Europe at War

[JBS]

Two related things Ukraine is said to be doing:
--it's allowing POWs to telephone their families back home in Russia
--it's set up a hotline for Russian families to call if they're trying to get information about soldiers in the invasion force.

[krummholz]

Good to hear that; thank you for sharing that news.

I heard yesterday(?) that there were a number of Polish people who were providing food and water to Ukrainians crossing the border and also opening up their homes to women and children.

PD

Being of Polish descent myself, it warms my heart to hear this...

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Smart strategy/politics. This makes the Russian war policy look stupid and ridiculous. 


BBC News: Ukraine's hotline for Russian military families flooded with calls.

Earlier we reported that Ukraine had set up a hotline for the family members of Russian soldiers.
The Kyiv Independent now reports the hotline has received "hundreds of calls" already.
The service is called "Come back alive from Ukraine" and was launched on Saturday by Ukraine's Defence Ministry.
"On this phone line, you can find out whether your relatives are still alive, taken prisoner, injured, and you can decide when and how to take the body of your deceased relative," an official said.
The hotline is a direct appeal to Russians, thousands of whom have been protesting against President Putin's war in Ukraine despite being faced with arrest.
Russians and Ukrainians have described each other as "like brothers and sisters" at anti-war protests around the world in recent days.

[milk]

I'm starting to wonder if I was too quick to make fun of the Munich references. Putin can use the same justifications in Latvia and Lithuania? And what if China gets ideas as well. The problem is, no one in western countries wants their kids fighting a war in Eastern Europe.

[Scion7]

no one "wants" their kids fighting anywhere ... but, right or wrong, at THIS point in time, Ukraine is not a vital national interest of the West - economically they are a burden (currently) and militarily they were not ready for NATO - still too many leftovers from the USSR  ...
but, if the nuclear threat was not there, my money would be SACEUR would order mobilization and pound on Putin's forces until they were dust in Ukraine ....

[MusicTurner]

no one "wants" their kids fighting anywhere ... (...)

In a couple of videos with captured Russian soldiers, two of the three were very far from having the allegedly 'reconnaissance elite soldier group'-appearance.
They seemed poorly educated, rural-appearing, hillbilly-like, probably around 18-22 years old. The third one was older and appeared more educated. A good deal of them come from remote Eastern regions, Siberia etc.

But I am abstaining from any news most of today; have been to Ukraine three times. During the Crimea invasion, Putin threatened Merkel in a phone call, that he could be in Kyiv with his troops in 4-5 days, and it still seems to go his way.

[Que]

Now Putin's plan of a quick victory and installing a puppet regime is failing, what is he going to do?

Even if Russian troops take Kyiv today or tomorrow, what is Putin's new exit strategy? 

I think his bet is on the negations he has been offering to Zelensky: "negotiate" crippling concessions from Ukraine concerning its political future, military capabilities and territory, and then leave...

The counterstrategy from Zelensky should of course be: now Putin has bitten off more than he can chew, he'd better choke on it...

[Que]

Some Russian advances in the south and east.

[springrite]

Putin could have just engineered the beginning of his own fall, I hope!

I am wearing Ukrainian colors these days. It is not just for Ukraine but all who wishes to life free from tyranny.

[Que]

Putin could have just engineered the beginning of his own fall, I hope!

This might be the case and his fall might pull down Russia further, which has been an dying empire for a long time anyway.

I think a lot depends on whether the Russian economy can stay afloat or will crash.

I am wearing Ukrainian colors these days. It is not just for Ukraine but all who wishes to life free from tyranny.

From a global perspective, we are not out of the woods yet....on the contrary.

[vandermolen]

[LKB]

Ukrainian government official has reported evidence that Belarus will be joining the invasion. Only one source, l saw it at The Guardian website. I hope he's wrong...

[Madiel]

We tend to be interested in music here, but in an interesting sporting side note, Russia is supposed to be playing football World Cup qualifying matches in late March.

Earlier in the week Poland (their first opponents) and Sweden and the Czech Republic (potential next opponents) all said they would refuse to play in Russia. Now all three countries have said they would refuse to play Russia at all, anywhere.

No word as yet on FIFA's response. The 2018 World Cup was held in Russia, very much influenced by FIFA's desire to tap into a large potential market. But when 3 of the 4 teams vying for a qualifying spot refuse to play the 4th team... this is going to be messy and FIFA's typical desire to be above politics isn't going to work.

[Madiel]

Ukrainian government official has reported evidence that Belarus will be joining the invasion. Only one source, l saw it at The Guardian website. I hope he's wrong...

Given that Belarus happily allowed Russian troops to mass on their territory, it would hardly be surprising. Belarus is exactly the kind of vassal state that Russia wants Ukraine to be.

[LKB]

Given that Belarus happily allowed Russian troops to mass on their territory, it would hardly be surprising. Belarus is exactly the kind of vassal state that Russia wants Ukraine to be.

Quite so. But then, Belarus is not Russia and while they could certainly provide medical and logistical support, l doubt they'd be particularly effective in combat. But, we'll see.

[Que]

Ukrainian government official has reported evidence that Belarus will be joining the invasion. Only one source, l saw it at The Guardian website. I hope he's wrong...

Does this mean that the reserves in Russian forces available for the assault on Kyiv have been depleted?

[MusicTurner]

Various sources said yesterday that Lukashenko will wait with the alliance proclamation for a bit more than 2 days, because there's an important fake 'vote' taking place in Belarus at first, related to its constitution. But there are reports that they might already be invading (seen at a Ukrainian acquaintance's FB page).

Also:
664 leading Russian personalities, many from the cultural sector, have signed a protest open letter, against the invasion in Le Monde. By the time of publishing, there was just a pay-wall access to Le Monde as the single source, but maybe summaries can be found now in other news sources as well.
https://twitter.com/ReicherStephen/status/1497282207915909127

[Todd]

but, if the nuclear threat was not there, my money would be SACEUR would order mobilization and pound on Putin's forces until they were dust in Ukraine ....

Which is precisely why the nuclear deterrence force is in place.  It has now been placed on high alert per all the regular news outlets.  And the sentiment implicit in what you wrote is precisely why the Russians will continuously interfere in Ukraine. 

It looks like Putin may have gone too big this time, so there is that.

[Harry]

Well maybe this is small beer, but Poetin has declared that his nuclear missiles are made ready, targeting Europe and the USA. Will someone  be sensible enough to kill this piece of utter shit.

[LKB]

Well maybe this is small beer, but Poetin has declared that his nuclear missiles are made ready, targeting Europe and the USA. Will someone  be sensible enough to kill this piece of utter shit.

All tyrants, dictators, and authoritarian rulers have one thing in common: the desire to die in their sleep of old age.

Therefore, absent insanity there is absolutely no chance that Putin would employ nukes in any capacity. He will threaten, bluff, possibly initiate some sort of testing and/ or show of force, but an actual attack with thermonuclear weapons would be his death, and he knows it.