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Russia vs NATO
- Thread starter GaryH
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pluk
TS Member
A really interesting read which puts a bit of history and context to some things.
Ukraine war: Putin has redrawn the world - but not the way he wanted
Because of his miscalculations, there's a new iron curtain at the Russian leader’s door - writes Allan Little
www.bbc.co.uk
That is a good read.
Did anyone see the rally Putin did yesterday in Moscow? Reminded me of Hitler. The Z symbol now being the new swastika.
Interestingly though, people on Twitter have been posting clips from a really last year, where Putin wore the exact same clothes, and some of the same people in the crowd last year…. Are there in this one year and guess what….. they were reading the exact same clothes too!
Some are even suggesting there is an outline around Putin on stage indicative of him being in a green room and not actually there. Given his speech ended abruptly and he was no where to be seen on stage, that’s entirely possible.
Also, it looks like China may very well support Putin and send military aid judging by comments coming from the meeting between Xi and Biden yesterday. Lavrov also seemed to confirm it this morning saying their ties are getting stronger. What will the west do then? Sanction China? When we buy nearly everything off them?
This really is turning in to east against west.
Did anyone see the rally Putin did yesterday in Moscow? Reminded me of Hitler. The Z symbol now being the new swastika.
Interestingly though, people on Twitter have been posting clips from a really last year, where Putin wore the exact same clothes, and some of the same people in the crowd last year…. Are there in this one year and guess what….. they were reading the exact same clothes too!
Some are even suggesting there is an outline around Putin on stage indicative of him being in a green room and not actually there. Given his speech ended abruptly and he was no where to be seen on stage, that’s entirely possible.
Also, it looks like China may very well support Putin and send military aid judging by comments coming from the meeting between Xi and Biden yesterday. Lavrov also seemed to confirm it this morning saying their ties are getting stronger. What will the west do then? Sanction China? When we buy nearly everything off them?
This really is turning in to east against west.
Didn't one of the Russian sate TV channels loose connection 'by accident'?
It also seems people were forced or paid to be there and chear, everyday Russia becomes more and more like China and North Korea.
Yes he got cut off mid speech then suddenly we saw the stage with singers on it part way through a song with Putin no where to be seen! I’ve seen a few videos on Twitter where he got booed at the point they cut off so perhaps they didn’t want that to go out on state TV!
Matt N
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The Mirror is reporting this evening that a Ukrainian intelligence body has claimed that Kremlin insiders are now plotting to get rid of Putin in some way, with “poisoning, sudden disease and other coincidences” all being considered as ways to dispose of him: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/russias-elite-plan-kill-putin-26513008
They’ve reportedly even decided a successor; they want FSB director Oleksandr Bortnikov, a former KGB colleague of Putin’s who has fallen very much out of favour with him recently, to replace him.
However, I wouldn’t be concerned about the fact that a former Putin ally is being lined up as the successor. He reportedly has insiders within Ukraine, who he may have leaked information to, and one of the key motivations for him replacing Putin is that the Kremlin insiders are concerned about Russia being a pariah state and think that he is the best person to re-establish economic ties with the West, and I highly doubt that more conflict in Ukraine would do that.
They’ve reportedly even decided a successor; they want FSB director Oleksandr Bortnikov, a former KGB colleague of Putin’s who has fallen very much out of favour with him recently, to replace him.
However, I wouldn’t be concerned about the fact that a former Putin ally is being lined up as the successor. He reportedly has insiders within Ukraine, who he may have leaked information to, and one of the key motivations for him replacing Putin is that the Kremlin insiders are concerned about Russia being a pariah state and think that he is the best person to re-establish economic ties with the West, and I highly doubt that more conflict in Ukraine would do that.
James
TS Founding Member
Ukraine war: Western agents seek to get inside Putin's head
Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine shook the West. Now its leaders are trying to predict his next move.
www.bbc.co.uk
This makes for an interesting read. Makes you wonder how much reliable information (if any) is being received by Putin, or if his advisors simply succumb to his beliefs and censor the failures of the Russian army. He certainly seems to be living in a different world to everyone else.
BarryZola
TS Member
There's one thing that's been bugging me occasionally through the past couple of weeks...
Why in the hell did Russia/Putin go to the trouble of winning the rights and hosting the football world cup a few years back and making themselves look squeaky clean whilst doing so? People expected that it may be a troublesome world cup but it seemed that they went out of their way to put a message out to the world that they were cleaner than their former image. All in all Russia's hosting of the world cup was seen as a success and their image on the world stage was only enhanced.
So why do all that to then just go out a few years later and completely shatter the new image that they had attempted to put out there? Seems like a relatively quick change of heart.
Why in the hell did Russia/Putin go to the trouble of winning the rights and hosting the football world cup a few years back and making themselves look squeaky clean whilst doing so? People expected that it may be a troublesome world cup but it seemed that they went out of their way to put a message out to the world that they were cleaner than their former image. All in all Russia's hosting of the world cup was seen as a success and their image on the world stage was only enhanced.
So why do all that to then just go out a few years later and completely shatter the new image that they had attempted to put out there? Seems like a relatively quick change of heart.
If you view it through the prism of 'gaining control and influence' it makes more sense.
Let’s hope the first of many
www.theguardian.com
Putin adviser Anatoly Chubais quits and leaves Russia over invasion of Ukraine
The Kremlin’s climate envoy resigns from government in highest-ranking defection yet
Pretty big announcement just now on bbc news. Looks like Russia is admitting defeat on taking all of Ukraine and just going to focus on the east
The defence ministry said Russia had been considering two options for its "special military operation" - one covering the whole of Ukraine and one focusing on the Donbas.
The comments - carried by Russian state news agencies - hinted at a possible downgrading of Russia's war aims. Russian forces have met strong resistance in the north of Ukraine and around Kyiv.
Sergey Rudskoy, head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said 93% of Luhansk oblast and 54% of Donetsk oblast was under Russian control.
Russia had destroyed the vast majority of Ukraine's air force and navy, and this marked the successful end of the first phase of the conflict, he added.
Russia to focus war on eastern Ukraine - Russian army chief
The chief of the Russian army says Russia will now focus its main war effort on the "complete liberation" of the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region.The defence ministry said Russia had been considering two options for its "special military operation" - one covering the whole of Ukraine and one focusing on the Donbas.
The comments - carried by Russian state news agencies - hinted at a possible downgrading of Russia's war aims. Russian forces have met strong resistance in the north of Ukraine and around Kyiv.
Sergey Rudskoy, head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said 93% of Luhansk oblast and 54% of Donetsk oblast was under Russian control.
Russia had destroyed the vast majority of Ukraine's air force and navy, and this marked the successful end of the first phase of the conflict, he added.
Burbs
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Oh how good of them!..
NuttySquirrel
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Putin has always used international events, especially major sporting events, to raise the country's profile and win favour with the Russian people. For a while he knew he could ride that wave of international recognition and popularity and during that time he's untouchable. I've just finished watching Icarus which is a brilliant documentary about the doping scandal at Sochi 2014 - 'Putin's Games' - where Russia won more gold medals than any other nation, and it was interesting to note that Putin's popularity shot up during and immediately after those games. Within days he'd launched his invasion of Crimea, knowing he'd get away with it because the rest of the country were still riding that post-Olympics high. I think in recent years with the doping scandal being uncovered and Russia being banned from most major sporting events he's lost that avenue through which to exert power and influence so he's gone full military dictator and no longer cares what the rest of the world thinks of him.
pluk
TS Member
Called it!
Its really the only play for Putin with how the invasion has played which can still be sold to his people as not a humiliating defeated. Even when you own all the media there's a limit to what can be believed.
Matt.GC
TS Member
The media in the west may report this as a retreat of sorts but I'm not so sure. Putin has always played the west like a harp and making them feel threatened I suspect was all part of his plan. He's trying to assert dominance and influence, threating and flexing his muscles.
I think he's called it wrong on this one (he has a history of making good calls as far as his strategy is concerned). But if this can be seen as a de-escalation in the west, a victory for the "special military operation" to protect Russian nationals in the east and keep the sword of Damocles permanently above the heads of the Ukrainians it can end as a net gain for his regime.
I think he's called it wrong on this one (he has a history of making good calls as far as his strategy is concerned). But if this can be seen as a de-escalation in the west, a victory for the "special military operation" to protect Russian nationals in the east and keep the sword of Damocles permanently above the heads of the Ukrainians it can end as a net gain for his regime.
Anyone else think things have really escalated in the past week since the god awful genocide images have come out?
I see Czech Republic has now sent tanks. Maybe Poland will send those Migs now.
There has to be a point where the world says enough is enough. We watched this brutality and killing of incidents with Hitler and surely we can’t sit by as he rolls in to more Ukranian cities killing and torturing more people.
As much as I don’t want a war with Russia, I fear we may end up having no choice.
I see Czech Republic has now sent tanks. Maybe Poland will send those Migs now.
There has to be a point where the world says enough is enough. We watched this brutality and killing of incidents with Hitler and surely we can’t sit by as he rolls in to more Ukranian cities killing and torturing more people.
As much as I don’t want a war with Russia, I fear we may end up having no choice.