through all the jokes etc, apparently one of the suspect's grandmother is missing as of a couple of days ago. I fear its not just the skripals and dawn sturgess and her friends and family that have suffered horrifically from this assassination attempt with illegal weapons.
Russians have seized three Ukrainian ships off the coast of annexed Crimea. Shots fired and six Ukrainians injured. Two gun boats and a tug apparently.
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
Not sure that's true. Putin's 'activities' have to be paid for and it seems the Russian people have to cough up.
Pension reforms that were announced at the start of the World Cup have seen his popularity ratings fall substantially.
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
I disagree, you can really hurt Putin through sanctions. Less so with sanctions that affect everyday Russian people, although their economy seems to be in a perpetually precarious state. But getting at the money and businesses of the oligarchs, not to mention their London homes and property, their New York homes, not all of which are in Trump Tower but quite a few, their visas, etc.
One big problem is, and has been the case for a couple years now, is that you really need the United States to participate to really make those sanctions hit hardest. And there doesn't seem to be much desire to enforce particularly strict Russian sanctions. There are the Treasury Department sanctions from a couple months ago, if memory serves (and forgive me if I'm wrong), but those were directly aimed at institutions who had and were trying to hack our elections (which is a good thing, I'm not arguing with that). To really hit Putin hard, you'd need to go broader and deeper.
I have a question, how much is being made of the alleged ties between Arron Banks and Russia and Cambridge Analytica? My knowledge of it is pretty superficial, but it seems a potentially significant factor in such an important election. I'm not trying to start a conversation over the merits of Brexit, just curious about this particular aspect. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/17/arron-banks-emails-steve-bannon-brexit-campaign-funds
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
his popularity is (comparitively) very low at the moment, his approvals have always gone up after Georgia, Crimea and the initial Ukraine civil war. This is him trying to buy more approval.
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
his popularity is (comparitively) very low at the moment, his approvals have always gone up after Georgia, Crimea and the initial Ukraine civil war. This is him trying to buy more approval.
How much do we think his approval rating means? I remember it dipping pretty seriously when their economy was really struggling a few years ago, but he's obviously won re-election since then. I cannot imagine him losing an election (just because there are ways to make sure that doesn't happen). I struggle to see some sort of mass protests because again, there are ways of making sure those things don't happen.
My best guess is that he's driven by these things from an ego, sphere of influence, and a sort of Russian Empire mindset. This Julia Ioffe piece from a few months ago is really good, and she, along with a lot of other good writers on Russia, talk about the fact that Putin doesn't really have long term goals beyond maintaining power. Couple that with a distaste for the US and NATO that goes back to the fall of the Soviet Union and those two things seem to be his major driving forces.
I feel like sometimes Putin is viewed as this master chess player, this brilliant strategist. And when it comes to meddling and tinkering and exploiting the weaknesses of other countries (former KGB), he's very good. And those things are meat and drink to his base, it seems. But it's a lot easier to meddle with other countries than it is to have some sort of grand master plan that you're building toward.
I have written a strongly worded letter to my mucker Poots!
Am sending my special envoy Diane out to Moscow to talk to the Russians and basically confuse them so much, that they give in to all our demands... whatever they are!
Russia’s actions condemned by Poland and Estonia while Ukraine have called it an act of war, the EU are urging restraint...
This could be bad.
Russia will deny responsibility and the world will wring its hands. Push, push, push is Putins game. See where the cracks are. Can’t see any significant response other than more sanctions. Like Putin cares. The harder it gets for the Russian people the more they support him.
his popularity is (comparitively) very low at the moment, his approvals have always gone up after Georgia, Crimea and the initial Ukraine civil war. This is him trying to buy more approval.
How much do we think his approval rating means? I remember it dipping pretty seriously when their economy was really struggling a few years ago, but he's obviously won re-election since then. I cannot imagine him losing an election (just because there are ways to make sure that doesn't happen). I struggle to see some sort of mass protests because again, there are ways of making sure those things don't happen.
My best guess is that he's driven by these things from an ego, sphere of influence, and a sort of Russian Empire mindset. This Julia Ioffe piece from a few months ago is really good, and she, along with a lot of other good writers on Russia, talk about the fact that Putin doesn't really have long term goals beyond maintaining power. Couple that with a distaste for the US and NATO that goes back to the fall of the Soviet Union and those two things seem to be his major driving forces.
I feel like sometimes Putin is viewed as this master chess player, this brilliant strategist. And when it comes to meddling and tinkering and exploiting the weaknesses of other countries (former KGB), he's very good. And those things are meat and drink to his base, it seems. But it's a lot easier to meddle with other countries than it is to have some sort of grand master plan that you're building toward.
I think there is a “master plan” albeit loose and open ended. I think Putin wants to see a reclamation of at least some of the countries or parts it lost with the fall of communism. It’s been nibbling away at the closest and easiest bits for years now. He has amassed large forces “on exercise “ near the borders of the Baltic States as a provocative act and to test opinion and response from the West and Nato. He gets away Scott free on every occasion. He probes this countries airspace on a weekly basis and puts his submarines into Swedish waters several times a year. Both the RAF and Swedish navy see them off but it’s provocative and done for a purpose. He has no concerns about murdering people using banned chemical weapons on overseas soil. Again it’s provoking and he knows that nothing much will happen.
I’m not saying that he’s going to invade Lithuania or Estonia any time soon but he would if he though he could get away with it. There are a lot of ethnic Russians in the Baltic’s and that’s possibly going to be his excuse. He’s already weakened the European Union by meddling in the referendum to get us out. He’s meddled in the US election where he has an “ally” in Trump. NATO has been weakened by Trumps election.
Don’t be fooled into thinking all of these things happen by chance. He has a plan and the only way the west can check him is by responding strongly. He’s a bully and bully’s only know one thing. They don’t like people standing up to them.
Putin is the biggest single threat to world safety there is.
Let’s hope so PA. If he’s just a money grabbing crook which of course we know he is and there’s nothing much more about him then eventually he’ll get bumped off by someone wanting some of it too.
Personally I think it’s nieve to underestimate Putin and all his motives. Ask the Ukrainians what they think.
Let’s hope so PA. If he’s just a money grabbing crook which of course we know he is and there’s nothing much more about him then eventually he’ll get bumped off by someone wanting some of it too.
Personally I think it’s nieve to underestimate Putin and all his motives. Ask the Ukrainians what they think.
He’s certainly money grabbing .. some believe he is the richest person in the world, worth about two hundred billion dollars, more than Bezos and Gates combined.
Let’s hope so PA. If he’s just a money grabbing crook which of course we know he is and there’s nothing much more about him then eventually he’ll get bumped off by someone wanting some of it too.
Personally I think it’s nieve to underestimate Putin and all his motives. Ask the Ukrainians what they think.
He’s certainly money grabbing .. some believe he is the richest person in the world, worth about two hundred billion dollars, more than Bezos and Gates combined.
If money was his only motivation he would retire into obscurity now. He already has more money than he could ever spend if he lived to be a thousand years old.
If money was his only motivation he would retire into obscurity now. He already has more money than he could ever spend if he lived to be a thousand years old.
Possibly ... without power .,, he knows that he may not last long ... so holding on as long as he can.
Let’s hope so PA. If he’s just a money grabbing crook which of course we know he is and there’s nothing much more about him then eventually he’ll get bumped off by someone wanting some of it too.
Personally I think it’s nieve to underestimate Putin and all his motives. Ask the Ukrainians what they think.
He’s certainly money grabbing .. some believe he is the richest person in the world, worth about two hundred billion dollars, more than Bezos and Gates combined.
Problem is that it’s all tied up I read somewhere. He can’t access a huge percentage of it for one reason or another.
Comments
Oh dear.
This could be bad.
Pension reforms that were announced at the start of the World Cup have seen his popularity ratings fall substantially.
One big problem is, and has been the case for a couple years now, is that you really need the United States to participate to really make those sanctions hit hardest. And there doesn't seem to be much desire to enforce particularly strict Russian sanctions. There are the Treasury Department sanctions from a couple months ago, if memory serves (and forgive me if I'm wrong), but those were directly aimed at institutions who had and were trying to hack our elections (which is a good thing, I'm not arguing with that). To really hit Putin hard, you'd need to go broader and deeper.
I have a question, how much is being made of the alleged ties between Arron Banks and Russia and Cambridge Analytica? My knowledge of it is pretty superficial, but it seems a potentially significant factor in such an important election. I'm not trying to start a conversation over the merits of Brexit, just curious about this particular aspect.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/17/arron-banks-emails-steve-bannon-brexit-campaign-funds
My best guess is that he's driven by these things from an ego, sphere of influence, and a sort of Russian Empire mindset. This Julia Ioffe piece from a few months ago is really good, and she, along with a lot of other good writers on Russia, talk about the fact that Putin doesn't really have long term goals beyond maintaining power. Couple that with a distaste for the US and NATO that goes back to the fall of the Soviet Union and those two things seem to be his major driving forces.
I feel like sometimes Putin is viewed as this master chess player, this brilliant strategist. And when it comes to meddling and tinkering and exploiting the weaknesses of other countries (former KGB), he's very good. And those things are meat and drink to his base, it seems. But it's a lot easier to meddle with other countries than it is to have some sort of grand master plan that you're building toward.
Curious what all of you think though.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/putins-game/546548/
Am sending my special envoy Diane out to Moscow to talk to the Russians and basically confuse them so much, that they give in to all our demands... whatever they are!
I’m not saying that he’s going to invade Lithuania or Estonia any time soon but he would if he though he could get away with it. There are a lot of ethnic Russians in the Baltic’s and that’s possibly going to be his excuse. He’s already weakened the European Union by meddling in the referendum to get us out. He’s meddled in the US election where he has an “ally” in Trump. NATO has been weakened by Trumps election.
Don’t be fooled into thinking all of these things happen by chance. He has a plan and the only way the west can check him is by responding strongly. He’s a bully and bully’s only know one thing. They don’t like people standing up to them.
Putin is the biggest single threat to world safety there is.
I reckon Bill Browder might thik you are making Putin's "master plan" more complex than it really is
Personally I think it’s nieve to underestimate Putin and all his motives. Ask the Ukrainians what they think.
He already has more money than he could ever spend if he lived to be a thousand years old.