combatants who happen to be related to commanders is really, really fucking dark.
It is dark and I hate even thinking it but if it’s the choice between that and watching, from our lovely safe armchairs, kids’ hospitals being bombed and civilians being targeted for nothing then it’s the lesser evil.
I’m sorry if you disagree and I totally get why you or anyone does but unfortunately some people will only realise what they’ve done wrong when it truly comes home to them.
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Hooray for collective punishment! Let's round them up and put them in camps.
Nice try with the Nazi equivalency - doing Vlad’s work there…..
Clearly I meant targeted on the kids of those enabling Ukrainian kids to be killed - I’m sure they don’t have a prob with kids being killed yes?
And opening a second front whilst Russian army stretched - quite obvious.
But yes I am a Nazi and want every Russian in a camp…..
If you're talking about killing the children of the relevant people -- even if the relevant people are war criminals -- then you are the bad guy. I'm open to the concept of extrajudicial killing in EXTREME circumstances and where there no reasonable hope of justice being served (that's just war), but targeting non-combatants who happen to be related to commanders is really, really fucking dark.
It is wholly wrong to suggest the children of wrongdoers be killed
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Heartbroken that she lost your vote obvs.
Obviously I'd never vote for, nor can I, but I just don't get the adoration, she seems to be a quite run of the mill politician at best, and yet her supporters adore her. It's just a bit weird and cultish.
Not just her supporters, her approval ratings in England are higher than our own party leaders.
No one bats a thousand, but she is a good communicator, doesn't patronise or insult, and gives at least the impression of listening to people. In other words comes over as a caring human being.
Pardoning Scottish witches does seem a bit odd, but it really isn't something that bothers me either way.
Seemed a bit forgetful when asked about Alec salmons though... I think she is competent and that compares well with the U.K. pm. I think her caution on Covid probably matched more of the public than Johnson’s more open instincts, which I think more closely matches the pb demographic (not all, obviously). I also think we have a bit of the grass being greener going on. We don’t tend to see the scrutiny down south.
Works both ways, the last sentence. Amazing how many on PB are absolutely convinced that the Scottish media are pro-SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I've never understood why people rate her.
Because most of the other politicians we have right now are even more useless.
I'm not sure that's true. Whatever one may think of Johnson, Starmer or Davey they all occupy a recognisable reality. All aspire to make their country a better place. Sturgeon is an utter loon.
The other big difference is apart from rising blood pressure from ranting, you're virtually unaffected by whether she's elected or not, the pricks you vote for otoh have a big effect on my life.
You are not prepared to stand firm against Putin. It's a perfectly reasonable appeasement position as long as you are happy for Ukraine to become a Russian puppet state and risk Finland, Sweden, Moldova and Georgia to go the same way.
The choice is simple and stark. Act robustly against Putin or let him roam with grisly impunity and all that comes with it.
It's not me not standing firm, any standing firm I do would be by proxy what with my advanced age and gammy leg, and even if I did stand firm it's not me in the firing line. If Vlad goes nuclear it's Ukraine that suffers. So this is mere windbaggery. What I am in favour of is stepping up military supplies, and as I have said, given the specific option to crowdfund nlaws that's exactly what I will do. That's the max to which we dare push it
Day by day, hour by hour the Kremlin crime boss is destroying a peaceful European democracy and for all the sanctions, legal action, weapons delivered and heroic Ukrainian defence, the West is still not prepared to will the means to put Putin firmly in his box. Putin is being given a pass because some worry about taking on the Russian rogue state.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone 2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours 3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Or go Mossad +. Stop playing nice. Putin’s kids in Switzerland - kill them. Oligarch’s children arriving by private jet in Mykonos - dead in their hotel beds. Make every Russian of any vague standing terrified for their children because they are enabling Putin to allow his forces to kill Ukrainian children.
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Hooray for collective punishment! Let's round them up and put them in camps.
Nice try with the Nazi equivalency - doing Vlad’s work there…..
Clearly I meant targeted on the kids of those enabling Ukrainian kids to be killed - I’m sure they don’t have a prob with kids being killed yes?
And opening a second front whilst Russian army stretched - quite obvious.
But yes I am a Nazi and want every Russian in a camp…..
If you're talking about killing the children of the relevant people -- even if the relevant people are war criminals -- then you are the bad guy. I'm open to the concept of extrajudicial killing in EXTREME circumstances and where there no reasonable hope of justice being served (that's just war), but targeting non-combatants who happen to be related to commanders is really, really fucking dark.
It happened in WW2 on occasion by us, even for those who were entitled to protection.
I think I recall an account of a German prisoner being dropped back by a sabotaged parachute to get misdirecting docs into the hands of the Germans. IIRC correctly I think this was in the book "Between Silk and Cyanide", by Leo Marks.
Nicola Sturgeon has called for a no-fly zone to be considered. She's also against nuclear weapons. Interesting combination.
I am please she has pardoned those witches though
I don’t know if our resident (and very knowledgable) Historians and History teachers know anything that can answer this, but surely the point is they weren’t witches? Was there really that many witches or were they wrongly accused?
What were they then? Was it a political or religious tool for attacking opponents? Did it target popular or intellectual people, feminists, or was it straightforward misogyny. Did the people behind this really believe they were fighting widespread Witchcraft?
Comments
Arrest spreaders of fake news? That's all of Russia Today epically buggered.
Punish those who illegally sent conscripts to Ukraine? He needs to arrest himself at once.
Nonetheless I'll stand by the 'quite good'.
Is this just part of an elaborate performance art project? 21st century Kafka.
Unlike their intel regarding when the Russian invasion would come, the western intel agencies seem to be far less confident regarding Russian losses. The Americans gave a broad range of 2000-4000 killed, said that was likely conservative but they were not confident on the numbers. There are also strong suggestions that the Russians have lost contact with a number of front-line units.
To me, that ties up with the idea that the western intelligence agencies' sources on Russia comes from people who are close to the central decision making infrastructure i.e. these are individuals who know the intentions of Putin but who may be operating in a vacuum when it comes to what is happening on the ground. I also think it is entirely possible that some of the Russian ground commanders are falsifying their casualty numbers to the army command for fear of being sacked / demoted etc.
If that is the case, then it suggests the Ukrainian numbers may not be too far off the mark.
This was a pretty conclusive report:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/world/middleeast/russia-bombing-syrian-hospitals.html
Indeed the Syrians have stopped providing locations of medical facilities to the UN, because they then turned around to Russia and gave them a 'do not bomb here list', who passed it onto their airforce, sans the 'not'.
🇺🇦🇬🇧 EXC: 20 sick Ukrainian kids will be flown to Britain for cancer treatment, The Sun can reveal.
Health Secretary @SajidJavid has ordered a jet to bring the blighted tots and their families to the UK after Putin’s invasion cut off vital treatment…
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17899274/jet-ukraine-sick-children-flown-britain/
Sturgeon is an utter loon.
The Home Office like Patel (very small sample).
The twenty~first century is shite.
We are now seeing the price of weakness and the bully will not be deterred by such weakness, only come back for more as his appetite for expansion grows more glutinous.
The immediate answer is simple, a red line to many, not without risk or the potential for NATO large losses :
1. No fly zone
2. Russian invasion force to begin withdrawing within 12 hours
3. Ukraine to be admitted to NATO with immediate effect.
Boris and other western leaders have said Putin must lose and be seen to lose. They need to take the decisive action that will ensure he does lose. Nothing else will do or work.
Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦
@IAPonomarenko
A new bill officially makes it totally legal for civilians to kill Russian military personnel deployed to Ukraine
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1501651655128985610
We stick to supplies that is it and only take military action if a NATO nation is invaded
No. Sturgeon is like Johnson in many ways - she's a rabid nationalist, a divisive fool, utterly untrustworthy, administratively totally incompetent and promotes genuinely nasty cronies to positions that they are utterly unfit for.
But she is more capable. Johnson for all the hype will never win another election, but she's won either two or four depending on how you count it.
The only person demeaned with comments like yours is yourself
I think we can kiss any hope of non-proliferation a sad goodbye.
Edit: I've decided to pronounce Ukraine like an Ukrainian.
S
Tory MP brands calls for UK to take in more Ukrainian refugees ‘left wing’ ‘illiterate’ and ‘immoral’. Same MP who attended meeting hosted by far right Europeans a while back.
https://twitter.com/lmharpin/status/1501642536674279428
Open a second front for Russia by dropping every Islamo-terrorist in captivity into Chechnya with weapons.
Take the fight into Russian streets with terrorism - they have been telling their people that the west has been doing nasty things - may as well just do them.
Versus a tidal lagoon costing £7.5bn that powers 1.6m houses. That's cheaper on day one than the final cost for mini-nukes you quote. Your initial cost per unit is 40 times that of tidal.
And how long do they last? Not the 120 years minimum of a tidal lagoon. And how much do they cost to dismantle? Compared to the virtually zero of tidal.
The economics of these mini-nukes are still stupidly expensive.
Clearly I meant targeted on the kids of those enabling Ukrainian kids to be killed - I’m sure they don’t have a prob with kids being killed yes?
And opening a second front whilst Russian army stretched - quite obvious.
But yes I am a Nazi and want every Russian in a camp…..
Garry Kasparov
@Kasparov63
There is no waiting this out. This isn't chess; there's no draw, no stalemate. Either Putin destroys Ukraine and eventually hits NATO with an even greater catastrophe, or Putin falls in Russia. He cannot be stopped with weakness.
https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1499441249652293640
You don't know your Scots quite well enough ...
You are not prepared to stand firm against Putin. It's a perfectly reasonable appeasement position as long as you are happy for Ukraine to become a Russian puppet state and risk Finland, Sweden, Moldova and Georgia to go the same way.
The choice is simple and stark. Act robustly against Putin or let him roam with grisly impunity and all that comes with it.
No one bats a thousand, but she is a good communicator, doesn't patronise or insult, and gives at least the impression of listening to people. In other words comes over as a caring human being.
Pardoning Scottish witches does seem a bit odd, but it really isn't something that bothers me either way.
But To be realistic about it, they are sick, their families with more than war to worry them, someone in government must clearly have been trying to help them for days - a special type of wave through for them I think matches the warm spirit we really are as a nation. In terms of the medi care they need, our NHS is a great place for them to come. Do you see my point? It’s not just good for them, good news stories in this situation is good for all of us - we can actually save lives with this action not lose them.
"From our estimate, the KIA figure on the Russian side was anywhere from 7,000 to 9,000 a few days ago."
"It's not a popular war in the Russian military from what we've seen. People are terrorized, threatened with lawsuits if they decline to fight."
https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1501652227605372940
If the EU numbers are correct then we'd be expecting to see at least one Russian front on the brink of collapse, which I don't think we're seeing yet, unless the poor Russian supplies means that many more WIA were turning into KIA than normal.
And he knows it.
The reason that we don't do it is the obvious question that if we can do it easily for Ukranians, why can't we do it for Afghans, Iranians or Syrians?
The entire cost of living problem is getting properly out of control. My electric and gas bill is going up by about 45% in April, but it's from a comparatively low base and we can absorb the cost without any real difficulty. Mr & Mrs Average with their two cars to keep on the road, their two smelly kids growing out of their clothes every few weeks, and their extortionate mortgage or even worse rent are liable to be left really smarting by this latest episode, and that's before the bills get jacked up by another hefty chunk in the Autumn. One imagines that the knock-on effects on the wider economy will be considerable: a lot of these families are going to be finding treats like eating out and holidays increasingly unaffordable.
Nor had I appreciated how much rents had gone up in recent years. Prior to buying my flat in 2015, the place I'd been renting had set me back £650pcm and was just about to go up to £675pcm. Similar properties in this neck of the woods now start at £900pcm - and we're a good forty miles away from London. Get further into the commuter belt and it gets progressively worse, of course.
Quite apart from the fact that this is going to leave a lot of affluent households just about managing, and many of those who were only just managing before in real hardship, the political ramifications are going to be considerable. Wait and see what happens when the second energy price hike hits in the Autumn, at the same time as pensioners on fixed incomes are starting to feel the cold. You have to imagine that there's going to be a lot of downwards pressure on the Conservative polling floor; however, if they manage to keep above 30% then there will be renewed questions about Labour's electability, together with a lot of head scratching about exactly what continues to motivate the Tories' legion of robot voters.
I think she is competent and that compares well with the U.K. pm. I think her caution on Covid probably matched more of the public than Johnson’s more open instincts, which I think more closely matches the pb demographic (not all, obviously). I also think we have a bit of the grass being greener going on. We don’t tend to see the scrutiny down south.
I’m sorry if you disagree and I totally get why you or anyone does but unfortunately some people will only realise what they’ve done wrong when it truly comes home to them.
Children are innocents
I think I recall an account of a German prisoner being dropped back by a sabotaged parachute to get misdirecting docs into the hands of the Germans. IIRC correctly I think this was in the book "Between Silk and Cyanide", by Leo Marks.
What were they then? Was it a political or religious tool for attacking opponents? Did it target popular or intellectual people, feminists, or was it straightforward misogyny. Did the people behind this really believe they were fighting widespread Witchcraft?
Whatever, it was bloody disgusting. 😠
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIO5lfJ9dhs