Putin On the Ritz

[Jimmy Floyd]

There is something very off about their divvy leader encouraging normal people to do that from his hiding place. You're either fit to be mobilised or you aren't.

Have they got time to mobilise properly?

[Yevrah]

It's proper 2nd/3rd World stuff.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's also apparently illegal for any male between 18-60 to leave the country.

[Ian]

I read they were hauling blokes out of refugee convoys to conscript them.

[Disco]

Yeah, got to think that handing out tens of thousands of Ak-47s probably isn't going to play out well in the long run, but then, desperate times and all.

It's not nice but probably quite smart, bogging a major power down in an insurgency is very much the in thing (because they never learn from all the times it's happened before).

[Magic]

It's also apparently illegal for any male between 18-60 to leave the country.

Now they know how unvaxxed feel.

[Alex]

1497112945024720904

Doctor's Ironfist and Steelhammer entering the fray. :cool:

The Ruskies have had it. I assume it'll be just like Red Alert when you sent Tanya or Boris in behind enemy lines to smack everyone.

[Ben]

Vlad’s fucked now.

[Lewis]

The successful insurgencies are the ones willing to eat massive casualties, and even then they partly rely on the opponent not being willing to shithouse it out with them. I'm not sure you can count on either of those here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Russians have probably already had four figures killed. Imagine if a British PM sanctioned that many deaths of Our Boys, with probably hundreds/thousands more to come, in a conquest invasion of Ireland.

[Disco]

They'll have done well to not be actively engaging their own troops, the body count isn't going to bother them.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They're out of Eurovision now. Putin's Saturday night plans ruined for about six weeks' time, surely the troops will turn around now.

[niko_cee]

Footage of the Russian tank swerving to run over a civilian vehicle going the other way is a bit end of days stuff.

https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1497228646624419842?s=20&t=BHKDNBM8F-DpATD-8RxJJw

With them posturing about the Scandis and Nato this feels like it is going to get out of hand.

[Manc]

Does this stop dead in the water if Putin is assassinated?

[Don]

Why am I still relying on dogshit grainy 5 second clips, surely we should be blessed with live 4K drone streams in this day and age. I mean if you want us to take this more seriously than Yemen or some shit just because it's in the gammon heartlands at least put some effort in.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I won't claim to know much/anything about Putin's inner circle, but he is such a titanic figure there that you could only imagine some kind of Death of Stalin succession scenario if 'they put some poison into his wine'.

[Disco]

Why am I still relying on dogshit grainy 5 second clips, surely we should be blessed with live 4K drone streams in this day and age. I mean if you want us to take this more seriously than Yemen or some shit just because it's in the gammon heartlands at least put some effort in.

I've been reading about Yemen recently, it really is a complete clusterfuck of a conflict. Unlike this one we (by which I mean UK/US) could stop it by simply stopping helping everyone involved.

[Bam]

Does this stop dead in the water if Putin is assassinated?


Nope, you'd need to take out all his nutty mates out also. If it was that simple then he would have been popped off ages ago.

[Alex]

Footage of the Russian tank swerving to run over a civilian vehicle going the other way is a bit end of days stuff.

https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1497228646624419842?s=20&t=BHKDNBM8F-DpATD-8RxJJw

With them posturing about the Scandis and Nato this feels like it is going to get out of hand.

That is real life "5 Star Wanted Level" on Grand Theft Auto behaviour.

[Disco]

I won't claim to know much/anything about Putin's inner circle, but he is such a titanic figure there that you could only imagine some kind of Death of Stalin succession scenario if 'they put some poison into his wine'.

He put his own man in as President a couple of years ago who he seems to be grooming as a successor but Putin is planning to stay on in a newish role to very obviously pull the strings. Think Ferguson/Moyes but with more gopnik squatting.

[Giggles]

Someone in his work presumably.

Indeed. My Polish plandemic 5G colleague.

[Lewis]

Footage of the Russian tank swerving to run over a civilian vehicle going the other way is a bit end of days stuff.

https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1497228646624419842?s=20&t=BHKDNBM8F-DpATD-8RxJJw

With them posturing about the Scandis and Nato this feels like it is going to get out of hand.

The slightly longer (https://twitter.com/empty_banks/status/1497217502346100765) video is a bit ambiguous. It could either be them losing control of it with really unfortunate timing, or lining it up from down the road and nailing it with rally driver precision.

[Giggles]

Was that video not debunked as not even being in Ukraine?

[niko_cee]

C4 seem to have taken it down, so probably.

Also double lol if it's just shit driving.

[7om]

Just saw it on twitter. The driver survived :cool:

[Ben]

C4 have taken it down already. There’s so much fake/manipulated shit doing the rounds. Russia are mental enough, there’s no need to exaggerate anything.

[Shindig]

Chechen bloke has released a statement effectively calling for Zelenskyy's head.

[Giggles]

What's the point of even bringing him on the news, he should already be on a plane.


1497283552014213122

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Italians securing an exemption for 'luxury goods' in the EU sanctions package is fucking peak Italy. You can see why there's green on their flag.

[Boydy]

What's that amount to for them? Cars?

[Giggles]

The Italians should be told to fuck off and if they want to jump in with the wrong side again then feel free.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's that amount to for them? Cars?

I was assuming Gucci shit and jewellery, and whatever else oligarchs like to buy.

Belgian diamonds also out. Every country reverting to their early 20th century roles, which unfortunately means I have to start giving more respect to the French.

[Shindig]

"Shit. How can we go into war without sweet, sweet fragrances?"

[igor_balis]

Lolz bald and bankrupt is in Ukraine

[Shindig]

I thought he learned his lesson the last time that happened?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lolz bald and bankrupt is in Ukraine

:D

[Giggles]

At least one good thing might come of this then.

[Bam]

The Italians securing an exemption for 'luxury goods' in the EU sanctions package is fucking peak Italy. You can see why there's green on their flag.

My Grandad always said that the Italians are the only people to have a reverse gear in a tank.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's more at risk of being battered by Ukrainian's though considering he's so pro-Russia & Putin.

[Bam]

Who is 'bald and bankrupt'?

[Shindig]

Sex pest youtuber.

[Bam]

There's loads of them.

[Spoonsky]

My Grandad always said that the Italians are the only people to have a reverse gear in a tank.

Why do the new Italian navy have glass windows installed on the bottom of their boats?

To see the old Italian navy.

[Giggles]

Careful now, Italaussie will ban the lot of you for racism.

[Spikey M]

Why do Italian Men have moustaches?

So they can look like their wives.

[Giggles]

Why do Italian Men have moustaches?

So they can look like their wives.

Leave the Iti's alone.

[Bam]

Careful now, Italaussie will ban the lot of you for racism.

Is he still about? The old wopbat.

[igor_balis]

Bald's final act on this mortal plane excitedly livestreaming "wow an authentic SOVIET missile!" seconds before it blows him up into a million pervy pieces.

[Bam]

Fyi, Kiko is half Italian. :|

[Spikey M]

Is he still about? The old wopbat.

He came on mid-Covid to say he hadn't been coming on because it was too triggering for him during the Pandemic.

Poor fucker. Imagine having to live in Australia, with basically no cases or lockdowns. We don't know how lucky we are.

[Spikey M]

Fyi, Kiko is half Italian. :|

Half Italian, half Mancunian, half Scot, half Londoner, half Portuguese and now half German.

[Giggles]

Fyi, Kiko is half Italian. :|

He's whatever suits these days.

[Bam]

Half Italian, half Mancunian, half Scot, half Londoner, half Portuguese and now half German.

But mostly hipster. :gay:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bald's final act on this mortal plane excitedly livestreaming "wow an authentic SOVIET missile!" seconds before it blows him up into a million pervy pieces.

Claiming that this dangerous place isn't actually dangerous a couple of minutes prior.

[Bam]

Nato will have boots on the ground within 24hrs I think, then it goes off.

[Kikó]

He's whatever suits these days.

Vafanculo.

[Giggles]

Vafanculo.

It's a new one on me but don't tell me you've added another one.

[Ben]

Porco Dio.

[Lofty]

Did anyone else watch Threads in school?

[Kikó]

It's a new one on me but don't tell me you've added another one.

I think it's in star Trek.

[Giggles]

I think it's in star Trek.

I always knew you were a c3po.

[Magic]

The cyber attacks begin. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've had Sky News on in the background for a bit, they have/had a male host on a roof in Kiev and a female one in the studio, we haven't seen the male host for about an hour now and every time the female host comes on screen she looks like the fear of God is in her.

[Giggles]

The news here are showing the tank car crushing as real till.

[Bam]

I've had Sky News on in the background for a bit, they have/had a male host on a roof in Kiev and a female one in the studio, we haven't seen the male host for about an hour now and every time the female host comes on screen she looks like the fear of God is in her.


You're worried about that attractive male arnt you.

[7om]

The cyber attacks begin. :drool:

Apparently, Anonymous have taken out RT’s website and shut down several Russian government websites.

[Kikó]

The news here are showing the tank car crushing as real till.

It is isn't it?

[Giggles]

Did I hear that right that Russia, as current chair, has a veto on any NATO decision? :D fucking hell the whole thing really is fucked. Maybe the nukes and a fresh start might be best.

[Giggles]

It is isn't it?

No idea. I’ve seen a few “debunking” things saying it’s not but it’s getting trotted out everywhere still.

[Luca]

UNSC surely. Which is a largely useless body embedded in a wholly useless body.

[Shindig]

Did anyone else watch Threads in school?

That and the Valley Parade fire. The kids these days probably get 9/11. I was holding my copy of When the Wind Blows this afternoon. :cool:

[Lewis]

Apparently, Anonymous have taken out RT’s website and shut down several Russian government websites.

They've sat the last few years out and then turn up for this. You could be forgiven for thinking that they really were the government all along.

[Bam]

Did I hear that right that Russia, as current chair, has a veto on any NATO decision? :D fucking hell the whole thing really is fucked. Maybe the nukes and a fresh start might be best.

No

[Ben]

Apparently, Anonymous have taken out RT’s website and shut down several Russian government websites.

RT's main story is "UK COVID cases top 100k for first time" from 22 December :D

[Giggles]

No

I think I mean the UN. But still, they should already be hoofed out of everything.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Has anyone heard from Edward Snowden?

[Lofty]

That and the Valley Parade fire. The kids these days probably get 9/11. I was holding my copy of When the Wind Blows this afternoon. :cool:
We didn't get that, just Threads with no prior warning, I can only assume the teacher was bored.

[Bam]

China will go for it and ww3 is about to happen.

[Giggles]

Are Belarus getting all the same sanctions?

[Ben]

No it isn’t. It’s China “respecting” Russia for invading.

This is what I'm seeing: https://ibb.co/3S4sdsz

Either Anonymous have fucked them, or me.

[7om]

I think I heard it mentioned on the news that sanctions are going to be set on Belarus as well.

[Mellberg]

Indeed. Clocked yesterday Russia had already taken Chernobyl and were on the outskirts of Kiev. Bit of a march west in two days, that.

[randomlegend]

The Ukrainian telling the Russian warship to go fuck itself :D / :(

RIP

[phonics]

Has anyone heard from Edward Snowden?

No but Glenn Greenwald said it wasn't an invasion just -'CIAMedia' fuelled speculation

[Queenslander]

Indeed. My Polish plandemic 5G colleague.

The antivax crypto bro's I know are also pro Putin. In fact the crystal woo woo people also seem to be pro Putin it's almost like they consume a very specific type of daily content.

[Spikey M]

Are Belarus getting all the same sanctions?

No cunt remembered the gaff existed last month. What Sanctions do you apply to the irrelevant?

[Jimmy Floyd]

China, India and the UAE abstained on the security council vote.

Fucking lol at the latter two.

[niko_cee]

Aye. I'd love to see the working that has gone on behind that decision from Abu Dhabi.

Getting City out of the equation as well. :drool:

[Bernanke]

China, India and the UAE abstained on the security council vote.

Fucking lol at the latter two.

Gabon with the strong yes though.

[Boydy]

1496955668376752130

Interesting thread about the protests in Russia here. It would be very funny if they grow and Putin gets toppled by own his people.

[Lewis]

All of the academics making this about their research must be worth an extra division to Russia.

[Yevrah]

Apparently, Anonymous have taken out RT’s website and shut down several Russian government websites.

What absolute legends. If they somehow penetrate the Russian military and nobble the attack to any degree then Nobel Peace Prizes should be handed out.

[Yevrah]

And without that this all might well be wrapped up quicker than Hitler's march through France at this rate.

[Boydy]

What absolute legends. If they somehow penetrate the Russian military and nobble the attack to any degree then Nobel Peace Prizes should be handed out.

Can't see that happening. Not much of the military operation is going to be online. Taking down a few websites is much easier.

[Yevrah]

Can't see that happening. Not much of the military operation is going to be online. Taking down a few websites is much easier.

Sadly I make you right. In other thoughts I was thinking earlier about Ukraine's approach to arming their population with no training whatsoever and it sits uncomfortably with me. On the one hand if people want to defend their country then that's incredibly brave and commendable, but on the other if the Russian army is anything like as competent as we all suspect it is you're literally sending these people to their deaths, plus you're removing the ability for the Russian troops to distinguish civilian targets from military ones and putting every single person in the country in the firing line as a result.

[Disco]

Armed or not isn't a distinction the Russian army has made in the past, I'll take the AK thanks very much.

[Pepe]

Has anyone heard from Edward Snowden?

He gave a talk to my University on Tuesday.

[Giggles]

Going to end up with another puck of immigrants out of this now too.

[Bam]

Going to end up with another puck of immigrants out of this now too.

You lot don't mind that though.

[Giggles]

You lot don't mind that though.

I don’t know what gave you that impression.

[Lofty]

The porn sites suggest all Ukranian women are busty nymphos so I'll offer my two spare rooms and end up with a pair of mildly cretinous women called Sonia.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He gave a talk to my University on Tuesday.

Of course he did. Academics always on the side of righteousness.

[Kikó]

Jimmysec skewered Snowden the other day.

1492228905511624705?t=XKe2uO-SMHuXD-ypnYBj3g&s=19

[Giggles]

No blue tick. Who’s it meant to be?

[Kikó]

Dunno, seems pretty clued up on military/intelligence/security type stuff.

[Giggles]

As unlikely as it is, what happens if the Ukrainians end up sending the Russians home with their tail between their legs without any help?

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's possible that I'm only reading one side of the story, but by all accounts looks like the Russian military efforts are really not going all that well currently. Also there's clear video of one of their cruise missles hitting an apartment building, so there's one for the Hague in a few years' time.

[Bernanke]

They don't seem to have achieved anything of note yet. If the biggest thing to brag about is "we captured Melitopol in only 3 days" then they are failing completely.

[Spikey M]

I suppose the real risk with them being useless is that they might just switch to Carpet Bombing?

[Magic]

What is his out now? He really has backed himself in to a corner. Domestic overthrow and his assassination?

[Kikó]

I suppose the real risk with them being useless is that they might just switch to Carpet Bombing?

They've been saying intelligence sources suggesting they're going to use thermobaric missiles https://twitter.com/AliBunkallSKY/status/1497265699324055552?t=C26BYuRvPIo9EaimZJNRzQ&s=19

[Spikey M]

I had to Google that, but it sounds nasty. I wonder if Nato would continue being frauds then.

[Lofty]

I'd imagine when you are the aggressor already being villified across the globe nothing is off the table. Probably come out they are using white phosphorous again.

[Spikey M]

It's a shame Ol' Donny Trump isn't in power still. He'd respond with immediate Nukes on every Russian city that he doesn't own hotels in.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Xi is probably facepalming himself to death at the moment. They needed a capitulation to boost their hopes of getting the same in Taiwan.

[Shindig]

As unlikely as it is, what happens if the Ukrainians end up sending the Russians home with their tail between their legs without any help?

It'd be the biggest disaster Putin's ever faced. And he hasn't really had once since the Kursk sinking. If it gets to that point, he'll just keep the fighters in there until there's none left.

[Bernanke]

Apparently there are no more holdouts for kicking them out of SWIFT. Cyprus will not vote against.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Our visa policy announcement for Ukrainians is a total embarrassment. If Putin could save one of his cruise missiles for our Home Office it would sort a few things out.

[Lofty]

The problem for the trapped civilians too is what happens if the defenders are rolled over. A friend of mine deployed to Bosnia years ago and said the amount of grim war crime stuff they came across was haunting. In one village for example there was a girl who had had evidently been very pretty but marauding troops had spotted her, gang raped her and then took a knife to one side of her face afterwards, permanently mutilating her for apparent good measure.

[Lewis]

They don't seem to have achieved anything of note yet. If the biggest thing to brag about is "we captured Melitopol in only 3 days" then they are failing completely.

Two days in, two thirds of their build-up still in Russia. It isn't bad progress for moving tanks around. Especially when - although it might not look like it - they do appear to be trying to minimise collateral damage. Blowing everything to bits would speed things up.

[Kikó]

Our visa policy announcement for Ukrainians is a total embarrassment. If Putin could save one of his cruise missiles for our Home Office it would sort a few things out.

At least we're consistent. To ask people departing a war zone to go to Lviv to get a visa is insane.

[Yevrah]

It's a shame Ol' Donny Trump isn't in power still. He'd respond with immediate Nukes on every Russian city that he doesn't own hotels in.

I was talking with a mate about why he didn't do this when Trump was in power and we came to the conclusion that he was delayed by COVID.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was thinking what would be happening if Corbyn was UK PM. I suppose he would have pulled us out of NATO by now anyway and we'd probably be sending our thoughts and prayers to the Spetsnaz.

[Boydy]

:rolleyes:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think you may have tragically misread your political hero if you think otherwise.

[Giggles]

I think it’s time for a #somehowabout

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's pretty relevant over here, and presumably has equivalents in all countries, since the Traitor Left (Stop the War, Owen Jones et al) and the Traitor Right (Farage et al) are basically now the same group of people parroting Kremlin attack lines and opposing NATO.

[randomlegend]

I think you may have tragically misread your political hero if you think otherwise.

From the guy who thinks Dominic Cummings is some kind of Machiavellian genius.

ROFL and indeed LMAO

[Shindig]

Mao? You're one of them, mate.

[Giggles]

Politics is very like soccer over there.

[Lewis]

I doubt Wor Jezza would have pulled us out of NATO. We might have become a bit more French and half-arsed our commitments, and given Oxfam and other scamming 'stakeholders' an even bigger role in formulating policy, but the Deep State would have nobbled him easily enough into selling it as a 'solidarity' pact.

[Shindig]

If Corbyn was in charge, we'd still be in the EU and NATO. Any of his extreme views would've been watered down or battered in Commons votes. At best, he'd get some digs in at the Jews before getting hounded out for that.

[Ben]

If Corbyn was in charge, we'd still be in the EU and NATO. Any of his extreme views would've been watered down or battered in Commons votes. At best, he'd get some digs in at the Jews before getting hounded out for that.

If Corbyn had stayed loyal to himself and campaigned for Brexit in 2017 then he either would be PM now and the ultimate working class hero or, we’d all have EU flags on our houses because the right wing media couldn’t stomach him so much that they’d have done an about turn and got Brexit cancelled completely.

We really lived out the worst possible timeline with Brexit Boris.

[Spikey M]

Politics is very like soccer over there.

Pretty much.

[Pepe]

Of course he did. Academics always on the side of righteousness.

It was organized a long time ago and it was on digital surveillance, tbf.

[Lewis]

1497563226808147973

Hope you're cheering on Liverpool Floyd.

[Yevrah]

As I bored on about in the other thread, it's a mess we're all complicit in. Nice to see Poland outright refusing to play Russia, no matter where it's held.

[Yevrah]

1497518019567837190

[Lewis]

If you refuse to play them you should forfeit the match.

[Jimmy Floyd]

1497563226808147973

Hope you're cheering on Liverpool Floyd.

Scouser till I die. On this, I am not on board with all the SHAME ON CHELSEA stuff. For the last 20 years RA's buddy was being a bit of a prick, rather than trying to annex a neighbouring democracy. It only changes as of this week. Hopefully either we'll be sold (ideally not to Arabs), or Putin gets fucked off pronto.

[Yevrah]

If you refuse to play them you should forfeit the match.

In an example of someone actually sacrificing something it looks like that's what they're prepared to do.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hopefully everyone forfeits their games against Russia all the way from here to the World Cup final. A fitting fate for the Qatar edition.

[Yevrah]

Hopefully everyone forfeits their games against Russia all the way from here to the World Cup final. A fitting fate for the Qatar edition.

:D That would be absolutely brilliant.

[Lewis]

Didn't he buy Chelsea to establish himself in a proper country in case it all went sour back home? He's been a bit of a chump in that case, keeping all these shares in Russian enterprises.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I always assumed it was just a giant money laundry, but who knows.

[Giggles]

I see some boxer lad went back to Ukraine to fight. What or all the rest like the tennis and soccer players making big gestures? Straight back to the Monaco villa to watch it on telly?

[Shindig]

Didn't he buy Chelsea to establish himself in a proper country in case it all went sour back home? He's been a bit of a chump in that case, keeping all these shares in Russian enterprises.

I always thought this as well. Oligarchs were on the chopping board when the Union fell.

[Magic]

I see some boxer lad went back to Ukraine to fight. What or all the rest like the tennis and soccer players making big gestures? Straight back to the Monaco villa to watch it on telly?

He's the mayor of Kiev.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I do like their approach to electing public officials. It's like if we had Michael Sheen as PM and Lennox Lewis as Mayor of London.

Zelensky seems a hell of a thirsty individual but it's proving a communications masterstroke so far.

[Giggles]

You put in a circus clown as mayor of London and he ended up PM.

[Shindig]

There's nothing unusual of an Etonian retard ascending to Premiership.

[Boydy]

Michael Sheen would be a great prime minister.

[Lofty]

I always assumed it was just a giant money laundry, but who knows.
Supposedly the ones who deliberately raise their profiles here are doing so on purpose to avoid the polonium mochaccino.

[Waffdon]

Usyk flying into Ukraine when he was in London the other day to fight isn’t half bad ass. What a bloke

[Don]

Was at the rally in London today and let me tell you, superb tings on show.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmGMNtc9sLQ


My dear children, dear mom and dad,
I am going to war to defend our land.
Do not weep for me if I die in the field,
I will give everything for my mother Ukraine!

Let us unite, brethren, in this evil hour,
Let the enemy know - we are for Ukraine.
We will give our only soul to God,
For our land Holy Ukraine.

We will give our only soul to God,
For our land Holy Ukraine!

We are for these steppes, for forests and mountains,
For wide lands, for the Black Sea.
For the Heavenly Hundred, for Taras the brother,
We fought for our freedom! We have fought the hangman!

Holy Faith is with us, God and truth are with us,
And we are against brother going against brother.
And if war - then feel,
Nothing will stop us! Glory to Ukraine!
And if war - then feel,
Nothing will stop us! Glory to Ukraine!

Do not weep for me if I die in the field,
I will give everything for my mother Ukraine!
Don't cry for me if I die in the field,
I will give everything for my dear mother Ukraine!

:cool:

[Lewis]

On his way to bang Stifler's mom.

[Kikó]

https://twitter.com/3TrAmvL026aJRar/status/1497825945549512704?t=Ro1mONdoQ0CX2qJyZ9E1ww&s=19

In Kharkiv.

[Bam]

Anonymous have took down a load of Russian government websites and hacked state tv channels to play Ukrainian songs. :D

[Ben]

1497699764703485961

[Adramelch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvcF1VD_VYk

[Magic]

Thermobaric artillery en route to Kiev.

[Bernanke]

1497877159481860097

So this is what it took for German re-armament to happen. They were at 1.5% last year, so that's quite a step up.

[Lewis]

Liz Truss saying she supports British people going over and fighting has taken the idiocy another notch. Think about it for five seconds love.

[Ben]

Lots of chatter that Putin has ordered a takeover of Kyiv by tomorrow morning at the latest, by any means necessary.

If the Ukrainians hold out one more night then it could turn. If the markets open tomorrow and Kyiv is still Ukrainian, Russia will be fucked.

[Shindig]

You can't take over a country when the people fucking hate you. It just doesn't stay in your hands.

[Lewis]

All of the 'chatter' being one-sided strikes me as an issue. It's all a bit le epic resistance, aimed solely at Western freaks. If Syria is anything to go by then the videos of random burned out vehicles is as good as it has actually got.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Russians will obviously 'win' militarily if they need to (although they might now need to commit serious atrocities against civilians to make it happen), but they have already made fatal errors in thinking it would be over or as good as over by now. They needed to be in Kiev and resuming some kind of civilian life before the Ukrainians had the chance to gain a new militaristic consciousness, before the Germans had a chance to completely reverse their economic and defence policy against Moscow, and before the west had the chance to reduce their currency to ruins. Putin might 'not care' about such things but they will all hurt Russia and keep hurting it. Whatever happens from here, it's a strategic defeat for Putin/Russian dreams of hegemony in eastern Europe.

[Lewis]

I would be very surprised if the Russians thought they would have it done within days against zero resistance. We are looking at it all through our perspectives. Because we wouldn't go to war against anybody who can fight back, or accept any casualties, they must not have reckoned on it either. Because we wouldn't go to war for limited strategic goals, he can only be doing it to occupy the full country and/or rebuild the Soviet Union. If Ukraine agreed not to join NATO he would pack up and go home, and probably sell the separatists out along the way.

[Yevrah]

I’m with Lewis. None of us have any idea how long Putin expected this to last or whether it’s on schedule or not.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I would be very surprised if the Russians thought they would have it done within days against zero resistance. We are looking at it all through our perspectives. Because we wouldn't go to war against anybody who can fight back, or accept any casualties, they must not have reckoned on it either. Because we wouldn't go to war for limited strategic goals, he can only be doing it to occupy the full country and/or rebuild the Soviet Union. If Ukraine agreed not to join NATO he would pack up and go home, and probably sell the separatists out along the way.

Why would he be marching on Kiev if he didn't want to remove its government and install a puppet one, maintaining which will require years/decades of occupation against a large and belligerent population?

If it was all about limited goals re Lugansk and Donestk then he could just occupy those, like he did in Crimea.

[Disco]

He wants a sympathetic government in Kiev, something like he has with Belarus. If they nibble off a bit of Eastern Ukraine in the bargain then that's a bonus but re-establishing the iron curtain is the real goal here.

[Ben]

He’s dying and the bloke wants to be buried with the Soviet flag.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Has he thought about looking on eBay?

[Shindig]

They're not delivering to him now.

[Magic]

He's going nuclear lads.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Perhaps the 'full tonto' mob weren't so wide of the mark.

[Lewis]

Why would he be marching on Kiev if he didn't want to remove its government and install a puppet one, maintaining which will require years/decades of occupation against a large and belligerent population?

If it was all about limited goals re Lugansk and Donestk then he could just occupy those, like he did in Crimea.

He needs some sort of permanent recognition of his objectives, which merely bolstering the separatists was never going to do. Squatting in the capital (and smashing half of it to bits if necessary) makes that more likely.

[Shindig]

What's the deterrence against, exactly? The Ukrainian nukes went back to Russia as part of the independence.

[Ben]

NATO. It’s a power move, obviously knowing NATO would never fire a nuke first.

Also: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2os5w/in_berdyansk_a_mine_was_found_near_the_bridge_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

He needs some sort of permanent recognition of his objectives, which merely bolstering the separatists was never going to do. Squatting in the capital (and smashing half of it to bits if necessary) makes that more likely.

He's literally gone on TV going off on one about drug addicts and neo-Nazis running Ukraine.

Internal problems coming for Mad Vlad I think.

[Shindig]

And they don't get much more internal than Stage 4 colon cancer.

[Ben]

If they haven’t got Kyiv by morning, the Russian markets will collapse and the oligarchs will oust him.

[-james-]

Absolute scenes when he gets Litvinenkoed.

[Yevrah]

I see he's talking about nukes now. We need to take him out.

[Ben]

Anonymous have taken down the Moscow Stock Exchange site now, and it looks like runs have started on the banks because the max withdrawal is now ~$20. Massive protests in St. Petersburg.

I think the manlet has manufactured his own downfall here. It’s just a case of seeing the level of fire he’s willing to go down with.

Also notable how only Belarus are siding with Russia. China have backed off (purely as self preservation obviously), Kazakhstan have told Putin to fuck off and Azerbaijan are actively supplying Ukraine.

[Lofty]

Where's Bond when you need him?

[Spikey M]

Anonymous have taken down the Moscow Stock Exchange site now, and it looks like runs have started on the banks because the max withdrawal is now ~$20. Massive protests in St. Petersburg.

I think the manlet has manufactured his own downfall here. It’s just a case of seeing the level of fire he’s willing to go down with.

Also notable how only Belarus are siding with Russia. China have backed off (purely as self preservation obviously), Kazakhstan have told Putin to fuck off and Azerbaijan are actively supplying Ukraine.

Even if the best happened, do we have any idea who his likely successor would be? Are they any better?

What happened to that bloke they tried to off with Novichok? Is he still about?

[phonics]

In jail.

[Kikó]

They could give it to Steve Bruce.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Even if someone 'as bad as' Putin succeeded him, you'd never see anyone with his totalitarian grip on power.

The photo of him recording that order to his defence ministers is batshit, I reckon he might genuinely be a heads have gone Covid casualty. Maybe Deepti's in his lair with him.

[7om]

They could give it to Steve Bruce.

Don’t be so stupid.

He’s at West Brom.

[Bernanke]

So BP is exiting its 20% stake in Rosneft, RT & Sputnik are getting banned in the EU, and their central bank has to issue a statement on a Sunday that everything is fine.

Vlad really is doing some genius moves here.

[Shindig]

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/28/russias-pandemic-excess-death-toll-almost-1m-a76194

Yeah, funny you should mention covid. Maybe he's trying to use a war to cover that.

[Lewis]

Whatever replaced him, whether it was better or worse for Russians, would follow pretty much the same foreign policies. People not realising that is literally how we ended up here.

[Spikey M]

Sorry we caused the war Lou. Won't do it again.

[Ben]

Putin is sacking his Generals now lol.

[Yevrah]

Putin is sacking his Generals now lol.

Source?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't think that's true.

What is true is that the rouble is going to halve in value when it opens tomorrow.

[Ben]

Source?

Bill Neely reported it but he's backtracked for now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1498007065914232833

[Jimmy Floyd]

They put 'the Ukraine' in the statement, like a bunch of blazer-wearing morons.

[Disco]

Putin is sacking his Generals now lol.

What's Pavel Grachev doing these days?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also notable how only Belarus are siding with Russia. China have backed off (purely as self preservation obviously), Kazakhstan have told Putin to fuck off and Azerbaijan are actively supplying Ukraine.

The Belarusians are drinking the kool-aid. I know one (she's not a cam whore) and she's been parroting what Putin has said about Ukraine.

[Ben]

What is true is that the rouble is going to halve in value when it opens tomorrow.

Yep. Selling at >150 after closing at 83 on Friday.

1498014375021535239

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60548685

Fifa has ordered Russia to complete their upcoming matches without their flag, anthem and as the Football Union of Russia in neutral territory, following the invasion of Ukraine.

:lol:

FIFA being scumbags, I'm shocked.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1498021832938733575

The mighty Poles are doubling down too.

[Giggles]

Have the other two still stayed quiet?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They refused to play them earlier, they haven't said anything (that I can see) since FIFA's statement but I imagine they're still holding firm.

[niko_cee]

So if the Rouble is going to tank tomorrow, but the Russian central bank is going to use its reserves to try and support it, how is Mellin going to Soros/ERM this for us?

[Ben]

Even Switzerland have picked a side now. Don’t think even Hitler managed that one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

FIFA is such a clown show, got to love it.

[Disco]

Surely it's more accurate to say the Swiss are only taking one side rather than both.

[Kikó]

1498026581704519684?t=q-uOCffXq8ei23gDYK1M2w&s=19

Pretty revealing deleted article on how the Russian leaders see the invasion.

[Ben]

Swing and a miss on the intel from Putin’s Boys.

[phonics]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/270326079648956433/947609218800840744/unknown.png

lol

[Ben]

:lol:

[Waffdon]

Doesn’t sound too promising. Kyiv gone by the morning

[Boydy]

Doesn’t sound too promising. Kyiv gone by the morning

Where are you seeing this?

[Jimmy Floyd]

He just opened the curtains and forgot where he was.

[Waffdon]

1498055522259451906

1498046970614599682

More so a prediction. Everything seems to be too good to be true thus far

[Lewis]

This football boycott is ridiculous. FIFA rules against political interference are presumably - because how else could they work? - based upon the general assumption that football federations aren't representative of their national governments. In which case, aren't the boycotting countries the ones breaking the rules?

[phonics]

Lewis, genuine question, do you think the Apartheid sporting-boycotts were wrong?

[Jimmy Floyd]

This football boycott is ridiculous. FIFA rules against political interference are presumably - because how else could they work? - based upon the general assumption that football federations aren't representative of their national governments. In which case, aren't the boycotting countries the ones breaking the rules?

You can file the answer to that under 'life' along with all the other answers to rules-based questions that may surround Vladimir Putin sending columns of tanks into Ukraine.

[Lewis]

Lewis, genuine question, do you think the Apartheid sporting-boycotts were wrong?

Not insofar as they were reactions to their teams being subject to political interference, as was the case with their football team being booted from everything. Rugby was a bit of a weird one, and more of a 'South Africa are bad' cultural boycott, which I would not have gone alone with, because then you end up with a free-for-all like when random idiots refuse to compete against Israelis.

[Yevrah]

This football boycott is ridiculous. FIFA rules against political interference are presumably - because how else could they work? - based upon the general assumption that football federations aren't representative of their national governments. In which case, aren't the boycotting countries the ones breaking the rules?

You might want to ask yourself why this bothers you so much?

[Spikey M]

Was it Giggles that said he's just contrarian about everything?

[Bernanke]

1498188830339387396


:lol:

Edit: And now they got currency controls in place.

[Spikey M]

That will go down well. :drool:

[Ben]

Doesn’t sound too promising. Kyiv gone by the morning

Not yet brudda.

[Ben]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-28/russia-temporarily-bans-non-residents-from-selling-securities

Bank of Russia joining in sanctions on Russia.

[Spikey M]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2w3z2/man_in_tractor_stole_russian_tank/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

It must be fake, but still :D

[Ben]

:lol:

[Yevrah]

Was it Giggles that said he's just contrarian about everything?

Yeah and I think he nailed it. Lewis didn't give a shit about rules during COVID, but here he is upholding the honour of FIFA core directive 131.2786a.

[Magic]

Yeah and I think he nailed it. Lewis didn't give a shit about rules during COVID, but here he is upholding the honour of FIFA core directive 131.2786a.

Again with the black and white-ness. Just because you're for or against something doesn't mean that applies to every other single thing in the world.

[Yevrah]

Again with the black and white-ness. Just because you're for or against something doesn't mean that applies to every other single thing in the world.

It's merely an example to go some way to proving a point Magic. No surprise that because it used COVID you were on hand to pounce!

[Yevrah]

The other thing as well is, anyone is entitled to break rules and face the consequences which on all available evidence Poland seem more than happy to do, but it's on FIFA to enforce those consequences and they clearly aren't prepared to (opting instead for something so unbelievably FIFA). So really, it's with them. You should write a sternly worded letter to whichever snout-in-the-trough FIFA 'executive' is dealing with this one Lewie.

[Magic]

It's merely an example to go some way to proving a point Magic. No surprise that because it used COVID you were on hand to pounce!

I'd hardly call restrictions on individual civil liberties the same as the FIFA rulebook.

[Spikey M]

Magic could lay on a bed of nails and still miss every point.

[Magic]

"you didn't follow these rules so that must mean rules don't mean anything to you"

[Spikey M]

Expertly done.

[Magic]

OK. It's quite something we're discussing this instead of the actual issue. True western white privilege.

[Kikó]

Magic could lay on a bed of nails and still miss every point.

:D x

[Ben]

They're livestreaming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBCSsZsvW_8) the "peace talks" in Belarus. :cab:

[Spikey M]

It's just going to be:

Do you surrender?

No. Are you going to leave my country?

No.

[Magic]

"What are your thoughts on FIFA's involvement?"

[Shindig]

It's just going to be:

Do you surrender?

No. Are you going to leave my country?

No.

Very well. You're under arrest.

[Ben]

The Ukrainian delegation will do well just to make it back to safety after agreeing to venture into Belarus for this.

[Spikey M]

It's in completely, totally, obviously neutral Belarus. They'll be fine I'm sure.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd be on code brown if I was part of the Ukrainian delegation. Crossing a war zone in choppers, holding talks on enemy territory, these people are hard as nails.