The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
One thing I don't understand about Russian military tactics is their lack of use of their airforce and having a 40 mile convoy of vehicles which everyone can see.
My best guess is that military jets are the most complicated and difficult to maintain piece of equipment in the armed forces, and so the most likely to be adversely affected by a culture of corruption that sees money for spare parts and maintenance diverted to private pockets.
Or the anti-aircraft missiles Ukraine have been given are good enough to deter the use of the air force during the day for close ground support.
This is not rational policy, and should be challenged quite strongly. Johnson thinks he's performiing a public stance of Churchilian heroism, but he's fundamentally too shallow and insulated a politician to understand the perspective and stakes of the situation outside the glories of his head.
Putin is only going to fail if the regime collapses ; we cannot defeat him. Johnson' team may also be telling him that this sort of rhetoric will increase the internal panic, or bring about more concessions at negotiations, but it won't. It;s just making it harder both for him to come to terms and his internal foes to get rid of him.
I only hope that Boris does not turn up on the Ukrainian border decked in flags and sliding down a zip-wire whilst waving at the cameras.....
British troops have been providing training and capacity building to the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015.
She has been criticised by a few on here for daring to speak the unthinkable. But she's right to wake us up. Putin has to be stopped.
It is a good interview. I read the analysis as being to the effect that war with Putin has been going on for 15 years, it is extremely dangerous, he has already used nuclear weapons, and this conflict is best understood as being just a stage in it.
Worth reflecting on the fact that Putin started his invasion of Ukraine 8 years ago, we did nothing then. What has changed in the intervening time is us.
I don't think Hill is saying that the best strategy to beat Putin is to go all in.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Indeed, after this we need to have a forensic, transparent, open and comprehensive inquiry into the role of Russian money and influence of Russian individuals in the British polity over the last 20 years. The Russia report I suspect barely skimmed the surface.
This will be painful for the Conservative Party and for certain individuals from across the political spectrum but by God, it is absolutely necessary.
Investigating their effect on the London housing market over recent years will be enlightening.
That 19 year old interview on Newsnight is devastating. If not for a few hundred miles of difference in birth that'd be my sister lamenting my probable death.
I emailed the other day with an old contact of mine. Mid 50s CEO. Took his family to Spain 2 weeks ago - and then returned to Kyiv to help organise the resistance.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
Utterly shameful comment and evidence of just how some would even provide propaganda to Putin because of their hatred of brexit
I don't think the EU show any signs of waiting for Joe Biden who, as I said, has isolationist tendencies.
This is war on OUR doorstep and we have to stand tall and strong.
The EU is just a trading block still primarily.
The EU still does not have its own army and UVDL in any case is not going to do anything herself militarily.
It remains NATO which is the main guarantee of security in Europe and NATO won't do anything militarily without sleepy Joe's say so. Biden won't do anything against Russian beyond economic sanctions whatever they do in Ukraine, even if it becomes another 1990s Bosnia and hence the same goes for the UK and the EU. That is just the reality
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Unfortunately, we have politicians and public figures in the United States and around Europe who have embraced the idea that Russia was wronged by NATO and that Putin is a strong, powerful man and has the right to do what he’s doing: Because Ukraine is somehow not worthy of independence, because it’s either Russia’s historical lands or Ukrainians are Russians, or the Ukrainian leaders are — this is what Putin says — “drug addled, fascist Nazis” or whatever labels he wants to apply here.
She has been criticised by a few on here for daring to speak the unthinkable. But she's right to wake us up. Putin has to be stopped.
It is a good interview. I read the analysis as being to the effect that war with Putin has been going on for 15 years, it is extremely dangerous, he has already used nuclear weapons, and this conflict is best understood as being just a stage in it.
Worth reflecting on the fact that Putin started his invasion of Ukraine 8 years ago, we did nothing then. What has changed in the intervening time is us.
I don't think Hill is saying that the best strategy to beat Putin is to go all in.
She isn't saying that at all. She's quite level headed in her interview.
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them. That is to the government's credit. The longer the conflict rolls on, though, it is inevitable that the response will become more international, with the US and the EU leading the way - and perhaps China having a decisive say.
Putin has lost this already. Just about how it ends now.
The trouble is he has massive weaponry.
Indeed, all he has mainly sent in so far is conscripts with limited air support.
Most of the elite Russian troops have not been sent to Kyiv. If it does not fall within a week they will be after a massive aerial bombing campaign and supported by heavy artillery and Russian tanks.
It is not over by any means, in reality the war has barely begun
Do you still believe in the myth of the invincibility of the Russian military after what we've seen?
As I said so far it is mainly conscripts who have been doing the fighting, the full scale of the Russian military has yet to be engaged
This was the biggest decision of Putin's life and took months of planning, involving reducing Russia's defences in the far-east and pulling in forces from every available source for a massive mobilisation. Do you really think he told his planners to use the B-team, or is it more likely that we're seeing the limits of their capabilities?
The B-team line is Russian propaganda (why are they doing so badly). It’s a lie. Just like the whole NATO provoking them line.
I fear our friend @HYUFD may be in the process of doing a Plato
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainan army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis abates, but when that happens, the recking should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Well I wasn't expecting the last bit. Donetsk (or Hughesovka - yes really) was founded by a welsh businessman. Not that we are demanding a territorial claim I might say. But it's a bit more complicated than saying 'It belongs to Russia'. There's also a very small town in south wales called Sevastopol. It was also the case that the welsh national party leader went into Kiev a few days before the invasion as part of a delegation to support workers and minorities.
Actually it's quite a serious point. We've got used to devolved administrations in the UK. But with the SNP embarrassed by Salmond too, the usually anti war celtic nationalists aren't causing any trouble.
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
A really helpful comment. So glad she is no longer part of our public life.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.its harder to say what I am saying than just be gung-ho and cheer /ukraine on giving Russia moonies When dealing with hard men and countries it is all about saving face on both sides not casualties even (its not nice but a fact) .thats how things get settled between power blocks and the UK needs to stop its chipy are not we so good and plucky stuff quick
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
Seems he had quite a lift in the poll yesterday and to be honest he is doing well at present
However, the day of reckoning for him has not gone away but it is up to his mps in the end
This is not rational policy, and should be challenged quite strongly. Johnson thinks he's performiing a public stance of Churchilian heroism, but he's fundamentally too shallow and insulated a politician to understand the perspective and stakes of the situation outside the glories of his head.
Putin is only going to fail if the regime collapses ; we cannot defeat him. Johnson' team may also be telling him that this sort of rhetoric will increase the internal panic, or bring about more concessions at negotiations, but it won't. It;s just making it harder both for him to come to terms and his internal foes to get rid of him.
I only hope that Boris does not turn up on the Ukrainian border decked in flags and sliding down a zip-wire whilst waving at the cameras.....
Stop it Mrs C. Johnson porn at this time in the morning?
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
That 19 year old interview on Newsnight is devastating. If not for a few hundred miles of difference in birth that'd be my sister lamenting my probable death.
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.its harder to say what I am sayin than just be gung-ho and cheer /ukraine on giving Russia moonies
It's very easy to say what you say. Just turn on GBNews, you'll get a load of it. I am telling my family that it is going to be hard and it is going to be frightening, but that there is always hope and you mustn't give into despair.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Indeed, after this we need to have a forensic, transparent, open and comprehensive inquiry into the role of Russian money and influence of Russian individuals in the British polity over the last 20 years. The Russia report I suspect barely skimmed the surface.
This will be painful for the Conservative Party and for certain individuals from across the political spectrum but by God, it is absolutely necessary.
Investigating their effect on the London housing market over recent years will be enlightening.
Boris was the first to demand Russia was barred from Swift
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
how the fuck do you defeat Russia FFS - Get real and quick.Its basis business negotiation learning to know you should never "defeat" anyone anyway but negotiate especially a country that a) you cannot and b) can wipe you out anytime it likes
NIce. Perhaps he could use some of the million euro a year he used to get from Russia on typing lessons?
EDIT: He is, apparently one of those shitheads who is too precious to actual use email himself. Gets a secretary to print stuff for him to read and dictates his answers.
The key player to watch here is the US. They are noticeably showing restraint. For all of Europe’s positioning, the US calls the shots here and it will be the US to whom the Russian government will be looking for indicators.
I am not saying we shouldn’t be worried. War in Europe as a thing is enough cause for worry without adding talk of MAD into the equation.
It's at a time like this that it is good to have a POTUs who remembers previous confrontations with Russia, and how they were de-escalated, rather than some cosplay kid brought up on Call of Duty.
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.its harder to say what I am sayin than just be gung-ho and cheer /ukraine on giving Russia moonies
It's very easy to say what you say. Just turn on GBNews, you'll get a load of it. I am telling my family that it is going to be hard and it is going to be frightening, but that there is always hope and you mustn't give into despair.
Until this war started I was watching a lot of GB News because I agreed with their stance on the Woke stuff. Stopped watching now because I don't like their attitude on Putin and Russia.
I don't think the EU show any signs of waiting for Joe Biden who, as I said, has isolationist tendencies.
This is war on OUR doorstep and we have to stand tall and strong.
The EU is just a trading block still primarily.
The EU still does not have its own army and UVDL in any case is not going to do anything herself militarily.
It remains NATO which is the main guarantee of security in Europe and NATO won't do anything militarily without sleepy Joe's say so. Biden won't do anything against Russian beyond economic sanctions whatever they do in Ukraine, even if it becomes another 1990s Bosnia and hence the same goes for the UK and the EU. That is just the reality
And, actually, there is one thing that the EU could do right now -- which is entirely within its grasp and which Ukraine has explicitly asked for. Immediate accession.
It does not require Biden's permission.
If the EU wants to "stand tall and strong", let it do what Ukraine has pleaded with it to do.
Another point that has been on my mind is that we need to start accepting that the world has changed, and war is a reality again. My young son is a dual national and will be conscripted in to the Finnish army in his teenage years. This used to be a fun period of camping out in the woods for 18 months, with all sorts of exemptions, but in the future is going to become a very serious endeavour. I've got to bring him up with an understanding that one day he may have to fight and die. How to do this without scaring the hell out of him is something I am really struggling with. I have also got to be prepared to do the same if necessary. We've got to come to terms with the fact that, as a society, unfortunately we cannot wish war and violence away.
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
Unhelpful. State is not talking about appeasement. He is talking about being mindful of the outcomes and what practical steps you might take.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them
“To an extent”?
20,000 trained Ukrainian troops since 2015 is a heck of a lot more of “an extent” than any of our European peers.
Or do people think it’s a coincidence that the Ukrainian army is not the walk-over it was in 2014?
Again completely offtopic but as its probably of interest to some on here, a diagram of ALL 6 lens elements in the camera lens of an iPhone 7 (and some are very strangely shaped).
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.its harder to say what I am sayin than just be gung-ho and cheer /ukraine on giving Russia moonies
It's very easy to say what you say. Just turn on GBNews, you'll get a load of it. I am telling my family that it is going to be hard and it is going to be frightening, but that there is always hope and you mustn't give into despair.
Until this war started I was watching a lot of GB News because I agreed with their stance on the Woke stuff. Stopped watching now because I don't like their attitude on Putin and Russia.
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
how the fuck do you defeat Russia FFS - Get real and quick
I am real.
We defeat them via these sanctions etc causing them to run out of money. We defeat them by aiding the Ukrainians so that they can defend themselves.
Lesson number one in warfare: If you can't pay your troops, or feed your troops, then you can't win a war.
That column of Russian military heading to Kyiv could easily be taken out by NATO forces so it’s very frustrating that we’re just sitting and watching as they advance .
But I’m afraid we’re just going to have to sit and watch . Horrible as it is NATO can’t get involved .
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them. That is to the government's credit.
Who are you kidding? London is practically "Moscow West", Russian money owns a lot of UK stuff, and some of that same money is the bank account of the ruling political party.
Many warned for years that the ERG and Farage were like Putin's little helpers sowing disunity in the EU.
If we saw this coming, then we did very little about it.
Until this war started I was watching a lot of GB News because I agreed with their stance on the Woke stuff. Stopped watching now because I don't like their attitude on Putin and Russia.
Somebody on Twitter this morning claims they are owned/funded by Gazprom
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has warned Priti Patel if she doesn’t voluntarily make Commons statement this afternoon explaining help for Ukrainian refugees he will grant an urgent question https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1498578820579962882
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them. That is to the government's credit.
The "sclerotic" EU, apparently taken unawares, acted fast enough to cause whiplash.
The UK, which was apparently well prepared, still hasn't got out of our own way.
As time goes on in this conflict, what the UK does or doesn't do will become far less significant. But we did make a difference by arming and training the Ukrainian army. It is churlish to claim otherwise. Right now, the only individual European country that can really make a difference is Germany and it is doing its bit. From here on in, though, the big decisions will be taken by the US and the EU. That is the realpolitik.
Another point that has been on my mind is that we need to start accepting that the world has changed, and war is a reality again. My young son is a dual national and will be conscripted in to the Finnish army in his teenage years. This used to be a fun period of camping out in the woods for 18 months, with all sorts of exemptions, but in the future is going to become a very serious endeavour. I've got to bring him up with an understanding that one day he may have to fight and die. How to do this without scaring the hell out of him is something I am really struggling with. I have also got to be prepared to do the same if necessary. We've got to come to terms with the fact that, as a society, unfortunately we cannot wish war and violence away.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
She's not wrong. And I'm pretty pissed this has saved Johnson. But it's very funny how many 16 part Twitter threads there have been that start with:
"This is all on Putin"
... 14 tweets...
"ARRON BANKS"
For Johnson its only a reprieve. There is visceral anger about the No 10 'parties'. I had an unpolitical colleague bring them up last week, pretty much from nowhere. Fortunately the British public can hold more than one thought in their heads at a time, even if the media cannot.
From here on in, though, the big decisions will be taken by the US and the EU. That is the realpolitik.
Here's a thought:
Imagine if Brexit had been "a success". Imagine if, as brexiters hoped, the EU had post 2016 fallen apart with a number of countries leaving amid chaos with members trying to re-adopt individual markets & currencies.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them. That is to the government's credit.
Who are you kidding? London is practically "Moscow West", Russian money owns a lot of UK stuff, and some of that same money is the bank account of the ruling political party.
Many warned for years that the ERG and Farage were like Putin's little helpers sowing disunity in the EU.
If we saw this coming, then we did very little about it.
You do know that the UK supplied and trained the Ukraine army in the use of anti tank weaponry, which is currently playing a huge part in their ability to confront Russia
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them
“To an extent”?
20,000 trained Ukrainian troops since 2015 is a heck of a lot more of “an extent” than any of our European peers.
Or do people think it’s a coincidence that the Ukrainian army is not the walk-over it was in 2014?
Yes, that is the extent and it is something to be proud of. What we didn't do, and should have done, is tackle Londonograd. We clearly didn't plan for the refugeee crisis either.
However, I don't see the point in relitigating the past. What matters is what happens from here.
Well we are, but given how Putin reacts to things it was probably wiser not to say it out loud.
This is what I don't understand. Let the sanctions and some quiet but lethal assistance to the Ukrainian army do the talking. We are going to squander our moral high ground if the West keeps talking in such bloodcurdling terms. It's not going to help to get China onside or at least on the fence, and it's going to cause ordinary Russians to rally to the flag when we want them turning against their leader.
What happened to speaking softly but carrying a big stick? Sounding eminently reasonable and measured while all the time strangling the enemy's economy and resources?
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Indeed, after this we need to have a forensic, transparent, open and comprehensive inquiry into the role of Russian money and influence of Russian individuals in the British polity over the last 20 years. The Russia report I suspect barely skimmed the surface.
This will be painful for the Conservative Party and for certain individuals from across the political spectrum but by God, it is absolutely necessary.
Investigating their effect on the London housing market over recent years will be enlightening.
Boris was the first to demand Russia was barred from Swift
Boris has done well so far IMO in terms of responding to the war in Ukraine.
From here on in, though, the big decisions will be taken by the US and the EU. That is the realpolitik.
Here's a thought:
Imagine if Brexit had been "a success". Imagine if, as brexiters hoped, the EU had post 2016 fallen apart with a number of countries leaving amid chaos with members trying to re-adopt individual markets & currencies.
That column of Russian military heading to Kyiv could easily be taken out by NATO forces so it’s very frustrating that we’re just sitting and watching as they advance .
But I’m afraid we’re just going to have to sit and watch . Horrible as it is NATO can’t get involved .
I’m hoping to god that the reason that column is still there is because the Ukrainians and advisers, with experience of huge strikes on huge columns maybe in Iraq, are working out the plan to hit it hard.
The Ukrainians will have a certain amount of drones, anti tank etc and hitting it would be a massive exercise stretched along the whole route so not easy in any way.
So hoping that the delay in action is not because they can’t but because it’s a real death or glory roll of the dice as will require many many ground troops to be able to get safely in striking range and a difficult coordinated attack by air with drones and planes.
It would be the deciding battle of this war if it happened - if it failed then Russia wins as and if it succeeds then Russia cannot hide those loses and their supply lines will be gone.
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
how the fuck do you defeat Russia FFS - Get real and quick
I am real.
We defeat them via these sanctions etc causing them to run out of money. We defeat them by aiding the Ukrainians so that they can defend themselves.
Lesson number one in warfare: If you can't pay your troops, or feed your troops, then you can't win a war.
So what’s you endgame? Sounds like your policy is regime change brought about by economic means. Therefore you must have thought through how the regime leaves office and it doesn’t follow the route of other regimes hanging on until the bitter end and taking people down with them.
Another point that has been on my mind is that we need to start accepting that the world has changed, and war is a reality again. My young son is a dual national and will be conscripted in to the Finnish army in his teenage years. This used to be a fun period of camping out in the woods for 18 months, with all sorts of exemptions, but in the future is going to become a very serious endeavour. I've got to bring him up with an understanding that one day he may have to fight and die. How to do this without scaring the hell out of him is something I am really struggling with. I have also got to be prepared to do the same if necessary. We've got to come to terms with the fact that, as a society, unfortunately we cannot wish war and violence away.
Just seen this.
"Finnish lawmakers to discuss potential NATO membership Prime Minister Sanna Marin also announced that Finland would provide Ukraine with lethal aid."
Well we are, but given how Putin reacts to things it was probably wiser not to say it out loud.
This is what I don't understand. Let the sanctions and some quiet but lethal assistance to the Ukrainian army do the talking. We are going to squander our moral high ground if the West keeps talking in such bloodcurdling terms. It's not going to help to get China onside or at least on the fence, and it's going to cause ordinary Russians to rally to the flag when we want them turning against their leader.
What happened to speaking softly but carrying a big stick? Sounding eminently reasonable and measured while all the time strangling the enemy's economy and resources?
Putin has lost this already. Just about how it ends now.
The trouble is he has massive weaponry.
Indeed, all he has mainly sent in so far is conscripts with limited air support.
Most of the elite Russian troops have not been sent to Kyiv. If it does not fall within a week they will be after a massive aerial bombing campaign and supported by heavy artillery and Russian tanks.
It is not over by any means, in reality the war has barely begun
Do you still believe in the myth of the invincibility of the Russian military after what we've seen?
As I said so far it is mainly conscripts who have been doing the fighting, the full scale of the Russian military has yet to be engaged
This was the biggest decision of Putin's life and took months of planning, involving reducing Russia's defences in the far-east and pulling in forces from every available source for a massive mobilisation. Do you really think he told his planners to use the B-team, or is it more likely that we're seeing the limits of their capabilities?
The B-team line is Russian propaganda (why are they doing so badly). It’s a lie. Just like the whole NATO provoking them line.
I fear our friend @HYUFD may be in the process of doing a Plato
What utter rubbish.
I made quite clear I supported Hillary over Trump in 2016 unlike the late missed Plato when she was here at the time.
However a 40 mile armed Russian convoy is advancing on Kyiv, it is naive to think that the war in Ukraine is over when it has barely just begun
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.i
If we acquiesce, lie down, and let Putin get away with crushing Ukraine then there is no civilisation.
Civilisation is something that has to be defended against a madman. Even if that means we are heading into the hitherto unthinkable.
I will sacrifice my life to defend civilisation against Putin.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them
“To an extent”?
20,000 trained Ukrainian troops since 2015 is a heck of a lot more of “an extent” than any of our European peers.
Or do people think it’s a coincidence that the Ukrainian army is not the walk-over it was in 2014?
Yes, that is the extent and it is something to be proud of. What we didn't do, and should have done, is tackle Londonograd. We clearly didn't plan for the refugeee crisis either.
However, I don't see the point in relitigating the past. What matters is what happens from here.
I am a bit on the fence on Londongrad. I hope we have done a triage between the Kremlin apparatchiks who are beyond hope, whose assets should have been frozen already, the strongly or mildly anti-Putin oligarchs who we need to keep onside, and those close to Putin but amenable to influence over whom we hang the financial sword of Damocles.
Is it possible that the Russians might call it a day once they get the land border to Crimea? Putin could sell that as a kind of victory and if the Ukrainians are patient they can wait for the Russian economy to collapse when surely they'll be in no position to deal with a resistance force.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Thanks. The danger with Johnson is that he uses the conflict as a distraction from his domestic problems. I think there is an element of that going on, but his assertiveness and charisma has been positive in other ways. Hard to judge, at the moment.
I find it quite interesting that many on PB seem to think Johnson has had a good couple of weeks.
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them
“To an extent”?
20,000 trained Ukrainian troops since 2015 is a heck of a lot more of “an extent” than any of our European peers.
Or do people think it’s a coincidence that the Ukrainian army is not the walk-over it was in 2014?
Yes, that is the extent and it is something to be proud of. What we didn't do, and should have done, is tackle Londonograd. We clearly didn't plan for the refugeee crisis either.
However, I don't see the point in relitigating the past. What matters is what happens from here.
All that dirty money flowing into the UK has definitely tainted us. Hopefully though we can now find these property assets and deposits, and freeze them.
The UK saw the dangers earlier than most and, to an extent at least, acted on them. That is to the government's credit.
If we saw this coming, then we did very little about it.
Training 20,000 Ukrainian troops is “very little”?
Who did more, pray?
The Germans did more. They invested billions in Nord Stream 2. A project designed so that it might as (as someone here put it) have had "Fuck Ukraine" on each section of pipe casing.
I don't think the EU show any signs of waiting for Joe Biden who, as I said, has isolationist tendencies.
This is war on OUR doorstep and we have to stand tall and strong.
The EU is just a trading block still primarily.
The EU still does not have its own army and UVDL in any case is not going to do anything herself militarily.
It remains NATO which is the main guarantee of security in Europe and NATO won't do anything militarily without sleepy Joe's say so. Biden won't do anything against Russian beyond economic sanctions whatever they do in Ukraine, even if it becomes another 1990s Bosnia and hence the same goes for the UK and the EU. That is just the reality
And, actually, there is one thing that the EU could do right now -- which is entirely within its grasp and which Ukraine has explicitly asked for. Immediate accession.
It does not require Biden's permission.
If the EU wants to "stand tall and strong", let it do what Ukraine has pleaded with it to do.
That’s not possible and EU Treaties would have to be re-written. The EU is based on a legal order and new members have to go through a long winded process.
The EU can’t just rush through a new member in 24 hours . Emotionally it would be wonderful to see Ukraine in the EU but at this point in time there are of course higher priorities.
From here on in, though, the big decisions will be taken by the US and the EU. That is the realpolitik.
Here's a thought:
Imagine if Brexit had been "a success". Imagine if, as brexiters hoped, the EU had post 2016 fallen apart with a number of countries leaving amid chaos with members trying to re-adopt individual markets & currencies.
Well we are, but given how Putin reacts to things it was probably wiser not to say it out loud.
This is what I don't understand. Let the sanctions and some quiet but lethal assistance to the Ukrainian army do the talking. We are going to squander our moral high ground if the West keeps talking in such bloodcurdling terms. It's not going to help to get China onside or at least on the fence, and it's going to cause ordinary Russians to rally to the flag when we want them turning against their leader.
What happened to speaking softly but carrying a big stick? Sounding eminently reasonable and measured while all the time strangling the enemy's economy and resources?
Politicians gonna politick.
It's also the truth.
These sanctions, incidentally, go far beyond those imposed on South Africa. If continued, theses sanctions will induce a partial collapse the economy - big chunks of technology and finance will cease operations.
Big G in Wales is happy to shine the spotlight on Boris but be careful what you wish for. A man who plays tennis for a Putin-dirty £160,000 donation to the Conservative Party is on shaky ground. That donation was received the same year that Putin's men shot down a commercial airliner, killing 283 innocent civilians including 80 children.
The Conservative Party has no moral leg on which to stand over this and it will come out in due course.
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Indeed, after this we need to have a forensic, transparent, open and comprehensive inquiry into the role of Russian money and influence of Russian individuals in the British polity over the last 20 years. The Russia report I suspect barely skimmed the surface.
This will be painful for the Conservative Party and for certain individuals from across the political spectrum but by God, it is absolutely necessary.
Investigating their effect on the London housing market over recent years will be enlightening.
Boris was the first to demand Russia was barred from Swift
Technicality as I recall Oliver Dowden mentioned it first in public from the Conservative benches , but no matter.
Your defence of Johnson is becoming tiresome. Johnson has got a lot right, primarily by not getting much wrong. You seem to want to bolster him (personally) at every opportunity, and quite often at the expense of others (mainly the EU and Biden) who have also to date called it mostly right, if on occasions, a little late. Mind you, the EU have called the refugee crisis early.
Personally I don't approve of Johnson and Truss's grandstanding. No one else in Government, particularly Ben Wallace, has embarked on this course of action. Nonetheless, Sandpit, who has a direct interest in Ukraine confirm that the Ukrainian people appreciate Johnson's performance.
I am a Johnson skeptic, and grudgingly accept the job he has done so far is OK. However, ss Mr Johnson is representing our nation on the World stage, I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
Putin has lost this already. Just about how it ends now.
The trouble is he has massive weaponry.
Indeed, all he has mainly sent in so far is conscripts with limited air support.
Most of the elite Russian troops have not been sent to Kyiv. If it does not fall within a week they will be after a massive aerial bombing campaign and supported by heavy artillery and Russian tanks.
It is not over by any means, in reality the war has barely begun
Do you still believe in the myth of the invincibility of the Russian military after what we've seen?
As I said so far it is mainly conscripts who have been doing the fighting, the full scale of the Russian military has yet to be engaged
This was the biggest decision of Putin's life and took months of planning, involving reducing Russia's defences in the far-east and pulling in forces from every available source for a massive mobilisation. Do you really think he told his planners to use the B-team, or is it more likely that we're seeing the limits of their capabilities?
The B-team line is Russian propaganda (why are they doing so badly). It’s a lie. Just like the whole NATO provoking them line.
I fear our friend @HYUFD may be in the process of doing a Plato
Pleased to hear it, but how do you know the B-team line is nonsense? Curious to know.
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.i
If we acquiesce, lie down, and let Putin get away with crushing Ukraine then there is no civilisation.
Civilisation is something that has to be defended against a madman. Even if that means we are heading into the hitherto unthinkable.
I will sacrifice my life to defend civilisation against Putin.
We let mass murder continue for years in the 1990s in Bosnia and Rwanda and Serbia and the Hutus were not a nuclear armed Russia.
If you want to go off and fight for Ukraine do, Biden won't, he is even more isolationist than Bill Clinton was then and if the US does not engage militarily then nor will NATO
Until this war started I was watching a lot of GB News because I agreed with their stance on the Woke stuff. Stopped watching now because I don't like their attitude on Putin and Russia.
Somebody on Twitter this morning claims they are owned/funded by Gazprom
Lots of rethinking going on at both ends of the spectrum. Finnish opinion polls suggest a complete reversal of attitudes to NATO from solid opposition to solid support. Swedish polls also moving that way. Here, the Morning Star is highlighting campaigners' claims of Russian use of illegal cluster munitions. Sabine Wageknecht, who leads the communist wing of Die Linke in Germany, has apologised for mistakenly thinking that Putin wouldn't invade and says she is rethinking her attitude towards Russia. And so on across the continent. A side-effect of all this may be a pretty broad consensus across Western Europe on the need for solid defence policies. Not quite what Putin had in mind, I imagine.
I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
It was lucky there was film crew there to record his spontaneous act...
We shoud be using joint russian /british business and sport contacts to de=escalate not ramp things up in general. I am not sure its good that BP have been told to get off the Rosneft board for instance .
Between this and your other posts you seem to be firmly on the side of appeasement.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
how the fuck do you defeat Russia FFS - Get real and quick
I am real.
We defeat them via these sanctions etc causing them to run out of money. We defeat them by aiding the Ukrainians so that they can defend themselves.
Lesson number one in warfare: If you can't pay your troops, or feed your troops, then you can't win a war.
So what’s you endgame? Sounds like your policy is regime change brought about by economic means. Therefore you must have thought through how the regime leaves office and it doesn’t follow the route of other regimes hanging on until the bitter end and taking people down with them.
Don't worry about BP.
Long ago, when I worked for an oil major, I was surprised by the relaxed attitude when the new AdmiralGeneral of some country kicked the oil company out.
A manager pointed out that this happens all the time, and that when they went back (after the oil industry there collapsed, and the next AdmiralGeneral stepped over the corpse of the previous incumbent), the lost money was figured into the price paid by said country.
From here on in, though, the big decisions will be taken by the US and the EU. That is the realpolitik.
Here's a thought:
Imagine if Brexit had been "a success". Imagine if, as brexiters hoped, the EU had post 2016 fallen apart with a number of countries leaving amid chaos with members trying to re-adopt individual markets & currencies.
Go back and look at what has happened over the last few weeks. Coherent EU action driving change has been a myth. In almost every case - sending arms and equipment, introducing economic sanctions, closing airspace - it has been individual countries that have both driven it and actually done it with the EU only following up when it is already a fait accompli. The closure of airspace is a classic example with Brussels only adopting an EU wide ban when most countries that mattered had already done it individually.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
It was lucky there was film crew there to record his spontaneous act...
The reverse, I think. His speech to the House had none of the hallmarks of Boris. Indeed, he struggled to get the lines out at times. So either Boris is reversing the habit of the last 20 years, or he's accepted help with the speeches.
Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we’re blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. It’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action. 8:15 AM · Mar 1, 2022"
The war is building into a massacre of Ukrainian civilians. It is proof how desparate the Russian side now is. They are pushing on all fronts and sadly they are making progress just through simple savagery. However this is a very short window. The inability of Russia to pay for anything will impact their fighting capability, but not overnight or even in a few days. The Ukrainian army and state needs to survive for weeks or even months and feeding the cities will become a problem. Only if they can stand firm will the Russian attack abate and it is asking a lot. We are entering a point of maximum danger for the Ukrainians and the Russian high command will do to Kharkiv or Kyiv what they already did to Grozny and Aleppo. War crimes indictments will surely follow.
This marks a comprehensive break between the West and the current form of Russia. These are not sanctions, they mark the utter shunning of Russia in every single sphere of contact. The reputation of Russia and the Russians has been totally trashed and, even if the war stops tomorrow, the change in perception will be lasting.
Johnson is arriving in Tallinn later today, but I am not sure calling for Putin´s head is such a good move. Even those who also want him gone in the regime won´t want to be pushed around so obviously, so it is likely to be counter productive, even though it is now quite clear that VVP is not a man we can do (any) business with.
Now the tide has gone out, at least we now know who picked the wrong side: Farage, Salmond, Trump, various Tories and many others. I said that the day of reckoning would be delayed until the crisis cools, but when that happens, the reckoning should be sure and complete.
In the meantime, Happy St. David´s Day!
Indeed, after this we need to have a forensic, transparent, open and comprehensive inquiry into the role of Russian money and influence of Russian individuals in the British polity over the last 20 years. The Russia report I suspect barely skimmed the surface.
This will be painful for the Conservative Party and for certain individuals from across the political spectrum but by God, it is absolutely necessary.
Investigating their effect on the London housing market over recent years will be enlightening.
Boris was the first to demand Russia was barred from Swift
Technicality as I recall Oliver Dowden mentioned it first in public from the Conservative benches , but no matter.
Your defence of Johnson is becoming tiresome. Johnson has got a lot right, primarily by not getting much wrong. You seem to want to bolster him (personally) at every opportunity, and quite often at the expense of others (mainly the EU and Biden) who have also to date called it mostly right, if on occasions, a little late. Mind you, the EU have called the refugee crisis early.
Personally I don't approve of Johnson and Truss's grandstanding. No one else in Government, particularly Ben Wallace, has embarked on this course of action. Nonetheless, Sandpit, who has a direct interest in Ukraine confirm that the Ukrainian people appreciate Johnson's performance.
I am a Johnson skeptic, and grudgingly accept the job he has done so far is OK. However, ss Mr Johnson is representing our nation on the World stage, I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
I give credit where it is due
I am sorry if you find it tiresome, but we are at war and frankly his popularity both in Ukraine and the Baltic States is widely acknowledged and his spontaneous standing ovation by the congregation at the Ukrainian Church in London was genuine
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Don't forget that.
emotional drivel i am sorry to say. We need cool heads not speeches
Mate, if you want to give up, if you want to despair, be my guest. I think we will end up on the winning side here. If you don't, so be it.
I dont wnat to give up on the world or my family . /ukraine and always being on the right side of "good" and winning all the time is not as important as my family or indeed civilisation in general.i
If we acquiesce, lie down, and let Putin get away with crushing Ukraine then there is no civilisation.
Civilisation is something that has to be defended against a madman. Even if that means we are heading into the hitherto unthinkable.
I will sacrifice my life to defend civilisation against Putin.
We never nuked Beijing over the Uighurs or held Tel Aviv to account over Palestine..
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
There's a time and a place and this isn't it.
There’s a time and a place for honest, competent, diligent and dispassionate leadership, as well - and this is it.
I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
It was lucky there was film crew there to record his spontaneous act...
Indeed. That way more people - for example - in Ukraine - could see it, not just the immediate congregation.
Anna Soubry @Anna_Soubry To journalists in Poland & Estonia - #BorisJohnson is visiting you tomorrow (I know it’s difficult to believe but the scruffy clown really is PM) & you need to know something v important about him - he tells lies. Whoppers. https://twitter.com/Anna_Soubry/status/1498430086395142157
A really helpful comment. So glad she is no longer part of our public life.
It's strange - I wouldn't say I was a fan of either, for obvious reasons, but I wouldn't pick this moment to tweet about it. What is she doing these days - has she gone back to the law?
I don't think the EU show any signs of waiting for Joe Biden who, as I said, has isolationist tendencies.
This is war on OUR doorstep and we have to stand tall and strong.
The EU is just a trading block still primarily.
The EU still does not have its own army and UVDL in any case is not going to do anything herself militarily.
It remains NATO which is the main guarantee of security in Europe and NATO won't do anything militarily without sleepy Joe's say so. Biden won't do anything against Russian beyond economic sanctions whatever they do in Ukraine, even if it becomes another 1990s Bosnia and hence the same goes for the UK and the EU. That is just the reality
And, actually, there is one thing that the EU could do right now -- which is entirely within its grasp and which Ukraine has explicitly asked for. Immediate accession.
It does not require Biden's permission.
If the EU wants to "stand tall and strong", let it do what Ukraine has pleaded with it to do.
That’s not possible and EU Treaties would have to be re-written. The EU is based on a legal order and new members have to go through a long winded process.
The EU can’t just rush through a new member in 24 hours . Emotionally it would be wonderful to see Ukraine in the EU but at this point in time there are of course higher priorities.
Indeed. Perhaps some sort of advanced candidate status could be had.
Surprised that is being announced publicly. Might it be to pressurise.
Given the intensity of feeling I am getting from Polish friends, I wonder whether the EU/Mig29 thing was a case of the Poles saying "We are going to do it. Follow us or complain"
Never, ever, give up. Never, ever, give in to despair. Keep going. We are on the right side here and we are on the strongest side.
Things are going to get bleak, perhaps horribly bleak, particularly for our incredibly brave Ukrainian allies, but however long it takes, we will prevail.
Two of my disliked teams in trouble because they sold their souls assets to Russians. Hope they both go bust, then it’s just Glasgow Rangers to get rid of.
The key player to watch here is the US. They are noticeably showing restraint. For all of Europe’s positioning, the US calls the shots here and it will be the US to whom the Russian government will be looking for indicators.
I am not saying we shouldn’t be worried. War in Europe as a thing is enough cause for worry without adding talk of MAD into the equation.
It's at a time like this that it is good to have a POTUs who remembers previous confrontations with Russia, and how they were de-escalated, rather than some cosplay kid brought up on Call of Duty.
More importantly, Putin's alleged catspaw is no longer in the Whitehouse. Can you imagine the West's response if The Donald was still in charge?
There is a lot of whinging about how wishy left-leaning liberals got us into this mess, but we spent years electing right-wing populist leaders in the west, ineffectual nobodies whose main function was tapping on twitter or posing in costume for publicity shots etc.
No wonder Putin invaded. We were too busy applauding the idiots we elected to worry about some country that many of us could not find on a map. Putin was probably surprised that we even noticed...
Comments
It feels to me that in the big picture Johnson has looked pretty irrelevant. He's said some of the right things but with very little action and it's fairly clear that for leadership in Europe countries are now looking to the EU bloc. If Johnson really wanted to make a difference he should be looking at a much more extensive list of individual sanctions/property confiscations in London and Surrey. If oligarch families are in residence let them spend a few weeks being interned.
Or the anti-aircraft missiles Ukraine have been given are good enough to deter the use of the air force during the day for close ground support.
https://medium.com/voices-of-the-armed-forces/operation-orbital-explained-training-ukrainian-armed-forces-59405d32d604
Worth reflecting on the fact that Putin started his invasion of Ukraine 8 years ago, we did nothing then. What has changed in the intervening time is us.
I don't think Hill is saying that the best strategy to beat Putin is to go all in.
@marceldirsus
As former Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder gets a taxpayer funded office. His entire staff just quit.
https://twitter.com/marceldirsus/status/1498573787582902277
Seriously impressive
The EU still does not have its own army and UVDL in any case is not going to do anything herself militarily.
It remains NATO which is the main guarantee of security in Europe and NATO won't do anything militarily without sleepy Joe's say so. Biden won't do anything against Russian beyond economic sanctions whatever they do in Ukraine, even if it becomes another 1990s Bosnia and hence the same goes for the UK and the EU. That is just the reality
Unfortunately, we have politicians and public figures in the United States and around Europe who have embraced the idea that Russia was wronged by NATO and that Putin is a strong, powerful man and has the right to do what he’s doing: Because Ukraine is somehow not worthy of independence, because it’s either Russia’s historical lands or Ukrainians are Russians, or the Ukrainian leaders are — this is what Putin says — “drug addled, fascist Nazis” or whatever labels he wants to apply here.
I fear our friend @HYUFD may be in the process of doing a Plato
Whether or not people agree with her conclusions she knows her stuff and people should accept her knowledge on this.
Actually it's quite a serious point. We've got used to devolved administrations in the UK. But with the SNP embarrassed by Salmond too, the usually anti war celtic nationalists aren't causing any trouble.
However, the day of reckoning for him has not gone away but it is up to his mps in the end
The UK, which was apparently well prepared, still hasn't got out of our own way.
We don't need to appease a Russia that's invading other countries. We need to defeat them.
https://twitter.com/themmagraham/status/1498576108681322496
EDIT: He is, apparently one of those shitheads who is too precious to actual use email himself. Gets a secretary to print stuff for him to read and dictates his answers.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/28/germanys-putin-caressers-start-coming-to-terms-with-their-naivety
It does not require Biden's permission.
If the EU wants to "stand tall and strong", let it do what Ukraine has pleaded with it to do.
Less Willy waving please.
20,000 trained Ukrainian troops since 2015 is a heck of a lot more of “an extent” than any of our European peers.
Or do people think it’s a coincidence that the Ukrainian army is not the walk-over it was in 2014?
https://twitter.com/yiningkarlli/status/1498069538264399872 - it's remarkable how much work goes into making something so small work.
We defeat them via these sanctions etc causing them to run out of money.
We defeat them by aiding the Ukrainians so that they can defend themselves.
Lesson number one in warfare: If you can't pay your troops, or feed your troops, then you can't win a war.
But I’m afraid we’re just going to have to sit and watch . Horrible as it is NATO can’t get involved .
Many warned for years that the ERG and Farage were like Putin's little helpers sowing disunity in the EU.
If we saw this coming, then we did very little about it.
They are walking door to door with lists of names and addresses in their hands.
The Poles and the Balts remember this from 1939-1940.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498562882421899264
https://twitter.com/johnestevens/status/1498578820579962882
Imagine if Brexit had been "a success".
Imagine if, as brexiters hoped, the EU had post 2016 fallen apart with a number of countries leaving amid chaos with members trying to re-adopt individual markets & currencies.
Then imagine Putin invading Ukraine.
https://twitter.com/nicktolhurst/status/1498331376181026821
Who did more, pray?
However, I don't see the point in relitigating the past. What matters is what happens from here.
What happened to speaking softly but carrying a big stick? Sounding eminently reasonable and measured while all the time strangling the enemy's economy and resources?
The Ukrainians will have a certain amount of drones, anti tank etc and hitting it would be a massive exercise stretched along the whole route so not easy in any way.
So hoping that the delay in action is not because they can’t but because it’s a real death or glory roll of the dice as will require many many ground troops to be able to get safely in striking range and a difficult coordinated attack by air with drones and planes.
It would be the deciding battle of this war if it happened - if it failed then Russia wins as and if it succeeds then Russia cannot hide those loses and their supply lines will be gone.
"Finnish lawmakers to discuss potential NATO membership
Prime Minister Sanna Marin also announced that Finland would provide Ukraine with lethal aid."
https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-nato-membership-sanna-marin-ukraine-russia/
I made quite clear I supported Hillary over Trump in 2016 unlike the late missed Plato when she was here at the time.
However a 40 mile armed Russian convoy is advancing on Kyiv, it is naive to think that the war in Ukraine is over when it has barely just begun
Civilisation is something that has to be defended against a madman. Even if that means we are heading into the hitherto unthinkable.
I will sacrifice my life to defend civilisation against Putin.
The EU can’t just rush through a new member in 24 hours . Emotionally it would be wonderful to see Ukraine in the EU but at this point in time there are of course higher priorities.
These sanctions, incidentally, go far beyond those imposed on South Africa. If continued, theses sanctions will induce a partial collapse the economy - big chunks of technology and finance will cease operations.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/27/conservative-peer-lord-barker-urged-quit-board-russian-firm-en-oligarch-oleg-deripaska
Big G in Wales is happy to shine the spotlight on Boris but be careful what you wish for. A man who plays tennis for a Putin-dirty £160,000 donation to the Conservative Party is on shaky ground. That donation was received the same year that Putin's men shot down a commercial airliner, killing 283 innocent civilians including 80 children.
The Conservative Party has no moral leg on which to stand over this and it will come out in due course.
Your defence of Johnson is becoming tiresome. Johnson has got a lot right, primarily by not getting much wrong. You seem to want to bolster him (personally) at every opportunity, and quite often at the expense of others (mainly the EU and Biden) who have also to date called it mostly right, if on occasions, a little late. Mind you, the EU have called the refugee crisis early.
Personally I don't approve of Johnson and Truss's grandstanding. No one else in Government, particularly Ben Wallace, has embarked on this course of action. Nonetheless, Sandpit, who has a direct interest in Ukraine confirm that the Ukrainian people appreciate Johnson's performance.
I am a Johnson skeptic, and grudgingly accept the job he has done so far is OK. However, ss Mr Johnson is representing our nation on the World stage, I do think it incumbent on him to prepare for speeches like the one he made in the Ukrainian church. Off the cuff and rambling isn't good enough, and it certainly isn't Churchillian.
If you want to go off and fight for Ukraine do, Biden won't, he is even more isolationist than Bill Clinton was then and if the US does not engage militarily then nor will NATO
Long ago, when I worked for an oil major, I was surprised by the relaxed attitude when the new AdmiralGeneral of some country kicked the oil company out.
A manager pointed out that this happens all the time, and that when they went back (after the oil industry there collapsed, and the next AdmiralGeneral stepped over the corpse of the previous incumbent), the lost money was figured into the price paid by said country.
Go back and look at what has happened over the last few weeks. Coherent EU action driving change has been a myth. In almost every case - sending arms and equipment, introducing economic sanctions, closing airspace - it has been individual countries that have both driven it and actually done it with the EU only following up when it is already a fait accompli. The closure of airspace is a classic example with Brussels only adopting an EU wide ban when most countries that mattered had already done it individually.
@googleeurope
Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we’re blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. It’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.
8:15 AM · Mar 1, 2022"
https://twitter.com/googleeurope/status/1498572529409179648
I am sorry if you find it tiresome, but we are at war and frankly his popularity both in Ukraine and the Baltic States is widely acknowledged and his spontaneous standing ovation by the congregation at the Ukrainian Church in London was genuine
There is a lot of whinging about how wishy left-leaning liberals got us into this mess, but we spent years electing right-wing populist leaders in the west, ineffectual nobodies whose main function was tapping on twitter or posing in costume for publicity shots etc.
No wonder Putin invaded. We were too busy applauding the idiots we elected to worry about some country that many of us could not find on a map. Putin was probably surprised that we even noticed...