leicsmac Posted 11 February 2023 Share Posted 11 February 2023 3 minutes ago, MPH said: Russia , the United States and Europe being annihilated in a war might actually ‘save’ the rest of the world long term ....so long as radioactive fallout (among other effects)is kind enough to obey international borders and stop to have its passport checked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_favourite Posted 20 February 2023 Share Posted 20 February 2023 (edited) That is from a Russian on YouTube. Not sure how true, but odd nonetheless Edited 20 February 2023 by fox_favourite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaphamFox Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 (edited) Putin suspends key nuclear arms treaty with NATO and bitterly attacks the West: I guess this is what those black billboards were about Edited 21 February 2023 by ClaphamFox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 7 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said: Putin suspends key nuclear arms treaty with NATO and bitterly attacks the West: I guess this is what those black billboards were about Quite possibly. I'm not sure how it changes much about the overall situation with those weapons, though, Cold War-style rhetoric from Putin aside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_favourite Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 Just reading through the key points from Biden’s speech and liked this comment: He says President Putin chose this war, and he could easily end it. If Russia stopped invading Ukraine it would stop the war, but if Ukraine stopped defending itself it would mean the end of Ukraine, he says Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_favourite Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 4 hours ago, leicsmac said: Quite possibly. I'm not sure how it changes much about the overall situation with those weapons, though, Cold War-style rhetoric from Putin aside. From what I’ve read it isn’t much change. Russia has refused to let inspectors in, this is more symbolic than anything I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunge Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 (edited) Perspective of these things can change over time, but my first instinct is that NATO will be relatively happy about the way things have gone over the last few days - have conferences and discussions, albeit without total agreement on everything but still together as allies, Biden making a trip to Kyiv, then Putin’s expected address, but then sandwiching that with what seems like a non-gaffe speech from Biden in Warsaw. It certainly feels like this wasn’t just thrown together and is a deliberate attempt to control the narrative. Or rather not allow Putin a free shot at worldwide propaganda. Basically like trying to demote him to an afternoon slot at Glastonbury. Edited 21 February 2023 by Dunge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blarmy Posted 21 February 2023 Share Posted 21 February 2023 Quite sobering to walk past the Russian embassy in Berlin a few days ago. Security was tight, with the pavement immediately outside the building, front and back, closed off and with armed guards present. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaphamFox Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 (edited) An interesting long read on Putin in today's FT. The upshot? According to those around him, he sees himself as a latter day Peter the Great and believes his willingess to sacrifice the lives of Russian soldiers will outlast the West's appetite to commit resources to support Ukraine. Sample quote: "But Putin tells them “he has already factored in the discounts”, another former senior Russian official says. “He says, ‘We pay a huge price, I get it. We underestimated how difficult it could be.’ But how can you convince a crazy man? His brain will collapse if he realises it was a mistake,” the person adds. “He doesn’t trust anyone.” On the plus side, it doesn't sound as if he has much appetite to push the nuke button, so there is that... "How Putin blundered into Ukraine - then doubled down." Edited 23 February 2023 by ClaphamFox 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Falling Foxes Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 Only a gesture/protest but a bloody good one imo. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64743138 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 Just now, Free Falling Foxes said: Only a gesture/protest but a bloody good one imo. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64743138 Its just criminal damage that the taxpayer will have to clean up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_up_north Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 1 hour ago, kenny said: Its just criminal damage that the taxpayer will have to clean up. As a taxpayer, I'm fine with that. I'll pay their solicitor fees. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 2 minutes ago, fox_up_north said: As a taxpayer, I'm fine with that. I'll pay their solicitor fees. I'm not. It's no different to the XR idiots. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_up_north Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 1 minute ago, kenny said: I'm not. It's no different to the XR idiots. Can you explain what you mean by that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 20 minutes ago, fox_up_north said: Can you explain what you mean by that? Just that criminal damage is just that regardless if the perpetrators believe their cause is just. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxdiamond Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 1 hour ago, kenny said: Its just criminal damage that the taxpayer will have to clean up. I agree. The protesters probably feel better about themselves but just stupid imo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brizzle Fox Posted 23 February 2023 Share Posted 23 February 2023 1 hour ago, fox_up_north said: As a taxpayer, I'm fine with that. I'll pay their solicitor fees. Led By Donkeys are minted, so I don't think you'll need to. Love em. Some of the stuff they've done to call out our own corrupt government, the farce of Brexit etc over the last few years has been top notch. More power to them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger_Filbert Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 1 year anniversary of the invasion, let’s hope nothing too crazy happens today as Russia love an anniversary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_favourite Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 (edited) 50 minutes ago, Ginger_Filbert said: 1 year anniversary of the invasion, let’s hope nothing too crazy happens today as Russia love an anniversary. Here’s hoping! A year of far too much bloodshed, tragedy and all for a cause in the minds of a disillusioned select few. Edited 24 February 2023 by fox_favourite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-64754510 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64753820 Two interesting articles on the position of two big players - China and India - on all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fox_favourite Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 35 minutes ago, leicsmac said: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-64754510 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64753820 Two interesting articles on the position of two big players - China and India - on all this. What a list of countries that voted against the motion! If they’re voting with you, you know you’ve done something wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 2 minutes ago, fox_favourite said: What a list of countries that voted against the motion! If they’re voting with you, you know you’ve done something wrong. Yeah, hardly exalted company, is it? What is more interesting, however, is the countries that abstained and why - particularly the Chinese stance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zear0 Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 5 minutes ago, leicsmac said: Yeah, hardly exalted company, is it? What is more interesting, however, is the countries that abstained and why - particularly the Chinese stance. Presume for the Chinese it's to ensure Russian support when they rattle into Taiwan in 2027 (as said by Joseph Wu, the Taiwanese Foreign Minister). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicsmac Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 12 minutes ago, Zear0 said: Presume for the Chinese it's to ensure Russian support when they rattle into Taiwan in 2027 (as said by Joseph Wu, the Taiwanese Foreign Minister). Any Chinese invasion of Taiwan will be met with a direct military response by the Americans (yes, it's not set in stone, but it's like Israels nuclear capacity: everyone who needs to know knows what the score is). Any conflict between those major powers (especially if the Chinese have Russian support) will in all likelihood escalate to the use of nuclear weaponry. If the Chinese think this turns out any other way then they've terribly miscalculated or simply don't give a toss about themselves or the rest of the world. I would posit neither of those things are true. They'll keep talking tough to maintain face, but that's as far as it will go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaphamFox Posted 24 February 2023 Share Posted 24 February 2023 I attended a meeting yesterday focused on the one-year anniversary of the invasion. In it, a seasoned analyst spoke who in 2021 had predicted Russia would invade Ukraine months before it happened, when almost everybody else thought it was still a very remote possibility. Yesterday somebody asked him what the biggest risk in markets is at the moment - Fed rate hikes, a global recession, stagflation? His answer: "Markets are massively underestimating the possibility of a ground war in Europe." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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