Ukraine

[jai yen yen]

Russia has a very powerful military. They could eventually win the war through superior numbers. Whether they win or not depends on the huge losses they would suffer. There would be no winners. What would they win? They will have destroyed the country so what would they gain? Thousands of guerillas will make their occupation too expensive to stay. There will be no winners.

One of Putins concerns is Uk.raine becoming a nato country, if he stops that it is a win for him. He does not care about the state of the country or the people dying for his cause.

[tamada]

Russia has a very powerful military. They could eventually win the war through superior numbers. Whether they win or not depends on the huge losses they would suffer. There would be no winners. What would they win? They will have destroyed the country so what would they gain? Thousands of guerillas will make their occupation too expensive to stay. There will be no winners.

Unfortunately, his huge but out-of-date military is only one threat that we see. The abuses of his autocratic rule means that the majority of Russians will only see the world through his eyes. In the same was as the remnants of Russia's older generations lament the era when the USSR was a great world power, the myth of their superiority and infallibility will endure. They're forced to drink an awful lot of Kool-Aid in the Urals and steppes. Always have and probably always will.

[parrot]

I'm wondering the impact of the common younger Russian, having been used to a diet of McD, Pepsi, instagram, facebook, Prada, i-everything technology, and grocery shelves full of you-name-it food items.......now facing a return to iron curtain days of standing in line for a few pounds of sugar. If you can't relate, try taking your younger one's smartphone away for a day/week or insisting on a bowl of noodle soup instead of KFC.

[papafarang]

I'm wondering the impact of the common younger Russian, having been used to a diet of McD, Pepsi, instagram, facebook, Prada, i-everything technology, and grocery shelves full of you-name-it food items.......now facing a return to iron curtain days of standing in line for a few pounds of sugar. If you can't relate, try taking your younger one's smartphone away for a day/week or insisting on a bowl of noodle soup instead of KFC.

all of those missing from our society would probably be a blessing, but Russia is a huge food exporter .if anything they will have a glut of food if they can't export it. I guess Burger kings are not too upset with McDonalds leaving either. Same goes with phones, apple only has a 15% share of the Russian market ,people will continue buying smart phones , just apple will disappear ,so just more Asian phones will hit the market. Another aspect that Europe will have to face is even when its over these brands will unlikely be able to re enter the Russian market.
One other thing to think about , all the refugees moving into Europe . great that countries are helping, but what are the long time implications ? Incomes are pretty low in Ukraine averaging around €430 a month , so after you move to the UK all of a sudden you have a nice place to stay, the UK government will give you more money than you could even earn , the other choice you have is return to a pile of rubble that used to be your home and the factory you worked in is also gone.. I can't see the majority of Ukrainians wanting to go back and live in a UN tent living on aid everyday for years. Even after it ends problems will persist for years. Odd though, other conflict zones reugee camps are set up , but Ukrainians are being helped by the Poland's people. How will the poles handle it when they find out their guests are a bit more of a perminant feature.

[tamada]

A large proportion of the former USSR's agricultural output already came from Ukraine and the grains and foodstuffs manufactured there were exported via Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Beyond the vast oil and gas reserves in the deep frozen north and east, there's a huge bit of "rough pasture" that no Russian governing body has ever seen fit to really capitalize on.
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Spatial distribution of arable and abandoned land in the former Soviet Union

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Arable Land and Uncultivated Agricultural Land and Deep Sea ports in Russia

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The Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK can pick up all the jobs that the Brits still reckon are beneath them. You know, the honest tradesman type of work like plumbers and electricians, just like the Poles that preceded them during those heady days of being a participant in the EU's open borders. I'm pretty sure that even P&O would be able to get a more socially acceptable and low-cost Ukrainian replacement crew instead of those dirt cheap Indian ones. Could save Grant Shapps flakey arse.

[papafarang]

Sadly the refugees are women,children,old people and widows. So no chance of getting any tradesmen, of course the men can join there families later.

[mak]

NATO's threat to Russia.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

The much maligned Boris Johnson seems to be the only western leader who has come up with some sort of plan for when the conflict is over. It seems to revolve around the idea that Russia is to blame for this, and that the world must not forget that Russia is the culprit. Well, it's not much, but who else in the West has come up with an idea about the war's aftermath?

It should be added that on a per capita basis the United Kingdom has given more aid to Ukraine than any other country.

[papafarang]

NATO's threat to Russia.

And if reversed the yellow indicates the Russian threat to NATO.

[GT93]

I think Sleepy Joe is doing very well. Good to see him in Warsaw:

Biden highlighted the US commitment to Ukraine and Nato, including a pledge to defend “every inch of Nato territory with the full force of our collective power”. The US and allies “maintain absolute unity – we must, among the world’s democracies”, he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... raine-nato

I think among other things he's warning Putin not to instigate terrorist type attacks (with "not Russia" deniability) against targets in NATO countries. I bet the intelligence services in Poland and similar countries are furiously tying to hunt down the potential threats within their countries. I suspect even MI 5 will be really busy. Putin is such a thug and nutter, he'll want some major payback for those British anti-tank missiles. He'll be moving some nasty shxt into the UK so they're ready if he wants to use them. He'll be thinking the UK is such a pariah state these days that WW III won't start with a couple of hundred mysterious deaths in the UK. He wouldn't dare try that "game" on US soil. Interfering in American elections is another story.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

I think Sleepy Joe is doing very well. Good to see him in Warsaw:

Biden highlighted the US commitment to Ukraine and Nato, including a pledge to defend “every inch of Nato territory with the full force of our collective power”. The US and allies “maintain absolute unity – we must, among the world’s democracies”, he said.

This quote does not demonstrate any commitment to Ukraine. However, I'll give you the opportunity to show me where I might have misunderstood your quote.

[tamada]

Chaos as Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin ‘cannot remain in power’

US policy in disarray as White House is forced to row back president’s call for Russian leader to be removed

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” the US president said, as he urged democracies around the world to unite against the Russian president in a speech in Poland’s capital littered with historical references to war in Europe.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/ ... -invasion/

Why is there chaos? Why the need to row back on the Commander-in-Chief's pretty obvious call to the Russian's to get their own house in order before someone is forced to do it for them?

Biden: ‘butcher’ Putin cannot be allowed to stay in power

West must prepare for a long fight ahead, President says, as Russian missiles hit Lviv in act of defiance

The American leader said Putin was “bent on violence”. Addressing the Russian president directly, Biden said: “Don’t even think about moving on to one single inch of Nato territory.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... y-in-power

Oops... that's just put Finland in the Kremlin's crosshairs.

[joudon]

The US " liberals" shoehorned Biden into the Whitehouse, now perhaps some might be thinking that it may have been a mistake.

[Khun Paul]

No difference to historical sayings. in the near and far history. Nero had to go, as did Napoleon, even Chruchill stated Hitler had to go.
Why is everyone upset, sure he has top go but how is the question and the problem , and WILL be around to see it or engulfed in a Nuclear firestorm initiated by him, that is the problem`. His back is against the wall. Military failing, senior people defecting Nothing to lose, his future is already mapped out, death or ignominy

[glalt]

I'm not a fan of Uncle Joe, BUT, at least he tells it as he sees it and has no problem insulting the insane macho man.

[mak]

One of Russia’s most advanced electronic warfare systems has been seized in Ukraine after retreating forces failed to destroy it, analysts have said.

The Krasukha-4 command module is designed to jam drones and low-orbit satellites but it is also believed to be able to track Nato aircraft.

[Whistler]

Not too many clinging to Putin's view of the war. see some posts supporting Putin on this site have been removed, probably a good thing too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/worl ... ganda.html

There's been "some posts supporting Putin on this site"?

Been away for a few days.

No names, no pack drill, but a Canadian poster on here claimed the Western Press was fabricating the extent of the war, the Ukrainians were the bad guys killing (I think he used the term genocide) Russians in the disputed territories in East Ukraine. Strangely enough I was harangued by a miidle aged Canadian while having a quiet one a few days later, who told me to 'open my mind', same guy, I suspect so. Man I hate that phrase it's as bad as 'do your research'. (code for watch RT.TV, The Epoch Times and the right wing nutters on Fox)

My follow up post on this site was asking where the poster was coming from, and what sources was he relying on. No reply. My response included the comment that the Western Press does trivialise and sensationalise stories, but on the big subject like Iraq, Vietnam etc, they pretty much get it right and have called out the West for unjustified aggression.

Admin removed both posts for whatever reason.

[tamada]

Flailing.

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/euro ... s-reprisal

Still flailing.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/p ... ng-2586751

Still more flailing.

https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-a ... ert-2022-3

[tamada]

The US " liberals" shoehorned Biden into the Whitehouse, now perhaps some might be thinking that it may have been a mistake.

No. The "conservatives" are the doubting Thomases in this regard.

[tamada]

Sadly the refugees are women,children,old people and widows. So no chance of getting any tradesmen, of course the men can join there families later.

Tradeswomen are a staple of what made eastern European socialism great.