Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[The Larch]

@SenTuberville  claims Putin is invading Ukraine because Russia is a communist country that needs more land.

"He can't feed his people," said Tuberville. "It's a communist country, so he can't feed his people, so they need more farmland."

Somebody give that moron a crash course in Contemporary History or just basic facts.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Tuberville is non-jokingly one of the stupidest men to ever serve in the U.S. Senate, which isn't exactly an easy crown to claim as several men who were functionally brain dead have been served in the Senate for years at a time.

[The Brain]

Which vile cesspool of a state spawned this senator?

[The Larch]

Which vile cesspool of a state spawned this senator?

He's a Republican senator for Alabama.

[Tamas]

The head of Russia's space agency: "If [the U.S.] blocks cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled descent out of orbit and a fall on the United States or"—continued in his next tweet—"Europe?"

"The ISS doesn't fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours."

Original tweet because I can't understand Russian:

мусором, коим ваши талантливые бизнесмены загадили околоземную орбиту, производится исключительно двигателями российских грузовых кораблей "Прогресс МС". Если заблокируете сотрудничество с нами, кто спасёт МКС от неуправляемого схода с орбиты и падения на территорию США или...

[The Larch]

I must say that the "... or else spacecraft will fall from the sky on top of you" argument is a rather original threat.

[mongers]

The West should now assume we will have to fight Putin's Russia until it is militarily defeat or he is removed as leader and so plan accordingly:

Use Ukraine as a proxy war to tie down much of his mobile forces.

Consider destabilising one or more of the Stans.

Prepare for war in the Baltics, recognising they might be initially lost, but prepare Poland as the alliances frontline from which to launch liberations of them and possibly Belarus/Western Ukraine when the time is right.

[Jacob]

Yeah, I have a hard time seeing this as anything but the beginning of war between the West and Russia, and we should plan accordingly.

[mongers]

Yeah, I have a hard time seeing this as anything but the beginning of war between the West and Russia, and we should plan accordingly.

Good grief, it is that stark, isn't it.

[HVC]

Nobody cares enough about Ukraine to get involved. Don't even care enough for proper sanctions. I doubt Russia will invade the west. Putin might be insane but if Russia can't steamroll Ukraine then what hope does he have against the west (well America). What incentive does he have to keep going?

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, I have a hard time seeing this as anything but the beginning of war between the West and Russia, and we should plan accordingly.

Potentialy as the end of Putin - not making a prediction of that but I think that's another possible scenario (and I've no idea what happens then).

[Jacob]

Nobody cares enough about Ukraine to get involved. Don't even care enough for proper sanctions. I doubt Russia will invade the west. Putin might be insane but if Russia can't steamroll Ukraine then what hope does he have against the west (well America). What incentive does he have to keep going?

The risk of war is not -IMO - due to Putin steamrolling Ukraine and having so much extra materiel and power that he wants to keep going. Nor is it going to come because suddenly the populations of Europe and North America one day decide "alright, let's declare war to liberate Ukraine." The risk is that Putin's Russia will interpret Western support for Ukraine as acts of war and "retaliate" in a way that leads to war.

[Jacob]

Potentialy as the end of Putin - not making a prediction of that but I think that's another possible scenario (and I've no idea what happens then).

Yeah, that's also on the table. That was one of the reasons I thought Putin might be more cautious. Because if he goes in on this attack and it goes badly, that might very well jeopardize his position.

[Sheilbh]

Really striking seeing people again sleeping in Metro stations as air raid shelters - here in Kharkiv

[mongers]

A differently striking image from central Moscow:

More than 1,700 arrested in anti-war Russia protests

A protester is detained in Saint PetersburgImage caption: A protester is detained in Saint Petersburg
More than 1,700 people have been arrested during anti-war protests across dozens of cities in Russia, an independent monitor reports.

More than 900 were arrested in Moscow and over 400 in Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, which tracks arrests at opposition rallies.

Thousands gathered near Pushkin Square in central Moscow, while up to 1,000 people gathered in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg, the AFP news agency reports.

Many held Ukrainian flags in MoscowImage caption: Many held Ukrainian flags in Moscow
"No to war" was spray-painted on the front gate of the Russian parliament's lower house.

"I am in shock. My relatives and loved ones live in Ukraine," Anastasia Nestulya, 23, told AFP in Moscow.

"What can I tell them over the phone? You hang in there?"