"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (14 Viewers)

[tomo pauk]

Again and again, the weakest suffer and will continue to suffer. Prayers and thoughts are with people in Ukraine.

Time to remove that MiG-29K from my sig. (Lame, I know.)

 

[buffnut453]

Apparently Russian paratroops have taken over the Antonov air base which is just 15-20 miles from Kyiv.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Agree...my big concern is that armed citizens will be going up against tanks and helicopter gunships. Not sure I like those odds.

That's why the terrain matters. The swamps in the west make poor tank country, and the forest therein mitigate the application of airpower. It's not ideal, sure -- no one wants to war in their own country anyway -- but the terrain gives those with a will to take up insurgency a chance.

The Ukrainian military will likely be crushed, but that doesn't mean the Russians can't get literally bogged down in the misadventure.

Here's hoping this isn't the third world war with its seeds in Eastern Europe.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Sanctions clearly mean nothing to Putin. So what do the western allies do now?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Meanwhile on the Pacific Front…

Taiwan reports 9 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone

Taipei responds to latest entry, coming on day Russia invades Ukraine

asia.nikkei.com

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I've heard of it, not seen it, and wonder how to access it.

It's on line, I got it through Tubi TV - if you have Roku you can find it.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Biden details new Russian sanctions as death toll climbs in Ukraine

Russian troops appear to be advancing on Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. A Ukrainian official says Russia now controls the Chernobyl nuclear site.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Marcel]

I feel so sorry for the children that have to live in fear because of the senseless act of aggression. It breaks my heart.

This.

 

[vikingBerserker]

A-Fricken-Men

 

[tomo pauk]

Sanctions clearly mean nothing to Putin. So what do the western allies do now?

Apart from sanctions and some limited hep to Ukraine? Probably nothing.

 

[buffnut453]

Apart from sanctions and some limited hep to Ukraine? Probably nothing.

Those things and, hopefully, bolstering military presence within NATO's defensive mandate, particularly for those nations that have borders with Russia/Belarus/Black Sea.

Maybe now Europe will start funding defence forces at a more serious level...and this has nothing to do with the 2% GDP question. Back when I was a lad, the UK routinely spent 4.0%-5.5% of GDP on defence. Now it's just 2.1%-2.3%. Other European nations made similar reductions over time. Most of those cuts came from the "peace dividend" following the end of the Cold War.
How's that peace dividend looking now?

 

[SaparotRob]

The Ukraine's neighbors are weighing in on the situation:

'Barbaric Act': NATO's Central European Members Condemn Russia's Attack On Ukraine

NATO nations on the alliance’s so-called “eastern flank” condemned Russia’s early morning attack on Ukraine, with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis labeling it a "very grave breach of international law.”

www.rferl.org

Thanks for the link, Dave. I just subscribed. I figure I can trust Radio Free Europe. I didn't know it was still around.

 

[GrauGeist]

Thanks for the link, Dave. I just subscribed. I figure I can trust Radio Free Europe. I didn't know it was still around.

You're welcome.

Yep, RFE is still there, doing it's thing.

 

[buffnut453]

Estonia has invoked NATO Article 4 which requires NATO countries to meet and discuss the current crisis. Those meetings start tomorrow (Friday) after today's G-7.

 

[SaparotRob]

Putin's made a big mistake. The Ukrainians are, I sense, determined to slug it out, by insurgency if necessary, and their terrain is ideal for that, being swampy and forested in the western third. I think he just may have entered into another Afghanistan, but what were his options? Back down and lose face and prestige domestically? He put himself into the knight's fork with his brinksmanship.

My heart hurts for the Ukrainian people. May they defend their homeland.

Thinking the same, Bro'. I'm no strategist but I couldn't see "Uncle Vlad" not invading, short of Ukraine handing themselves over without a fight. Had he backed down after mobilization, he would have lost his credibility. The good folks at Nato wouldn't take him seriously again. I don't know what his endgame is but I wonder how correct his assessment is of "Western" reaction is. And China (the big one) is probably enjoying this more than should be allowed by law.

 

[SaparotRob]

Again and again, the weakest suffer and will continue to suffer. Prayers and thoughts are with people in Ukraine.

Time to remove that MiG-29K from my sig. (Lame, I know.)

Why? Isn't that a Polish MiG?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Estonia has invoked NATO Article 4 which requires NATO countries to meet and discuss the current crisis. Those meetings start tomorrow (Friday) after today's G-7.

I just don't see what NATO is going to do short of going to war.

 

[buffnut453]

I just don't see what NATO is going to do short of going to war.

NATO won't (can't) do anything militarily as an alliance unless a member nation is attacked. I'm hopeful that Putin isn't THAT stupid...but who knows. If a NATO ally is attacked, then Article 5 can be invoked...at which point, it's time to kiss goodbye to the world as we know it.

The most that can reasonably be expected is that NATO member nations will bolster defences. We've already seen that with both the US and UK deploying additional troops to continental Europe.

 

[SaparotRob]

Well, after posting to this thread, my desktop locked up. Spooky, no?

 

[SaparotRob]

The cursor went bye-bye.