War Is Brewing.

[cwhaley]

What was the Russian public view of the invasion of Crimea and Georgia or the ongoing conflict in the Donbas, the intervention in Syria, Libya?

Domestic Russia gets fed the narrative that the dictatorship want them to believe - the nasty western sanctions against poor Russia, the evil NATO empire expanding east ready to attack Russia, the need for Russia to help out poor nations being overthrown by the corrupt west and their puppet regimes.

Domestic opinion does not matter to a dictatorial regime with an iron grip on the country

We'll never know because the polls are so ridiculously unreliable, but as you rightly say -- it doesn't really matter (unless they have another revolution!) I gauge my view on it by spending time on their Reddit pages.

I actually went to some of the Greek islands in 2008 when the Russia-Georgia war was taking place. There were a lot of Russians holidaying there and the overwhelming feelings from them were of embarrassment and dread. Some seemed supportive, but they were old enough to remember the humiliation in the years after the Soviet Union's breakup in 91.

 

[ajohn]

I think you'll find that Nord Stream 2 is now completed.
It's the operation of, and potential for weaponising it, that has been the subject of sanctions and concern.

The Nord Stream projects have been fiercely opposed by the United States and Ukraine, as well as by other Central and Eastern European countries, because of concerns that the pipelines would increase Russia's influence in Europe, and because of the knock on reduction of transit fees for use of the existing pipelines in Central and Eastern European countries.

On 16 November 2021, European natural gas prices rose by 17% after Germany's energy regulator suspended approval of the Nord Stream 2.[72][73]
On 9 December 2021, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, called on Germany’s newly appointed Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to oppose the start-up of Nord Stream 2 and not to give in to pressure from Russia. On a visit to Rome, Morawiecki said: "I will call on Chancellor Scholz not to give in to pressure from Russia and not to allow Nord Stream 2 to be used as an instrument for blackmail against Ukraine, an instrument for blackmail against Poland, an instrument for blackmail against the European Union."[74]

n June 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Nord Stream 2 completion was inevitable. In July 2021, the U.S. urged Ukraine not to criticise a forthcoming agreement with Germany over the pipeline.[67][68] On July 20, Joe Biden and Angela Merkel reached a conclusive deal that the U.S. may trigger sanctions if Russia uses Nord Stream as a "political weapon". The deal aims to prevent Poland and Ukraine from being cut off from Russian gas supplies. Ukraine will get a $50 million loan for green technology until 2024 and Germany will set up a billion dollar fund to promote Ukraine's transition to green energy to compensate the loss of the gas transit fees. The contract for transiting Russian gas through Ukraine will be prolonged until 2034, if the Russian government agrees.

There is more here as the above are snips.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Stream

What I heard rather recently is that it still isn't running and the supplier was refusing to increase existing flows above what had been scheduled. Later that Putin had ordered them to top up European reserves.

 

[Dork Lard]

Some of you really do need to cut back on what your MSM feeds you.

 

[The Samaritan]

The good news is, there will be no wider conflict than Donbas. There is a chance of better news that there may be no minor, any invasion. GB has not helped the situation as the PM's office stated that the UK would not get involved directly. Worse still, the imbecile in the USA sounded off the other day and it was interpreted as 'a minor invasion' may not be a problem..............

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...aine-could-come-very-short-notice-2022-01-19/

At times like this, we need world-class leaders and not world-class bufoons.

 

[ajohn]

Some of you really do need to cut back on what your MSM feeds you.

The editing on this forum is interesting as well. I'm not pro anybody on military aspects. I try and step back and ask why these situations arise and what the various noises for the media from both sides really mean.

News was a bit clearer on Ukraine tonight after a strange one with a lady that is there. Gun shots in the background,, pro Russian and concerned that a civil war will break out.

 

[fillyboy]

The editing on this forum is interesting as well. I'm not pro anybody on military aspects. I try and step back and ask why these situations arise and what the various noises for the media from both sides really mean.

News was a bit clearer on Ukraine tonight after a strange one with a lady that is there. Gun shots in the background,, pro Russian and concerned that a civil war will break out.

Do you think Macron will send the EU army in?

 

[ajohn]

Do you think Macron will send the EU army in?

What has Macron said?

 

[fillyboy]

What has Macron said?

Nothing, he's been reported as missing in action.

 

[JohnD]

Do you think Macron will send the EU army in?

Don't be silly, filly.

 

[ajohn]

Nothing, he's been reported as missing in action.

I guessed what you were really referring to as mo EU army. Lack of understanding of why some might want that and other things that relate.

Easy really by asking a question. Why does the USA like being the dominant western country and want to continue to be? Why wouldn't the EU want to be the same and look after it's own concerns with less interference.

 

[fillyboy]

I guessed what you were really referring to as mo EU army. Lack of understanding of why some might want that and other things that relate.

Easy really by asking a question. Why does the USA like being the dominant western country and want to continue to be? Why wouldn't the EU want to be the same and look after it's own concerns with less interference.

Yes that's what I was alluding to, do you think the EU will achieve being a dominant western superpower by poking bears with a stick and running away?

 

[noseall]

Yes that's what I was alluding to, do you think the EU will achieve being a dominant western superpower by poking bears with a stick and running away?

Peace as they always have done.

 

[JohnD]

What a pity Angela has retired. She has more experience of dealing with Putin and the Russian Empire, from inside and out, than any other world leader.

 

[fillyboy]

Peace as they always have done.

Why Europe Failed to Halt The Genocide in Bosnia – 1993 April-May - WRMEA

 

[fillyboy]

What a pity Angela has retired. She has more experience of dealing with Putin and the Russian Empire, from inside and out, than any other world leader.

Angela 'pipelines R us' Merkel?