Putin Invades Ukraine II

[I Shrugged]

…
It's pretty obvious Putin thought Ukraine would be easy. I think that was the overriding factor, but the NATO/EU expansion factor surely weighed heavily in the decision to invade.
…

Have you seen Putin’s own speeches about how he’s Peter the Great?

I saw something about that. Again with the media the way it is, I didn't give it a whole lot of weight. I mean, it's probably true. Maybe.

I don’t understand. I mentioned his own speeches precisely because it’s not the media. “The media the way it is” — it would take a quite a conspiracy, quite a lot of networks to collude with regard to translation. Maybe you meant something else. I suppose there could be an Ahmedinejad “wipe off the map” problem until it’s corrected.

Then I have to say, no, I haven’t seen his speeches. Sorry about that.

[dualstow]

He has basically romanticized himself as the new Peter the Great.

[I Shrugged]

He has basically romanticized himself as the new Peter the Great.

Maybe it’s just salesmanship? Or yes, he could be delusional.

[dualstow]

Salesmanship. I like that.

[dualstow]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

[I Shrugged]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

The average person will read that headline as, “Putin threatens to launch nuclear missiles at UK.”

[dualstow]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

The average person will read that headline as, “Putin threatens to launch nuclear missiles at UK.”

That threat, however unlikely, is always there. Ever since he warned about other countries interfering.

[Xan]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

The average person will read that headline as, “Putin threatens to launch nuclear missiles at UK.”

Here's something fairly close:
https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/cl ... 95aaf79553

A member of the Russian parliament's defense committee and political ally of Putin said that the Russians must invade the Baltic states in order to protect Kaliningrad, and assuming that triggers NATO's Rule 5, he would then bomb London.

[Kbg]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

The average person will read that headline as, “Putin threatens to launch nuclear missiles at UK.”

All your really need to know about targeting Russia with nuclear weapons...3-5 cities and Russia becomes predominately Asiatic in orientation again.

The RUS know that, as does China.

As Mao once said, bring it. China will walk in and takeover all of Russia with our remnants afterward. (paraphrasing of course)

[dualstow]

Turkish Defense Industry Grows Cautious Over Selling Weapons to Ukraine

… Turkey is increasingly playing both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, standing apart from some other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that are sending more weapons to Ukraine in the hope of stalling Moscow’s ongoing assault on the country’s east. While Western countries have moved to isolate Russia, Turkey has maintained an open line to Moscow, welcoming inflows of Russian money and facilitating two rounds of peace talks that ended without an agreement.

Hmm, disappointing although by no means surprising.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkish-de ... 1655803802

[Xan]

And Turkey also could block the membership of Finland and Sweden, since membership is by consensus.

Is there any way we can make a rule to kick a country out??

[dualstow]

Maybe they could take a vote on it.

[ppnewbie]

What is everyone’s best guess as to how many people will die from this conflict directly or indirectly. I’m thinking 2 million. Global famine, actual war, diseases of poverty, etc, etc…

[seajay]

Putin Threatens To Deploy New Satan II Nuclear Missile That Can Reach UK In 3 Minutes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pu ... li=BBnbfcL
shit got real

The average person will read that headline as, “Putin threatens to launch nuclear missiles at UK.”

Here's something fairly close:
https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/cl ... 95aaf79553

A member of the Russian parliament's defense committee and political ally of Putin said that the Russians must invade the Baltic states in order to protect Kaliningrad, and assuming that triggers NATO's Rule 5, he would then bomb London.

Aware of the large land mass expanse of the USSR and number of nukes that would be required the UK long ago devised alternative means of assured mutual destruction that nuking London/UK would potentially invoke. Politically a very sensitive weapon (global extinction of mankind), no doubt having moved further on in the years since, but involved the likes of a vertical 6 mile launch of a combination of plagues into the jet stream. 66% global contamination within the first month, extinction within years.

A quiet response to Putin threats to launch against the UK, as otherwise that just further elevates the risk, and the Brits wouldn't even politically clarify the existence of the technology beyond what they've already stated - along the lines of a third world war involving nukes would be very far ranging and very unpleasant for all (assured mutual destruction as per the design/intent of nukes).

Putin seems to think he might win a nuclear war. A single missile launch at tremendous speed that splits and hits multiple cities - wipe out the UK, a northerly European island as a example case and expect the others to fall into the Kremlin line (accept the loss rather than separately retaliating). However that comes with a big IF/BUT.

[dualstow]

Russia orders Jewish Agency to shut down after three decades (Bloomberg).
This does not bode well. Scapegoat time, perhaps.

[joypog]

I really don't get grok anti-semitism.

I mean, I get why people need a scapegoat, and I guess "jesus-killers" is a narrative pretext. But I would think the mass of yellow peril or those big dark skinned brute-savages from the jungle would make much more visceral enemies.

Is it cause Asians and Africans aren't a large enough population in northern european countries to hate on?

[dualstow]

I’m sure they get hated on too.

[dualstow]

Non-NATO Sources of Soviet and Russian Arms for Ukraine
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2022/07/06 ... r-ukraine/

[dualstow]

Fascinating stories about the media in & from Russia
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o ... 0577489563

[dualstow]

Lieutenant General Andrey Sychevoi captured.

[joypog]

Lieutenant General Andrey Sychevoi captured.

WTF?! How the hell did that happen?

[dualstow]

I only know that he tried to slip away in the uniform of a lower rank, but they nabbed him anyway.

[Kbg]

Not confirmed yet and I doubt we will know for a while. It is in both sides’s interest to keep things confused.

[seajay]

Russia is increasingly being seen as a pariah state, not to be trusted and whilst Europe will endure a cold winter this year, by next year much of resources will have been redirected to be sourced from 'anywhere other than Russia'. The EU will struggle through this winter, but then be much more prepared for winter 2023. Whilst Russia will become increasingly more reliant upon China.

With Sweden and Finland joining NATO, along with the Ukraine as soon as its permitted, Putin has done nothing beneficial for the world, nor his own people, nor his neighbors. A outcast, seen as a lying clown. Leaving him to seek respect through the likes of military threats (nuclear, chemical, biological). The only country to have deployed chemical weapons this millennium - both at home and abroad (Syria, UK).

Never thought that we'd see Kim Jong-un/North Korea as being considered the more respectable than Putin/Russia. I suspect that many Russians would rather be part of the civilized world rather than Putin's pariah state world, and in time Russia may see increasing break-up, but equally in anticipation of that Putin is likely to clamp down very tightly on Russian freedoms. Life is to short as it is, and most strive to form good friendships, memories and leave things better, but as ever in life there are the exceptions - such as Putin.

[Kbg]

Due to our Cold War perspective, I think it’s difficult for us to think of Russia as an imperial power. Obviously it was in the Czarist days but it was in the Communist days as well…it will be interesting to see if we are watching a “re” continuation of the break up that started in the 90s?

Must admit I’m not an optimist for post Putin Russia either…seems they have deep cultural challenges to embracing western style democracy.