Whats Do You Think

[pimplyteen]

Seeing Putin on the news this evening he seems to be realizing what a massive mess he's made. Also seems to be scratting round for support that's not there.

[burlyshirley1]

^ That was to TTT at 9:19.

[pimplyteen]

The only thing Putin seems to have proven is that his war machine is a complete shambles. All the gear and no idea if you like.

[Bobbisox1]

I listened to someone calling in on Talk TV from Hartlepool , he said Putin should be asked to attend the the Queens funeral and when he arrives to take his place with the rest of the dignitaries, plain clothes police should move in and whisper, Sorry Vlad,The Haig is this a-away

[Gromit]

Nuclear weapons are not really an option on a country that you have a border with. Nuclear fallout does not respect borders, so a lot of Russians would be killed too. Nuclear assured destruction works as a deterrent when the superpowers are oceans apart, not when they are neighbours.

[ichkeria]

There is the issue of tactical nuclear weapons too of course, but the same logic also applies, albeit it to a lesser extent.
Try telling Ukranians now tho that nuclear weapons "keep the peace"
Were it not for the threat of their use, this war would now probably be over.
I fear the death toll as it is may already have reached 200,000, over half of those being the dsead of Marioupol.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// Nuclear weapons are not really an option on a country that you have a border with//


Cloud seeding is a very effective and preventive measure to combat nuclear fallout. To the detriment of many villagers, this is exactly what happened over Belarus to avoid Moscow being stormed upon by radioactive rainfall. This occurred as a result of the fallout from the Chernobyl disaster!

[Gromit]

Not sure cloud seeding existed 36 years ago. I think it was luck that Moscow was spared radioactive fallout.

A big dump of radioactive rain fell on the UK, and restrictions on moving grazed animals were imposed for 26 years in Wales and Cumbria, only being lifted in 2012.

[bobbinwales]

Have you got a li k to cloud seeding been effective for stopping or slowing radiation please Zebo as I'm interested but thought it was not reliable enough

[Paigntonian]

Still can't understand how this supposed massive threat to the West turned out to be so useless they couldn't beat Ukraine.

[Gromit]

Paigntonian
Russia was beaten in Afghanistan and in Chechnya, hardly the most warlike nations.
Russia’s enemies provide superior armourments to it’s opponents, and Russia relies too much on poorly trained conscripted soldiers.

[pimplyteen]

The cutting off the gas was Putin's ace card or so he thought, it's not had the desired affect if anyone is out in the cold it's Putin at the moment.
All of his threats have become very weak and very little left to threat with, any that will make any sense.

[Gromit]

At the moment western Europe’s need for gas is quite low. In the winter when it gets a lot colder and darker, is when shortfall will begin to hurt. If industry needs to ration (work a 3 day week) then that will harm economies. The trouble with sanctions is they often harm those who are imposing them. So cutting off energy supplies to Europe harms the Russian economy too. The oligarchs who keep Putin in power may soon tire of declining fortunes, and initiate a change of leader (fingers crossed).

[douglas9401]

"Russia was beaten in Afghanistan and in Chechnya, hardly the most warlike nations".

Are you quite sure about that? The 'hardly the most warlike' part I mean

[Gromit]

Don’t know about Chechnya, but Afghanistan has fought a lot of wars because other nations keep invading them. They are similar to Ukraine, not the aggressors, but will try their best to defend their nation.

[pimplyteen]

No invading army will ever win a war in Afghanistan mainly due to the mountainous terrain. The hit and run tactic is difficult to defend. Russia found this out, and we have.

[Gromit]

Britain (3 times*), Russia and the US/Nato Coalition all beaten in wars with Afghanistan.

*The 3rd Anglo-Afghan war was due to them invading British India.

[jourdain2]

A vote of thanks from me to Ichkeria for keeping us all so succinctly and knowledgably up-to-date with the situation.

[pimplyteen]

There is also one very simple element that can bring a war to a standstill, and that is good old thick mud. You would have thought the Russians would have known this in the first 2/3 weeks of the invasion of Ukraine. May be the Ukrainians should invest in some massive water cannons/ bombs. :0))))

[ichkeria]

Chechnya is warlike but small, also strictly clan-based and therefore easy to divide and conquer ultimately,
Syria is not dissimilar in many ways.
They have not faced anything like Ukraine: a huge, united country. Moreover one which has been preparing for war with Russia since 2014. And one, crucially, with which we in the west can easiy identify.
The only serious dissent to Kyiv existed in regions they had already effectively annexed. What dissent there remained has nor largely transferred to hatred for Moscow.
It's now thought btw that the bomb that killed Luhansk's prosecutor general was an inside job: an IED in his office. Dissent there is growing as people refuse to be conscipted as cannon fodder.
No wonder Putin daren't declare a general mobilisation at home.

[pimplyteen]

Apart from the normal tactic of shelling from afar i don't think he knows what way to jump. Hopefully in the big hole he's digging for himself.