Is there going to be a war?

wanderlust wrote:Story coming out that the Ukranians have eliminated Chechen assassins sent to kill President Zelenskyy after receiving a tip off from Russian FSB (KGB) agents opposed to the war.
Here - and elsewhere.

Whitesince63 wrote:
That’s great news on both counts if true Lusty. You just get the feeling that the heart isn’t there in the Ruskie soldiers to fight this war and if even the KGB are against it you wonder where that leaves Putin. Wouldn’t it be great if there were enough in Moscow who felt that way to take Putin out and end this thing before too much damage is done on both sides. I know propaganda affects but surely the Russians must by now realise they’ve become international pariahs?

wanderlust wrote:
Hard to tell the true feeling of the people as our media spins the story as much as the Russians do, but there are plenty of reports that people in Russia are against Putin's war, however any attempts to publicise it or demonstrate are stamped out immediately.
I think Russians in general are very nationalistic and proud of their country having been brainwashed since birth, but even if there were enough dissenters, there is no chance of a revolution to overthrow the dictator.

Whitesince63 wrote:
I imagine those in East Germany, the Romanians, Bulgarians and other former Eastern Block countries felt the same way about there never being a revolution and the dictators being thrown out, so I wouldn’t write anything off Lusty. I accept Russia may be different but this time it isn’t the West overcoming them, it’s their friends and neighbours in Ukraine and that might make all the difference.

Clearly the propaganda will be spun Putins way but just as we in the U.K. will have formed families with Scottish, Welsh and Irish descent, so I imagine have the Russians and Ukrainians and that could change the thinking big style? I’d like to bet that many of the Russian soldiers have Ukrainian relatives and that may be one of the reasons they seem reluctant to fight. Politics is one thing but family is bigger so maybe the saying blood is thicker than water might turn out to be proven here?

wanderlust wrote:Will Taiwan be next?

Seems like the Russkis have cleared it diplomatically with the Chinese - they would have to as China "rents" 5% of Ukraine's agricultural area - and considerately waited until the Winter Olympics is over before making their move, despite being ready for months - so it would come as no surprise if the Chinese made a Russian-sanctioned move on Taiwan within the next year or so. 

Quid pro quo sanctioning in the face of the spread of capitalism is not beyond imagination.

Putin is NOT crazy and the Russian invasion is NOT failing. The West's delusions about this war - and its failure to understand the enemy - will prevent it from saving Ukraine, writes military analyst BILL ROGGIO

wanderlust wrote:

Putin is NOT crazy and the Russian invasion is NOT failing. The West's delusions about this war - and its failure to understand the enemy - will prevent it from saving Ukraine, writes military analyst BILL ROGGIO

Daily Fail

wanderlust wrote:The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine dating back to 2013 - so this will encompass war crimes allegedly committed by the Ukranian Government against the Russian speaking citizens in the south which Putin claims is the basis of his invasion as well as those committed by the Russians in the current war.

This could be a good move towards finding a negotiated solution if they accept the ICC as arbiter investigating both sides.

It seems a lifetime ago when Trump was accused of threatening the Ukranians to get dirt on Joe Biden's son by telling them it was a condition of aid. Perhaps this is why the Americans seem ambivalent towards Ukraine's situation?

wanderlust wrote:OMG! The Russians have shelled Europe's largest nuclear power plant and it's now on fire. The International Nuclear Authority say if the reactors are breached it will be ten times worse than Chernobyl. 
Story here

Whitesince63 wrote:
This was my fear all along Lusty and if it doesn’t wake everybody up to what’s going on then I have to ask just what will it take? Surely the Russian Generals and those around them can see the dangers of nuclear problems, be it military warheads or power plants and can’t all be as mad as Putin. Time those around Putin either reigned him in or took matters into their own hands because if the worst happens there will be neither a Ukraine nor Russia!!