Russia and its “Special Operation” in Ukraine

[avfc1982am]

36 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

Totally agree with all of that, and am not sure why you’d feel the need to repost it in response to my post. 

Because you raised the point about people in Kharkiv not caring who was ruling so long as there was peace. In return I raised the fact that a few people being interviewed is irrelevant when they may potentially be Russian sympathisers or  may have potentially been terrorised and trust no one. 

 

[fruitvilla]

6 hours ago, LondonLax said:

How many of your family members would you be willing to sacrifice for not having to have a Russian passport?

Poorly phrased question. How many of my family members would I stop from sacrificing themselves from having a Russian passport? I think would be more appropriate.

[tinker]

1 hour ago, LondonLax said:

Not sure where you’re getting that from. I am saying there is a moral dilemma and it is not as simple as people seem to be making out. 

It is totally right and just that Ukrainian should win against their brutal invaders. However, there is a price to be paid for that stance. From our position in comfort, far away from and direct impacts of this invasion the obvious course of action is that the brave Ukrainians should fight against their invaders and any losses are a sad inevitability and the price for freedom.

It becomes a very different matter if it is your life that is the price for freedom. Or that your 6 year old daughter is raped and killed during that struggle for freedom. Under those scenarios perhaps Russian rule is actually preferable for those individuals. There must be a point for every person where the struggle for freedom from Russian rule requires too high a price to pay.

 

Lets get something straight the murderer of children is not war in any shape or form, it's an evil person committing an horrific crime under the cover of 'war'.

If it it was a British soldier in a British war and I was present they would get a bullet straight in the back of the  head, no questions, no trial. My guess is 99% of service men I know would do exactly the same. 

[Tayls]

So are there any real indications that R as a nation is struggling economically as a result of the sanctions that have been imposed? Is the pressure ultimately going to contribute towards the war ending sooner than if they hadn’t been imposed? What about the Russian people? How are they seeing things? Surprisingly difficult to find this info out! 

[Genie]

Just now, Tayls said:

So are there any real indications that R as a nation is struggling economically as a result of the sanctions that have been imposed? Is the pressure ultimately going to contribute towards the war ending sooner than if they hadn’t been imposed? What about the Russian people? How are they seeing things? Surprisingly difficult to find this info out! 

They are probably still outperforming post-Brexit UK.

[avfc1982am]

1 minute ago, Tayls said:

So are there any real indications that R as a nation is struggling economically as a result of the sanctions that have been imposed? Is the pressure ultimately going to contribute towards the war ending sooner than if they hadn’t been imposed? What about the Russian people? How are they seeing things? Surprisingly difficult to find this info out! 

It appears the majority of Russians are used to having nothing so there is very little change. In the major Cities things are a little different. This channel (2) 1420 - YouTube is pretty good as the young lad that runs it asks some provocative questions. As you'll see most Russians are either, a) not into politics, b) Scared to talk, or c) completely for aggression against the US.   . Every now and again someone sensible pops up although not very often. 

Here's one of the best examples. Note the US hater at the end who would be happy to kill Americans, whilst wearing his NASA jacket. 

 

[Genie]

1 hour ago, avfc1982am said:

It appears the majority of Russians are used to having nothing so there is very little change. In the major Cities things are a little different. This channel (2) 1420 - YouTube is pretty good as the young lad that runs it asks some provocative questions. As you'll see most Russians are either, a) not into politics, b) Scared to talk, or c) completely for aggression against the US.   . Every now and again someone sensible pops up although not very often. 

Here's one of the best examples. Note the US hater at the end who would be happy to kill Americans, whilst wearing his NASA jacket. 

 

The last guy was my favourite. Americans have nothing to live for, nothing to eat, they want Russias oil because all they have is desert. 

[avfc1982am]

12 minutes ago, Genie said:

The last guy was my favourite. Americans have nothing to live for, nothing to eat, they want Russias oil because all they have is desert. 

Absolute crackpot. 

[Genie]

I have a feeling that if there was an all out war with the USA they’d have more people willing to fight having been told for decades the Americans are the root of all their problems and want to take their land.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

Biden is going to send a Patriot system to Ukraine

[bickster]

1 minute ago, Genie said:

I have a feeling that if there was an all out war with the USA they’d have more people willing to fight having been told for decades the Americans are the root of all their problems and want to take their land.

You realise how many Americans have lived for that moment, nobody would need to supply arms to the militias there

Hey rednecks, the Ruskies are a comin'

If Putin was in charge he's invade Texas first, in summer

[bickster]

7 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

Biden is going to send a Patriot system to Ukraine

IS there a link for that?

EDIT: Found one. Not approved yet

Quote

 The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine that could be announced as soon as this week, according to two US officials and a senior administration official.

The Pentagon’s plan still needs to be approved by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before it is sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. The three officials told CNN that approval is expected.

CNN Politics

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

Biden is going to send a Patriot system to Ukraine

Is it that guy who nicked the podium? 

[PussEKatt]

16 hours ago, Genie said:

I have a feeling that if there was an all out war with the USA they’d have more people willing to fight having been told for decades the Americans are the root of all their problems and want to take their land.

Watched a documentry here about Ukraine and a mother said that she was against Russia and looked on them as invaders but,her 2 daughters looked on the Russians as saviors

[pas5898]

20 hours ago, PussEKatt said:

Watched a documentry here about Ukraine and a mother said that she was against Russia and looked on them as invaders but,her 2 daughters looked on the Russians as saviors

Generally speaking, it's the other way round. In Lithuania / Latvia / Estonia and parts of Ukraine.

Older than 45 - remember the soviet union, speak Russian only take in Russian TV / propaganda

Younger than 45 - Tend not to speak Russian, all speak English, more European and definitely anti Russia.

My Wife has cousins in Ukraine - the younger ones were fighting, the older ones were quite pleased at the though of Soviet Rule again.

Her parents are 100% pro Russia and would welcome Russian rule in Lithuania for example.

Edited December 15, 2022 by pas5898

[tinker]

4 hours ago, pas5898 said:

Generally speaking, it's the other way round. In Lithuania / Latvia / Estonia and parts of Ukraine.

Older than 45 - remember the soviet union, speak Russian only take in Russian TV / propaganda

Younger than 45 - Tend not to speak Russian, all speak English, more European and definitely anti Russia. 

She has cousins in Ukraine - the younger ones were fighting, the older ones were quite pleased at the though of Soviet Rule again.

Her parents are 100% pro Russia and would welcome Russian rule in Lithuania for example.

Sounds like a more aggressive brexit .

[fruitvilla]

4 hours ago, pas5898 said:

Her parents are 100% pro Russia and would welcome Russian rule in Lithuania for example.

Are her parents of Russian origin? 

But I agree, my experience of Latvia, younger people have English as a second language, while older people have Russian. In Latvia just under thirty percent of the population of Russian origin, but they seem ambidextrous when it comes to Russia. I have relatives who changed their Russian surname to a Latvian one.

[avfc1982am]

I see Graham Souness's has another TV gig 

 

[pas5898]

15 hours ago, fruitvilla said:

Are her parents of Russian origin? 

But I agree, my experience of Latvia, younger people have English as a second language, while older people have Russian. In Latvia just under thirty percent of the population of Russian origin, but they seem ambidextrous when it comes to Russia. I have relatives who changed their Russian surname to a Latvian one.

Everyone is technically of Russian Origin if over the age of 40. It was one big happy soviet family!

Maternal side is Russian Origin (her nan moved during WW2)  -  Despite only living in Lithuania my mother in law is 100 percent "russian", speaks russian, watches russian TV etc. They are angry with me for learning Lithuanian.

Her dad is Lithuanian / Polish by decent but is 100 percent Russian politically, speaks russian and despite living in Lithuania holds a distain for the european side of things.

All the younger generation are 100 percent Lithuanian / European and anti Russia.

 

[bickster]

2 hours ago, pas5898 said:

Everyone is technically of Russian Origin if over the age of 40. It was one big happy soviet family!

Surely the age boundary for feeling Russian is much higher than that though? I was in Lithuania and Latvia at the end of the Soviet era. Glasnost / Perestroika times. The Baltic countries had just been allowed to fly their flags a year or so before. Even back then it wasn't easy to find someone my age at the time or even slightly older that felt Russian. Old people back then sure, they were the ones going back into the reopened orthodox churches (we quickly learned that hats on men inside churches is disrespectful  )

From that experience I imagine that the age boundary is more like 65 or so. Is that not correct?