The beatings will continue until morale improves. Piss off too many, previously, friends and see what happens. Even a sudo dictator like Putin needs friends in his camp to retain power because otherwise someone else will look more attractive to lead.
After some clever and impressive moves by Ukraine, Russia is now having to resort to a partial military mobilisation. Trying to frame it has having to protect Russia from the West, their encouraged shelling of nuclear reactors and the threats by the West of using nukes. I mean, that's top level bullsheet. What else was he going to say though? Soz guys I messed up and thousands of our soldiers have died thanks to our aggression. Edit: Of course, protect mother Russia blah blah which will then include parts of Ukraine after the bogus referenda.
I lived through the cold war and was an army brat. My dad's regiment were armed with the Lance missile system, a tactical ballistic missile, equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads. I was old enough to understand the cold war and the implications of such. I fear more for WW3 than I ever did living in Germany and knowing we were close to the potential front line and my dad's regiment being a high value target. I think there is much more chance now than there was during the 80's cold war I grew up in. It's quite scary really if you think about it.
Basically 2 options: 1: Ukraine has some operatives offing high profile targets to scare Putin. 2: Putin is getting so paranoid that he is offing anyone he suspects of not being sufficiently loyal. Personally I'd suspect its option 2.
I think Putin believes that Europe will cave in and abandon Ukraine if gas prices are high and he threatens that he might use a nuke somewhere.
I believe that the West will stay the course on this one. That is provided Trump doesn't manage to get re-elected.
So far they have passionately embraced the confrontation with Russia, but I'm not so sure it's in the European peoples best interest. We are already seeing soaring utility bills with families forced to put up their homes for sale, and now, with Nord Stream inoperable, the winter in Germany is shaping up to be ugly.
It is not in Europe's short-term interest. But in the medium term a defeated Russia, unable to threaten it's neighbors is a worthwhile benefit from the pain of accelerating the transition from Russian gas and oil to renewables and nuclear.
It's a battle between the US and Russia over who is going to control Europe and regardless of outcome Europe will end up getting the short end of the stick. Musing. A "union" between the Fatherland (with its industrial base) and the motherland (with its resources) would have turned Europe into a formidable force. But, the aggressive expansion of NATO and the anti-Russian rhetoric for the past 30+ years (partially understandable) and now with the war in Ukraine, has made certain that will never happen. Though, with the Nord Stream project Germany and Russia had slowly begun to build trust again, that's now been scuttled. In any event, we are most certainly in for an 'interesting' winter.
From BBC News, the Live feed on the front page: "16:45 Putin afraid of mutiny from generals - former Russian air force officer A former member of the Russian air force has told BBC News Vladimir Putin is afraid of mutiny from his generals. Gleb Irisov, who fled the country, is also a former military correspondent for a Russian news agency and says he knows the new commander in charge of the war against Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin. Speaking to Newshour, Irisov said Surovikin was appointed because of his “deep loyalty" to the Russian regime and president personally. He added the Russian leader "is now afraid of some kind of mutiny from the generals". Irisov said he began to oppose the government during his time in the military, observing the "neglect" his command showed towards people. He described the war as a "catastrophe" for Ukraine and Russia that was dangerous for the world. Irisov is pessimistic about the chance of change in his home country anytime soon, despite the "huge casualties and severe economic effects" of the war."
Tweet— Twitter API (@user) date Satanic Nazis as opposed to regular ones? Will go down well with the Q5types in the states who tend to be Putiny to various extents.
Satan wishes it to be officially known that he distances himself from current human affairs on Earth.
