Assault on Kiev: Russian helicopters swoop above Ukraine's capital

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, LosLobo said:

"Security guarantees", what a joke!

 

In 1996 Ukraine returned all of its nuclear warheads to Russia in exchange for security assurances. From Crimea in 2014 and now in Ukraine, it is obvious that Russia can not be trusted to ever keep any agreement.  So what has changed now?
 

Ukraine war: what is the Budapest Memorandum and why has Russia's invasion torn it up? (theconversation.com)

 

History is littered with broken promises/ guarantees/ treaties by many nations. Why should it be different now?

Things change.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

to think they have a permanent place on the UN Security council 

They earned that spot with the lives of many, many Russian soldiers fighting the Germans. Have you forgotten WW2 already?

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They earned that spot with the lives of many, many Russian soldiers fighting the Germans. Have you forgotten WW2 already?

Now that they have a leader that behaves like the enemy they defeated in WW2, they should be kicked off. 

[RJRS1301]

9 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Singling out other members who have a different theory on how this should end doesn't help anyone in Ukraine.

But i'm sure of one thing,the laying down of arms when asked in Mauripol would of saved a lot of lives and could have been sorted out later.   

The Russian invaders have proved they cannot be trusted, exporting people across the border, removing their id papers, bombing maternity hospitals, kindergartens etc. Gross atrocities. Sorted later, Stalin and Lenin did that also. Gulags are how they do that. Trust them NO

 

 

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They earned that spot with the lives of many, many Russian soldiers fighting the Germans. Have you forgotten WW2 already?

Have you forgotten Gulags, poisonings of dissidents , killing journalists,  bombing maternity hospitals, ??

[ozimoron]

Ukrainians evacuating the areas spoke of heavy shelling north of Irpin, shells landing in Irpin itself and dead bodies in the streets.

Chernihiv's Mayor Vladyslav Astroshenko said Russian bombardment of the city had intensified over the past 24 hours, with more than 100,000 people trapped inside and just enough food and medical supplies to last about another week.

"This is yet another confirmation that Russia always lies," he told CNN.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-31/russia-bombs-kyiv-and-chernihiv-despite-promise-to-scale-back/100953730

[thaibeachlovers]

27 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Have you forgotten Gulags, poisonings of dissidents , killing journalists,  bombing maternity hospitals, ??

Not up to me to do anything about it, and I was pointing out why they are on the security council. Don't like it, take it up with your local politician.

[ozimoron]

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not up to me to do anything about it, and I was pointing out why they are on the security council. Don't like it, take it up with your local politician.

That's a change in position, you said they earned it. Now they have "earned" to be kicked out.

[balo]

It seems to me that Putin now are giving up invading Ukraine. 

All is left now is trying to save face so the Russians still regard him as a  great leader. 

 

 

 

[balo]

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not up to me to do anything about it, and I was pointing out why they are on the security council. Don't like it, take it up with your local politician.

Nobody is asking you to do anything.

 

Despite which you happily run cover for Putin’s crimes.

 

[coolcarer]

11 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Well looking from the outside in.

Using human shields will do that.

Most tv coverage shows The Ukraine army around civilians.

Reporters hiding in doctors scrubs in hospitals.

 

 

 

A post straight from the Kremlin media playbook. I take it you’ve not read the interviews with civilians that were taken forcibly from Mariupol to Russian infiltration camps.

 

No you wouldn’t read that on RT

 

[Bkk Brian]

????

Britain's GCHQ spy chief says Russian soldiers refused to carry out orders in Ukraine

 

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - The head of Britain's GCHQ spy service said on Wednesday that new intelligence showed some Russian soldiers in Ukraine had refused to carry out orders, sabotaged their own equipment and accidentally shot down one of their own aircraft.

 

GCHQ, which gathers communications from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain, has a close relationship with the U.S. National Security Agency and with the eavesdropping agencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand in a consortium called "Five Eyes".

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/britains-gchq-spy-chief-says-russian-soldiers-refused-carry-out-orders-ukraine-2022-03-30/

[heybruce]

2 hours ago, balo said:

It seems to me that Putin now are giving up invading Ukraine. 

All is left now is trying to save face so the Russians still regard him as a  great leader. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately Putin may decide that saving face requires leaving all major cities in Ukraine as flattened ruins.

 

42 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

????

Britain's GCHQ spy chief says Russian soldiers refused to carry out orders in Ukraine

 

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - The head of Britain's GCHQ spy service said on Wednesday that new intelligence showed some Russian soldiers in Ukraine had refused to carry out orders, sabotaged their own equipment and accidentally shot down one of their own aircraft.

 

GCHQ, which gathers communications from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain, has a close relationship with the U.S. National Security Agency and with the eavesdropping agencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand in a consortium called "Five Eyes".

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/britains-gchq-spy-chief-says-russian-soldiers-refused-carry-out-orders-ukraine-2022-03-30/

Maybe if Putin fears widespread mutinies and the collapse of the Russian military he will withdraw from Ukraine.  However I've been disappointed in the past when I assumed Putin would be rational and not do anything stupid.

[heybruce]

13 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Singling out other members who have a different theory on how this should end doesn't help anyone in Ukraine.

But i'm sure of one thing,the laying down of arms when asked in Mauripol would of saved a lot of lives and could have been sorted out later.   

Laying down of arms in Mariupol would have given Russia a quick and easy land bridge from Crimea to the eastern regions held by Russian backed rebels/criminals.  Once the land bridge was established Russia could (and still may) attempt to encircle the Ukrainian forces fighting in the east.  If successful, this would leave the Ukrainian military severely depleted and Russia in charge of a large portion of the country. 

 

Whether such a capitulation to the Russian invaders would lead to more or less civilian casualties is debatable.  However it would leave Russia in a much stronger position.  I'm sure Putin appreciates your support for his cause.

[ozimoron]

50 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Laying down of arms in Mariupol would have given Russia a quick and easy land bridge from Crimea to the eastern regions held by Russian backed rebels/criminals.  Once the land bridge was established Russia could (and still may) attempt to encircle the Ukrainian forces fighting in the east.  If successful, this would leave the Ukrainian military severely depleted and Russia in charge of a large portion of the country. 

 

Whether such a capitulation to the Russian invaders would lead to more or less civilian casualties is debatable.  However it would leave Russia in a much stronger position.  I'm sure Putin appreciates your support for his cause.

I think it's also fair to say that Putin aims to take all the coastal lands of Ukraine up to Moldova (and perhaps including Moldova which is not a NATO country) in order to deny Ukraine a port.

[RJRS1301]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not up to me to do anything about it, and I was pointing out why they are on the security council. Don't like it, take it up with your local politician.

I am talking about the here and now, not their actions 75 years ago, and their right to remain on the Security Council NOW after their abominable actions 

I am well aware why they were given the seat thank you

[Berkshire]

23 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Ukrainian mother ‘repeatedly raped’ by drunken Russian troops as son sobbed nearby

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/ukrainian-mother-repeatedly-raped-by-drunken-russian-troops-as-son-sobbed-nearby/news-story/5e4afb9150d634c6c5a8de46944c568c

These Russians are savages.  I'm pretty sure there are more of these kinds of stories to come out.

[Rimmer]

Please try to stay on topic, it's already hard enough trying to moderate this topic.  ????️‍♂️

[placeholder]

12 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

I have no problem with this. It is the West which has caved in to so-called minority rights making the majority frightened to exercise their freedom of speech. ????

 

Do you understand that this law is not about protecting the right to free speech but drastically restricting it?

[RJRS1301]

Australia to provide more military help to Ukraine in fight against Russia

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/australia-to-provide-more-military-help-to-ukraine-in-fight-against-russia/news-story/150c093819fd920c9092f7fca1225fd4

[Slip]

15 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not up to me to do anything about it, and I was pointing out why they are on the security council. Don't like it, take it up with your local politician.

You are right. But if you could stop supporting the far right and the others who have enabled these crimes against mankind that would be just great.  I'm not holding my breath.

[Bkk Brian]

Sounds about right, Putin's got to regroup and carry on his dirty work after his failed first attempt. Kind of makes any effort for further talks just a waste of time:

 

Putin said timing premature for Ukraine ceasefire- Draghi

 

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that conditions were not mature yet for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Draghi told a news conference on Thursday when asked about a telephone call with Putin the previous day.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-italy/putin-said-timing-premature-for-ukraine-ceasefire-draghi-idUSR1N2T3014

[Chris.B]

7 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Sounds about right, Putin's got to regroup and carry on his dirty work after his failed first attempt. Kind of makes any effort for further talks just a waste of time:

 

Putin said timing premature for Ukraine ceasefire- Draghi

 

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that conditions were not mature yet for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Draghi told a news conference on Thursday when asked about a telephone call with Putin the previous day.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/ukraine-crisis-italy/putin-said-timing-premature-for-ukraine-ceasefire-draghi-idUSR1N2T3014

Count Vlad is playing mind games and has no intention of agreeing a ceasefire.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

S&P Global expects Russia-Ukraine insurance losses to hit $35B - Reuters

 

"S&P Global is expecting losses in the specialty insurance market of $16B-35B due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a report.

 

Specifically, aviation insurance losses could reach $6B-15B, with other specialty lines such as cyber, political risk and marine war insurance likely to be affected as well, Reuters noted, citing the ratings agency.

 

"We believe it may take many years to settle the ultimate losses incurred by aircraft leasing companies, insurers, and reinsurers," S&P Global highlighted."

 

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3819386-sp-global-expects-russia-ukraine-insurance-losses-to-hit-35b-reuters

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

I am talking about the here and now, not their actions 75 years ago, and their right to remain on the Security Council NOW after their abominable actions 

I am well aware why they were given the seat thank you

If you think the UN will vote to remove them good luck with that. China would probably not support it anyway, as I doubt they would want to see a major ally removed. Plenty of other countries in the UN that probably don't support the west.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, Slip said:

You are right. But if you could stop supporting the far right and the others who have enabled these crimes against mankind that would be just great.  I'm not holding my breath.

I already said I'm not taking any sides as I don't know enough.

 Why don't you quote something I've posted that supports the far right, as far as I'm concerned I've posted nothing of the sort.

 

 

[Rimmer]

A flame and a reply have been removed

[ozimoron]

Demoralized Russian soldiers in Ukraine were refusing to carry out orders and sabotaging their own equipment and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft, a U.K. intelligence chief said on Thursday.

Jeremy Fleming, who heads the GCHQ electronic spy agency, made the remarks at a speech in the Australian capital Canberra.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had apparently “massively misjudged” the invasion, he said.

 

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-australia-canberra-3d72fb96191029659575e4b368b80bd1

[RJRS1301]

An oil depot is reportedly on fire in the Russian city of Belgorod as the regional governor blames Ukrainian military helicopters for the attack

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/31/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-ukraine-braces-for-attacks-in-east-us-says-putin-misled-by-advisers-live?utm_term=624678c629cd3a3e55a4c27d120f7455&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email