As usual in these polls people generally picked a middle option. But there has always been a willingness to accept genuine refugees from a desperate situation if they came through an official channel… (View Post)

It's a fair question, but I'd point out that my teenage communism was exactly because of the rise of the democratic western brand epitomised by Berlinguer in Italy and Hermansson in Sweden … (View Post)

Betting on middle-class Russians to decide the outcome misunderstands Russia IMO - we meet them, we hear lots about them because they're the usual contacts for journalists in Moscow. But they�… (View Post)

Not up to us, but If I was Ukraine I'd evaluate it on what it would mean for Ukraine rather than guessing what the Russian state of mind might be. Otherwise one gets into no-win negotiations whe… (View Post)

On a lighter note, here's the impressive Ukrainian ration kit that's keeping them going in the chilly surroundings (-1 in Kyiv at the moment): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_eFoIemjU (View Post)