Ukraine Watch...

[mr brightside]

The MSM have got the public behind this war to the point where Liz Truss can spout about UK involvement like that and seem to be a champion of freedom and democracy. There doesn't seem to be a concerted counter effort to push the issue of this being another US proxy war, and until there is our involvement may only deepen.

It isn't just another US proxy war. This is not like some war in some far off part of the world, where nobody is really on our side. Ukraine is now indisputably part of the western world. This is exactly why Ukraine became such a problem for Russia - Ukraine was the most important territory which used to be firmly "under the Russian sphere of influence" but was turning to the west. That transition still wasn't complete until very recently - that's why Ukraine couldn't join NATO or the EU. Parts of it were still on the fence, or being fought over. But the Russian invasion changed all that.

This war isn't just about territory. It's about values. It's about the levels of freedom and democracy enjoyed in the western world, and about the rule of law. People, quite rightly, do not want to live in a country governed by a corrupt authoritarian kleptocracy.

There is no way back from where we are now. There is no way to spin this as a US proxy war, because that's not what it is. It's a NATO proxy war, and it is being fought on behalf of the entire western world - of "European civilisation" globally. Finland and Sweden are joining NATO. And when it is over the border between Russia and the West will be a new cold war border. Russia's relationship with the west is not going to be "normalised", because there's a new world order emerging, and Russia is going to be part of an Asian block led by China, and including India and most of the "middle east".

I will keep saying it: this looks like WW3 to me. And by that I mean it is going to mark the boundary between the world order that emerged after WW2 and a new world system. There are two things which are definitive of this. The first is the United Nations, which is now completely defunct. And the second is the $US-dominated fiat money system, from which Russia has been expelled and which China seeks to replace with a gold-backed system.

So the UK's ever deepening involvement is inevitable? That's a bit of a pain in the neck. When you say it's a NATO proxy war, i thought the US was NATO so to speak.

[Vortex2]

Looking ahead, the anti-drone business will flourish ... get in on the ground floor and invest now!

[UndercoverElephant]

So the UK's ever deepening involvement is inevitable?

It looks that way to me. I think Russia must be defeated.

When you say it's a NATO proxy war, i thought the US was NATO so to speak.

You can be forgiven for thinking that. NATO was beginning to look obsolete, and therefore just a tool for the US to use for its own purposes. Not any more. Sweden and Finland are joining as fast they can, and that is entirely for their own protection.

[PS_RalphW]

Putin's speech at the Russian victory day parade had no significant announcements.
Troop numbers in the display were down, and most air displays were cancelled.

One feature of the Ukrainian response to invasion is mentioned regularly but never discussed. Men of fighting age (18 -60) are forbidden to leave the country to become refugees and very few visas for leaving for other reasons are being issued. If nothing else, this is a deeply sexist national response.

[Vortex2]

If nothing else, this is a deeply sexist national response.

Yes .. and non-whites trying to leave Ukraine to enter Poland are being badly mistreated both sides of the border ...

The lads celebrating the billions being given to them by NATO countries.

[mr brightside]

So the UK's ever deepening involvement is inevitable?

It looks that way to me. I think Russia must be defeated.

I'd rather see the situation contained somehow, but in a world of nuclear proliferation i'm offering no suggestions on how. I'm tempted to reduce the amount of a eff i'm giving about this anyway. You can only give a eff about a finite number of things, and i'd prefer it if those things are things i can have an impact on. I might transfer my Ukraine effs to my 5k time stockpile, see if i can crack 20m post-covid.

[PS_RalphW]

Although I have no evidence to support this assertion, that photo looks like it would have been very easy to photoshop.

[PS_RalphW]

Although I have no evidence to support this assertion, that photo looks like it would have been very easy to photoshop.

In fact, looking at it I am reasonably certain it is a bad photoshop effort. The right hand flag is far too bright and regular, the salute on the left is completely out of position, if you look at his left hand

[adam2]

Although I have no evidence to support this assertion, that photo looks like it would have been very easy to photoshop.

In fact, looking at it I am reasonably certain it is a bad photoshop effort. The right hand flag is far too bright and regular, the salute on the left is completely out of position, if you look at his left hand

I agree. The central and left hand flags might be genuine, or perhaps a better photoshop job, observe that those flags are not held flat and that the images contain realistic looking folds and slight shadows below the folds.
The right hand flag is not only too bright, but looks flat despite not being held flat. Also a slightly odd colour, with the red part verging on magenta rather than a true red.

[dustiswhatweare]

It's clearly a photoshop. Must be much of that sort of thing floating around awaiting the gaze of the sight challenged/gullible/those with obvious agenda who love to share such things/people who like to point out rubbish photoshops.

[careful_eugene]

The UK will provide an extra £1.3bn in military support to Ukraine,

Looks like the magic money tree hasn't expired after all.

I think people are going to be asking why the government can find £1.3bn for Ukraine, but can't do anything about the "cost of living crisis".

If we assume that Ukraine isn't defeated, Russia withdraws and the whole situation stabilises, is Ukraine going to pay for all the military aid?

[clv101]

Maybe, indirectly, by giving the west preferential access to their vast natural resources. Most importantly agricultural.

[BritDownUnder]

Is there not a “National Bolshevik Party” (hard to say without laughing) in Russia that has a few members and equally low electoral success compared with Ukrainian neo-Nazi parties.

[Vortex2]

It's clearly a photoshop. Must be much of that sort of thing floating around awaiting the gaze of the sight challenged/gullible/those with obvious agenda who love to share such things/people who like to point out rubbish photoshops.

Sigh.

Just do a bit of reading about the Azov bbattalion and their subsequent integration into the Ukrainian army.
You will then perhaps see why that photo might be genuine.

[PS_RalphW]

Sigh. The photo is clearly fake. Is this the best evidence you have?