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Actually, they did thought about far earlier to get Crimea. Just after the Soviet Union collapsed, the debate started like this: See here Perceived ve...

This was basically totally normal during the Cold War. That the other side aided his ally/proxy was totally in line. So in line that actually there wa...

For a country that freely gave away it's nuclear deterrent, it has already hinted that it would do this. If Ukraine wouldn't be in NATO, this would be...

Well, not literally, just as the UK hasn't been referred to the 'ex'. Ok. How about the border between Finland and Sweden and non-EU member Norway? If...

Actually it is to mobilize reservists, those who already have served their military service (conscription). Those that are on the military payroll hav...

What is full mobilization? 25 million people in the case of Russia? I think they worry that the partial mobilization will call them. The tiny little p...

Finally even our country wants to follow Trump. If visas are unobtainable and things go the way as they are going now in Russia, illegal entry could b...

I wouldn't see it on such dramatic terms. I think the EU itself ought to look at this from a new light. OK, so the Union has now an ex. Yet it's an ex...

That was the irony. Yes, to report on the US they were able to act like investigative journalists. But anything concerning Russia or it's allies is a ...

I think that many leaders are starting to notice that Putin's fragile position. That some ex-Soviet states are starting to have border troubles shows ...

This is the interesting fact: gas to Europe has flowed through Ukraine by the Brotherhood / Soyuz pipelines. Yeah, all out conventional war going on.....

I think the UK should get passed Brexit finally and tackle the present problems. It has been a nice thread, but Brexit is so Elizabethan. You already ...

And this is very interesting. Has Russia lost Kazakhstan?

Seems that it was an explosion that caused the gasleaks in the Nordstream gas pipeline: Swedish geological stations notice an explosion: See here (in ...

First of all, one should look at net flows. People come also back to Russia. Here's of statistics of Russian citizens entering Finland (yellow) and le...

Uh, by continuing to do what it has done now. :smirk: Yes, we have heard your argument that everything is just anecdotal. The quarter million leaving ...

We can just look at Venezuela, Belarus, Iran and Russia itself and notice that widespread dissatisfaction and protests don't topple totalitarian regim...

I can totally believe that. But that's the official line: that foreign countries (the US) are out to get Russia. Many of the Russians that I've met ha...

And this is common with other religions too. The link even far more obvious in Islam. Thank the KGB for patriarch Kirill.

I think that this has gained more popularity nowdays: to break down past eras thinking. The basic problem I guess with every "post" -ism is that it ge...

What would be concerning if no Russian would want (secretly?) regime change. Yet many opt to leave... perhaps the ghost of Stalin is too frightening. ...

Except you can find photos like that from years ago already. This is from 2007 and then Putin's elections: https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/up...

That the Russian invasion of Ukraine is only Western propaganda? Sure. (See here) (See No, Russia will not invade Ukraine)

On the contrary, the events in Russia compared to Ukraine are very insightful. So let's get back to the OP: Here the actions of the citizens themselve...

:rofl: Oh yes, when it was Ukraine and it's conscription/mobilization, @"Isaac" had much to say. Yet when it's Russian leaders not keeping their promi...

Right on, boethius. No one has ever convincingly explained or made any sound hypothesis that this war might not be a victory for Russia. Because it's ...

As I've said, this war looks like to be going something like the Russo-Japanese war. The Russian Tzardom didn't fall because of the Russo-Japanese war...

Let's see then how triumphant the victorious Russian forces are then, shall we? Thank you for that article. :up: Hadn't heard that term tankie before....

Of course. A daily normal occurence in Dagestan. :blush: Mere inconvenience. Putin Strong!!! According to our Putinists, No Problem! Puny protests and...

Of course, and this is naturally from an Ukrainian media. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z9VP6q5osL0 Otherwise the mobilization is going absolutely pe...

More 'anecdotal' videos... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gy9q_DGl8I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDOHWTMmcH8

I think it has already happened in February 24th of this year. Russia achieving it's objectives (Novorossiya + regime change in rump Ukraine) isn't th...

That btw. got things wrong, as was my main point. But of course you don't notice such 'minutiae'. :roll:

Have I said that? Strawmanning as usual Isaac. As I just said, the Ukrainian mobilization of 2014 is an example how long it takes to mobilize forces w...

If we talk about training, the as I've said multiple of times, this force might be useful in a possible spring offensive for the Russians in 2023. Not...

There is. Ukrainians are defending their country against a hostile invader. The Russians aren't. If the Russians now called were sent to defend St. Pe...

Yet what isn't anecdotal is: a) Since coming into office Putin has tried to push away from a conscription army and veer the armed forces into an volun...

The dangers of conscription are obvious when you are the side that is attacking. Attacking other countries may not be so popular than leaders think. F...

It's trendy for every generation to define lying and deception in politics again. Hopefully from a new angle.

I totally agree with this. I would think the reason is because wars and military operations have been so crucial to his (Putin's) rule, that once conf...

There's a huge effort to do that. By Putin, actually. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fdbwx0mXEAYfWLX?format=jpg&name=900x900 The Russo-Japanese war canno...

So Ukrainians not deciding to do this, roll over and surrender, would according to you been the best outcome. I think that's enough to know from you a...

Ah, the desperate need to strawman, when you cannot prove wrong the other one.

I think that the Ukrainians understand that they have to be ready for a long war. After the initial push failed, the Russians have tried to salvage wh...

By basically talking a lot more about everything else than the actual topic of the thread, the war in Ukraine. Because on a thread about Ukraine, the ...

Yes, the referendums will be used as propaganda. But that doesn't make them a real democratic referendum. And that's my point. When it's propaganda, t...

Of course not, Isaac. If you don't get it, you don't. That doesn't make you a looney.

??? A sham referendum is a sham referendum. It's basically propaganda. Oh boy. Just stop and think what you are saying @"boethius": "it is the step to...

That's the attempt... a desperate attempt to regain justification for the annexation of Ukrainian territory and make them part of Holy Mother Russia. ...

Which, of course, is absolute nonsense and should be remarked as it. I've heard that the voting will be done "online". So no reason even to stage peop...