Lots of documents all saying similar things doesn't add up to anything. If you have ever watched the video of Yeltsin on the night Putin was elected, he knew what was coming from him. His face spoke volumes. He knew he had been conned and had made a huge mistake. Anything he said on Nato has to be seen in that context.

Putin is clever, but if you study what he has said, he has always regarded the collapse of the Soviet Union as a disaster and that his mission is to restore Russia's pride. In his early days he conned us, like he conned Yeltsin, by appearing more progressive and accommodating.

Last night I watched an address to the Oxford Union, by Sir John Sawyer, who was head of MI6 during the Blair years, and beyond, and who has observed Putin at close quarters. It was a fascinating insight by someone who was there, and really knows.
Not by people who weren't there and think they know everything.

You can watch it here:- [Link]

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Thanks for telling us about this Wisbech. Sir John Sawyer speaks eloquently about the events unfolding in Ukraine and how they may develop.

It was a very interesting insight from someone who has a good understanding of International politics.

Fascinating indeed.

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

I must admit, when i watch bungle or any of his cabinet talking on tv, about Russia and the truth, i do scratch my chin and think the irony! Boris obviously is a seasoned liar, priti lying about the place in calais when it wasn"t even oipen, the foreign secretary, bless her, so so bad, lying the other day about people going out to fight, saying its not suprising and if they can etc, then saying she never said that a couple of days later, it does make you wonder. This is the importance of not having a liar at the helm, in normal times, when the s*** starts, and its started, nobody can take him seriously or believe a word he says.

"The Air Force Command reports that Russian planes turned around above Ukraine, after which they struck the territory of Belarus.

Source: Armed Forces Air Force Command of Ukraine on Facebook, State Border Guard Service

According to the Air Force Command: "Today at 14:30 the State Border Guard Service received information that Russian planes entered the territory of Ukraine, turned over our towns of Horodychi and Tumeni, and then fired on the settlement of Kopani (Belarus)."

Details: The Air Force added that currently the 9th Border Detachment is observing the occupation of the town of Kopani by enemy troops.

"This is a provocation! The goal is to involve the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus in the war with Ukraine!" the statement reads." - [Link]

Logically this would be a useful step for Russia to escalate the invasion so rationally it wouldn't be surprising 'if true'. A future ramping up of the war would certainly be bad news for Ukraine. Hopefully they are being sent enough weaponry to hold out, but even if they are we then have the likely chemical angle to contend with. Especially if Russia wish to retrain any functional infrastructure in Ukraine, rather than occupy a bombed out hell hole.

Edited by BlueJay (11 Mar 2022 6.10pm)

Apparently they are also recruiting in the Middle East, assumedly Syria. It seems to me Putin has made a massive miscalculation over this, and expected much less resistance and a better performance from his military, alongside not anticipating the scale of the sanctions and the cohesion of the west.

Putin's miscalculations are dangerous for everyone, as he is not someone who is going to look for a way out to save face, never mind save lives.

He will just add more and more, escalating the methods until he gets what he wants. That risks us being drawn in deeper and deeper.

I hope we can find a way to stop the killing now and then play the long game.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

And we reached a bizarre point earlier today, where the US was accusing Russia of manufacturing Chemical weapons information about Ukraine in order to justify the continue invasion tactics.

It would have been a far more credible statement from the USA , if we hadn't suffered the "Weapons of mass destruction" invasion of Iraq.

How did we vote these idiots into power ?

"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak