February 15, 20223 yr Called it. (re: BBC breaking news update) also this: @1493507990409863170 In that it appears that Russia's troops have completed drills and are returning to bases. Of course it's still possible that things could head south but the war hysteria in the media was starting to get real nauseating so I'll cheer any brief respite from that - this is pretty much how de-escalation would start in any case.
February 15, 20223 yr Well, I truly hope so. I struggle to believe anything that is put out by the Kremlin. Maybe this is a wake-up call for Europe - I think Europe needs to stop relying on rogue states for its energy security and accelerate the move to renewables and/or nuclear. In the meantime, in the UK we need to seriously get a grip on the dirty money: vFfEoUshW6E
February 17, 20223 yr Fair, the US are now disputing the claims, and they certainly don't seem to have withdrawn from the border according to multiple national intelligences, perhaps some troops further back had finished some drills. I could see some further action from Russia in the next few weeks or so... full scale invasion, still unlikely.
February 20, 20223 yr May have been glued/glancing at a live tracker all weekend. I have changed my mind, the Russians will probably be launching an offensive very soon. They've stepped up a lot of instability in Donetsk and Luhansk and NATO/intelligence seems to have their troop movements down too. This is the official date for the end of 'exercises' in any case. The Russians are claiming that a Ukrainian attack will begin against the Donbas, which will be their cue to strike, although a small part of me doesn't see the Ukrainians deciding that this biggest moment of tension in years is quite the right time to launch a reclamation of these frozen combat zones.
February 20, 20223 yr With the end of the Winter Olympics today wouldn’t be surprised to see this offensive happening this week!
February 20, 20223 yr With the end of the Winter Olympics today wouldn’t be surprised to see this offensive happening this week! The normal Russian tactic would be to do it while the eyes of the world were elsewhere.
February 20, 20223 yr The US Pentagon, according to Sky News, says Russia is preparing to invade "very soon" and could be within hours now. Putin refusing Biden's calls now. There'll be a lot killed cos they won't just roll over. :( Edited February 20, 20223 yr by cider man
February 20, 20223 yr With the end of the Winter Olympics today wouldn’t be surprised to see this offensive happening this week! Why??? Events elsewhere help.
February 20, 20223 yr This is true, however the Winter Olympics has hardly stopped eyes being on Ukraine and Russia might consider delaying an invasion to stay on China's good side. In any case, the drills have not stopped as they were planned in Belarus and more and more reports of explosions and weapons fire is coming out of the Donbas, likely not all from separatist rebels.
February 21, 20223 yr The Adolf Putin has ordered a russian „peacekeeping mission“ in the Donbas. This is standard russian playbook for annexing the territory of states that date to defy it. See also: Georgia
February 21, 20223 yr With Russia now recognising the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as “breakaway independent states”, will we expect to see two new countries competing in Eurovision next year? Joking aside, definitely not good. Hoping for a peaceful resolution to the salami tactics, but my hopes grow lesser by the day.
February 21, 20223 yr With Russia now recognising the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as “breakaway independent states”, will we expect to see two new countries competing in Eurovision next year? Joking aside, definitely not good. Hoping for a peaceful resolution to the salami tactics, but my hopes grow lesser by the day. Probably won’t be recognised lol, same with the football!
February 22, 20223 yr Seems pretty mad it has come to this, I think Putin has lost the plot personally, going to war and to try and gain control of Ukraine seems absolutely bonkers, almost as if he is concerned about what his legacy as President will be. Even though China seem to want to recognise Ukraine as an indepent state publically, surely there cannot be too much coincidence that Putin plays the game of chess just after the Olympics finish? Probably concerned if he runs out of money, China will back them up. Either way it seems absolutely no-one outside of Putin wants a conflict, and he's got the West where he wants them.
February 22, 20223 yr Definitely seems like from the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk that the plan was to make them the same as Crimea, as for the rest of Ukraine, Putin might take an opportunity if he thinks he can get it without (from his perspective) too much hassle. And he'll probably be able to get it if he wants it, to defy him and bring NATO into it risks too much.
February 22, 20223 yr Putin must be terrified, the US will be banning investment and trade in the 'so-called' independent Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the EU is planning to.. *checks notes* .. scrap plans to hold the Champions League final in Saint Petersburg in May. oh no! Am I the only one who feels like western diplomacy is laughably amateurish and toothless and massively hypocritical. They are just all so useless. As figures compiled last year show, Johnson’s party accepted £2 million from individuals linked to Russia since becoming Prime Minister, with a quarter of his own Cabinet receiving donations from them.
February 22, 20223 yr Of course one of our most influential politicians (depsite never being personally elected he had caused massive change in my view for the worse) Nigel Farage worships the ground that Putin walks on. There's probably many Tory MPs that do so too. They all love a violent homophobic dictator.
February 22, 20223 yr Putin must be terrified, the US will be banning investment and trade in the 'so-called' independent Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the EU is planning to.. *checks notes* .. scrap plans to hold the Champions League final in Saint Petersburg in May. oh no! Am I the only one who feels like western diplomacy is laughably amateurish and toothless and massively hypocritical. They are just all so useless. why not force the EBU to ban them from Eurovision while they're at it, for all the good it'd do. The banks and 'wealthy individuals' hit by sanctions tonight might do more but that might also take time for its effects to be felt, I haven't seen enough yet about the details to decide either way.
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