Russia Invades

[CoolClaret]

Start disrupting the cosey oligarch culture in London for a start, cancel all 2300 Child student visa's who are in private schools, or at least stop accepting any new ones. Sanctions shouldn't just be financial, but also cultural / social. Many wealthy Russians are cosey with Putin and taking advantage of all of the UK's education, financial services, culture, property, sporting events and clubs, lawyers. Also banks cancel SWIFT access with Russian banks immediately.

Yep I for sure agree with that! - I never quite understood the way in which we have allowed Russian/Chinese to buy so much of London and have so much influence in the UK…. But then again I’m not a Machiavellian POS that only cares about their bank account and no wider ramifications…

[Quickenthetempo]

2 Russian helicopters reportedly shot down at Gostomel Airport, which is on the outskirts of Kiev.

Is it wrong to cheer every Russian casualty as it was a Burnley goal?

While all the Russian troops are in Ukraine. Parachute a special forces team into Russia and get Putin in a headlock. A few head rubs with the knuckles and a chinese burn should sort him.

[JohnMcGreal]

What’s the plan of action chaps? You’re Boris, what would you do next.

I'd drop the whole 'Boris' schtick, start going by my real first name, apologise for allowing my party, and by extension the UK government, to be corrupted and weakened by Russian money and influence over many years, apologise for helping to advance Russian interests against my own country's interests and then resign on the spot.

[TsarBomba]

If the Russian intention is to drop Airborne forces at Gostomel, then their armoured columns must be in support quickly. Very worrying.

[Dy1geo]

Start disrupting the cosey oligarch culture in London for a start, cancel all 2300 Child student visa's who are in private schools, or at least stop accepting any new ones. Sanctions shouldn't just be financial, but also cultural / social. Many wealthy Russians are cosey with Putin and taking advantage of all of the UK's education, financial services, culture, property, sporting events and clubs, lawyers. Also banks cancel SWIFT access with Russian banks immediately.

Cancelling SWIFT will have major implications on the U.K. and wider Europe economies, Russian gas is paid via SWIFT and do you advocate Europe to go without power.

I will agree with all the other sanctions you suggest.

[CoolClaret]

According to one of my friends who works for worldpay they are beginning to cancel a lot of access to Russian accounts as we speak

[PeterWilton]

Unbelievable comment. What a crock of sh*t. I don’t find anything hilarious about a war and unnecessary bloodshed.

C'mon. We both know he's not finding a war funny. He finds hypocrisy funny, that's all.

[Lancasterclaret]

Cancelling SWIFT will have major implications on the U.K. and wider Europe economies, Russian gas is paid via SWIFT and do you advocate Europe to go without power.

I will agree with all the other sanctions you suggest.

They are kinda counting on the West being unable to cope with some issues like this

It really is down to people understanding that if we don't stop this now, then it will get worse

That doesn't mean war btw, but it does mean absolutely shutting down the Russian economy

[PeterWilton]

Cancelling SWIFT will have major implications on the U.K. and wider Europe economies, Russian gas is paid via SWIFT and do you advocate Europe to go without power.

I will agree with all the other sanctions you suggest.

It would be incredible if we are still receiving and paying for Russian oil and gas after the existing contracts end.

[bfcjg]

Hack their tv stations and force them to watch voice dubbed episodes of Mrs Browns boys, white flags would be up in no time.
Ukraine is massive the West have give them some very handy hand held anti tank and other weapons, I don't think it will be a cakewalk for Russia and it could be the beginning of the end of Putin.

[dougcollins]

I'd drop the whole 'Boris' schtick, start going by my real first name, apologise for allowing my party, and by extension the UK government, to be corrupted and weakened by Russian money and influence over many years, apologise for helping to advance Russian interests against my own country's interests and then resign on the spot.

That's what should happen, but he's been here before.

[PeterWilton]

Is it wrong to cheer every Russian casualty as it was a Burnley goal?

I promise not to cancel you for it.

[Lancasterclaret]

Hack their tv stations and force them to watch voice dubbed episodes of Mrs Browns boys, white flags would be up in no time.
Ukraine is massive the West have give them some very handy hand held anti tank and other weapons, I don't think it will be a cakewalk for Russia and it could be the beginning of the end of Putin.

It all depends on where the Ukrainian army is and how quickly they react

The battle trained troops are in the Donbass, and they are effectively isolated if the Russians control the bridges over the Dnieper

Thats the reality

Its a blitzkrieg, relying on the Ukrainians to collapse quickly

If the Russians control the coast and the airports, the bulk of the Ukrainian army is surrounded and there are Russian troops on the Western Border, then they is very little we can do to stop them

But I must stress, this will cost the Russians a lot of missiles, a lot of tanks and a lot of real casualties, the longer the Ukrainians can resist, the less likely it is that Russia can win

(I wish I could put it down on a map, which would make it easier to explain, but my thing is military history, especially the Eastern Front in WWII, and all the places being mentioned today were all mentioned repeatedly 41-45)

[TsarBomba]

Ukrainian Interior Ministry- Gostomel has been taken by Russian forces.

They are moving fast.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Hack their tv stations and force them to watch voice dubbed episodes of Mrs Browns boys, white flags would be up in no time.

I think this was added to the Geneva Convention.

[CoolClaret]

C'mon. We both know he's not finding a war funny. He finds hypocrisy funny, that's all.

Precisely this. Definitely not laughing at War, I despise how it’s glorified it should be avoid at all costs.

… but I’m also not going to unconditionally support any ‘side’ due to my own nationality/bloodline

[Dy1geo]

They are kinda counting on the West being unable to cope with some issues like this

It really is down to people understanding that if we don't stop this now, then it will get worse

That doesn't mean war btw, but it does mean absolutely shutting down the Russian economy

A commentator on CNBC this morning actually said the rise in wholesale Gas and Oil will improve the Russian economic reserves. It is much easier for us who get only 3% of our energy from Russia to call for sanctions whilst other who get 40%+ from them will be more affected.

My argument is that Europe in the next 10 years have to reduce their reliance on Russian energy and if that means in the short term pushing back Zero Carbon until we adjust so be it.

[RicardoMontalban]

We talk about sanctions, but this government won't be in a rush to bite the hand that feeds them.

This gets to the heart of the matter really. Unfortunately I think people are realising too late the compromising of our government / state, and what that really means. For all the tough talk of sanctions over the last few days, when the UK's were announced the Russian economy actually bounced. Not sure that's the response you want.

Realistically what is our government going to do? Sure, I expect there to be further sanctions, but you'd imagine they will still fall far short of having an impact. Beyond that and some pearl clutching from senior ministers and the PM I don't imagine we'll see much more. The sad fact is that any meaningful response comes from US and FRA/GER led EU. Our influence has been eroded to such a startling degree. We have the tools to do (finance sector) but the political will is already, quite starkly, not there.

This is a desperate day for European politics.

[PeterWilton]

Another point, Ukraine promised no nuclear program to secure their sovereignty in the 90s. And Russia agreed. How many other countries are going to see that as a massive blunder and seek to develop their own programs? It's going to be really tough to convince any country considering a program that they can be secure without them.

[RingoMcCartney]

We have coal and gas under our feet.

The extraction of which would provide cheaper INDEPENDENT, SELF SUFFICIENT , NON ERRATIC , NON INTERMITTENT, RELIABLE , ( unlike solar and wind) energy for decades and provide hundreds of thousands of well paid jobs, predominantly in the North of England.



The UK spends $1 billion on Russian gas each and every year.



You do the maths......

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Mark Hughes back in management

If that isn't one of the signs of the apocalypse then I don't know what is

Paul Ince, then Hughes.
Who are the other two members of the four horsemen?

[Inchy]

At what point does North Korea lob a missile over the pacific for the crack?

[Lancasterclaret]

At what point does North Korea lob a missile over the pacific for the crack?

Serious point

If China really, really, really wanted to say to the world that we are the No 1 power, then they could try to stop Russia

If they succeed doing that, when we clearly can't, then boy, are we going to be living in a completely different world

[GodIsADeeJay81]

20220224_115228.jpg (195.8 KiB) Viewed 1863 times

Airlines rightly giving the area a wide berth

[Inchy]

It would be incredible if we are still receiving and paying for Russian oil and gas after the existing contracts end.

As incredible as us selling arms to Saudi who then pass them on to our lads shooting our lads?

[Lancasterclaret]

The internet is full of Russian helicopters over Ukrainian towns and cities

Helicopters are great, but they can only be effective when you have almost total air superiority

That does suggest that the Ukrainian Air Force isn't a factor anymore

[CoolClaret]

Paul Ince, then Hughes.
Who are the other two members of the four horsemen?

Steve Bruce, Big Sam

[claretandbluesky]

This could either be a stimulator for a real green revolution or the start of a nationalistic agenda where the green revolution is sidelined. Besides the obvious huge effect this is going to have on world security and the likely calls for a new arms race, the main danger is a world economic depression, and the polarisation of the world into democratic and totalitarian ideologies.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Steve Bruce, Big Sam

Bruce is in at WBA....

Anyone keeping tabs on Sam?

[Lancasterclaret]

20220224_115228.jpg

Airlines rightly giving the area a wide berth

I take it that one over Belarus is a lost Russian missile?

[claretandbluesky]

China and Russia are in this together, that is the new world order we need to wake up to.

[Inchy]

China and Russia are in this together, that is the new world order we need to wake up to.

Joke is I bet the Chinese will love Mrs Browns Boys. They’re into weird crap

[Lancasterclaret]

Fairly clear that Putin will want to win, then withdraw, leaving a puppet government, which will then organise the worlds most fixed election, and then a referendum, and then Ukraine rejoins Russia

I can't stress this enough, this is cold war II, and everything will change

You are looking at a massive increase in defence spending across NATO, and that will affect our standard of living

Thing is, Putin is gambling that we won't put up with that for other countries

I hope he's wrong like, but we've shown a worrying inability to deal with crisis correctly for a while now

[PeterWilton]

The internet is full of Russian helicopters over Ukrainian towns and cities

Helicopters are great, but they can only be effective when you have almost total air superiority

That does suggest that the Ukrainian Air Force isn't a factor anymore

I read somewhere that they had about 125 aircraft. The air force wasn't likely to ever be a factor. Surface-to-air missiles can **** some of them up though, although i believe fewer than a dozen fighters and helicopters have been shot down so far.

[PeterWilton]

Fairly clear that Putin will want to win, then withdraw, leaving a puppet government, which will then organise the worlds most fixed election, and then a referendum, and then Ukraine rejoins Russia

I can't stress this enough, this is cold war II, and everything will change

You are looking at a massive increase in defence spending across NATO, and that will affect our standard of living

Thing is, Putin is gambling that we won't put up with that for other countries

I hope he's wrong like, but we've shown a worrying inability to deal with crisis correctly for a while now

He might even take Moldova during this.

Finland and Sweden should get themselves into NATO, sharpish.

[IanMcL]

A bullet in the head would be a good outcome.
Failing that, we could send the present occupant of number 10 for a few months/years. He would have them destabilised in no time.

Very sad situation.

[Lancasterclaret]

I read somewhere that they had about 125 aircraft. The air force wasn't likely to ever be a factor. Surface-to-air missiles can **** some of them up though, although i believe fewer than a dozen fighters and helicopters have been shot down so far.

Yes, but it would still need neutralizing, as you wouldn't send in troops in helicopters if there were still Ukrainian aircraft about

Some videos of shot down Russian helicopters on twitter

[PeterWilton]

Yes, but it would still need neutralizing, as you wouldn't send in troops in helicopters if there were still Ukrainian aircraft about

Some videos of shot down Russian helicopters on twitter

They bombed the runways immediately overnight. I think it was the first things they attacked.

[KRBFC]

He needs the same treatment as the Iranian official from Trump, drone attack, the Belarus PM needs the same.

[PeterWilton]

He needs the same treatment as the Iranian official from Trump, drone attack, the Belarus PM needs the same.

That would *really* lead to "interesting times".

[PeterWilton]

Looks like at least one Ukrainian fighter was able to take off.

https://twitter.com/KievUkraineLive/sta ... 5w__gmGjGg

[KRBFC]

That would *really* lead to "interesting times".

Aye, I'm not sure even his own officials agree with his Nazi like plans. Trump was right when he said Putin was genius for the move into ''independent'' parts of Eastern Ukraine, moved thousands of troops freely across the border as ''peace control''. I wouldn't listen to much Trumps says right now though, it's just anti Biden stuff.

[jackmiggins]

This and future Russian aggression has been obvious for years. Can’t believe the Germans, of all people, have sleptwalked into this with their gas supplies.
Afraid that sanctions will not work - pretty sure Putin isn’t concerned if his own people starve!

[PeterWilton]

Aye, I'm not sure even his own officials agree with his Nazi like plans. Trump was right when he said Putin was genius for the move into ''independent'' parts of Eastern Ukraine, moved thousands of troops freely across the border as ''peace control''. I wouldn't listen to much Trumps says right now though, it's just anti Biden stuff.

Even I could've predicted Putin's decision to recognise DNR and LNR before having them request his military help and then moving in. My neighbours cat could've come up with a plan more devious. It's only "genius" to Trump because he's a particularly stupid person. The kind of stupid who thinks passing a dementia test is an achievement. And were he not that stupid he'd say the same anyway because of how completely he's owned by Putin.

[conyoviejo]

Sanctions won't stop this lunatic,the only thing that will stop him is military action.

[Lancasterclaret]

This and future Russian aggression has been obvious for years. Can’t believe the Germans, of all people, have sleptwalked into this with their gas supplies.
Afraid that sanctions will not work - pretty sure Putin isn’t concerned if his own people starve!

If he knows his own countries history, he bloody well should be

[dermotdermot]

Stop the world. I want to get off.

[jackmiggins]

If he knows his own countries history, he bloody well should be
Problem is that he does know the history - he wants his name in history and obviously wants to surpass Lenin and Stalin

[Lancasterclaret]

Yes, but the Tsars got forced out because a war became far too expensive and millions of people started to starve

[Gunfury]

All America needs to do is send Chuck Norris in…job done!