Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[The Old Crem 3,583]

40 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Though 43 U.S. lawmakers (both Democrats and Republicans) have written to Biden requesting troops on the ground.

What’s the polling on it in the USA. That will determine. People forget it now but  the Iraq War had majority support at the start. 
 

If troops are sent then it could easily escalate in WW3 pretty quickly. 

[Ulitzer95 12,586]

1 minute ago, The Old Crem said:

What’s the polling on it in the USA. That will determine. People forget it now but  the Iraq War had majority support at the start. 
 

If troops are sent then it could easily escalate in WW3 pretty quickly. 

I can only guess but probably something like "90% of respondents said "What's a yoo crane?".

[JustPassingThrough 148]

8 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

What’s the polling on it in the USA. That will determine. People forget it now but  the Iraq War had majority support at the start. 
  

If troops are sent then it could easily escalate in WW3 pretty quickly. 

 

Last poll I can find was conducted before the invasion, but shows that 26% believe that the US should take a "major role", 52% think the US should play a "minor role", and 22% want no role at all: https://apnorc.org/projects/americas-role-in-the-russia-and-ukraine-situation/

 

Of course, how one imagines minor and major roles is, to put it lightly, imprecise. But that hardly screams "public mandate for troops on the ground!" to me, and I can't see that changing barring something unforeseeable, even for this conflict.

[JustPassingThrough 148]

1 hour ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Though 43 U.S. lawmakers (both Democrats and Republicans) have written to Biden requesting troops on the ground.

No, they didn't. That isn't a request for Biden to actually send in troops right now. It's a request that should the situation hypothetically arise, it should be subject to congressional approval first, which is, of course, something that U.S. presidents in the last half-century haven't been particularly keen on doing.

 

Looking at some of the signatories on that letter, I can't imagine some of them endorsing intervention anywhere under anything except the most dire circumstances.

[The Old Crem 3,583]

I suspect that If troops on the ground arrive Putin might well use it as an excuse to attack the NATO Baltic states and fully kick start WW3. He seems to not be caring anymore about anything. 

[MortalCaso 1,625]

17 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

I can only guess but probably something like "90% of respondents said "What's a yoo crane?".

Americans are more informed than you imply. This has been blasted on the news 24/7 here and everywhere I go people are talking about it. Mainly due to the sharp increase on gas prices here.

[ladyfiona 2,577]

If Russia feels like it they could easily invade America by having troops from Siberia go battle it out in Alaska. It's only a 55 miles distance in the Bering Strait.

[JustPassingThrough 148]

19 minutes ago, MortalCaso said:

Americans are more informed than you imply. This has been blasted on the news 24/7 here and everywhere I go people are talking about it. Mainly due to the sharp increase on gas prices here.

 

However, I would not put such a reaction past Gary Johnson:

 

[Sean 6,315]

Zelenskyy his PM and other key figures have released video of themselves in Kyev.Doesnt look like he will run.

 

Poreshenko is also in Kyev being interviewed holding Kalashnikov vowing Ukraine will hold out forever.

 

Somehow can't see our leaders and former leaders doing the same if it was the UK.

[Sean 6,315]

 

[Sean 6,315]

 

[Genfærd 452]

This is a PM with balls of steel.

[Sean 6,315]

Just now, Genfærd said:

This is a PM with balls of steel.

The real deal.I remember him being elected and everyone laughing as he was an actor and comedian .

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

3 hours ago, ladyfiona said:

If Russia feels like it they could easily invade America by having troops from Siberia go battle it out in Alaska. It's only a 55 miles distance in the Bering Strait.

So far, they are struggling to take any real control against a much inferior Ukrainian military.

If they can't get their tanks trundling down Kiev High St within days of a mass invasion what fucking chance will they have against the might of the American military?

The way it has gone so far, many countries in Europe, as well as here, will be thinking that they are more bullshit than a well honed, finely tuned military powerhouse crushing all those that get in their way. 

Everybody will fancy their chances.

Putin will not be happy.

[msc 18,439]

13 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

So far, they are struggling to take any real control against a much inferior Ukrainian military.

If they can't get their tanks trundling down Kiev High St within days of a mass invasion what fucking chance will they have against the might of the American military?

The way it has gone so far, many countries in Europe, as well as here, will be thinking that they are more bullshit than a well honed, finely tuned military powerhouse crushing all those that get in their way. 

Everybody will fancy their chances.

Putin will not be happy.

 

Although note the Ukrainian army have been training like nuts the past decade for exactly this happening, and have been getting aided by dozens of other countries with top class military weaponry.  (British anti-tank missiles helping defend Kiev at the moment for example.) They were vigilante and prepared. Putin thought he could just waltz in and win quickly. Life lesson there.

 

Hell of a task to unite the Republican party, a Democrat President, the UK, (most of the) EU (though the holdouts appear to be getting worn into line),  Turkey, Chinese banks,  Finland (notoriously bad ass but normally neutral), the Vatican and probably some I forget (Darth Vader at this rate) against someone like Putin has here.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

1 minute ago, msc said:

 

Although note the Ukrainian army have been training like nuts the past decade for exactly this happening, and have been getting aided by dozens of other countries with top class military weaponry.  (British anti-tank missiles helping defend Kiev at the moment for example.) They were vigilante and prepared. Putin thought he could just waltz in and win quickly. Life lesson there.

 

Hell of a task to unite the Republican party, a Democrat President, the UK, (most of the) EU (though the holdouts appear to be getting worn into line),  Turkey, Chinese banks,  Finland (notoriously bad ass but normally neutral), the Vatican and probably some I forget (Darth Vader at this rate) against someone like Putin has here.

Fair comment, however, let us not forget the sheer size of the Russian military machine and armoury, they should be doing 'better' irrespective of how much weaponry Ukraine has.

 

 

[msc 18,439]

4 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

Fair comment, however, let us not forget the sheer size of the Russian military machine and armoury, they should be doing 'better' irrespective of how much weaponry Ukraine has.

 

 

 

Aye, so far its a classic example of underestimating your opponent. 

 

Though the fact they are conscripting and bringing in the warlords to help already suggests the Russian military might not be as big as they claim tbh.. Just a thought.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

We could have some serious action on the Scrabble thread in weeks to come.  

[gcreptile 10,967]

Today, I was thinking for the first time that Putin might fail much earlier than expected. I don't know, I think the resistance is holding up. The russian soldiers might not see the purpose if it all. 

Zelensky seems like a good figure there. Klitschko, too.

[Sean 6,315]

1 hour ago, gcreptile said:

Today, I was thinking for the first time that Putin might fail much earlier than expected. I don't know, I think the resistance is holding up. The russian soldiers might not see the purpose if it all. 

Zelensky seems like a good figure there. Klitschko, too.

Problem is Russia is a much bigger army capable of defeating them no matter how hard they fight and they are giving it their all.

 

If Zelensky or Klitschko are killed which seems a very realistic prospect that will make them martyrs and galvanise the Ukranians further.Even if the Russians overthrow the Government I can`t see the Ukranians stopping fighting.It will be bloody whatever happens though.

[DeathClock 379]

Could've easily fled to safety even before Russia invaded. The vast majority of world leaders would abandon their countries for their own safety. Yet, Zelenskyy is willing to die for his own country. You have my respect. Godspeed!

 

 

 

[CastAway 488]

Zelensky's just refused a US offer to fly him out of the country - the States say he's Russia's #1 target, so it does seem like:

 

* Putin's willing to make a martyr out of him

* he's planning on staying to the bloody end

 

Whatever happens, he'll go down as a hero in the history books at this point. 

[the_engineer 1,415]

13 hours ago, Sean said:

The real deal.I remember him being elected and everyone laughing as he was an actor and comedian .

 

Absolutely. I'll be honest I thought he'd flee. Can't see Klitschko fleeing either.

[the_engineer 1,415]

 

 

Absolutely Boris Johnson wouldn't do this , he'd be wiff waffing on zoom thousands a miles away.

 

 

[Youth in Asia 1,086]

On 26/02/2022 at 03:12, Sean said:

The real deal.I remember him being elected and everyone laughing as he was an actor and comedian .

 

And as the late great Barry Cryer said, or was it Bob Monkhouse, .. they're not laughing now