"Boris Johnson "desperate" to go to Ukraine - senior Conservative
The Tory chairman, Oliver Dowden, has claimed British prime minister Boris Johnson is “desperate to go to Ukraine” and has a “real emotional connection” with the Ukrainian people."
I thought this a few weeks ago. Actually it wouldn't surprise me. He's reckless, he's expendable, it would have real symbolism. As much as I dislike him, if he can do something useful I'm all for it.
I like the idea, of him standing in front of the Ukrainian parliament and saying something like 'I have been fed up with having all these zoom meetings over the last 2 years, and promised myself I would do more in person visits as soon as it was safe, so here I am.......'
its something Boris could pull off, would resonate around the would, and as you say no Biggy if it all went wrong.
That whole transition of Japan from isolation after the mid-nineteenth century fascinates me. As you say - almost like the world was born.
Yes, it's a really interesting period of history. If you can find a second hand copy, I liked Pat Barr's _The Coming of the Barbarians_ which gives the westerner's-eye-view of it by drawing on accounts left by the variety of merchants, diplomats, and chancers who descended on Japan during the 1850s and 1860s in the period just after Perry forced the opening of the ports. (By its nature, this is hardly a neutral point of view of events, of course.)
Seidensticker's _Low City, High City_ covers Tokyo 1867-1923, and is another book I recommend.
Finally, if you happen to also be a train nerd, _Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914_ by Dan Free is superb on the topic of the Japanese railway system's development from small steps totally reliant on foreign assistance to independent operation, and is copiously illustrated with photos and other period items from the author's personal collection.
Thank you, I will follow up.
I quite like biased old history books. One of my favourites is a “History of Britain” owned by my great grandfather. You read it mostly to learn about those who wrote it.
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Cechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505955060408324103 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are preparing to involve "Youth Army" minors aged 17-18 years in the Russia-Ukraine war, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports
Desperate.
The Ukrainian border agency said today that 400,000 Ukrainians had returned to the country since the start of the war, about 75-80% men, presumably mostly to help defend the country from the Russians.
The gap in willingness to fight is very large.
I do hope that we and other nations have at least given them enough rifles, and uniforms for them all.
and my very best wishes to each and every one of them.
Can you imagine the discussions with the likes of the SAS...Boris wants to go to Kyiv, we need a security team to go with and special forces backup in case anything goes South...i think there would be lots of industrial language to put it mildly.
Probably keen to go as an excuse to get stuck in when they become “absolutely certain” they were fired upon.
That RU injured figure must be nonsense if the dead figure really is 10k.
Surely a much higher ratio in war zone?
Typically it is higher, but a US expert was saying Russian casualties will be at a low dead/injured ratio compared to expected Western rates as they neither have the forward field hospital concept so are not getting the seriously wounded treated in the 'golden hour', nor do they have, because of logistics problems, more general medical care available for the wounded, and so many will die from infected wounds.
Plus many of the vehicles being taken out by these NATO weapons won't have any injured....several thousand degrees explosion inside a metal box tends to be terminal.
The whole thing is tragic.
I'm pleased the Russians are being seriously impeded but I can't imagine it's any fun being a conscript in a tank and then getting hit by an NLAW.
The only saving grace is would be pretty quick for the poor sods.
But it is an unimaginable horror, being conscripted into that hell. Thankfully, not one that I can ever expect to experience first hand. If they get to me, it's going very, very badly....
It is.
I'm starting to seriously question now as to whether smart missiles have rendered tanks obsolete in the same way bombers rendered battleships obsolete in WW2.
I'm wondering the same about helicopters. There's only so much chaff they can chuck out - and an awful lot of manpads in theatre. If you can't get your choppers up, you cant shift infantry round at speed. And they do seem to have been picked off by artillery/special forces whilst on the deck, wondering what to do. Ukrainian claimed kills of helicopters are towards 100, I think. Which is a remarkable loss.
Oryx has the helicopters at 34. But I think a feature of StarStreak is that even chaff won't help helicopters, as the missile does not fix on the heat signature but is laser guided and it travels at Mach 3.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505955060408324103 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are preparing to involve "Youth Army" minors aged 17-18 years in the Russia-Ukraine war, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports
Desperate.
The Ukrainian border agency said today that 400,000 Ukrainians had returned to the country since the start of the war, about 75-80% men, presumably mostly to help defend the country from the Russians.
The gap in willingness to fight is very large.
I'd be surprised if there are many in the Russian military who actually want to be fighting this war, but amongst the Ukrainian population they may not want to fight, but they sure as hell will do so to protect their people and country. This is not some far away war about an issue that ought to be resolvable diplomatically, this very existence of Ukraine rests on the outcome. Other than your own immediate safety there really isn't much greater motivation.
"Boris Johnson "desperate" to go to Ukraine - senior Conservative
The Tory chairman, Oliver Dowden, has claimed British prime minister Boris Johnson is “desperate to go to Ukraine” and has a “real emotional connection” with the Ukrainian people."
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Cechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
Chechens presumably do not classify as foreign, though. All part of the Greater Russian Imperial Soviet Empire.
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Cechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Chechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Cechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
Are Cechans "foreign" fighters?
Janissaries, perhaps. Surprised Putin doesn't have a child levy in the outlying republics.
Ukrainians and most (?) Russians are Slavs I believe. I read somewhere (DANGER !!!) that Russia is recruiting Syrians to fight for them. I expect that such would be seasoned fighters and have fewer compunctions about killing Slavs.
By the way, if BJ's remark about Brexit and Ukrainian freedom makes me seethe, how should I respond to trump's comment that Putin's invasion was genius?
Not sure the Syrians would be particularly seasoned in the type of warfare they would encounter in Ukraine. For a start, the Ukrainians would be apt to fire back, and since they are defending their own country they would have the edge in motivation.
I should think any Syrian fighter worth his salt would want good pay, in advance, and not in rubles.
Like the Chechens, they have experience in fighting in urban environments, street by street. I am sure the Russians would be happy to let them do this and take heavy losses.
Past 2 days, they dropped the Cechens into central mariupol to do just this.
Jeff Seldin @jseldin · 2h #Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine
"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec
Cechans are there. There is plenty of video of them including in Mariupol. Syria, I think it was more there were posting on social media channels asking for people.
"Boris Johnson "desperate" to go to Ukraine - senior Conservative
The Tory chairman, Oliver Dowden, has claimed British prime minister Boris Johnson is “desperate to go to Ukraine” and has a “real emotional connection” with the Ukrainian people."
I thought this a few weeks ago. Actually it wouldn't surprise me. He's reckless, he's expendable, it would have real symbolism. As much as I dislike him, if he can do something useful I'm all for it.
I like the idea, of him standing in front of the Ukrainian parliament and saying something like 'I have been fed up with having all these zoom meetings over the last 2 years, and promised myself I would do more in person visits as soon as it was safe, so here I am.......'
its something Boris could pull off, would resonate around the would, and as you say no Biggy if it all went wrong.
It is a biggy if it all goes wrong. His replacement PM would have no choice but to declare war on Russia if Johnson gets himself recklessly shot or kidnapped whilst in Kyiv. Madness.
Why doesn't the Labour Party re-name itself "The Graduates' Party"?
The Graduates and public sector workers and welfare claimants party.
Mind you the Tories could also rename themselves the pensioners party at the moment
As someone who has spent countless hours campaigning for them - there is absolutely no reason to vote Conservative if you are under 50 except as a form of social charity for pensioners. The Conservatives spend most of their time completely fucking over my generation. Thinking about it, I really should have voted for Corbyn, because at least the subsequent economic collapse would have devalued the housing market.
Rishi Sunak is well under 50. (So is Priti for another 8 days).
Oryx has the helicopters at 34. But I think a feature of StarStreak is that even chaff won't help helicopters, as the missile does not fix on the heat signature but is laser guided and it travels at Mach 3.
It doesn't even work on a reflection of laser light, like a laser guided bomb, so you can't use any laser to defeat a seeker. The missiles basically fly down a beam that projects a pattern which the missiles use to adjust steering. So neither flares (IR), chaff (radar), DIRCM (modulated IR light to throw off a seeker), or EW (jamming radar) are any use. Your best bet is to stay out of range.
@Telegraph 🇷🇺Russia has said it is abandoning peace talks with Japan, which were aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty, due to Tokyo's tough response on Ukraine
Andrew Neil @afneil Russian official admits almost 10,000 Russian military have died in Ukraine and over 16,000 injured.
Was just about to post this, but see you beat me to it:
The Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that, according to the Russian MoD's figures, the Russian Armed Forces have sustained 9,861 killed in action and 16,153 wounded in action in Ukraine. A shocking figure. https://kp.ru/online/news/4672522/
So the Ukrainian figures are probably not that far out.
This is going to come as quite a shock to the Russian public, who have hitherto been told ‘around 500 have died’. The reality is 20 times that
It also ignores the number of "private Russian subcontractors", which is probably another 5k dead.
The British lost 255 servicemen in recapturing the Falkland Islands. The Russians have lost at least fifty times that number in - so far - failing to invade Ukraine.
There were - apparently - 200k troops massed on the Ukrainian borders. But front line strength will probably be more like 125k. This means that adding together killed, wounded and captured, the Russians have lost maybe a quarter of their front line troops.
Those numbers are utterly horrendous. And bear in mind, they still haven't captured Kiev or Kharkov or any city of more than about 100,000 people.
Of course, the Ukrainians have probably lost just as many. But the Ukrainian forces are at home, fighting for their country, and they outnumber the Russians vastly.
And, Putin can't hide those sort of numbers: if you're dead, you're dead.
It can't be covered up and those affected will notice.
But will they speak up? Or just grieve in private?
Trades Union Congress @The_TUC BREAKING 🚨: P&O ferry crews at Dover have been replaced by seafarers paid just £1.80 an hour.
Do the UK's minimum wage rules not apply? And if not, why not?
A combination of the ships being flagged out, and where the operating company is based. So no UK regs may apply to the staffing contracts.
At a punt on the Dutch / French employees still being in their jobs, there may be less impact from the trends, or there may be legislation in place requiring x% jobs for the host nation (we are traditionally weaker on that).
Plus they may think our regulators may be more lax in practice.
eg When the fishing arguments were happening, the authorities in Jersey were so supine when the French closed their ports to Jersey boats so preventing Jersey fishermen fishing in Jersey grounds, that they said it was not legal for them to close the Jersey fishing grounds to French boats.
@Telegraph 🇷🇺Russia has said it is abandoning peace talks with Japan, which were aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty, due to Tokyo's tough response on Ukraine
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505955060408324103 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are preparing to involve "Youth Army" minors aged 17-18 years in the Russia-Ukraine war, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports
Desperate.
The Ukrainian border agency said today that 400,000 Ukrainians had returned to the country since the start of the war, about 75-80% men, presumably mostly to help defend the country from the Russians.
The gap in willingness to fight is very large.
This on Odesa civilians having a one day course in rifle shooting is quite telling. This instructor was particularly honest:
"Tkachev was candid when asked whether a single day of firearms training will provide protection against professional Russian soldiers.
"I think that many of these guys understand that if this fight happens, this will be their last fight," he said.
Nonetheless they are training, and many are Russian speaking. It is going to be very tough on the people of Ukraine, but with that level of patriotism, very hard to beat them.
Why doesn't the Labour Party re-name itself "The Graduates' Party"?
The Graduates and public sector workers and welfare claimants party.
Mind you the Tories could also rename themselves the pensioners party at the moment
As someone who has spent countless hours campaigning for them - there is absolutely no reason to vote Conservative if you are under 50 except as a form of social charity for pensioners. The Conservatives spend most of their time completely fucking over my generation. Thinking about it, I really should have voted for Corbyn, because at least the subsequent economic collapse would have devalued the housing market.
Rishi Sunak is well under 50. (So is Priti for another 8 days).
So is Raab, Barclary (just), Kwarteng, Braverman, Trevelyan and Dowden, with several others round about 50. It's not a very old Cabinet, especially for a party in power for 12 years.
Not really an indication of their policy offer one way or another.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505955060408324103 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are preparing to involve "Youth Army" minors aged 17-18 years in the Russia-Ukraine war, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports
Desperate.
The Ukrainian border agency said today that 400,000 Ukrainians had returned to the country since the start of the war, about 75-80% men, presumably mostly to help defend the country from the Russians.
The gap in willingness to fight is very large.
I'd be surprised if there are many in the Russian military who actually want to be fighting this war, but amongst the Ukrainian population they may not want to fight, but they sure as hell will do so to protect their people and country. This is not some far away war about an issue that ought to be resolvable diplomatically, this very existence of Ukraine rests on the outcome. Other than your own immediate safety there really isn't much greater motivation.
For most people, it would be a case of wanting to do what you can. You would try and help. If you regard the place as home, and are not implacably opposed to the government, you would go back to defend it - you wouldn't want to be a refugee somewhere else. This is how I would feel about Britain, if it were under attack in some way. I can't imagine being able to live with myself knowing that other people are doing the fighting on my behalf.
Interesting the gender dimension to all of this. Suddenly it is just accepted that 'men go to fight in the war'. I've never seen this idea questioned in the discussion about Ukraine. I've been suggesting to my wife that I think that gender norms are so deeply entrenched in human psychology that they can never be truly deconstructed.
"Boris Johnson "desperate" to go to Ukraine - senior Conservative
The Tory chairman, Oliver Dowden, has claimed British prime minister Boris Johnson is “desperate to go to Ukraine” and has a “real emotional connection” with the Ukrainian people."
Trades Union Congress @The_TUC BREAKING 🚨: P&O ferry crews at Dover have been replaced by seafarers paid just £1.80 an hour.
Do the UK's minimum wage rules not apply? And if not, why not?
We have done this to death down thread. The ships are registered in Crypus, new employees hired via agency in Malta. Employment terms and condition only have to match those of country ship is registered in. No national minimum wage in Crypus.
Old employees weren't even UK, they were contracted via Jersey.
I read the thread just now. @IshmaelZ and I have our differences but he is absolutely right on this. The government can do pretty much what it likes and could find a way to block P&O - and only P&O - from using our ports. It would take - what? - about a day of crafty thinking. The idea that it is somehow unable to do anything is for the birds.
Just got my bill from Barnet Council - the Barnet element goes up 1% (the standard bit is actually zero change but there's 1% more for Adult Social Care).
But the Greater London element rises by an astonishing 8.8%.
How on earth has Sadiq Khan got away with this? Why didn't the Government stop him? I thought there had to be a referendum for rises above 5% (?). Doesn't that apply separately to the Greater London charge?
That's the Barnet Formula for you. Leaching Scots.
Boris desperate to get on the telly, he won’t like Zelensky getting all the coverage.
All Ukraine need at a time like this is that lump arriving for a photo op. The only country to have seriously enhanced its reputation-apart from Ukraine obviously- is Poland. They're the real heroes
Trades Union Congress @The_TUC BREAKING 🚨: P&O ferry crews at Dover have been replaced by seafarers paid just £1.80 an hour.
Do the UK's minimum wage rules not apply? And if not, why not?
We have done this to death down thread. The ships are registered in Crypus, new employees hired via agency in Malta. Employment terms and condition only have to match those of country ship is registered in. No national minimum wage in Crypus.
Old employees weren't even UK, they were contracted via Jersey.
I read the thread just now. @IshmaelZ and I have our differences but he is absolutely right on this. The government can do pretty much what it likes and could find a way to block P&O - and only P&O - from using our ports. It would take - what? - about a day of crafty thinking. The idea that it is somehow unable to do anything is for the birds.
Well, go on. Come back on Wednesday with a fully crafted idea that has been passed by the lawyers.
Comments
its something Boris could pull off, would resonate around the would, and as you say no Biggy if it all went wrong.
I quite like biased old history books. One of my favourites is a “History of Britain” owned by my great grandfather. You read it mostly to learn about those who wrote it.
and my very best wishes to each and every one of them.
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
·
1h
Germany is ready to form the backbone of a new EU Rapid Reaction Force that is to consist of 5000 soldiers by 2025.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht delivered the message today in Brussels during a meeting with her counterparts from other EU states.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1506007795669233666
"Tkachev was candid when asked whether a single day of firearms training will provide protection against professional Russian soldiers.
"I think that many of these guys understand that if this fight happens, this will be their last fight," he said.
https://t.co/xXsf3wumTX"
Nonetheless they are training, and many are Russian speaking. It is going to be very tough on the people of Ukraine, but with that level of patriotism, very hard to beat them.
Not really an indication of their policy offer one way or another.
Interesting the gender dimension to all of this. Suddenly it is just accepted that 'men go to fight in the war'. I've never seen this idea questioned in the discussion about Ukraine. I've been suggesting to my wife that I think that gender norms are so deeply entrenched in human psychology that they can never be truly deconstructed.
Go on. I'll be waiting!