Russia invades Ukraine
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Azas
No Rest for the Dead
The Telegraph article:
author Ben Wallace:
"We must put Russia in a prison and build the walls high
If the past few years have taught us anything it is that all our societies are more fragile than we believe and that dictators can fall .
Twenty-five years in power and Vladimir Putin has left Russia in a worse state, not better. He has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of his citizens on the altar of his own ego. He has abandoned the rule of law, persecuted his opponents, invaded countries and directed a sub-threshold war against the West.
The result, not surprisingly, is that Russia is a lesser, poorer and weaker country than when Putin first took office. It is a country that now has to go on bended knee to the ruler of North Korea for fresh cannon fodder.
It is also a country – though Putin won’t admit it – which has become a client state of China. How the mighty have fallen.
As one current leader of a former Russian ally said to me recently: “Putin is just a gangster with a gas station.”
When Putin made the foolish decision to illegally invade Ukraine, everyone was at pains inside our government – especially in the Foreign Office – to repeat the mantras, “this is not the Russian people, it is just a small clique in the Kremlin,” and “we don’t do regime change”.
Well, the past three years have shown that this criminal and fascist regime goes way beyond a few bitter old KGB men. It turns out that the Russians not only support the invasion, but they support the use of torture, mass murder, assassinations and cyberattacks.
As with Adolf Hitler’s Germany, Russia’s actions are only possible because of widespread support among its citizens. One of the features of the Soviet Union was the hundreds of Russian dissidents who bravely spoke out or campaigned from exile. This time around, the numbers who do so are in single figures. Most Russians abroad in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cyprus or the capitals of Europe believe Putin is correct (while shielding their own sons from being drafted to Ukraine).
So what is to be done with this gangster state? Well, I believe that just like other gangsters, Russia belongs behind bars: prison bars of its own making. At the moment, despite sanctions, Russia acts as if nothing has happened. Our Western capitals and private schools are still full of wealthy Putin supporters. Russia operates a “shadow” fleet of ships that enables it to export oil, cut cables and smuggle goods. Famous British brands are still being sold in Moscow – brands that we ought to consider taking action against.
So in 2025, we should make sure the West starts building the prison walls high. We should patch the holes and lock the doors. We should also use our collective diplomacy to pressure such places as Cyprus, the UAE and Switzerland to clamp down on the playgrounds of the Russian elite.
Just as we remove criminals from society, we should do the same to Russia. The irony of such actions is that it will completely counter the fake Russian narrative that Nato is poised to invade. Let’s face it – no one ever wants to break into a prison.
When Putin is revealed to have no real friends, the Godfather will look weak and, as in any other organised crime family, his days will be numbered.
There will be those who say that Putin is going nowhere. No doubt such experts have missed the collapse of Assad, the attempted coup in South Korea and the Taliban victory.
If the past few years have taught us anything it is that all our societies are more fragile than we believe and that dictators can fall.
Winston Churchill once said, “Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.” The Russian widows and mothers will be getting hungry soon…"
author Ben Wallace:
"We must put Russia in a prison and build the walls high
If the past few years have taught us anything it is that all our societies are more fragile than we believe and that dictators can fall .
Twenty-five years in power and Vladimir Putin has left Russia in a worse state, not better. He has sacrificed hundreds of thousands of his citizens on the altar of his own ego. He has abandoned the rule of law, persecuted his opponents, invaded countries and directed a sub-threshold war against the West.
The result, not surprisingly, is that Russia is a lesser, poorer and weaker country than when Putin first took office. It is a country that now has to go on bended knee to the ruler of North Korea for fresh cannon fodder.
It is also a country – though Putin won’t admit it – which has become a client state of China. How the mighty have fallen.
As one current leader of a former Russian ally said to me recently: “Putin is just a gangster with a gas station.”
When Putin made the foolish decision to illegally invade Ukraine, everyone was at pains inside our government – especially in the Foreign Office – to repeat the mantras, “this is not the Russian people, it is just a small clique in the Kremlin,” and “we don’t do regime change”.
Well, the past three years have shown that this criminal and fascist regime goes way beyond a few bitter old KGB men. It turns out that the Russians not only support the invasion, but they support the use of torture, mass murder, assassinations and cyberattacks.
As with Adolf Hitler’s Germany, Russia’s actions are only possible because of widespread support among its citizens. One of the features of the Soviet Union was the hundreds of Russian dissidents who bravely spoke out or campaigned from exile. This time around, the numbers who do so are in single figures. Most Russians abroad in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cyprus or the capitals of Europe believe Putin is correct (while shielding their own sons from being drafted to Ukraine).
So what is to be done with this gangster state? Well, I believe that just like other gangsters, Russia belongs behind bars: prison bars of its own making. At the moment, despite sanctions, Russia acts as if nothing has happened. Our Western capitals and private schools are still full of wealthy Putin supporters. Russia operates a “shadow” fleet of ships that enables it to export oil, cut cables and smuggle goods. Famous British brands are still being sold in Moscow – brands that we ought to consider taking action against.
So in 2025, we should make sure the West starts building the prison walls high. We should patch the holes and lock the doors. We should also use our collective diplomacy to pressure such places as Cyprus, the UAE and Switzerland to clamp down on the playgrounds of the Russian elite.
Just as we remove criminals from society, we should do the same to Russia. The irony of such actions is that it will completely counter the fake Russian narrative that Nato is poised to invade. Let’s face it – no one ever wants to break into a prison.
When Putin is revealed to have no real friends, the Godfather will look weak and, as in any other organised crime family, his days will be numbered.
There will be those who say that Putin is going nowhere. No doubt such experts have missed the collapse of Assad, the attempted coup in South Korea and the Taliban victory.
If the past few years have taught us anything it is that all our societies are more fragile than we believe and that dictators can fall.
Winston Churchill once said, “Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.” The Russian widows and mothers will be getting hungry soon…"
Spaldy
Ancient Mariner
While I despise the Torygraph for the most part, they do occasionally get something right.
Azas
No Rest for the Dead
So, Baltic States is next on the line? Thank You West for Your half measures. (for now i'm saying this hypothetically but imperative is there)
And if this will become true, then they will say: "Silly, can't you understand, we can not risk the life of millions. Nuclear holocaust", yada yada.
*
But how about:
First they came for the Georgia, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not from Georgia.
Then they came for Ukraine, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not from Ukraine
Then they came for the Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not from those insignificant countries. Pfft.
*
If that will be the case, Next time, when you will accuse me being not enough progressive or whatever, I'll spit you in the face.
(For now, this my writing is hypothetical. And reaction is "what it would be if invasion would happen")
I don't want to offend anyone for real. I just want you to show how logic works. Please, proceed it as a food for thought. Try to understand my emotions and what the core of my writing is here.
Oh, and i'm writing this all, even at the risk of being banned. Bla, bla, bla. The truth is more precious.
*
I'm still not holding any grudge against any form of minorities. But i despise far left as much as far right. Double standards, etc.
Damn, life is not going to be any easier. Huh.
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Whether or not the USA is there, if Russia invades Article 5 territory, NATO will come.
Azas
No Rest for the Dead
God, I sure hope so.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
You're obviously free to feel whatever you want, but I find this quite interesting, considering how there are no far left governments in the EU at the moment. There are certainly some center-left ones, but not a single EU country has a far left party in power. Feels kinda like misplaced grievances.
I'm not that sure anymore, tbh.
____no5
Free Man
USA will be there. War in Ukraine has been a pivotal moment and we'll see more and more US focusing on the Pacific and Artic, leaving Europe on its own, but it would be suicidal for their reputation not to be there.
If US is not there, all bets are off.
The way I read the situation is that Europeans are very afraid that US will abandon them and will try to "keep US in" at any cost. A Russian invasion would be wildest dreams come true for clowns like Kallas. In a way, this is what the 100 years (!!) agreement between Starmer's UK and Ukraine is all about. Or previously Macron's "plan" to send troops. Provoke US intervention eventually, to lock US in Europe.
Yes, without NATO there would be no EU. But we lost our sovereignty in the process. Now we are acting like drug addicts, but no matter what, US will abandon Europe eventually and we'll have to double down on our security capabilities to defend ourselves from Russia that wouldn't be an issue and a foe if we were sovereign in the first place.
Chicken and egg.
If US is not there, all bets are off.
The way I read the situation is that Europeans are very afraid that US will abandon them and will try to "keep US in" at any cost. A Russian invasion would be wildest dreams come true for clowns like Kallas. In a way, this is what the 100 years (!!) agreement between Starmer's UK and Ukraine is all about. Or previously Macron's "plan" to send troops. Provoke US intervention eventually, to lock US in Europe.
Yes, without NATO there would be no EU. But we lost our sovereignty in the process. Now we are acting like drug addicts, but no matter what, US will abandon Europe eventually and we'll have to double down on our security capabilities to defend ourselves from Russia that wouldn't be an issue and a foe if we were sovereign in the first place.
Chicken and egg.
Yax
Ancient Mariner
... Are you actually making a semantic argument that he didn't really lie?
And yes. Serious people never took him seriously. The millions in the Cult that aren't serious about anything save for being at the opposite end of the Dems believe most things he says. They will go on a loop no matter what argument you make, no matter the amount of evidence to support it.
And yes. Serious people never took him seriously. The millions in the Cult that aren't serious about anything save for being at the opposite end of the Dems believe most things he says. They will go on a loop no matter what argument you make, no matter the amount of evidence to support it.
____no5
Free Man
Let's put it this way, if I were telling you that I'd beat Mike Tyson would I lie if I didn't? It was such a ridiculous claim then, that I didn't take it seriously enough to call it a lie now.
Again, what worries me is that he seriously believe that he would have any chance to end the conflict in 100 days. Ignorance is worse than lying.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
One doesn't exclude the other. Sure, he was bullshitting, but he was also lying. Why is it so hard for you to admit that a notorious liar who lied tens of thousands of times in his previous presidency lied once more? Two things can be true at once: He bullshitted his easily deceived army of obedient morons and cultists, and he lied. Simple.
His big plan to end the war was to threaten Putin with tariffs. Because Russia and the USA have a vibrant trading relationship.
____no5
Free Man
I already stated he's delusional. I know he won't end it. Remaining to see if he'll end up owning Ukraine and if he is, how he handles the fiasco. I know he'll fail, but what are the alternatives? It's not my fault if Biden /Democrats are so terrible, as long as memory is still fresh, I will always remember that it could be way worse. Nothing will happen until the next promising Democrat enters the scene, for people start walking away from Trump /Vance. Huge if, who will that be? There was no-one that seriously challenged Biden in 4 years.
Blinken=Secretary of War. When NYT writes that, you know the Administration fucked up big time. Trump is delusional but at least he's trying. He already assigned an envoy to Russia which is a huge first step.
Biden Administration was not even talking to Russia for 3 years, or had serious engagement with other adversaries. Calling Xi a dictator during his visit in US? Super smart diplomacy, congratulations! So don't tell me about Trump. Look where Biden "diplomacy" has led us and cry.
How Antony Blinken, America’s Top Diplomat, Became the Secretary of War
President Biden’s longtime aide rallied scores of nations to defend Ukraine, but then became a villain to the many critics of U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Exactly. These are the things one should focus on Trump, not if he lied when he stated something obviously impossible. To be fair I think he meant more secondary sanctions and Saudis flooding the market with oil but he would hurt Americans by doing that and Saudis would take a big hit, so pretty delusional too.
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