Ukraine

[eny]

The extent of Russian support from the US right is ridiculous, media stations are using Russian propaganda footage when describing the buildup. The amount of public figures bought off and openly saying Ukraine should just surrender doesn't bode well for the future of the west. I think autocracy and the end of democracy is closer than we think...

[Mantis]

I still don't think it will actually come to war. We have the absolute worst political lightweights in control of Downing Street and the Foreign Office at the moment so we all better be praying that it doesn't come to war.

It's pretty embarrassing seeing Truss just using the crisis as a photo op for her leadership ambitions with her taxpayer funded photographer putting pictures on her Instagram. And then when she actually has to talk to a Russian ambassador she is so hopelessly out of her depth on her brief she didn't even know the name of the territory on the Russian side of the border where they were keeping all their troops.

The west's response in general to this has been pretty poor. No cohesion, just every major leader holding their own talks because they see themselves as the hero of the hour and want good press back in their home countries.

[Achtung Englander]

Maybe this is exactly what Putin wants - the West are all a tither and the Ukranian economy is slowly getting fucked as investment and trade is slowing.

I am more 55%/45% he won't attack but he will make a permanent base of those 130K soldiers.

He does attack he will be nuts to do so. Russia may win the war but the cost to their economy will be massive. I suspect the West will probably close SWIFT to Russian banks which is hugely damaging. Let alone annexing half of Ukraine with an economy the size of Spain. The only thing the Russians have up their sleeve is the nuclear weaponry to destroy humanity...there is that.

[Wrathbone]

And the gas they supply to us. That to me is the more pressing issue than nuclear weapons.

If it ever came to nukes, I'd never know as I live a few miles from a nuclear power plant which has a big target drawn on it. But if our already-rocketing energy prices go up even more because Russia cuts off our gas supply, I'll certainly know about it.

[Achtung Englander]

trust me if it comes to that its best to go quickly and you will not even feel it as themonuclear has a blast radius of tens of miles. It will be over in less than a second. Better than to actually survive it.

[Raid]

If it ever came to nukes, I'd never know as I live a few miles from a nuclear power plant which has a big target drawn on it. But if our already-rocketing energy prices go up even more because Russia cuts off our gas supply, I'll certainly know about it.

It may not be the worst eventuality of a nuclear war, but if it does come to Heysham being targeted, I'm mostly just imagining Gronk and Murrik trying to break into a casino vault without either of us.

[Wrathbone]

If it ever came to nukes, I'd never know as I live a few miles from a nuclear power plant which has a big target drawn on it. But if our already-rocketing energy prices go up even more because Russia cuts off our gas supply, I'll certainly know about it.

It may not be the worst eventuality of a nuclear war, but if it does come to Heysham being targeted, I'm mostly just imagining Gronk and Murrik trying to break into a casino vault without either of us.

I like the implication that amidst the fallout, death and roving scavenger gangs, the survivors are sat in the rubble playing D&D.

[Raid]

I like to think that we're just as likely to need a distraction from a nuclear holocaust as we are from the machinations of Boris Sodding Johnson. The only difference will be working out which horrible mutated ghoul ate your d20.

[Sly Boots]

If it ever came to nukes, I'd never know as I live a few miles from a nuclear power plant which has a big target drawn on it. But if our already-rocketing energy prices go up even more because Russia cuts off our gas supply, I'll certainly know about it.

It may not be the worst eventuality of a nuclear war, but if it does come to Heysham being targeted, I'm mostly just imagining Gronk and Murrik trying to break into a casino vault without either of us.

Well, Murrik at least, Gronk would likely still be puttering around the local shops wondering what happened to everyone...

[Raid]

Remember, if we don't show up back at the inn, it actually was a wizard that did it.

Aaaanyway, I have to agree with the above comment that says that Western opposition to this has been pretty pathetic. Russia has seemingly been meddling with Western politics in back-handed manners for years now (Brexit, Trump etc.) depending on who you listen to, and if that's true then it seems to be working for them. Our politicians are so concerned about appearing strong to their electorates (either because of or in fear of populism) that they don't want to take a back seat and negotiate as a group. I can't believe we sent Liz "Pork Markets! " Truss over in an attempt to solve things. I wouldn't trust her to dissuade a misbehaving puppy attempting to climb onto the sofa, never mind Vladimir Putin invading a sovereign nation.

[Achtung Englander]

it seems there has been a lot of back doors negotiations. When Scholz saw Putin, something was said to calm down the situation.

It does make Boris and Biden look a little foolish with their hysterics. As I suspect, Putin is just playing the West. He always said as much when he publically said the West played Russia (regards Nato)

[Rossell]

So the idea is make the concept of Nato look stupid, stir up unrest among allies then invade when stuff is more broken.

Or he'll invade in a few days. Kinda hope this guy buggers off tbh.

[eny]

Largest cyber-attack yet in Ukraine over the last couple of days, and no real signs of withdrawal—yes Putin is poking the nest to see how big it is, and yes, he still might push on with invasion.

[Achtung Englander]

i doubt it

its more like a permanent base, starring down Ukraine.

[Solitaire]

Largest cyber-attack yet in Ukraine over the last couple of days, and no real signs of withdrawal—yes Putin is poking the nest to see how big it is, and yes, he still might push on with invasion.

Again, I agree. He has no reason not to. Ukraine has vast resources in a couple dozen major sectors, from food to minerals. Putin won't care about cutting off oil supplies to Europe, he wouldn't need the money if he has Ukraine. Annexing the rest of Ukraine would add millions of citizens back to the Russian Federation. They took Crimea years ago, and continue to support the Donbass separatists - just yesterday they attacked a village.

Yes, AE, he is building a base on the border. It's just one part of the plan. Russia has encircled Ukraine. Why in the world would they do this? It isn't because of what Putin is saying - that he wants Ukraine to stay out of the UN forever, and for Western military forces to leave all Eastern European countries. Neither of these demands will be met, and he knows that, and doesn't care. Watch what Russians do, not what they say, because they will never tell you what they're thinking. Believe me, I know, I spent twenty years married to a Russian, and immersed in their culture and ideas. He says they are moving a few troops away, meanwhile all we see is more moving in, building a bridge just miles from the border... If the Western world leaders did everything he asked, there would still be no retreat. We are looking at the staging of a full-on invasion of a country, and pretending like diplomacy will somehow stop Putin is tragically naïve. In the modern-day era we can now see, via satellites, what was hidden in the fog of war. This is what an invasion has always looked like.

America and others won't risk going to war with Russia. Or maybe someone will. It will be WWIII, which is not out of the realm of possibility. We might have many, many more problems than what we've ever thought we had. Recent generations have seen terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, but not world war. Modern life would fall apart within hours of losing internet services across the planet. Am I spouting doom and gloom? Certainly, I am, and I hope it's all just silly talk and everything magically works out just fine, no Ukrainians die, no young Russian soldiers die while just following orders, no children get crushed by tanks and katyusha rockets...

Okay, I'm seriously going to shut up now, and hope I'm wrong about all of it, every last word.