Will Russia invade the Ukraine?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I read a thing somewhere saying that the B52 is the only military aircraft that been flown by three generations of the same family.

They're due to remain operational into the 2050s, which would mean a century of service!

When Joni Mitchell in "Woodstock" said ...

"And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation"

... I guess she was thinking about B-52's.

I quite often get them mixed up with Voice of the Beehive

[JackyJoll]

When Joni Mitchell in "Woodstock" said ...

"And I dreamed I saw the bombers

Oh it’s not “bummers!”

Misheard lyrics eh.

[Screwdriver]

It is beautiful and yet terrible at the same time.



https://www.wired.com/2016/04/gods-gree ... l-service/


There’s one or more of these patrolling the skies above Europe right now. Fully armed no doubt, carrying nukes. Lurking beneath the oceans a dozen or so submarines representing their respective national interests silently cruise the depths each carrying a nuclear arsenal capable of destroying an entire continent. On the ground in Russia, their nuclear readiness is on high alert.

I am willing to bet someone somewhere is preparing a report on the consequences of nuclear exchange. What precautions to take, how to react to minimise losses, how to recover from the fallout. Not for the general populace but for the asset management company they work for.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a section in that report suggesting ways to maximise profits….

Y’know, just in case.

[Screwdriver]

I couldn't sleep (not because of this nonsense) anyhow, cruising YouTube and Biden has been suggesting the US needs to get rid of Putin.

Not quite sure what sort of diplomacy that is. The Whitehouse had to "walk it back" and insist that's not what he meant despite actually saying it. Then while addressing troops he seemed to suggest "when you're there..." to US troops referring to Ukraine. Eeek. So is America sending troops into Ukraine??

Nope, the Whitehouse had to "walk that one back" too. Maybe they should send in the vice president so she can laugh at the refugees instead. At least that would be less fucking dangerous for the rest of the world.

[irie]

I couldn't sleep (not because of this nonsense) anyhow, cruising YouTube and Biden has been suggesting the US needs to get rid of Putin.

Not quite sure what sort of diplomacy that is. The Whitehouse had to "walk it back" and insist that's not what he meant despite actually saying it. Then while addressing troops he seemed to suggest "when you're there..." to US troops referring to Ukraine. Eeek. So is America sending troops into Ukraine??

Nope, the Whitehouse had to "walk that one back" too. Maybe they should send in the vice president so she can laugh at the refugees instead. At least that would be less fucking dangerous for the rest of the world.

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

[Screwdriver]

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

[Count Steer]

Biden has sounded far from weak and barely intelligible recently. Watched his speeches and he looks and sounds like he knows exactly what he's doing and saying. It's perfectly possible they're creating a narrative in response to Putin that indicates 'Think on, we're having to hold him back from boots on the ground, super whizzo flashbangs and marching on Moscow.

Mind you, I thought Johnson's press conference before he flew off was OK, so maybe I'm going soft in the head too.

[DefTrap]

I have to agree, Biden's getting better. They're going to have to drop the incapable schtick soon or it'll start to look petty and desperate. There's seems enough, far better what-if ammo elsewhere.

[Screwdriver]

I agree, I was somewhat shocked to see the difference myself. He even took an unscripted question at one point, though he didn't answer it particularly well.

Makes a change for Biden to be involved in anything which isn't a complete disaster. If there is a better example for the often misunderstood phrase "the exception which proves the rule", this is it.

He was unusually cogent...

Maybe he's been topped up with some fresh blood plasma.

[irie]

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

The EU is currently paying Russia ~$660m per day for gas.

Fact.

No conspiracy.

Another fact: the EU currently buys over 2m barrel oil per day from Russia.

Wars cost money. Figure it out for yourself.

[Screwdriver]

I have made this observation before but there's nothing better for a politician to look better than a really good war. We still remember Churchill of course and if I just say the word "Thatcher" I'm pretty sure most of us see a headscarf riding along in a tank.

More recently Ursula von der Leyen looked magnificent in her recent speech, even though she was talking bollocks. Johnson is of course superb with a fantastic delivery of well written rhetoric, very British! I wouldn't expect any less from Zelensky either, after all he was a professional actor, playing the part of an accidental president!

It is an indictment of the human condition we should be so easily fooled. The very existence of a war means any politician even remotely involved in the process has already failed.

[Horse]

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

The EU is currently paying Russia ~$660m per day for gas.

Fact.

No conspiracy.

Another fact: the EU currently buys over 2m barrel oil per day from Russia.

And that leads to the question of exactly how well are governments freezing assets and banking, yet still paying for this oil and gas?

[Screwdriver]

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

The EU is currently paying Russia ~$660m per day for gas.

Fact.

No conspiracy.

Another fact: the EU currently buys over 2m barrel oil per day from Russia.

Wars cost money. Figure it out for yourself.

Indeed, though perhaps you might wish to stand in front of a mirror and figure it out yourself.

Ooh, another conspiracy theory.

[Cousin Jack]

There’s one or more of these patrolling the skies above Europe right now. Fully armed no doubt, carrying nukes.

Pah, call that high alert?

IIRC back in the good old Cold War days there were reputed to be always a number of these heading across the polar icecap bound for Russia, with 2 lines across their track.

The first line they would not cross without authorization. As I understand it that line was crossed several times, because of a mistaken belief that something nasty was incoming.
The second line was the "No recall" line, beyond that they would bomb regardless of any message to turn back. Fortunately that line was never reached.

[Screwdriver]

Pah, call that high alert?

Anything nuke and its a very low bar.

In the meantime, I wonder what's going on with the nuclear plants around Chernobyl? Atomic energy authority doesn't seem to know, clearly Putin doesn't care. While it's not so good for any troops to get sent out there, I hear reports that just disturbing the ground is bad enough to register on Geiger counters around Europe.

What happens if one of those ancient Soviet reactors goes pop? By all accounts we were quite lucky last time because the molten core didn't burst into the underground water tank. Might not be so fortunate this time.

[Yambo]

He was unusually cogent...

Maybe he's been topped up with some fresh blood plasma.

Maybe big pharma are testing a miracle cure on him . . .

[irie]

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

The EU is currently paying Russia ~$660m per day for gas.

Fact.

No conspiracy.

Another fact: the EU currently buys over 2m barrel oil per day from Russia.

Wars cost money. Figure it out for yourself.

Indeed, though perhaps you might wish to stand in front of a mirror and figure it out yourself.

Ooh, another conspiracy theory.

Don't be silly, any fule can see that Putin is spending the $billions from Russian energy sales to support the Russian poor and needy. And if you ask him nicely he'll undoubtedly settle your outstanding energy bills for you.

[Hoonercat]

The election of this weak barely intelligible and frequently confused POTUS was one factor which must have encouraged Putin to embark on his war in Ukraine ...

... propped up in part on a day-to-day basis by EU money paid to Russia for energy supplies.

Oh. Another conspiracy theory?

The EU is currently paying Russia ~$660m per day for gas.

Fact.

No conspiracy.

Another fact: the EU currently buys over 2m barrel oil per day from Russia.

Wars cost money. Figure it out for yourself.

European energy companies are currently paying Russian energy companies $660m per day for gas. That's a far better use of the word 'fact'.
You seem too have completely ignored the fact (as in, real fact) that Russian gas supplies to the EU area plunged during January and February. so even with the uptick in March, it's still way below seasonal levels averaged over the 3 months. Had you bothered to check it against December '21 levels you would have seen that for yourself (you probably know this, but it doesn't fit your narrative). The Russian state earns approx $200 million per day from that. Can't be arsed to search, but I seem to recall you claiming that the war was costing Russia over $20 billion per day?
Maybe you need to redirect your pointy stick?

[Count Steer]

I'd be restocking my gas reserves before the Ukrainian pipeline gets blown up and/or Russia cuts off supplies.

6 days ago Russia (gas companies) was still paying the transit charges to Ukraine for gas in hard currency. Now that's

[Screwdriver]

As if this wasn’t always about oil and gas.