In 2016, Johnson told a referendum rally that the EU partnership agreement with Ukraine had “caused real trouble”. Things in Ukraine “went wrong”, because “all the EU can do is cause confusion”. Putin, a supporter of Brexit, agreed. By @rafaelbehr
Integration of East European countries has not exactly been an easy ride for the EU, as the experience of Poland and Hungary attest. I hope it works out, and wish them all the best.
New U.K. Sanctions: -Britons forbidden from providing financial services to Russian finance ministry, central bank, National Wealth Fund -Sberbank forbidden from clearing sterling payments through U.K. financial system -Ban on Russian ships from U.K. ports formalized 1/2
-Sanctions on Russian Direct Investment Fund and its chief executive, Kirill Dmitriev. Their assets were frozen and a travel ban placed on Dmitriev. -Sanctions on 4 Belarussian officials, including chief of the defence staff, as well as on two military enterprises 2/2
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Ascension Island. Or Tristan de Cunha on the inhabitable side.
In fact, that might be a better punishment - the memory of his "greatness" would gnaw at him until he died.
Get Elon to stick him on the moon. That’s the modern St Helena.
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
This is a sublime example of the style of decor known as Scary Antoinette.
There's nothing quite as grotesque as seeing fine buildings destroyed. I know human life should be more precious but we're more used to seeing lives destroyed. I saw an ETA bomb go off in Madrid and the wanton destruction and the knowledge that the centuries old Madrid treasure would never be replaced was shocking.
Appears people are inventing Russian forces involved in this invasion..
Jimmy @JimmySecUK Over on Facebook people are sharing faked pictures of Russian road mobile ICBMs with 'invasion markings' crudely photoshopped onto them.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
Is he in the photo? He’s to tell as it’s all the colour of his skin and hair….
An assassination attempt on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, prepared by an "elite group of Kadyrovtsi (Kadyrov's thugs)," has been prevented in Kyiv Oblast, @NSDC_ua secretary Oleksiy Danilov said. They were terminated.
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
Rod Steiger was a convincing Bonapart in 'Waterloo', 1970. Joaquin Phoenix is Ridley Scott's Napoleon currently in production. (My daughter's doing the props for the horses).
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Ascension Island. Or Tristan de Cunha on the inhabitable side.
In fact, that might be a better punishment - the memory of his "greatness" would gnaw at him until he died.
He could spend his days going to Tristan's Potato Fields. There is not much else to do...
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Worth noting that after the fall of Idi Amin, there was a further 10 years of death and civil war. Indeed a Ugandan friend of mine said that life was easier under Amin than Obote. With Amin you could mostly be safe by keeping your head down, under Obote it was dangerously random.
My point is that while leaders are the proximal cause of wars, they can only do so if there is a hinterland of support, and often one even more brutal. Stalin was replaced by Kruschev and Malenkov, but it could have been Beria.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
Well, the most pro-Russian areas have left the Ukraine - either they are now controlled by rebels in the far, far East, or they were in Crimea. Between those two, you're looking at 15-20% of the population.
And the repatriation of the Crimea also made a lot of Ukrainians who were on the fence about Russia vs the West really reconsider their views.
@rcs1000 I am not sure you can rely on this 4% figure you are quoting. The second biggest party in the 2019 Parliamentary election (the most recent one) was 'opposition platform - for life' which got 13.8% of the vote share. This is a pro Russian party. So is the 'Opposition Bloc', which got around 3%. There are large numbers of other parties, some of which are pro Russian. And this was an election which did not take place in the areas occupied by Russia (Ie Crimea, Donbass etc). From what I can see it seems that the pro Russian figure might be closer to 15-20%. Not insignificant, but undoubtedly undermined by the loss of Crimea.
You are correct, I was confusing the Presidential election, where the Opposition Platform and the Opposition Bloc both performed very poorly, with the Parliamentary election.
Between those two parties in the Ukrainian parliamentary election, they got 16%.
Pretty much all the other political parties "endorse" the Euromaiden revolution.
That being said... there are also a lot of Independents in the Ukrainian parliament, and who knows what their views are.
There's nothing quite as grotesque as seeing fine buildings destroyed. I know human life should be more precious but we're more used to seeing lives destroyed. I saw an ETA bomb go off in Madrid and the wanton destruction and the knowledge that the centuries old Madrid treasure would never be replaced was shocking.
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
This is a sublime example of the style of decor known as Scary Antoinette.
Have a like for that.
I prefer the term Extreme Mafia Rococo, myself. There is something about that room that speaks of Tony Montana and piles of cocaine that your cat could sleep on.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
Well, the most pro-Russian areas have left the Ukraine - either they are now controlled by rebels in the far, far East, or they were in Crimea. Between those two, you're looking at 15-20% of the population.
And the repatriation of the Crimea also made a lot of Ukrainians who were on the fence about Russia vs the West really reconsider their views.
@rcs1000 I am not sure you can rely on this 4% figure you are quoting. The second biggest party in the 2019 Parliamentary election (the most recent one) was 'opposition platform - for life' which got 13.8% of the vote share. This is a pro Russian party. So is the 'Opposition Bloc', which got around 3%. There are large numbers of other parties, some of which are pro Russian. And this was an election which did not take place in the areas occupied by Russia (Ie Crimea, Donbass etc). From what I can see it seems that the pro Russian figure might be closer to 15-20%. Not insignificant, but undoubtedly undermined by the loss of Crimea.
You are correct, I was confusing the Presidential election, where the Opposition Platform and the Opposition Bloc both performed very poorly, with the Parliamentary election.
Between those two parties in the Ukrainian parliamentary election, they got 16%.
Pretty much all the other political parties "endorse" the Euromaiden revolution.
That being said... there are also a lot of Independents in the Ukrainian parliament, and who knows what their views are.
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Don't most wealthy retired Russians wind up in St George's Hill, Weybridge?
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Worth noting that after the fall of Idi Amin, there was a further 10 years of death and civil war. Indeed a Ugandan friend of mine said that life was easier under Amin than Obote. With Amin you could mostly be safe by keeping your head down, under Obote it was dangerously random.
My point is that while leaders are the proximal cause of wars, they can only do so if there is a hinterland of support, and often one even more brutal. Stalin was replaced by Kruschev and Malenkov, but it could have been Beria.
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Don't most wealthy retired Russians wind up in St George's Hill, Weybridge?
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Worth noting that after the fall of Idi Amin, there was a further 10 years of death and civil war. Indeed a Ugandan friend of mine said that life was easier under Amin than Obote. With Amin you could mostly be safe by keeping your head down, under Obote it was dangerously random.
My point is that while leaders are the proximal cause of wars, they can only do so if there is a hinterland of support, and often one even more brutal. Stalin was replaced by Kruschev and Malenkov, but it could have been Beria.
Nah. Jason Isaacs fucked him like he did Germany.
Where is when you need him? “I might be smiling but I’m very fucking angry”.
There's nothing quite as grotesque as seeing fine buildings destroyed. I know human life should be more precious but we're more used to seeing lives destroyed. I saw an ETA bomb go off in Madrid and the wanton destruction and the knowledge that the centuries old Madrid treasure would never be replaced was shocking.
Surely something like Notre Dame must be the worst for your poor soul to suffer; it's pure building grief, not tempered by the human distraction.
Rod Steiger was a convincing Bonapart in 'Waterloo', 1970. Joaquin Phoenix is Ridley Scott's Napoleon currently in production. (My daughter's doing the props for the horses).
Putin and Bonapart - chalk and cheese.
Christopher Plummer captured Wellington brilliantly. Arrogance only equalled by ability.
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
Assuming that we all survive this mess, what is the highest honour the UK can bestow on a foreign head of state? Zelensky deserves it.
I saw that. It was agonising. I thought Boris dealt with it as well as he possibly could. He listened respectfully without interruption and then was absolutely honest with her, none of his usual waffle or bombast. He was visibly upset. As was I.
As was Daria with her very impressive and heartfelt speech. Cycle free should perhaps add it to the three in the header.
Now I don't like Johnson. I have said many times I disapprove of his campaign at any opportunity style of politics. I am a Johnson cynic so unsurprisingly I have raised an eyebrow at each of his photo ops over the last ten days. No one will thus be surprised at my view that if he hadn't been grandstanding around Eastern Europe today this wouldn't have happened.
What wouldn’t have happened? The invasion? The war crimes? The brutality? Or a journalist asking a question with passion and being treated with respect.
Get a grip, please. This is way more important than the future of Boris. Really.
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
Assuming that we all survive this mess, what is the highest honour the UK can bestow on a foreign head of state? Zelensky deserves it.
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Don't most wealthy retired Russians wind up in St George's Hill, Weybridge?
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
Assuming that we all survive this mess, what is the highest honour the UK can bestow on a foreign head of state? Zelensky deserves it.
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Worth noting that after the fall of Idi Amin, there was a further 10 years of death and civil war. Indeed a Ugandan friend of mine said that life was easier under Amin than Obote. With Amin you could mostly be safe by keeping your head down, under Obote it was dangerously random.
My point is that while leaders are the proximal cause of wars, they can only do so if there is a hinterland of support, and often one even more brutal. Stalin was replaced by Kruschev and Malenkov, but it could have been Beria.
Nah. Jason Isaacs fucked him like he did Germany.
Where is when you need him? “I might be smiling but I’m very fucking angry”.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, have discussed the conflict engulfing the eastern European nation in a call.
Wang told Kuleba he "deeply regrets" the conflict and is "paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", according to the AFP news agency quoting Chinese state media.
He also called for both sides to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations", the same source reported.
In the call, which marks the first between the two men since Russia's invasion on Thursday, Kuleba asked Beijing to use its ties with Moscow to help halt the invasion, the Reuters news agency said.
Wang is said to have offered to make every effort to end the violence diplomatically, the agency wrote.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
Assuming that we all survive this mess, what is the highest honour the UK can bestow on a foreign head of state? Zelensky deserves it.
Well in 1688 we made one King.
I’d support that. Next in line after the queen. Then the blue and yellow revolution. Glorious, just for the look on Charles’s face at the coronation.
It would be of more practical value if Sweden put Russia's military leaders in an asylum.
Genuinely offering Putin asylum would give him a way out.
The Idi Amin solution.
There should be an island where mad dictators can go somewhere and live out the rest of their lives without wrecking any more countries. It's not satisfying when they actually deserve a prison cell, but it might save some lives.
Otoh, it might cost more lives, if people can behave as badly as they want, knowing that a comfortable villa awaits them if they fail.
Saint Helena worked in the past
Perhaps following in the footsteps of Napoleon would appeal to his ego.
Don't most wealthy retired Russians wind up in St George's Hill, Weybridge?
If they can't afford Cap Ferrat.
If you are that rich, you end up in both
You have a nice London townhouse (or Home Counties mansion), a villa on the Riviera, plus dacha at home. And a superyacht, natch
Plus maybe a London flat for the kids at Eton/Westminster, and a bunker in New Zealand, JUST IN CASE
JUST IN: From Boeing, "We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv. We have also suspended parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines.” https://twitter.com/LeeHudson_/status/1498783931629408256
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
Is he in the photo? He’s to tell as it’s all the colour of his skin and hair….
I can't tell - There is something about that.... image that makes the eyes look away. Absorbing the detail into your brain might be damaging or something.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, have discussed the conflict engulfing the eastern European nation in a call.
Wang told Kuleba he "deeply regrets" the conflict and is "paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", according to the AFP news agency quoting Chinese state media.
He also called for both sides to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations", the same source reported.
In the call, which marks the first between the two men since Russia's invasion on Thursday, Kuleba asked Beijing to use its ties with Moscow to help halt the invasion, the Reuters news agency said.
Wang is said to have offered to make every effort to end the violence diplomatically, the agency wrote.
I think the Chinese have waited to see how this turned out, but can now see the writing on the wall for Putin.
I saw that. It was agonising. I thought Boris dealt with it as well as he possibly could. He listened respectfully without interruption and then was absolutely honest with her, none of his usual waffle or bombast. He was visibly upset. As was I.
As was Daria with her very impressive and heartfelt speech. Cycle free should perhaps add it to the three in the header.
Now I don't like Johnson. I have said many times I disapprove of his campaign at any opportunity style of politics. I am a Johnson cynic so unsurprisingly I have raised an eyebrow at each of his photo ops over the last ten days. No one will thus be surprised at my view that if he hadn't been grandstanding around Eastern Europe today this wouldn't have happened.
What wouldn’t have happened? The invasion? The war crimes? The brutality? Or a journalist asking a question with passion and being treated with respect.
Get a grip, please. This is way more important than the future of Boris. Really.
Don't be ridiculous. My point is simply Johnson has absolutely no need to be touring military bases in Eastern Europe. Are any other NATO leaders embarked on such ventures? Is Ben Wallace?
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
What about Starmer's connections with Russian company former board member Mandelson?
I saw that. It was agonising. I thought Boris dealt with it as well as he possibly could. He listened respectfully without interruption and then was absolutely honest with her, none of his usual waffle or bombast. He was visibly upset. As was I.
As was Daria with her very impressive and heartfelt speech. Cycle free should perhaps add it to the three in the header.
Now I don't like Johnson. I have said many times I disapprove of his campaign at any opportunity style of politics. I am a Johnson cynic so unsurprisingly I have raised an eyebrow at each of his photo ops over the last ten days. No one will thus be surprised at my view that if he hadn't been grandstanding around Eastern Europe today this wouldn't have happened.
What wouldn’t have happened? The invasion? The war crimes? The brutality? Or a journalist asking a question with passion and being treated with respect.
Get a grip, please. This is way more important than the future of Boris. Really.
Don't be ridiculous. My point is simply Johnson has absolutely no need to be touring military bases in Eastern Europe. Are any other NATO leaders embarked on such ventures? Is Ben Wallace?
Yes leaders are. Its what leaders do sometimes. You're being ridiculous.
JUST IN: From Boeing, "We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv. We have also suspended parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines.” https://twitter.com/LeeHudson_/status/1498783931629408256
Well the airspace won’t matter much any more then.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
My guess is that there are many museums, galleries, cultural institutions and Universities yet to come clean.
There is nothing a gallery likes more than a blood-soaked philanthropist interested in Art.
They took the Sackler's money. They will have taken the oligarch's money.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
My guess is that there are many museums, galleries, cultural institutions and Universities yet to come clean.
There is nothing a gallery likes more than a blood-soaked philanthropist interested in Art.
They took the Sackler's money. They will have taken the oligarch's money.
I mean, we could confiscate the lot, sell it, and spend the proceeds on fuel subsidies. Seems just.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, have discussed the conflict engulfing the eastern European nation in a call.
Wang told Kuleba he "deeply regrets" the conflict and is "paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", according to the AFP news agency quoting Chinese state media.
He also called for both sides to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations", the same source reported.
In the call, which marks the first between the two men since Russia's invasion on Thursday, Kuleba asked Beijing to use its ties with Moscow to help halt the invasion, the Reuters news agency said.
Wang is said to have offered to make every effort to end the violence diplomatically, the agency wrote.
I think the Chinese have waited to see how this turned out, but can now see the writing on the wall for Putin.
I think partially. I think they are privately seething though as well. There was an agreement nowt would happen till after the Olympics. There was a meeting between Putin and Xi. Yet the Chinese seemed blindsided by what actually happened. They still have citizens in Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine. Clearly Putin lied about the extent of his ambitions. A full scale total invasion wasn't what they anticipated.
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
This is a sublime example of the style of decor known as Scary Antoinette.
Have a like for that.
I prefer the term Extreme Mafia Rococo, myself. There is something about that room that speaks of Tony Montana and piles of cocaine that your cat could sleep on.
And yet, for all.that, they couldn't quite disguise the Safestyle windows.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
Poor 'photo of world leader in action' effort. He's not even shown holding phone, how will I know they spoke?
I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine — including security assistance and humanitarian aid — as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.
Check out the poverty of books on those shelves too. You'd think The White House could afford some of those fake 'leather bound' blocks of books you see in Whetherspoons pubs.
Trump probably nicked them. Fake books to adorn a bookshelf would be exactly his speed.
This is a man who claims to have done this, while sober
This is a sublime example of the style of decor known as Scary Antoinette.
Have a like for that.
I prefer the term Extreme Mafia Rococo, myself. There is something about that room that speaks of Tony Montana and piles of cocaine that your cat could sleep on.
And yet, for all.that, they couldn't quite disguise the Safestyle windows.
That just adds to the effect - Madman's Imperial Dream, with indifferent double glazing.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
JUST IN: From Boeing, "We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv. We have also suspended parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines.” https://twitter.com/LeeHudson_/status/1498783931629408256
Presume Airbus* will do the same, which will leave Aeroflot with 10 viable aircraft out of a fleet of 202 according to wiki.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
I was responding to one kind of vulgarity with another.
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
I was responding to one kind of vulgarity with another.
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
I took issue with your language myself, but only because comparing him to them is unfair on most #####.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
It will be hilarious when those kleptocrats Bitcoin wallets just empty. Come on GCHQ, we know you can...
After 'Get Brexit Done' and 'Take Back Control', @BorisJohnson's new three-word slogan is 'Putin Must Fail' But a Ukrainian journalist today tested just what that soundbite means.
I saw that. It was agonising. I thought Boris dealt with it as well as he possibly could. He listened respectfully without interruption and then was absolutely honest with her, none of his usual waffle or bombast. He was visibly upset. As was I.
As was Daria with her very impressive and heartfelt speech. Cycle free should perhaps add it to the three in the header.
Now I don't like Johnson. I have said many times I disapprove of his campaign at any opportunity style of politics. I am a Johnson cynic so unsurprisingly I have raised an eyebrow at each of his photo ops over the last ten days. No one will thus be surprised at my view that if he hadn't been grandstanding around Eastern Europe today this wouldn't have happened.
What wouldn’t have happened? The invasion? The war crimes? The brutality? Or a journalist asking a question with passion and being treated with respect.
Get a grip, please. This is way more important than the future of Boris. Really.
Don't be ridiculous. My point is simply Johnson has absolutely no need to be touring military bases in Eastern Europe. Are any other NATO leaders embarked on such ventures? Is Ben Wallace?
Yes leaders are. Its what leaders do sometimes. You're being ridiculous.
If it is Johnson's farewell European tour, I'll take that.
“Britain has been accused of opening a loophole in sanctions designed to hobble the Putin regime by granting one of Moscow’s biggest banks an “absurd” month-long exemption from the enforcement of an assets freeze.”
After 'Get Brexit Done' and 'Take Back Control', @BorisJohnson's new three-word slogan is 'Putin Must Fail' But a Ukrainian journalist today tested just what that soundbite means.
Clearly moved by the moment, Johnson’s response was perhaps the most serious he’s ever been forced to give. Instead of resorting to the obfuscation he often deploys with British journalists, he knew he had to give a straight answer and he did....
Johnson was compassionate, respectful, cautious, a world away from the jokey mateyness that often gets him into trouble.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
It will be hilarious when those kleptocrats Bitcoin wallets just empty. Come on GCHQ, we know you can...
For the truly paranoid, you can create a paper wallet using only dice. No computers required.
Just reading up on Slovenia polling and some guidance ahead of the election at the end of April.
There are three main pollsters - Parsifal, which is owned by a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) ad does polls for the pro-SDS news channel NOVA24TV (set up and owned by supporters of SDS). Parsifal's latest poll has SDS eight points ahead.
Ninamedia publishes polls for two Slovene daily newspapers, one in Marbor and the other in Ljubljana - both are owned by the Berliner group and take a centre-left line.
Mediana publishes polls for the Slovene newspaper, Delo, a daily broadsheet and for POP TV, a 24 hour news channel. Both the paper and the news channel are broadly centre to centre-left.
If you're looking for wholly indpendent objective polling, you may struggle in Slovenia and that may explain the huge divergence. While Parsifal has an 8-point SDS lead, both Parsifal and Mediana have Svoboda slightly in front. Parsifal has much lower polling for Svoboda and higher undecided than the other two pollsters.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
It will be hilarious when those kleptocrats Bitcoin wallets just empty. Come on GCHQ, we know you can...
For the truly paranoid, you can create a paper wallet using only dice. No computers required.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
In 2016, Johnson told a referendum rally that the EU partnership agreement with Ukraine had “caused real trouble”. Things in Ukraine “went wrong”, because “all the EU can do is cause confusion”. Putin, a supporter of Brexit, agreed. By @rafaelbehr
Integration of East European countries has not exactly been an easy ride for the EU, as the experience of Poland and Hungary attest. I hope it works out, and wish them all the best.
Of course the UK was one of the strongest advocates for EU enlargement into Eastern Europe, then fucked off when the Eastern Europeans made use of the freedom of movement we had pushed for and we got sick of contributing to the EU budget that financed their absorption into the Union, leaving the French and Germans to pay the bills. I am sure they will be heartened by your good wishes.
After 'Get Brexit Done' and 'Take Back Control', @BorisJohnson's new three-word slogan is 'Putin Must Fail' But a Ukrainian journalist today tested just what that soundbite means.
Clearly moved by the moment, Johnson’s response was perhaps the most serious he’s ever been forced to give. Instead of resorting to the obfuscation he often deploys with British journalists, he knew he had to give a straight answer and he did....
Johnson was compassionate, respectful, cautious, a world away from the jokey mateyness that often gets him into trouble.
Handled it well.
What a stupid response by the inews
Boris dealt with it honestly and compassionately on a question so emotional I doubt many could have a answered better
Are the inews really suggesting Boris should have agreed to the no fly request with the RAF taking down Russian aircraft over Ukraine
His words are not empty, as the path is through indirect military support to Ukraine and the coordination of sanctions across the west crippling Russia economy
» show previous quotes Lol, I think you make the gammon stereotype rather better than I.
I imagine everytime I mention Alex-described -by-his-QC-as-bully-and-sex-pest-Salmond as such I imagine your sweaty fat little body goes a very bright puce and you have to reach for yet another drink.
How does it feel to be an apologist for a man that is not only described as such by his QC and his successor, but is also (via RT) on the payroll of the Kremlin? That makes you a second degree Putin apologist. Or have you now demoted your very gullible and inarticulate self to No2 fan after Mr Putin?
You get sadder with each post , red faced, bulging eyes , union jack dirty underpants on fire. Jog on loser.
I really must apologise to PB. I’ve just seen that my response to a comment of Roger’s has been removed from the thread and so I accept it was fully inappropriate.
To anyone who had to read my disgusting post I apologise for comparing Roger to the female sexual organ in a vulgar term - not even a vulva term.
It was wrong of me to compare Roger, who made some adverts, to a wonderful thing that has given birth to people great, useless, evil and Roger,
A wonderful organ that provides pleasure to both sexes and is the fount of all life. A thing of warmth, fascination, cultural significance. I compared it to Roger.
So again my sincerest apologies to anyone offended to me comparing Roger to a particular female body part. I would have just called him a prick but I had noticed he had been called that so often it wouldn’t express my anger fully.
In 2016, Johnson told a referendum rally that the EU partnership agreement with Ukraine had “caused real trouble”. Things in Ukraine “went wrong”, because “all the EU can do is cause confusion”. Putin, a supporter of Brexit, agreed. By @rafaelbehr
Integration of East European countries has not exactly been an easy ride for the EU, as the experience of Poland and Hungary attest. I hope it works out, and wish them all the best.
Of course the UK was one of the strongest advocates for EU enlargement into Eastern Europe, then fucked off when the Eastern Europeans made use of the freedom of movement we had pushed for and we got sick of contributing to the EU budget that financed their absorption into the Union, leaving the French and Germans to pay the bills. I am sure they will be heartened by your good wishes.
We gave the EU an opportunity to reform with some very modest reforms proposed by Cameron - Merkel said no, so her choice that they're paying the bills as we responded appropriately to their failure to reform.
If the extent of the Russian presence has been so vastly under-reported online, their removal could even affect the American election. Plus Trump's popularity is already being affected ; All in all, it's ending a much better day than I could have expected, albeit having started from a very low base.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
I was responding to one kind of vulgarity with another.
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
Well whoever is running this site this evening has taken your post down. but you're still here, Pity. They must have thought it wrote itself
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, have discussed the conflict engulfing the eastern European nation in a call.
Wang told Kuleba he "deeply regrets" the conflict and is "paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", according to the AFP news agency quoting Chinese state media.
He also called for both sides to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations", the same source reported.
In the call, which marks the first between the two men since Russia's invasion on Thursday, Kuleba asked Beijing to use its ties with Moscow to help halt the invasion, the Reuters news agency said.
Wang is said to have offered to make every effort to end the violence diplomatically, the agency wrote.
I think the Chinese have waited to see how this turned out, but can now see the writing on the wall for Putin.
I think partially. I think they are privately seething though as well. There was an agreement nowt would happen till after the Olympics. There was a meeting between Putin and Xi. Yet the Chinese seemed blindsided by what actually happened. They still have citizens in Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine. Clearly Putin lied about the extent of his ambitions. A full scale total invasion wasn't what they anticipated.
I think you read far too much into Putin and China - I doubt very much indeed that this was discussed, neither side trust each other one bit... however they would have probably discussed the US/West presence in Asia Pacific, Japan & Korean
If Putin wants to 'denazify' Ukraine he should try ordering his own nazis home,
Night all.
Its a funny war in that respect, the Ukrainians have Nazi fighting for a Jewish President against mercenary Nazis and Muslims who suffered exactly this same sort of treatment from the Russians up until 10-15 or so years ago.
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
I was responding to one kind of vulgarity with another.
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
Well whoever is running this site this evening has taken your post down. but you're still here, Pity. They must have thought it wrote itself
The one thing about Ukraine that we may be overlooking is that it does have a part of the population that is Russian. We don't really know what they think about the current situation. Are they happy about starting talks to join the EU and being conscripted to fight the invading Russian Army? How representative is the government and the public face of Ukraine that we see in the western media?
Apologies to peddle Kremlin talking points, but it does feel like we don't know very much about this country and make a lot of unexplored assumptions about it.
Only about 4% of Ukrainians voted for Rusophile political parties in the last elections - almost entirely in the far far East.
ok sure - but as recently as 2014 the country had a pro Russian president who was elected. As I recall he was ousted in a coup, over his reluctance to progress EU accession talks. It is said that a large part of his support was in the south and east - presumably areas that are now defacto controlled by Russia. Does that mean that the forces that bought Yanukovich to power, and are presumably sceptical about the EU, no longer exist in the rest of Ukraine? Have they really dropped to 4% of the country? I would be surprised if that is really the case.
I think you have to look at what has happened since Zelensky was elected in 2019. For a start he is an ethnic Russian. Funnily enough during the campaign his opponent and predecessor used Zelensky's Russian background to claim he would be Moscow's man in Ukraine. Once in power he removed immunity for Members of Parliament and introduced laws to remove the power of the Oligarchs in Ukraine. He also sacked all 15 regional Oblast leaders and heads of the main law enforcement agencies. Once that was all done he reached out to the separatists and tried to get a peace deal which included recognising the result of elections run by the separatists in their regions.
Basically from what I can see he has bent over backwards to do whatever he can to bridge any divide between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. I get the impression the people generally can see this and understand it which is why so many ethnic Russians are siding with Ukraine as their country against their cousins from the East.
Interesting. He's definetly earned his place in history; no doubt he will be studied for many years to come.
I am clear in my mind that Putin is a grave threat to Europe and that his regime needs to be overthrown. But as for Ukrainian politics, this is something I know nothing about.
Neither did I until last week. Since then I have been reading a lot about it, both ancient and modern. All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
In case people haven't seen it, in the first episode of Servant of the People, the tv show where Zelensky plays President, he gives a two minute speech about precisely what you say above. It's this speech that leads his fictional character to become president.
Starts at about 11:40, in case the link doesn't take you directly to the speech.
They should put it on global Netflix but as a nice touch get Ben Whishaw (Paddington voice that he dubbed) to do the dubbing for him in English.
Boulay. What was your username before you decided to reinvent yourself? I don't remember a poster quite as vulgar. Were you banned or did you just think it time for a change?
I was responding to one kind of vulgarity with another.
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
Well whoever is running this site this evening has taken your post down. but you're still here, Pity. They must have thought it wrote itself
That’s a great retort.
You probably should have tried something else like “your mum” or “you ok, hun?” Or even “cool story, bro”.
Called up to change our reservation from SF to LHR to MEX to LHR, the nice lady offered us an upgrade to club class from premium economy for £210 each. I don't usually pay for club out of my own money but it seemed like too much of a steal to pass up. All confirmed too in the app so it definitely wasn't a scam by BA.
After 'Get Brexit Done' and 'Take Back Control', @BorisJohnson's new three-word slogan is 'Putin Must Fail' But a Ukrainian journalist today tested just what that soundbite means.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
That's pretty piss poor that the Russian don't even use their own face generation AI. State of the art is much better than those examples. That's using 3 year old first-gen StyleGAN.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
Yes, it’s been noted how the anti-Trudeau Twitter chorus has suddenly become much smaller too.
It's the sort of thing that ought to matter, and in a good way.
On one hand, we all sort of knew that Putin was using social media to try and make people in the West hate each other. But I doubt that we've really clocked how much effect this has had, or how fake most of it is.
The bad thing is that it's taken a tragedy like this to remind us all of reality.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
If the Arab Spring was the first Social Media revolution, this may well be the first Social Media War. For all their troll farms, the Russians are losing this one badly.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how damning Russian connections are now going to be. No way back for Cummings I suspect. Or Kasminski. A few will need to be dumped by Labour too.
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
I really must apologise to PB. I’ve just seen that my response to a comment of Roger’s has been removed from the thread and so I accept it was fully inappropriate.
To anyone who had to read my disgusting post I apologise for comparing Roger to the female sexual organ in a vulgar term - not even a vulva term.
It was wrong of me to compare Roger, who made some adverts, to a wonderful thing that has given birth to people great, useless, evil and Roger,
A wonderful organ that provides pleasure to both sexes and is the fount of all life. A thing of warmth, fascination, cultural significance. I compared it to Roger.
So again my sincerest apologies to anyone offended to me comparing Roger to a particular female body part. I would have just called him a prick but I had noticed he had been called that so often it wouldn’t express my anger fully.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
It will be hilarious when those kleptocrats Bitcoin wallets just empty. Come on GCHQ, we know you can...
This was always the fear of central banks about crypto. It was a way for criminals to avoid legal shit.
Fog of war and all that, but this sounds encouraging:
Ukraine’s Air Force, along with units of the army and territorial defense, destroyed a large Russian military convoy near the city of Bashtanka in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region.
Military bloggers reported that the convoy contained up to 800 vehicles.
It's all about numbers isn't it. One can readily believe that there are definitely some Russian soldiers who've just walked away. The question is whether it's a trend towards a meaningful proportion doing likewise or not.
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
It will be hilarious when those kleptocrats Bitcoin wallets just empty. Come on GCHQ, we know you can...
Why? You wait for the wallet to be cashed In and hit them with an unexplained wealth request?
Shaun Walker @shaunwalker7 · 2h Just spoke to @albats who reassuringly says Putin won't launch a nuclear war, because, "Look at the size of the table he got out for Macron - does it look like someone who is willing to die in a nuclear war?"
It's all about numbers isn't it. One can readily believe that there are definitely some Russian soldiers who've just walked away. The question is whether it's a trend towards a meaningful proportion doing likewise or not.
There is precedent. Perhaps we are not too far from seeing a repeat of this from a century ago, against the new aristocracy...
All of Zelensky's predecessors were pretty shitty people. Typical politicians able to push their own agendas in a country that was too used to either dictators or instability. He really does seem to stand out as one of those rare instances of an honest politician trying to do what is best for his people.
Of course he was only there for less than 3 years before this all blew up so who knows if he would have succumbed to the power trip as his political career continued.
“During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids' photos instead,and look at them each time you’re making a decision.” #ukraine #NATO #russia https://twitter.com/nftcommunitys/status/1498762294846701573/photo/1
What happens if one's kids are... not particularly good looking... Can I hang a picture of someone else's instead?
Shaun Walker @shaunwalker7 · 2h Just spoke to @albats who reassuringly says Putin won't launch a nuclear war, because, "Look at the size of the table he got out for Macron - does it look like someone who is willing to die in a nuclear war?"
That's probably one of the most perceptive comments I've read over this saga. Very very true.
Comments
-Britons forbidden from providing financial services to Russian finance ministry, central bank, National Wealth Fund
-Sberbank forbidden from clearing sterling payments through U.K. financial system
-Ban on Russian ships from U.K. ports formalized
1/2
-Sanctions on Russian Direct Investment Fund and its chief executive, Kirill Dmitriev. Their assets were frozen and a travel ban placed on Dmitriev.
-Sanctions on 4 Belarussian officials, including chief of the defence staff, as well as on two military enterprises
2/2
https://twitter.com/AlexJFMorales/status/1498777757098164226
Jimmy
@JimmySecUK
Over on Facebook people are sharing faked pictures of Russian road mobile ICBMs with 'invasion markings' crudely photoshopped onto them.
Because of course they are
https://twitter.com/euromaidanpress/status/1498766726372155399?s=21
Putin and Bonapart - chalk and cheese.
My point is that while leaders are the proximal cause of wars, they can only do so if there is a hinterland of support, and often one even more brutal. Stalin was replaced by Kruschev and Malenkov, but it could have been Beria.
I prefer the term Extreme Mafia Rococo, myself. There is something about that room that speaks of Tony Montana and piles of cocaine that your cat could sleep on.
Jason Isaacs fucked him like he did Germany.
https://youtu.be/nFcFwWWAFlA?t=140
Get a grip, please. This is way more important than the future of Boris. Really.
"Putin is mad", "this is a terrible error", "Russia is a good country but... but..."
The Worst War in PR History?
Works for me!
BBC/Reuters;
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, have discussed the conflict engulfing the eastern European nation in a call.
Wang told Kuleba he "deeply regrets" the conflict and is "paying extreme attention to the harm suffered by civilians", according to the AFP news agency quoting Chinese state media.
He also called for both sides to "find a way to resolve the issue through negotiations", the same source reported.
In the call, which marks the first between the two men since Russia's invasion on Thursday, Kuleba asked Beijing to use its ties with Moscow to help halt the invasion, the Reuters news agency said.
Wang is said to have offered to make every effort to end the violence diplomatically, the agency wrote.
You have a nice London townhouse (or Home Counties mansion), a villa on the Riviera, plus dacha at home. And a superyacht, natch
Plus maybe a London flat for the kids at Eton/Westminster, and a bunker in New Zealand, JUST IN CASE
https://twitter.com/LeeHudson_/status/1498783931629408256
BLIT.....
There is nothing a gallery likes more than a blood-soaked philanthropist interested in Art.
They took the Sackler's money. They will have taken the oligarch's money.
https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status/1498785529411813387
I think they are privately seething though as well. There was an agreement nowt would happen till after the Olympics. There was a meeting between Putin and Xi.
Yet the Chinese seemed blindsided by what actually happened. They still have citizens in Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine.
Clearly Putin lied about the extent of his ambitions. A full scale total invasion wasn't what they anticipated.
https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1498349668522201099?t=wyvfkQswNag4KINTtGptEw&s=19
And this seems quite a common theme too:
Please take note of how dramatically Twitter has changed since the freezing of Russian assets. Suddenly all those anti-Biden “American patriots” have disappeared.
https://twitter.com/vigoriab/status/1498659907586994179?t=wQtNwJlnE4g2lcGmKZSmNw&s=19
https://cryptoslate.com/russians-are-paying-up-to-20000-above-market-rate-to-buy-bitcoin/
For those who don't understand, if you convert your robules or dollars to bitcoin, you could theoretically walk through airport security and exit russia with billions of dollars in value, using nothing more than a 24 word combination you've written down, or memorised.
And if you still don't understand why bitcoin has the value it has today after reading this, you never will.
(*Airbus might want to update this webpage soon-ish... https://www.airbus.com/en/our-worldwide-presence/airbus-in-europe/airbus-in-russia)
If it’s any help answering your question though, my username before my current “reinvention” at the same time you joined PB was a variation of my current username which I had used since 2007 - weirdly never had to be vulgar before then as nobody was weighing up the loss of buildings over people back then.
For the sake of Ukraine, Russia and the world – Putin must fail.
https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1498783727467520005
But a Ukrainian journalist today tested just what that soundbite means.
Tonight's #WaughOnPolitics is in your inbox
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/how-a-ukrainian-journalist-showed-boris-johnson-that-empty-three-word-slogans-dont-work-in-wartime-1491598
It might be further away from Ukraine than the UK, but there are about a million US citizens of Ukrainian descent.
🤦🏻♂️ https://inews.co.uk/news/government-accused-of-absurd-sanctions-loophole-after-giving-russian-bank-customers-30-days-to-wind-down-assets-1490017/amp
Johnson was compassionate, respectful, cautious, a world away from the jokey mateyness that often gets him into trouble.
Handled it well.
https://www.gemini.com/cryptopedia/paper-wallet-crypto-cold-storage
The problem with self custody tends to be physical means of attack, rather than electronic.
https://xkcd.com/538/
Just reading up on Slovenia polling and some guidance ahead of the election at the end of April.
There are three main pollsters - Parsifal, which is owned by a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) ad does polls for the pro-SDS news channel NOVA24TV (set up and owned by supporters of SDS). Parsifal's latest poll has SDS eight points ahead.
Ninamedia publishes polls for two Slovene daily newspapers, one in Marbor and the other in Ljubljana - both are owned by the Berliner group and take a centre-left line.
Mediana publishes polls for the Slovene newspaper, Delo, a daily broadsheet and for POP TV, a 24 hour news channel. Both the paper and the news channel are broadly centre to centre-left.
If you're looking for wholly indpendent objective polling, you may struggle in Slovenia and that may explain the huge divergence. While Parsifal has an 8-point SDS lead, both Parsifal and Mediana have Svoboda slightly in front. Parsifal has much lower polling for Svoboda and higher undecided than the other two pollsters.
Plenty of fun ahead....
Boris dealt with it honestly and compassionately on a question so emotional I doubt many could have a answered better
Are the inews really suggesting Boris should have agreed to the no fly request with the RAF taking down Russian aircraft over Ukraine
His words are not empty, as the path is through indirect military support to Ukraine and the coordination of sanctions across the west crippling Russia economy
» show previous quotes
Lol, I think you make the gammon stereotype rather better than I.
I imagine everytime I mention Alex-described -by-his-QC-as-bully-and-sex-pest-Salmond as such I imagine your sweaty fat little body goes a very bright puce and you have to reach for yet another drink.
How does it feel to be an apologist for a man that is not only described as such by his QC and his successor, but is also (via RT) on the payroll of the Kremlin? That makes you a second degree Putin apologist. Or have you now demoted your very gullible and inarticulate self to No2 fan after Mr Putin?
You get sadder with each post , red faced, bulging eyes , union jack dirty underpants on fire. Jog on loser.
To anyone who had to read my disgusting post I apologise for comparing Roger to the female sexual organ in a vulgar term - not even a vulva term.
It was wrong of me to compare Roger, who made some adverts, to a wonderful thing that has given birth to people great, useless, evil and Roger,
A wonderful organ that provides pleasure to both sexes and is the fount of all life. A thing of warmth, fascination, cultural significance. I compared it to Roger.
So again my sincerest apologies to anyone offended to me comparing Roger to a particular female body part. I would have just called him a prick but I had noticed he had been called that so often it wouldn’t express my anger fully.
Night all.
You probably should have tried something else like “your mum” or “you ok, hun?” Or even “cool story, bro”.
I expected something better from a creative.
On one hand, we all sort of knew that Putin was using social media to try and make people in the West hate each other. But I doubt that we've really clocked how much effect this has had, or how fake most of it is.
The bad thing is that it's taken a tragedy like this to remind us all of reality.
And we should all take a moment away from politics and offer a prayer tonight for all Ukrainians and for the quick end of Putin's terror
https://twitter.com/ianssmart/status/1498794684109537284
https://twitter.com/telegraph/status/1498793519158370311
Ukraine’s Air Force, along with units of the army and territorial defense, destroyed a large Russian military convoy near the city of Bashtanka in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region.
Military bloggers reported that the convoy contained up to 800 vehicles.
https://twitter.com/kyivindependent/status/1498799589100605444
@shaunwalker7
·
2h
Just spoke to
@albats
who reassuringly says Putin won't launch a nuclear war, because, "Look at the size of the table he got out for Macron - does it look like someone who is willing to die in a nuclear war?"
https://youtu.be/P4kQvkvGi9M