Russia Masses Military Equipment Near Ukraine Borders: A Prologue to WWIII?

[odas]

6 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

Good for Mitt. Seriously wtf is happening with the republican party now in days. 

I barely recognize them anymore 

On a side note, the dems are not to recognize either. If I had a say, unfortunately I don't, Mitt Romney would be president. I firmly believe he is the only one who could get USA united again. Sorry, broke my own rule but I always had a very positive opinion about Mitt.

[odas]

One more blow to Putin:

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2022/feb/28/fifa-and-uefa-suspend-russian-clubs-and-teams-from-world-cup-and-all-competitions

Feel sorry for the Russian sportists but things have to be done.

Hopefully they will be reinstated soon and play on the world stage while Putin is under 6 ft of dirt.

[Eldorado]

China says Beijing and Moscow are "partners" but not allies as it pledged to not interfere in the Ukraine crisis.

MSN

[thedutchiedutch]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:38 PM, spud the mackem said:

I know what is going on , and support Ukraine 100% , but ordinary Russian people are Ok , its the Dictatorship that's not , you can see this by the protests being made in Russia ,with 1000's of arrests . With regard to helping out Europe , well did Europe help us out when we were at war with Argentina , Nobody offered any help to us in that conflict . I.M.O. we are best out of Europe . 

Agreed. But in regards to the Falklands war, Europe did support the British by implemented a strong series of sanctions against Argentina.
However, this was like 40 years ago. Different times, different generation, different politics today. 
 

[DarkHunter]

A Ukranian TB2 drone bombed a Russian train carrying fuel to the front, that is definitely going to hurt Russian logistics a bit.

[odas]

On 2/27/2022 at 1:38 PM, Helen of Annoy said:

@odas It's now official, Turkey is doing their part. 

 

https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/turska-ogranicava-ulazak-ruskih-ratnih-brodova-u-crno-more/2343158.aspx?index_ref=rubrika_vijesti_najnovije_d

TURKEY has changed its rhetoric, calling Russia's attack on Ukraine a "war" and promising to implement parts of an international maritime agreement to restrict the passage of Russian warships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

"Now it is no longer a couple of airstrikes, the situation in Ukraine can officially be called a war… Therefore, we will implement the Montreux Convention," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with CNN Turk.

Yes, I just read Erdog himself confirmed it today. 

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

1 hour ago, Eldorado said:

China says Beijing and Moscow are "partners" but not allies as it pledged to not interfere in the Ukraine crisis.

MSN

Well, that’s China washing it’s hands of the whole affair. 

[+and-then]

15 hours ago, susieice said:

Mitt Romney is going off on some Republicans.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/27/politics/mitt-romney-gop-ukraine-russia/index.html

Mittens' time in the sun is nearly over.  He's a RINO extraordinaire and he along with Liz and Adam, are on their way out.  Those trying to sell the idea that Republicans in general are supporting Putin are going to have to do a better job than this.  I find it distasteful that they'd use the suffering of the Ukrainian people to push politics here at home.  

[+and-then]

4 hours ago, DarkHunter said:

Switzerland has broken its neutral stance and has adopted EU sanctions against Russia.  It's bad when the Swiss wont even stay neutral.

I think Putin has reawakened a healthy fear of the totalitarian Bear.  

[Helen of Annoy]

1 hour ago, odas said:

Yes, I just read Erdog himself confirmed it today. 

It's not just restricted anymore, Black sea is blocked for Russians now. 

Another humiliation for Putin. And quite a headache for Assad.  

[Helen of Annoy]

And just one more thing before I pass out   

why is Russia still in UN Security Council? 

It's bizarre. Russia vetoed UN resolution that criticizes Russia, of course it did. How can a country whose dictator went that far to threaten the world with nuclear weapons sit in UN Security Council? They should be thrown out of UN until they get rid of Putler.  

[ExpandMyMind]

59 minutes ago, and then said:

Mittens' time in the sun is nearly over.  He's a RINO extraordinaire and he along with Liz and Adam, are on their way out.  Those trying to sell the idea that Republicans in general are supporting Putin are going to have to do a better job than this.  I find it distasteful that they'd use the suffering of the Ukrainian people to push politics here at home.  

He was referring to specific Republicans, and only those who recently did speak out in support of Putin, not the entire party.

But there’s a thread over in the US section if you’d like to discuss further.

[ExpandMyMind]

3 minutes ago, Helen of Annoy said:

And just one more thing before I pass out   

why is Russia still in UN Security Council? 

It's bizarre. Russia vetoed UN resolution that criticizes Russia, of course it did. How can a country whose dictator went that far to threaten the world with nuclear weapons sit in UN Security Council? They should be thrown out of UN until they get rid of Putler.  

The same reasons all the war criminal countries are - they have nukes and/or got in on the ground floor.

Edited February 28, 2022 by ExpandMyMind

[Buzz_Light_Year]

4 minutes ago, Helen of Annoy said:

why is Russia still in UN Security Council?

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

Sun Tzu

[+joc]

6 hours ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Nuke

Yes and he has lost everything Russia could hope to gain at this point he has hurt his own people as well as the people from the Ukraine. The world will be a cold shoulder to him if he does survive and likely from his own people as well.

He will probably cry himself to sleep tonite...

...or maybe not...

[Silver]

1 hour ago, Helen of Annoy said:

And just one more thing before I pass out   

why is Russia still in UN Security Council? 

It's bizarre. Russia vetoed UN resolution that criticizes Russia, of course it did. How can a country whose dictator went that far to threaten the world with nuclear weapons sit in UN Security Council? They should be thrown out of UN until they get rid of Putler.  

Putin has been on a roll. He has been able to assassinate European citizens through nerve agents in their own countries without sanction, he has bankrolled the split between the EU and the UK, he has got oligarchs installed in the UK House of Lords, he has bankrolled the UK Tory Party into submission- I guess he thought a traditional ground war would be aceptable. Now the Wagner mercenaries will be commiting genocide in Ukraine, to "cleanse" it. I'm not at all sure economic sanctions will be enough. 

[ExpandMyMind]

6 minutes ago, The Silver Shroud said:

Putin has been on a roll. He has been able to assassinate European citizens through nerve agents in their own countries without sanction, he has bankrolled the split between the EU and the UK, he has got oligarchs installed in the UK House of Lords, he has bankrolled the UK Tory Party into submission- I guess he thought a traditional ground war would be aceptable. 

All true, but ffs lad, can you not leave your partisan ****e out of the conversation for even one day?

It’s seriously getting ridiculous. Nobody cares. If you want to have a dig at Conservatives or Brexiteers, create a new thread and shout to your heart’s content.

I’ve spent far more time than I care to admit arguing with half the posters in this thread. If I can hold my water, so can you.

[DarkHunter]

Rumors floating around that Poland might allow Ukraine to use some of its airfields to base their newly acquired Mig-29s and Su-25s.  It's only rumors, it's not without precedent, but it would probably be considered as escalation by Russia.  Arguably having Belarus joining the war actively Russia started escalating first.

Also the Finish parliament is about to debate the prospects of joining NATO.  Seems Putin is just about guaranteed there will be a long NATO front on Russia's border.

Edited March 1, 2022 by DarkHunter

[ExpandMyMind]

Wow. A 17 mile Russian convoy is heading for Kyiv (which I, apparently, can now spell correctly). Last report I read was that it was 17 miles away as well.

It’s make or break time. I sure hope Ukraine has a lot more of those Turkish drones and that those planes get into the air quickly, because I highly doubt Kyiv can withstand forces of that magnitude.

[ExpandMyMind]

8 minutes ago, DarkHunter said:

Rumors floating around that Poland might allow Ukraine to use some of its airfields to base their newly acquired Mig-29s and Su-25s.  It's only rumors, it's not without precedent, but it would probably be considered as escalation by Russia.  Arguably having Belarus joining the war actively Russia started escalating first.

When I read that Belarus had officially joined the battle and were asking to house nukes for Russia, my immediate though was that Poland might invade them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it.

[Silver]

24 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

All true, but ffs lad, can you not leave your partisan ****e out of the conversation for even one day?

It’s seriously getting ridiculous. Nobody cares. If you want to have a dig at Conservatives or Brexiteers, create a new thread and shout to your heart’s content.

I’ve spent far more time than I care to admit arguing with half the posters in this thread. If I can hold my water, so can you.

Yes, you are right. I'm pointlessly angry at Brexit as it is done. I think I might start a blog somewhere. I need to channel my anger into something more useful.

[DarkHunter]

10 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

When I read that Belarus had officially joined the battle and were asking to house nukes for Russia, my immediate though was that Poland might invade them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it.

With Belarus sending a lot of its troops to Brest I honestly wouldn't be surprised if within a week there is an incident with Poland that brings NATO into the conflict.  

If that does occur I cant see the war expanding realistically beyond Ukraine and Belarus, no NATO country would want to invade Russia, with the exception of Kaliningrad, as that would risk Russia using nuclear weapons and Russia wouldn't want an expanded front that includes its western and far eastern regions as it lacks the military personnel and equipment for two fronts one of which being extremely long.

A NATO invasion of Belarus would draw Russian troops and equipment out of Ukraine and would significantly damage Putin and the Russian military without having to attack the Russia homeland directly.

[Silver]

20 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

Wow. A 17 mile Russian convoy is heading for Kyiv (which I, apparently, can now spell correctly). Last report I read was that it was 17 miles away as well.

It’s make or break time. I sure hope Ukraine has a lot more of those Turkish drones and that those planes get into the air quickly, because I highly doubt Kyiv can withstand forces of that magnitude.

It is very sad, but street-to-street fighting has always led to high casualties. They need to get the  non-combatants out if they can. Europe has decended into the dark ages of the middle of the last century.

[ExpandMyMind]

8 minutes ago, The Silver Shroud said:

Yes, you are right. I'm pointlessly angry at Brexit as it is done. I think I might start a blog somewhere. I need to channel my anger into something more useful.

Just join Reddit lol

[+and-then]

9 minutes ago, DarkHunter said:

A NATO invasion of Belarus would draw Russian troops and equipment out of Ukraine and would significantly damage Putin and the Russian military without having to attack the Russia homeland directly.

ANY action that gives him a realistic reason to use tactical nukes, is a BAD action that should be avoided.   Remember that he began touting lower yield "battlefield" nukes several years ago.  We began stockpiling them as well.  I said it was insanity back then and I still believe that to be true.  Remember that Belarus has just agreed to stage Russian nukes on its soil.  What Putin is doing in Ukraine is going to forever change the complexion and political composition of Europe going forward.  It appears that he is hell-bent on taking Ukraine and short of NATO combat forces stopping him, he will succeed in his mission.

The issue he's going to have is "what does success look like"?  He can't leave roughly half of his entire available military force in place for years to control a nation that will be forever hostile to his troops.  If he resorts in frustration and turns Kiev into another Grozny then the world will openly loathe him and Russia for decades into the future.  If the numbers of Russian casualties are accurate he will have thousands of his own citizens dedicated to doing everything they possibly can to remove him when this is all over.  In short, he is likely to become increasingly erratic in the coming days and weeks and giving him any excuse to start lobbing nukes is not a good idea.

Some will say that if he takes Ukraine uncontested by NATO then he'd have no reason not to repeat the move against one or all of the Baltic states or Poland.  To them I'd say, he has watched his military struggle mightily against a single, non-NATO military that in no way approaches the level of lethality that NATO possesses.  Even if HE is that insane, his generals aren't.