Is anyone surprised? Ukraine invaded

[Sampanviking]

US & UK pushing Russia invasion hysteria to 'distract' from domestic problems –Moscow — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
Take it from me if Vlad was going to invade it would have happened before you even knew it might be coming, he wouldn't let a build up against occur and give the chance of saying look, look we stopped him. Nope good show and all that, but it doesn't quite cut the mustard.

The whole narrative is descending into pantomime territory - Real "behind you" stuff
The fact remains is that Public Opinion exists in Russia too and you cannot take a country to war successfully if it has not been primed and public opinion shaped.
There is no such campaign to do so in the Russian media, no historical territorial claims against Ukraine, no dodgy dossiers and no claims of Ukrainian malfeasance against Russia.
The only people pushing this invasion narrative are the US and UK.

We also have the BBC continuing its usual practice of dodgy maps
The standard map now on the BBC website shows an area the size of western Europe and without any scale.
Supposed Russian units are shown with massive markers that seem to occupy vast swathes.
In reality these troops such as numbers there may be, are in bases at least a hundred miles away from the Ukrainian border and often several hundred.
If Britain was shown in that scale and with position markers of that size, we would look as though the entire Island was a concreted over fortress!

[T00ts]

No mention of the French or the EU only the Americans the British and NATO. Macron is going to have to do some soul selling for sure.

Normally I would say that Putin wouldn't be so impressed by an actor like Macron although I did read that Putin's palace has a strategically placed dance pole.. I am not aware that Putin is much of a thespian, but then I just wondered just how far Macron would be prepared to go in order to reap applause.  

[Sheepy]

No mention of the French or the EU only the Americans the British and NATO. Macron is going to have to do some soul selling for sure. 

[Sheepy]

US & UK pushing Russia invasion hysteria to 'distract' from domestic problems –Moscow — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
Take it from me if Vlad was going to invade it would have happened before you even knew it might be coming, he wouldn't let a build up against occur and give the chance of saying look, look we stopped him. Nope good show and all that, but it doesn't quite cut the mustard.

[Sheepy]

I would say Macron is very likely to win Sheepy. But this problem doesn't hang on Putin. It hangs on Zelensky. I cannot see why their security can't be guaranteed in a treaty in which Russia would have to retreat and NATO would have to reduce their desire to encroach. Everyone is saying membership is decades away anyway (if at all), so it does make sense for Zelensky to hear what Macron has to say in my opinion if anything because it ensures his nations sovereignty and reduces the risk of war.

LOL we will see. 

[B0ycey]

It hangs on Vlad, now if macron can pull off another election victory and whether the French will go for it. He will have to sell his soul for sure.

I would say Macron is very likely to win Sheepy. But this problem doesn't hang on Putin. It hangs on Zelensky. I cannot see why their security can't be guaranteed in a treaty in which Russia would have to retreat and NATO would have to reduce their desire to encroach. Everyone is saying membership is decades away anyway (if at all), so it does make sense for Zelensky to hear what Macron has to say in my opinion if anything because it ensures his nations sovereignty and reduces the risk of war.

[Sheepy]

I would say it is the West who have invented the panic. Or maybe it is Russia who is playing along. I doubt know. Seems Macron is starting to change the narrative though. At last a Western leader is saying something that should be obvious. Russia has legitimate security concerns and we should take them seriously. I refuse to accept there isn't compromise over this. But if we are going to get anywhere we need leaders who are not polling low right now to be making the decisions.

It hangs on Vlad, now if macron can pull off another election victory and whether the French will go for it. He will have to sell his soul for sure. 

[B0ycey]

Or perhaps they have invented yet another crisis for the plebs to panic over, yet building interest in it has been a bit of a flop.

I would say it is the West who have invented the panic. Or maybe it is Russia who is playing along. I doubt know. Seems Macron is starting to change the narrative though. At last a Western leader is saying something that should be obvious. Russia has legitimate security concerns and we should take them seriously. I refuse to accept there isn't compromise over this. But if we are going to get anywhere we need leaders who are not polling low right now to be making the decisions.

[Sheepy]

Perhaps because they both have geopolitical ambitions and have a common problem which is against the US geopolitical policy.

Or perhaps they have invented yet another crisis for the plebs to panic over, yet building interest in it has been a bit of a flop.

[Barry]

Anyway, I hear on the grapevine the Russians and Chinese have formed a no limits partnership I have no idea what no limits are but I could guess a few of them.

I've also heard sleepy Joe is lifting Iran sanctions, with nothing in return. Hope that's not true. Iran will have a field day in Yemen.

[B0ycey]

I just wonder if they did the equivalent of a pinky promise or something. I just can't imagine either party truly trusting the other. They know how untrustworthy they themselves are so how could they possibly trust one another?

Perhaps because they both have geopolitical ambitions and have a common problem which is against the US geopolitical policy.

[T00ts]

I just wonder if they did the equivalent of a pinky promise or something. I just can't imagine either party truly trusting the other. They know how untrustworthy they themselves are so how could they possibly trust one another?

[Sheepy]

Anyway, I hear on the grapevine the Russians and Chinese have formed a no limits partnership I have no idea what no limits are but I could guess a few of them.

[Sheepy]

Putin has scored a rare own goal ,bullying its former occupied territories is one thing , reinforcing the resolve of NATO is something he maybe had not taken into consideration .

Bullying the likes of two thirds of the Middle East behind military might is one thing bullying the Russians and the Chinese on their own doorsteps is a big bite of something entirely different. They have made it plain enough they are not having it. Take a bite and you might be calling for a vet. 

[Streetwalker]

Anyway ....One thing Putin has done it seems is confirming the importance  of NATO to our European neighbours . 

The EU having poked the Russian bear back in 2014 when it signed a  priority partnership agreement compounded its recklessness with invites to join various EU programmes and thrown millions of euros in support of ever closer economic ties 

Ukraine (europa.eu) 

Russia basically have seen this as a land grab by the EU . An expansion into the east that was always off limits to NATO membership needs to be nipped in the bud , let the sabre rattling from Russia begin . 

So who do the nations of Europe turn ?    Increasingly its NATO ,the European dream of military might is just that ,a Macron dream . The reality is we need the support of a super power ,that being the USA . It is they who will be key in talks with Putin not weak voices from Berlin or Brussels .

Putin has scored a rare own goal ,bullying its former occupied territories is one thing , reinforcing the resolve of NATO is something he maybe had not taken into consideration .