The war in Ukraine

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Comments

  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    That doesn't make it wrong!

  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,917Chief of Staff

    (Looks around. Shakes head wearily. Goes to bed.)

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent
    edited April 23

    This is welcome news. I believe that much of the rest of Europe is doing or has already done the same. This is definitely what is needed in these dangerous times for Europe.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    Norway has decided to boost defence spending too. Too little band too late, of course.

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent

    I suppose it's a case of better late than never. Without being overly dramatic there are shades of the 1938 Munich Crisis here where some time has been bought to rearm in the face of an aggressive neighbour in Europe.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    It seems like eagles have arrived at the same conclusion as the airlines when it comes to Ukraine. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c88z0p33413o


    Civilian planes:


  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent

    You could say that the eagles have not landed in Ukraine.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent
    edited June 17

    Putin as said Russia will only enter negotioations if they get to keep four regions (more than they are occupying now) in Ukraine and Ukraine promises never to join NATO. That's like a burglar who refuses to leave the house unless he gets to keep more than he mananged to steal and the house owner promises never to install a burglary alarm! 🤣

  • HarryCanyonHarryCanyon Posts: 366MI6 Agent

    yeah, it's a non starter.

    But there are indications that Russia is nearing complete collapse. The Ruble is what...10% of its original value? Should be an interesting latter half of 2024.

  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,793Chief of Staff

    One worry is that Ukraine is running out of soldiers…men of an enlisted age are in hiding…

    YNWA 97
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    There has been claims that Russia is in the verge of collapse since late 2022, so I'm not convinced.

  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent
    edited June 17

    Yes, Russia is getting more and more under China's control/influence.

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent
    edited June 17

    It makes a difference from the first Cold War when the USSR and Red China were at each other's throats for a while there. There was even talk of nuclear war between them by the late 1960s.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent
    edited June 17

    Another difference is that this time China is clearly more powerful than Russia.

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent

    Yes, it's funny how times change. It looks like Putin went cap in hand to China recently looking for more arms. This century will see China overtake the United States as the largest economy in the world. Hopefully China doesn't start any expansionist adventures of its own in Taiwan with all that's going on in Europe. I have a feeling they're not that silly though.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    Putin is in North Korea. Nothing says "my special military operation is going great" like going to Pyongyang to ask for more guns and ammo. 😁

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent

    Russia, China, North Korea. The rogue states of the world unite. Where next? Iran?

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters

    I believe so. The New Axis Powers. I'm terribly worried about the future - both near- and far-term.

    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent

    Yes, it feels like we're heading into this century's version of the 1930s. The world has never been more dangerous at any time since the Cold War. It's worrying and concerning but it seems that's where we're headed.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters

    I won't get into geopolitics, for obvious reasons (you're welcome, Mods! 🍻) ...but the run-up feels a bit more like WWI to me than the second one - although I agree with your '30s observation, which are echoed in a couple of deliberately unspecified ways as the tableau plays out.

    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    Syria and Russia are helping each other out too. Perfect.

  • HarryCanyonHarryCanyon Posts: 366MI6 Agent
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent
    edited June 19

    I think if you live long enough you're sure to experience some turbulent times. I think of my late father as one example from the past. He lived through the Depression, World War II (he was in the Home Guard), the Korean War, the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Energy Crisis of the 1970s, the fall of the Berlin Wall and latterly the September 11th attacks and the Iraq War. Of course there were also economic ups and downs with recessions during his lifetime too. I'm still (just) under 40 and I've lived through the fall of the Berlin Wall (I recall seeing it on the TV news as a 5 year old) and the end of the Cold War, the September 11th attacks, the Iraq War, Bird flu and Swine flu, Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine War, the worst inflation in the UK since 1982 and the cost of living crisis that went with it. So I think we all experience living through turbulent and unexpected events, to say nothing of the challenges day to day in our own personal lives. I know things are serious now but they've been just as serious in the past and we got through them. It's always good to put things into perspective.

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    How dare you, SM, to post such a thoughtful and level-headed reply when HarryCannon expressed our feelings in one GIF? 🤷

  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,852MI6 Agent
    edited June 19

    A picture is worth a thousand words. That said, what else would you expect from me but a long-winded post? 😉

    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent

    👍

  • HarryCanyonHarryCanyon Posts: 366MI6 Agent

    The world seems to lurch from crisis to crisis for various reasons. We always seem to come out the other side and I suspect that this whole Ukrainian situation will resolve itself in a way that enables most of the world to move forward. I don't see Russia surviving this intact (I think Russia will probably become a vassal state to China) but the rest of Europe will probably move forward with little changes to anything apart from paying their energy bills to China instead of Russia.

    The only thing I'm not confident of is the timeline.

  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,364MI6 Agent
    edited June 20

    I think Russia has a good chance of suviving intact, but I agree the country is not unlikely to become a second-tier state that mainly natural supplies resources to China. However I don't see how we would end up paying energy bills to China. They mainly produce coal for their domestic market adn I don't think Russia will tank so badly they have to sell all their oil and gass productio to China.

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