Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37614554

I'm not sure about Labour MP Anne Clwyd's grasp of numbers, however, as she advocated "... 2, 3 or 4 million outside the Russian embassy day after day after day..." :eeek:

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

He has a point.

Stop the War are all to quick to condemn British politicians as 'baby killers' for considering any military action but they're quiet when the aggressor is Russia and the military action is total destruction. Say what you want about the United States they have considerably stricter rules of engagement when dealing with civilian areas. Stop the War don't seem to care about any of this so long as it isn't the West doing it because in their warped view of the world the enemy of their enemy, i.e 'Western imperialism', is the victim/an ally. So Russia are misunderstood and America are source of all evil.

I suspect Boris wasn't been sincere in his request though.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

As foreign secretary (sorry that still makes me laugh!) Boris could of course take some action. Has he read the job description? They still havent been bought to account over the Litvinenko assasination. Never mind protests, close the Russian embassy. Boycott the World Cup they bought too (they'd probably take more notice of that).

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Of course he has a point.

Anyone had a point when they shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine with no justifiable reason. That's of course forgetting how they ended up in Ukraine anyway. :rolleyes:

The situation in Syria can't be ignored but is there really a lot that can be done? Protest against Russia. Good luck. Force? Nope.

I'd say we're creeping ever closer to a re-opening of the Cold War without exhausting those options. I can condemn the US when they hit an innocent by mistake. The Russians did it deliberately, there's no doubt in that at all.

They're a country nobody really wants to poke and I doubt everyone is going to nuke them flat without them launching back.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

But if we in the West gave up our nuclear weapons it'd all be ok because Russia would do likewise... :rolleyes:

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

They're needed for Alien invasion of course :D

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Fat Alec and Corbyn would save us... :D

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Why would they have needed an anti-AIRCRAFT system? To protect from air attacks. Sound familiar?

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

To protect from air attacks from a civilian airliner, with the associated transponder?

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Civilian airliners?

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Despite the propaganda and some people with Russian bias their electronic warfare systems across a range of platforms are vastly inferior to western counterparts and may be playing a large part in what's happening in Syria. Also remember Russia is currently embarked on a large weapons sale campaign and things become a little more clear. Nuclear weapons are the only reason Russia is relevant anymore without those there would be far less problems as Russia doesn't have the conventional military forces to oppose NATO.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

I'd prefer it if our Foreign Secretary didn't make trite remarks about protests outside foreign embassies which will cost the British taxpayer thousands to police if realised and doubtless cause mayhem in our Capital city. A former London Mayor ought to know that.

I'd much rather he got on a plane and went to talk to his political counterpart about his concerns. That is what a statesman would do.

FGS this isn't politics by twitter; the Russians are a powerful and important nation and, dare I say it, an important ally. Diplomacy Boris, diplomacy.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

I think it was intended more as a flippant remark pointing out Stop the War's hypocrisy.


Russia are not our ally. Occasionally our objectives may temporary align but the rest of the time they're antithetical to western democratic values.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Personally l would not trust Russia as far as l could throw them...

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Boris is not in a job that befits flippancy imho (especially in relation to international affairs which is the very essence of his job).

I see Western values in their culture and poilitics. Perhaps to more permanently align our objectives we might see more value in their point of view.

Their war losses have been horrendous. They aren't looking for trust, they are looking for respect.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

They're a dictatorship whose opposition politicians seem to end up in jail or dead. Places were journalists critical of the Kremlin end up dead. They don't share what should be considered Western values (but many here increasingly advocate abandoning). They're frequently trying to poison our political discourse by spreading false stories designed, not to promote Russia, but pit us against each other.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

And so it perpetuates. Diplomacy has to find a way around the fate you have written for us.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Yes, very good. A+.

Diplomacy does not mean appeasing a regime that does these things. We treat them with caution and we not count them as an ally.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

The word was diplomacy; E - ;)

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Typo :dunce:

But yes, diplomacy doesn't mean we treat Russia as an ally or confuse Russia for what it is, a danger to the West.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Diplomacy involves treating others with respect and coming to a mutually acceptable accord by negotiation; not achieved by bellicose statements with pre-formed notions. Imho.

Besides, what will a rally outside the Russian embassy achieve?: nothing. Except inconvenience for ordinary people going about their work. Pah.

Boris isn't shoulder-charging little kiddies in a game of pretend rugby. He's up against the big boys now.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

How do you know you can trust the agreements or not be manipulated by someone with an alternative agenda? I don't think we can trust Russia, or Putin I should say, at all.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

The same question will have occurred to the Russians.

Diplomacy maintains the balance; it is delicate. Daft statements unhelpfully disrupt the equilibrium.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Invading sovereign countries and annexing parts of them doesn't help either...

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

But they didn't do that remember...

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Yes that has happened a few times before and history does have a habit of repeating itself further down the road.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Remind me - have we ever done that?

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Yes but so what? This isn't then and incidentally the British Empire isn't loved around the world. Russia don't get a free pass because of what's happened before. They're responsible for their actions now and so are we.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

I don't trust Russia i sure as hell don't like what it's become under Putin but there is zero trust on either side with good reason and both sides are to blame. Putin is a calculated chancer and he's taken advantage of situations the west has created, that said his reign of terror in Russia is taking a toll not just on other nations but ordinary Russian's and they desperately need to find a way to get rid of him though how they do that i don't know :(.

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

They could assassinate him.
or make it look like an accident with his brakes on his car.
put something in his vodka?

Re: Boris calls for protests outside Russian embassy
 

Why would they want to 'get rid of him'? He is a strong leader with acknowledged World status, he is intelligent and patriotic and he has presided over continuous growth in the Russian economy. He is currently forging closer links with China and India and given that Brexit will lead to our dealing more with both those countries, we will indirectly be dealing with Russia.

It is not politic imho to be shouting them down with calls for rallies. This isn't appeasement, it is realism.