Ukraine

[niemeyjt]

Good news if correct - but I fear it will just antagonize Putin and bring heavier attacks.

I am chatting to a Russian former colleague - she thinks Putin will be in power until 100 - so I am not optimistic resistance within Russia will mount to very much - even with these troops rebelling.

[Hotrodder]

Big aside here. Anyone heard of the Bilderberg Society?

I have, but not in any context that relates directly to the Ukraine invasion. More about secretive meetings of the rich and powerful movers and shakers and their alleged manipulation of world events, under the guise of "new world order", etc.

[ExMontpelliérain]

Talking about the rich & powerful, a Ukrainian sailor has just sunk his Russian boss’s yacht (details in Spanish here).

[niemeyjt]

Only partially, it seems . . .

source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 24644.html

[Bayleaf]

Meanwhile, business as usual for Cruella ....when opportunity knocks

Cruella.jpg

[ExMontpelliérain]

Big aside here. Anyone heard of the Bilderberg Society?

And here is Miss Trusst again, encouraging exactly the opposite of what is being recommended.
Ukraine conflict: Liz Truss backs people from UK who want to fight https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60544838

A friend of mine once described Liz Truss’s approach as “Philomena Cunk does foreign relations”.

[Char]

I don't give a monkeys what the UK are up to at the moment tbh. I'm glad that the EU as a block have granted asylum to any Ukrainians without them having to go through the application rigmarole, I see Germany are giving them free train transport so they've got a safe way to travel.

If the EU grant Ukraine's emergency application to join the block, does anyone know if that will mean other countries will be able to go in and help them militarily?

[exile]

There is no formal military support between EU countries. The EU army concept might have changed that but it has never happened. Maybe now it will.

Traditionally NATO has been the military support with (I think) all but 2 EU countries also members of NATO.

Levels of cooperation however have been high between EU states.

EU membership for Ukraine would immediately open the borders to Poland (essentially already open but with formalities causing significant delays), Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.

[niemeyjt]

There is no formal military support between EU countries. The EU army concept might have changed that but it has never happened. Maybe now it will.

Traditionally NATO has been the military support with (I think) all but 2 EU countries also members of NATO.

Levels of cooperation however have been high between EU states.

EU membership for Ukraine would immediately open the borders to Poland (essentially already open but with formalities causing significant delays), Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.

I have mixed views on this. Whilst on the one hand it would be a nice slap in the face for Putin if his actions did lead to a more rapid adoption of what he does not want, on the other hand I fear it is not the ideal long term solution. For that, I remain of the opinion Ukraine needs to be an independent but neutral buffer state to allay Russia's genuine security concerns (as opposed to Putin's paranoid ones about Nazis).

As for in EU outside NATO - off the top of my head at least four - Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland - not sure about little countries like Malta.

edit to add - same applies to Georgia, Moldova, Armenia etc as well as Ukraine.

[exile]

I too have doubts about letting Ukraine into the EU in the short term. I don't think Putin needs any more strong views on his actions, although Russia may need some more negative pressure to lead to a turn around.

I think Putin is now so embedded in his strategy that it will require some form of dethroning - maybe a bad case of covid

Edit to add: I had forgotten about Ireland and Austria not being NATO members, so thanks for that.