With Germany's Decision To Send Tanks To Ukraine…

[naomi24]

… will the war escalate into other areas of Europe?

//Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said … the move was confirmation of Germany's involvement in "a war planned in advance" against Russia.

Ambassador Sergei Nechayev said "This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation," He added it would cause "irreparable damage to the already deplorable state of Russian-German relations". //

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-slams-german-tank-decision-escalation-conflict-betrayal-history-2023-01-25/

According to BBC News last night, there have been murmurs from Russian media that Germany is now a legitimate target.

[douglas9401]

Russia is already overreaching, Germans can sleep easy in their beds.

[andy-hughes]

As I am sure Germany understands, if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, they could well be next.

It is probably that Putin lacks the resources to fight on two massive fronts, so best to defeat him now, rather than give him the impression that all of Europe is there for the taking, one piece at a time.

[andy-hughes]

Douglas and I have cross posted, but clearly he sees the situation as I do.

[naomi24]

//Russia is already overreaching//

Is Putin rational enough to consider that? His Foreign Ministry spokeswoman clearly considers Russia to be the victim.

[Untitled]

why would Putin invade Germany after ukraine? he obviously thinks russia has some sort of claim on ukraine given that it used to be part of the ussr... and let's face it russia cannot afford to occupy ukraine even if they were winning

i hope the war does not escalate... i really really do...

[ichkeria]

No.

A lot of muddled thinking going on here.

Vladimir Solovyov, the “Russian media” person spoken of, is like a performing monkey. He hosts the Vecher programme I think it is and has been doing bloodcurdling rants against the west for years. But I guess the Russians know his ravings will occasionally be picked up by western media and alarm people.
Another of his more reported ravings was that the latest Russian nuke would cause a tidal wave that would submerge the UK

[youngmafbog]

Agree with AH.

This is not just about Ukraine, its pretty well known Putin want the USSR back again so whilst Germany many not be in the initial firing line if he succeeds in taking Ukraine it will certainly be a lot closer once Poland Check Republic and the rest go.

[naomi24]

I wasn't thinking of his next conquest, but rather of him attempting to spread the current conflict.

[andy-hughes]

Untitled - Putin is a warmonger - people like him are only happy moving on to the next conquest.

[youngmafbog]

Surely it amounts to the same thing in the end though Naomi?

[naomi24]

Do you think so, YMB? I don't see it like that but rather like Hitler who didn't restrict his antics to one area until he succeeded but spread his creeping poison across Europe.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO sabre rattling. If there is any sanity left in the Kremlin they must know that a military force that can't roll over their Ukrainian neighbours aren't fit to take on the whole of NATO.

[youngmafbog]

I'm not sure Putin thinks like Hitler personally.

But the net effect is the same. Help Ukraine now and supporters may be targets or let him take Ukraine and then cop it - just later.

[naomi24]

I wouldn't say he 'thinks' like Hitler but I do think he harbours 'delusions of grandeur' for Russia.

[ichkeria]

Fundamentally this boils down to use of about the only effective weapon Putin still possesses: the “what if” fear factor.

Playing on German concerns is a bit of an open goal for him

[Khandro]

"Who do you think you're kidding Mr Putin ?" Much of his equipment is not only outmoded, but most of it doesn't function properly it seems.

I do fear though, that this little maniac in an extreme scenario with a bunker mentality might order the use of chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons. Whether that order would be carried out is a moot point & doing so would bring the wrath of the world onto Russia killing him with it, which is the main thing this little coward is terrified of.

Any amount of other people's lives is OK, but not his.

[ichkeria]

He won’t do that.

He is in a bunker for his own protection.
Self preservation is the name of the game for these people and that way is the way to the opposite

[ToraToraTora]

"According to BBC News last night, there have been murmurs from Russian media that Germany is now a legitimate target. " - yes but if they are then we all are, well all those assisting Ukraine anyway, so why is Germany seen any differently by mad Vlad and co?

[naomi24]

TTT, as I understood it Germany's part in WWII has something to do with it.

[ichkeria]

It’s playing on German fears Tora
Don’t know if you saw ordinary people on the street in Berlin being interviewed. A lot of concerns there. Surely hopelessly misplaced but still real