Anyone get the feeling that now Brexit is over and Covid is dying, the world - and media - need another huge story (which is, although nothing is happening, that something might be going to happen)?

A simplistic question in one sense but profound in another; but what has this situation got to do with America?

Ukraine is not a member of NATO. The US should have as much to say about a Russian invasion of Ukraine as Iceland. It needs to stop prodding the Russian bear; as it may effectively "force" Putin to invade.

He may well be intending to do so come what may. I don't agree that media is reporting about "nothing happening". Russia is amassing forces on a huge scale, the US is putting itself four-square in the argument (and yes I concede GM) Trump probably wouldn't of.

This has the potential to move from a localised to a US/European war with Russia. It is the only story at the moment. Even if a lot of it is posturing and politics currently, that can go dreadfully wrong with the egos involved, very easily.

I also feel bad for personally concentrating on my hopes that the likely carnage remains localised. If I were religious, I would be praying for the families in Ukraine this evening. A lot of innocent people are likely to be murdered soon.

I know as little about Ukraine as I know about Covid but I know a lot about media and manipulating media. It strikes me that Putin is brightly using media to create a better situation to achieve his goal. Do watch the new Munich film. Hitler using Czechoslovakia as a way to achieve results. If I'm wrong, Russia WILL invade. If I'm right you can expect a deal of some kind giving Russia more control and power over Ukraine (if you promise not to join NATO we'll withdraw, stop fighting, increase trade etc).

But as I said, I know nothing.

I think it likely that Putin is a rational agent (and yes I am sure astute with media manipulation) and if he can achieve his aims through manipulating tensions will and would rather avoid war.

Where we perhaps disagree is the likelihood of the US (who cares what the UK's position is; why we continue to pose as a player is beyond me...) giving him what he wants. When he doesn't get that where does he go?

Putin, while not the maniac often portrayed in the West, doesn't strike me as the type to put the lives of others above his own standing either.

Let's hope some very smart people on both sides can come up with a compromise that allows both to retreart from this...

Wyot wrote:
I think it likely that Putin is a rational agent (and yes I am sure astute with media manipulation) and if he can achieve his aims through manipulating tensions will and would rather avoid war.

Where we perhaps disagree is the likelihood of the US (who cares what the UK's position is; why we continue to pose as a player is beyond me...) giving him what he wants. When he doesn't get that where does he go?

Putin, while not the maniac often portrayed in the West, doesn't strike me as the type to put the lives of others above his own standing either.

Let's hope some very smart people on both sides can come up with a compromise that allows both to retreart from this...

WOuldn't be the first False Flag operation. I trust Russia more than I trust Boris and Biden. If Putin wanted a war he would of done it under Obama when Obama was winding Putin up.

As I said (see above)... now Russia say "if Ukraine agrees NOT to join NATO"... Casandra King, never listened to...

JK2006 wrote:
As I said (see above)... now Russia say "if Ukraine agrees NOT to join NATO"... Casandra King, never listened to...

Casandra I hope you are correct and the fact that it is pretty much impossible for Ukraine to rule out joining NATO is not the casus belli Putin is engineering in the coming meeting with Ukraine.

He certainly won't want to invade after they join! So let's hope his end game is not annexing Ukraine.

If it is then he is about to invade in about 3 days time...