Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Sanctions may not have stopped all of Russia's games but they have severely limited them and nearly month on month the defence budget is revised downward with some new equipment orders placed on hold. Further sanctions will tighten the economic noose even further possibly to the point that Putin won't be able to hide them from the Russian people and may start to cut into his budget for nuclear rearmament which is about the only thing keeping him at most serious tables.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Putin has already amassed a sizeable wealth. Further sanctions won’t do a thing. I guarantee it. Past Sanctions have not stopped any if their games, in fact they are increasing their hostilities, increased cyber attacks. The attempted murder on British soil, using Nerve Agent. Flying warplanes near to or approaching British airspace....

Russia already has a sizeable military hardware and stockpiles. Let’s not pretend that just because their economy is suffering, they won’t be able to suddenly defend themselves.

---------- Post added at 11:02 ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 ----------

Yes it is, it’s inaccurate. It calls out Trump, says he’s never called out Putin/Russia, yet there is tweets and speeches where he has. It’s Fake News.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

The sanctions aren't designed to hurt Putin's personal wealth but to put domestic pressure on him, especially amongst the oligarchs, to stop provoking the West. Putin is only granted his power by the various factions within the Kremlin and other Russian elites. In the end he is only one man.

So the hope is sanctions cause him enough trouble with some of these people that for his own self-preservation he has cede some compromise. There is a good, quick, BBC overview of the factions that make up Russia's ruling elite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXQ3O9urYMc

At the very least the sanctions mean he has to annoy some people domestically, they offer some resistance and political cost to him. At the end of the day it's really the only tool we have since we're not going to invade.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Mick continued sanctions are hurting Russia's military yes they have vast stockpiles of obselete equipment and of their current ground forces only flagship Putin supporting formations have anywhere near full combat capability much of their military equipment is rotting away from a lack of spare parts and trained personnel to install them. This is being repeated within their air force and navy and the longer sanctions go on the less money there is to remedy the situation as much as 50% of Russia's nuclear arsenal is not oprationally capable of course the remaining 50% is sufficient but the degradation is ongoing and as that situation worsens so we see more aggressive rhetoric and increased cyber attacks as that's relatively cheap to continue.

Sanctions are working and if they are further tightened Putin's position becomes weaker not only with the wealthy Russian's Damien mentioned but the military who were promised a resurgence by Putin that he no longer has the budget to fulfill.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

He didn’t say Putin/Russia, he said Putin...

Trump has criticised Putin once - he’s criticised serving members of his own staff and Cabinet more.

The closest Trump has come to criticising Putin before was more than a year ago, in an interview, when Trump said “And frankly, Putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person." (talking about Assad after a previous chemical weapons attack).

Of course, if you have links to where Trump has personally criticised Trump (other than the two instances I’ve mentioned), more than happy to admit I’m wrong.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Why would Trump call himself ? :confused:

I think I got your point.

You go on about him not criticising Putin because of your very obvious hate for the man, and that's fine to hate him - I hate Crooked Hillary for the potential crimes she has committed and it appears she has appeared so far to get away with them. That said, I see no criticisms on Corbyn by you, who has not even once called out Putin by name and still refuses to do so. You say Trump has called out on Putin once, it's bloody more times than the leader of the opposition IN this Country has.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

I don't hate Trump, I hate what he's doing to a country that I admire very much, and how he is abusing his power and the office of the President - he acts like a spoilt 10 year old when he is the leader of the free world and the most powerful nation on earth. I dislike him because he hasn't criticised Putin, the leader of the country which has been trying to undermine democracy in the USA (and other places), as unanimously confirmed by all his Intelligence Community agencies, but criticises everyone else.

I think Corbyn is great - he's the main reason the Tories stayed in power; if Labour had a decent leader, they may have won the last election (so I am hoping he stays Leader); also, Corbyn is completely in the wrong not condeming Putin.

As for the statement "I see no criticisms of Corbyn by you", here you go...

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35942417 Here I am defending the BBC against the Corbynistas.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35941333 Here's one where I mock Corbyn.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35940823 Here's one where I criticise Momentum, Corbyn's most rabid supporters.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35938564

Here's one where I praise him with faint damns...
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35937988 Here's one where I jokingly suggest he might be a sleeper agent.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35937651 Here's one where I state I am not a Corbyn fan.
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35937179 https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35915483 https://www.cableforum.uk/board/show...n#post35902614

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

He has criticised Putin, to say he hasn’t is an outright lie.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Once outright, and another half-hearted one (as I have repeatedly posted).

I will amend my statement - he has hardly ever criticised Putin, the leader of the country which has been trying to undermine democracy in the USA (and other places), as unanimously confirmed by all his Intelligence Community agencies, but criticises everyone else.

Hope that's better.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Compared to how often Trump hits out at other people Mick it's a valid point he seems to only hit out at Putin when he really has too rather then as much as Putin deserves given what is happening on his orders. I was happy when Trump won i honestly thought it would be the start of a rebalance badly needed in western politics and that he would grow into the position of president. While he hasn't been a total disaster as a president yet he hasn't been what many hoped he would be and the way he acts on social media is not presidential.

The media in the U.S is clearly running a campaign against Trump and has been since he was elected but that shouldn't exempt Trump from deserved criticism personally I'm hoping he will still surprise us and adapt better but as time goes on that hope is hard to maintain.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...t-get-confused

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Trump needs to get a grip on things this has done nothing but cause embarrassment and reflects poorly on the U.S and its credibility this sort of thing should not be happening and i think Haley is entitled to know who changed the policy.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Hilary has committed potential crimes ... not quite sure how someone, even the Blessed Hilary, can commit future crime :)

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

Potential doesn’t necessarily equate to a future aspect.

Except if IG finds that her prior criminal investigation was flawed. She will hopefully be re-investigated.

Re: President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation
 

What would be the point of re-investigating if it was already proved there was nothing crooked or criminal going on? Or any evidence that the investigation was flawed?