Putin warning...

Russia has to do it's bit, too.....

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Russia has to do it's bit, too.....

Absolutely right. But we should stop twisting her arm imho.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Kursk

Absolutely right. But we should stop twisting her arm imho.

So what do we do about Russian troops in Ukraine?

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Osem

So what do we do about Russian troops in Ukraine?

as far as i am aware Russia denies any troops are in Ukraine .

[Osem]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

as far as i am aware Russia denies any troops are in Ukraine .

Yes they do. Just like there were no coalition tanks in Baghdad...

If we can't trust what Putin says then there's very little chance of things getting any easier for Russia.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Osem

Yes they do. Just like there were no coalition tanks in Baghdad...

If we can't trust what Putin says then there's very little chance of things getting any easier for Russia.

he's costing a lot of rich people a lot of money his days are numbered

[Taf]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

he's costing a lot of rich people a lot of money his days are numbered

Any left in Russia might suffer fatal "accidents" soon enough.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Taf

Any left in Russia might suffer fatal "accidents" soon enough.

revenge of the radioactive brollygarch

Originally Posted by Kursk

Absolutely right. But we should stop twisting her arm imho.

Yes, we should stop forcing Mother Russia to cut of gas supplies to Europe, stop twisting her arm to make her send troops and supplies into Ukraine, stop bullying her into annexing Crimea, and stop making her undertake three week long cyber-attacks on Estonia.....

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

as far as i am aware Russia denies any troops are in Ukraine .

I am denying i have a pimple on my bottom, that does not mean its true.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Yes, we should stop forcing Mother Russia to cut of gas supplies to Europe, stop twisting her arm to make her send troops and supplies into Ukraine, stop bullying her into annexing Crimea, and stop making her undertake three week long cyber-attacks on Estonia.....

I can think of one or two more countries who ought not to violate international agreements and standards; who ought not to invade sovereign territories; who ought not to sell arms to who knows who, or torture, or....oh forget it, the World is a complicated place.

Let him who is without <strike>sin</strike> a pimple cast the first stone.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Kursk

I can think of one or two more countries who ought not to violate international agreements and standards; who ought not to invade sovereign territories; who ought not to sell arms to who knows who, or torture, or....oh forget it, the World is a complicated place.
Let him who is without <strike>sin</strike> a pimple cast the first stone.

Very, with all sorts of powerful and conflicting interests at work which is why there's never going to be the sort of peaceful and harmonious world order I'm sure we'd all like to see.

Originally Posted by Kursk

I can think of one or two more countries who ought not to violate international agreements and standards; who ought not to invade sovereign territories; who ought not to sell arms to who knows who, or torture, or....oh forget it, the World is a complicated place.

Let him who is without <strike>sin</strike> a pimple cast the first stone.

The world isn't fair.

Putin tried to play power games and at the moment it appears it's backfiring. Maybe he didn't have as strong a hand as he thought he did.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Damien

The world isn't fair.

Putin tried to play power games and at the moment it appears it's backfiring. Maybe he didn't have as strong a hand as he thought he did.

Well, that's one interpretation. Another might be that the President is not playing but acting in what he regards as the best interests of his country. I think he will have had a pretty good grasp of the likely repercussions but only a gambler would test the strength of his hand.

Originally Posted by Kursk

Well, that's one interpretation. Another might be that the President is not playing but acting in what he regards as the best interests of his country.

Maybe but that interpretation is rather weak. I fail to see how redrawing the European borders by invading another, democratic, sovereign country and making it your own is in the best interests of the Russian people. It seems more about appealing to a sense of lost national pride. If he was concerned about their best interests he would have spent the last 10 years diversifying the Russian economy rather than riding an oil boom.

I think he will have had a pretty good grasp of the likely repercussions but only a gambler would test the strength of his hand.

He tested his hand himself by taking Crimea. He probably thought he could ride out Western sanctions due to oil but miscalculated how much he upset Saudi Arabia in his prior support for Assad and now vulnerable he left Russia open to a fall in oil prices.

Unfortunately for the rest of us when you invade, occupy and redraw the borders of a European country then you leave other European and Western Nations with no choice but to respond.