Forum Topic

Senior Russian official issues threats to the West

Former President Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow may respond to sanctions by cutting diplomatic ties with the West and freezing personal assets.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/26/senior-russian-security-official-issues-stark-threats-to-the-west?fbclid=IwAR2Vzg9sW_C-MT-PCPnK6qaqJNhx-8A3Lu7D353oWcg53v7f-vnvWVnXOCc

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d30 Comments

It's worth looking at the wars that Russia fought in Chechnya. The time and money Russia spent to win, the dreadful death and destruction involved, is astounding. For comparison, Russia's population is 145 million (and Ukraine's population is 41 million). There was a population of something over a million in Chechnya. Ukraine's area is 35 times that of Chechnya. (Russia's area is a thousand times that of Chechnya).

David Ainsworth ● 1203d

Yes, Richard, I was surprised that it didn't end to a link playing Rule Britannia :-) Thinking about it, should one fight for a "country" (a piece of land) or, more importantly, for a principle: for freedom, against authoritarianism, facism, nazism, etc? I suppose I can identify as a Londoner, English, British or European - at what level would one determine I should fight for a piece of land? Would I fight: never been put in the position to make a decision and as you say it's difficult to know the answer to such a hypothetical question as, apart from anything else, one doesn't know the context it will be asked in. (Are the Russian conscripts in Ukraine happy to fight for their country? I don't think they were asked or given an option?) To quote John Lennon: "Image …".

Michael Ixer ● 1203d

There's a very disturbing piece in today's Times (it's behind their paywall but I'll post the first few paragraphs below). It would be a terrible blow if Volodymyr Zelenskiy were to be murdered like this."More than 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate President Zelensky and his government and prepare the ground for Moscow to take control, The Times has learnt.The Wagner Group, a private militia run by one of President Putin’s closest allies and operating as an arm-length branch of the state, flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to decapitate Zelensky’s government in return for a handsome financial bonus.Information about their mission reached the Ukrainian government on Saturday morning and hours later Kyiv declared a 36-hour “hard” curfew to sweep the city for Russian saboteurs, warning civilians that they would be seen as Kremlin agents and risked being “liquidated” if they stepped outside."https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/volodymyr-zelensky-russian-mercenaries-ordered-to-kill-ukraine-president-cvcksh79d

Richard Carter ● 1203d

What a strangely incoherent post!"What kind of person runs away from their country rather than fight for it? I wouldn't , I would give my life for it, but I bet you wouldn't."  - Leaving aside the vainglorious boasting (All very well to make claims in theoretical situation, but no one knows how they would react when faced with reality), who has been "running away"? Given that men aged between 18 and 60 are forbidden from leaving Ukraine, do you mean women and children? If so, good luck with setting up a Babies Liberation Legion."I know where my support lies." - What on earth is this about?"The current government are such brutes that they are in the lead to help them."- Which government, the Ukrainian one? The Russian? The UK? And who are the "them" you refer to?Altogether one of your less successful posts, I think.

Richard Carter ● 1203d

Use multiple sources from MSM and social media. The position is so confused that even those trying to seek the truth are struggling, and then there's the deliberate fake news ... 

Michael Ixer ● 1203d

Truth is rarer than gold

Paul Beer ● 1203d

Yes, much truth to be found at Al Jazeera, but I don't think you'll be able to cope, Carter. A couple of bulletins, and you could have some kind of seizure..

Michael Brown ● 1203d

A friend says he finds Al Jazeera the most reliable source. I don't think being non-Ukrainian or -Russian speaker a significant worry, as many people there speak very good English, in the larger towns at least.

Richard Carter ● 1203d

Does anyone have any recommended reliable news sources?Genuine question.From what I have gathered both sides seem to be using conscripts.There is just too much fake news to wade through. Here we are almost 50 years after the Vietnam war and we know less. We know next to nothing of the Yeman war and practically nothing about the Syrian war.I guess I will tune to independent RTE that seem to have sent reporters that do not speak Ukrainian or Russian but had to rely on Google translate to convince the Ukrainian police they weren't spies.Obviously RTE is a small station I'm sure the BBC wouldn't do the same???

Ed Robinson ● 1204d

From what I can see the Ukrainians are putting up a fairly solid fight, so one assumes most refugees are not of fighting age or otherwise expected to join the military? So it makes sense for them to leave and get out of the way and not use resources needed by the military? Reports also seem to indicate the Russian forces aren't well motivated: many are reported to be conscripts and don't understand why they're there, but I'd accept that could be disinformation.Anyway, the suggestion to apply for fruit picking visas was pretty crass and just shows the poor calibre of Johnson's cabinet. (I can see many Tory farmers might have a glint in their eye with a vision of cheap labour but most would have more sense than to say anything :-) Still he was told to delete the tweet ...)Anyway, Paul, how come you were so certain before that Putin wouldn't invade Ukraine? Wrong on that as well as Brexit's success!

Michael Ixer ● 1204d

Why don't you make them ashamed then? You can volunteer to fight for Ukraine. Liz Truss says so:-"In an interview on BBC One’s Sunday Morning programme, the UK foreign secretary replied “absolutely” when asked whether she would back anyone wanting to volunteer to help the Ukrainians fighting for their freedom.She told the programme: “That is something people can make their own decisions about. The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe. Absolutely, if people want to support that struggle, I would support them in doing that.”" (Guardian)"The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy ... for the whole of Europe." Surely a worthy cause for which to risk your life, Mr Rolink.

David Ainsworth ● 1204d

What kind of person runs away from their country rather than fight for it? I wouldn't , I would give my life for it, but I bet you wouldn't. I know where my support lies. No hard decisions in your life just stuff to make you feel good. The current government are such brutes that they are in the lead to help them.

Paul Rolink ● 1204d

Ooops!!!  Too cross!What heartless brutes the members of our current government are!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

It defies comprehension!!  What heartless brutes are members of our current government.  Really despicable!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

Millions of expected refugees - I was hoping this is fake news but it appears to be true.https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ukraine-refugees-priti-patel_uk_621b1c77e4b06e1cc5907767

Ed Robinson ● 1204d

My son said Putin is meant to have a special bunker he stays in, nobody is allowed in there, they have to all disinfect themselves before they go into him. Also my son said the Russians are only young and thought they were only training. The Ukrainian people took all the sign posts down so they didn't know where they were going and so started running out of fuel.

Barbara Stevens ● 1204d

"And now Putin has put Russian's nuclear deterrent on "special alert".The man is beyond insane!"In that case, we had better hope that he is not.

David Ainsworth ● 1204d

My son is in Vindeln in Sweden with his daughters and his Swedish partner. He isn't very happy listening to the News. He's done an awful lot of work on the property his partners father gave them. If he came back, he has people renting his place over here. So can't just get them out. He seems to hear different things out there about how well the Ukrainians are doing. Then he heard about Putin and his Nukes.

Barbara Stevens ● 1204d

And now Putin has put Russian's nuclear deterrent on "special alert".The man is beyond insane!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

Oops! "In practice, his biggest …"

Michael Ixer ● 1204d

I'm sure he is threatened by NATO but the evidence so far is that his actions have strengthened NATO. I'm practice, is biggest threat has probably always come from the western financial systems … and that might be about to come a reality?Has he miscalculated? I'm sure he thought in a few days he would subdue a grateful Ukraine; it now looks like he's in for a long slog. One wonders if plotters are whispering about his sanity in the corridors of the Kremlin?

Michael Ixer ● 1204d

I perhaps agree with you Jane, but am more inclined to believe he regrets the demise of the USSR above all.As for NATO, its main purpose is to guarantee the safety and freedom of its members by political and military means.  I think it is Article 5 that states that, should a member be attacked, all members will go to its defence (or words to that effect). So, based on the above, Putin feels intimidated by NATO, or bullied if you like, because it curtails his "freedom" to invade other (perhaps former USSR) countries at will?  Putin must have an enormous chip on his shoulder.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

Both!

Jane Carter ● 1204d

Well, from 1999 to date 14 countries joined NATO, most of them under USSR until 1991.  Seven of them were signatories to the Warsaw Pact.So, does he feel threatened by the expansion of NATO or is he bitter that the USSR is no longer?

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

"Is the West threatening him in any way?"If you were a Russian leader how would you read the expansion of NATO since 1991?

David Ainsworth ● 1204d

I am not too sure I follow you, David.Is the West threatening him in any way?  Is the West planning to invade Russia? He mentions NATO expansion as a threat.  Because Ukraine wanted to join?

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

I suppose tech companies that sell into Russia would have assets there? I'm not sure about personal individuals but I'd assume people who are expat workers for western companies in Russia, western journalists based there, etc would probably have local bank accounts but I'm not sure they'd keep there main assets there.

Michael Ixer ● 1204d

"but we cannot be bullied by Putin."So we can imagine how he feels then.

David Ainsworth ● 1204d

Yes, but it surprised me that countries in the West have personal assets in Russia worth freezing? Breaking diplomatic ties is not good news but we cannot be bullied but Putin.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1204d

Somebody going to have to blink.

David Ainsworth ● 1204d