Russia has invaded Ukraine

BREAKING: U.S advises families of American embassy staff to leave Ukraine due to increased threat of Russia invading Ukraine. Russia has amassed over 100,000 soldiers at the Ukraine border.

From DefconWarning System:

There are reports that the United States is contemplating sending troops to the Baltics and European theater in response to Russian buildup. This is simply an option the military has presented. The report does not say if the U.S. is actually considering this option.

[OLD BOY]

Sleepy Joe has already ruled out military action, hasn’t he? - but then he’s probably forgotten what he said by now.

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Sleepy Joe has already ruled out military action, hasn’t he? - but then he’s probably forgotten what he said by now.

Well, no one is expecting us to go to war with Russia.

All we really have is supplying Ukraine with weapons and sanctions on Russia. Make it cost them as much as we possibly can.

LATEST: UK follows U.S in withdrawing embassy staff from Ukraine.

The UK is withdrawing some embassy staff and dependants from Ukraine in response to the "growing threat" from Russia.

In a statement, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stressed that the British embassy in Kyiv "remains open and will continue to carry out essential work".

Sky News understands the staff being withdrawn are non-essential and the embassy remains fully operational.

Hours earlier, the US ordered the families of all American embassy staff in the capital to leave Ukraine amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion.

https://news.sky.com/story/us-orders...asion-12524067

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

Well, no one is expecting us to go to war with Russia.

All we really have is supplying Ukraine with weapons and sanctions on Russia. Make it cost them as much as we possibly can.

Should we have made them a NATO member? That way, Russia would not contemplate invading them.

BREAKING: Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Russian naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea are "not welcome". He is said to be liaising with the European Union that Russia should not be conducting any kind of military activity near its coastline. Source Sky News (link in above post)

Originally Posted by Mick

BREAKING: Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Russian naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea are "not welcome". He is said to be liaising with the European Union that Russia should not be conducting any kind of military activity near its coastline. Source Sky News (link in above post)

Kind of seems like that's our responsibility. Ireland and the Irish Sea are obviously important to UK Security.

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by Mick

BREAKING: Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Russian naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea are "not welcome". He is said to be liaising with the European Union that Russia should not be conducting any kind of military activity near its coastline. Source Sky News (link in above post)

Guessing our Navy will be keeping a close eye on them as we speak.

Shit, this is getting real: Nato now says it is sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe amid Russia’s troop build-up near Ukraine.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

Kind of seems like that's our responsibility. Ireland and the Irish Sea are obviously important to UK Security.

Could this be a reason why Johnson is no longer taking pot shots at the EU?

It's also looks like a distraction technique from Russia.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Could this be a reason why Johnson is no longer taking pot shots at the EU?

It's also looks like a distraction technique from Russia.

What? Where do you get that from? He's got too much else on his plate to be bothering with pot-shots at the EU.

This issue is an acid test for NATO and it's exactly what Putin wants to discover - is NATO made of straw or steel?

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Sleepy Joe has already ruled out military action, hasn’t he? - but then he’s probably forgotten what he said by now.

https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-au...e/6408170.html

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday he authorized the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move that comes amid Ukraine’s rising tensions with neighboring Russia.

“I expedited and authorized, and we fully endorse transfers of defensive equipment @NATO Allies Estonia Latvia Lithuania are providing to Ukraine to strengthen its ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked and irresponsible aggression,”

U.S. President Joe Biden focused on Ukraine Saturday. In a statement the White House said, “President Biden met with his national security team in person and virtually at Camp David to discuss continued Russian aggressive actions toward Ukraine. President Biden was briefed on the current state of Russian military operations on Ukraine’s borders and discussed both our ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation with diplomacy and our range of deterrence measures that are being coordinated closely with our Allies and partners, including ongoing deliveries of security assistance to Ukraine. President Biden again affirmed that should Russia further invade Ukraine, the United States will impose swift and severe consequences on Russia with our Allies and partners.”

Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for about an hour and a half in Geneva, with both officials refusing to budge on core demands.

Blinken, in particular, described the impasse in stark terms.

“If any of Russia’s military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion. It will be met with a swift, severe and a united response from the United States and our partners and allies,” Blinken told reporters after the meeting.

NATO won't respond with military force.

If Russia invades Ukraine they're taking Ukraine. Everyone, including Putin, knows this. It's how can we make life difficult for him afterwards. The West is out of options beyond that really because in the end we're not risking war with a nuclear power, or a conventional war with a country the size of Russia.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

NATO won't respond with military force.

If Russia invades Ukraine they're taking Ukraine. Everyone, including Putin, knows this. It's how can we make life difficult for him afterwards. The West is out of options beyond that really because in the end we're not risking war with a nuclear power, or a conventional war with a country the size of Russia.

Agreed. If anyone thinks US troops will be fighting Russian troops in Ukraine, they're the sleepy one!

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Mick

BREAKING: Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Russian naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea are "not welcome". He is said to be liaising with the European Union that Russia should not be conducting any kind of military activity near its coastline. Source Sky News (link in above post)

Irish Sea? The bit between Ireland and GB? Nonsense.
Of course NATO and others didn't hold exercises in the Black Sea off the Russian coast did they?
Link

Over 2,000 forces and 30 ships are taking part in exercise Breeze 2021 in the Black Sea. The Bulgarian-led maritime exercise, which began on 12 July and wraps up today (19 July), involves forces from 14 NATO Allies and partners – Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.