Poo tin... Put@in...
Comments
-
It’s odd to have someone like Truss as Foreign Secballysmate said:
We are a cosignatory on the Budapest memorandum and as such obligated to play our part in assuring Ukraine's security. Would be odd if our Foreign Sec said nothing wouldn't it?laurentian said:
Thank censored for that, part of me could see the problem escalatingPross said:All sorted now, Truss has told him to behave.
0 -
I KNOW!!rick_chasey said:
It’s odd to have someone like Truss as Foreign Secballysmate said:
We are a cosignatory on the Budapest memorandum and as such obligated to play our part in assuring Ukraine's security. Would be odd if our Foreign Sec said nothing wouldn't it?laurentian said:
Thank censored for that, part of me could see the problem escalatingPross said:All sorted now, Truss has told him to behave.
1 -
But it is just grandstanding and one can not imagine it will give the Kremlin any pause for thought.ballysmate said:
On Thursday, Liz Truss, the UK foreign secretary, warned Russia that any invasion of Ukraine would only lead to a disaster on the scale of the Soviet-Afghan war. Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, Truss framed the conflict in Ukraine as part of a wider dispute between what she saw as liberal states and autocracies, including Russia and China.Pross said:All sorted now, Truss has told him to behave.
She urged Putin to “desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake”. The Kremlin, she said, “has not learned the lessons of history” and an “invasion will only lead to a terrible quagmire and loss of life, as we know from the Soviet-Afghan war and conflict in Chechnya.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/21/russia-and-us-to-meet-in-geneva-as-ukraine-war-fears-grow
Only in cake stop could fault be found with a UK Foreign Sec saying that and trying to show Putin a united front.
Meanwhile the new German Chancellor, Herr Scholz refuses to even discus the Ukraine with Biden. Too busy apparently.
As we punch above our weight why did she not park a carrier battle group off the Ukraine coast to support the 15,000 string armoured battle group we had posted there?
Or pass a Bill to enact n law the requirement to provide a £1bn pa to fund resistance in Ukraine in the event of an invasion.
Or specify exactly which economic measures we will take to destroy their economy and strip Putin and his cronies of their ill gotten gains.
Or just make a speech on the other side of the world to enhance your chances of replacing Boris.
Surprised she could not think of a more recent example for a quagmire and loss of life than the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.1 -
Trouble being that the most efficient one would be to stop gas and oil supply to Europe. Can't see cutting off the nose to spite the face happening.surrey_commuter said:
Or specify exactly which economic measures we will take to destroy their economy and strip Putin and his cronies of their ill gotten gains.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
surrey_commuter said:
But it is just grandstanding and one can not imagine it will give the Kremlin any pause for thought.ballysmate said:
On Thursday, Liz Truss, the UK foreign secretary, warned Russia that any invasion of Ukraine would only lead to a disaster on the scale of the Soviet-Afghan war. Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, Truss framed the conflict in Ukraine as part of a wider dispute between what she saw as liberal states and autocracies, including Russia and China.Pross said:All sorted now, Truss has told him to behave.
She urged Putin to “desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake”. The Kremlin, she said, “has not learned the lessons of history” and an “invasion will only lead to a terrible quagmire and loss of life, as we know from the Soviet-Afghan war and conflict in Chechnya.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/21/russia-and-us-to-meet-in-geneva-as-ukraine-war-fears-grow
Only in cake stop could fault be found with a UK Foreign Sec saying that and trying to show Putin a united front.
Meanwhile the new German Chancellor, Herr Scholz refuses to even discus the Ukraine with Biden. Too busy apparently.
As we punch above our weight why did she not park a carrier battle group off the Ukraine coast to support the 15,000 string armoured battle group we had posted there?
Or pass a Bill to enact n law the requirement to provide a £1bn pa to fund resistance in Ukraine in the event of an invasion.
Or specify exactly which economic measures we will take to destroy their economy and strip Putin and his cronies of their ill gotten gains.
Or just make a speech on the other side of the world to enhance your chances of replacing Boris.
Surprised she could not think of a more recent example for a quagmire and loss of life than the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
True that there are more recent examples, but it is the one that will have the most impact with a Russian political audience. Their war in Afghanistan burns on the Russian national conscience.
And anyway, a speech on a topic as important as this is going to be drafted by a host of subject matter experts, and will be only then be made by a politician as a part of a coordinated NATO response to the situation. Which is also why no warship would sail to the region unless it was a component of NATO’s overall strategy.
1 -
Turf all those Russians out of their Mayfair properties and sell them. Might impact on Tory donations though.1
-
The biggest sanction the UK has would be to actually crack down on money laundering but it’s so profitable for so many parts of the City (and so many are Tory donators, directly or otherwise) it is not gonna happen.
It’s a huge thing. Seriously0 -
How serious in terms of amounts?0
-
It’s quite hard to measure.focuszing723 said:How serious in terms of amounts?
https://www.cityam.com/top-official-warns-of-disturbing-amount-of-russian-money-laundering-in-uk/
“Disturbing” amounts
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/25/how-britain-let-russia-hide-its-dirty-money?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherOver the past decade, £68bn has flowed from Russia into Britain’s offshore satellites such as the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Gibraltar, Jersey and Guernsey. That’s seven times more money than has flowed directly from Russia into the UK. (On top of that, some £94bn has poured out of Russia into Cyprus, £13bn into Switzerland, and £23bn into the Netherlands, which has its own network of tax havens.)
It’s also about who is laundering the money; the Russian economy is a bit like a gangster economy, with everything requiring a bribe and right at the top sit Putin and the power brokers, where all the bribe money goes to.
That and other nefarious gains require laundering; London is the main launderer.
So cracking down on it would be especially costly to those who hold power in Russia; and not really impact your average innocent Russian.
0 -
I think I read somewhere, Alexei Navalny, said go after Puntin's money.0
-
The western alliance has threatened the Kremlin with “massive” and “unprecedented” sanctions if Russia attacks Ukraine. But, as the Ukraine crisis reaches boiling point, western efforts to isolate and punish Russia are likely to be undermined by the support of China — Russia’s giant neighbour.
When Vladimir Putin travels to Beijing for the beginning of the Winter Olympics on February 4, the Russian president will meet the leader who has become his most important ally — Xi Jinping of China. In a phone call between Putin and Xi in December, the Chinese leader supported Russia’s demand that Ukraine must never join Nato.
https://www.ft.com/content/d307ab6e-57b3-4007-9188-ec9717c60023
0 -
Having been to both Bulgaria and Moscow I can concur that there is little similarity between the way the West does business and that of Russia and others in the East. In the East if you want to start a company you buy two big black Mercs and hire 10 bodyguards. This gets you a seat at the table. In the West you need and idea and often we even have things to protect your idea such as patent law. I read an article about the crushing of the arts and freedom of expression in Russia recently and its conclusion is that they have ran out of ideas due to the culture from Putin. They used to be world beaters and now can we really say that they are creatively or culturally on par with the West. They are not much different in sophistication than a middle east state. Its just they have a large back catalogue to call up to make them seem more refined than they are.0
-
(CNN)Up to 8,500 US troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe as Russian troops mass on Ukraine's border, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/24/politics/biden-troops-europe/index.html
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued the prepare to deploy orders at the direction of President Joe Biden. Kirby said no final decision to deploy the troops had been made.
Earlier on Monday CNN reported the Biden administration was in in the final stages of identifying specific military units it wants to send to Eastern Europe, according to multiple US and defense officials.
Biden discussed options for bolstering US troop levels in the Baltics and Eastern Europe with his top military officials during a briefing at Camp David on Saturday, according to a senior official.
The news come amid US warnings that a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. The State Department on Sunday reduced staffing at the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the departure of nonessential staff and family members out of "an abundance of caution."
0 -
-
-
as soon as Carrie says so.rick_chasey said:When is the Uk gonna start airlifting the pets out of Ukraine?
.The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
and of those 100 you'll only have 60 combat bods, so not exactly going to make the Spetsnaz quiver in their boots.rick_chasey said:
100 troops.focuszing723 said:White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. believes that Russia could carry out an attack on Ukraine “at any point,” underscoring the immediacy of the threat should Moscow decide to take action.https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/590206-white-house-says-russia-could-launch-attack-in-ukraine-at-any-point
“Our view is this is an extremely dangerous situation. We're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine,” Psaki told reporters at a briefing, adding later that her language was “more stark than we have been.”British Royal Air Force planes flew around German airspace when they delivered anti-tank weaponry to Ukraine on Monday, flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed.https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-uk-planes-long-detour-around-germany-deliver-weapons-2022-1?r=US&IR=T
In recent weeks, Ukraine has called on the likes of the US, UK, and Germany to provide military aid to help counter the buildup of Russian troops at its border. Ukraine and the US have long warned of an imminent Russian invasion.
It doesn't sound too good. We've sent some troops and arms to Ukraine, what will the EU do?
Hardly going to make the 100,000 Russian troops on the border worry..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
Just to put it into context gents, Putin currently has more troops standing around at the Ukraine border than the British Army has working rifles.
Somebody up above said Britain should put a 15,000 strong armoured battle group there - these numbers do not exist. You could problly stick 500 blokes, 4 Challies and a Rover there, but 15,000 strong armoured? Stuff of gammon dreams.
Someone's been reading too much Rod Little..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
it was me and it was supported by a carrier group.MattFalle said:Just to put it into context gents, Putin currently has more troops standing around at the Ukraine border than the British Army has working rifles.
Somebody up above said Britain should put a 15,000 strong armoured battle group there - these numbers do not exist. You could problly stick 500 blokes, 4 Challies and a Rover there, but 15,000 strong armoured? Stuff of gammon dreams.
Someone's been reading too much Rod Little.
I may have been suggesting that our ability to punch above our weight does that match the gammon dreams0 -
sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?.
The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
Economist on "How will Europe cope if Russia cuts off its gas?"
https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/29/how-will-europe-cope-if-russia-cuts-off-its-gas
Basically, the main pain in Europe will be higher gas prices rather than a shortage of gas, and it hurts the Russians materially more in the long run.0 -
That'll be why I suggested it as a sanction.rick_chasey said:Economist on "How will Europe cope if Russia cuts off its gas?"
https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/29/how-will-europe-cope-if-russia-cuts-off-its-gas
Basically, the main pain in Europe will be higher gas prices rather than a shortage of gas, and it hurts the Russians materially more in the long run.
Still can't see Europe being too enamoured by the idea though.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
War is a bit sh!t like thatpblakeney said:
That'll be why I suggested it as a sanction.rick_chasey said:Economist on "How will Europe cope if Russia cuts off its gas?"
https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/29/how-will-europe-cope-if-russia-cuts-off-its-gas
Basically, the main pain in Europe will be higher gas prices rather than a shortage of gas, and it hurts the Russians materially more in the long run.
Still can't see Europe being too enamoured by the idea though.0 -
Nope I am saying that our politicians strut around the world acting as if we do have that stuffMattFalle said:sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?
We could sail our aircraft carrier into the Black Sea but I imagine we would be too sh1t scared of losing it0 -
Yeahbut we are not at war. Yet. Sanctions are the next stage in an effort to convince Putin to not go in. Once he goes in...rick_chasey said:
War is a bit sh!t like thatpblakeney said:
That'll be why I suggested it as a sanction.rick_chasey said:Economist on "How will Europe cope if Russia cuts off its gas?"
https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/29/how-will-europe-cope-if-russia-cuts-off-its-gas
Basically, the main pain in Europe will be higher gas prices rather than a shortage of gas, and it hurts the Russians materially more in the long run.
Still can't see Europe being too enamoured by the idea though.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
The F35 that crashed into the sea because one of the covers was left on the inlet to the engine, cost a hundred million quid!surrey_commuter said:
Nope I am saying that our politicians strut around the world acting as if we do have that stuffMattFalle said:sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?
We could sail our aircraft carrier into the Black Sea but I imagine we would be too censored scared of losing it
When you see the USAF planes in the sky. I just cannot comprehend how they manage to finance it all, it boggles my mind. If there was still a Gold standard I'm sure we'd all be fvcked, it just doesn't add up.0 -
I'm not actually too sure we have a working one, tbh.surrey_commuter said:
Nope I am saying that our politicians strut around the world acting as if we do have that stuffMattFalle said:sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?
We could sail our aircraft carrier into the Black Sea but I imagine we would be too censored scared of losing it.The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
0 -
they finance it by piling all their money into the military and having no equiv of the NHS, no proper school funding, no proper social care, taxing the working classes and having a multi, multi trillion dollar national debt.focuszing723 said:
The F35 that crashed into the sea because one of the covers was left on the inlet to the engine, cost a hundred million quid!surrey_commuter said:
Nope I am saying that our politicians strut around the world acting as if we do have that stuffMattFalle said:sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?
We could sail our aircraft carrier into the Black Sea but I imagine we would be too censored scared of losing it
When you see the USAF planes in the sky. I just cannot comprehend how they manage to finance it all, it boggles my mind. If there was still a Gold standard I'm sure we'd all be fvcked, it just doesn't add up..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
1 -
look up "military industrial complex"focuszing723 said:
The F35 that crashed into the sea because one of the covers was left on the inlet to the engine, cost a hundred million quid!surrey_commuter said:
Nope I am saying that our politicians strut around the world acting as if we do have that stuffMattFalle said:sorry - so are you saying we have all that stuff?
We could sail our aircraft carrier into the Black Sea but I imagine we would be too censored scared of losing it
When you see the USAF planes in the sky. I just cannot comprehend how they manage to finance it all, it boggles my mind. If there was still a Gold standard I'm sure we'd all be fvcked, it just doesn't add up.0 -
