Germany Finally Turns Up The Heat

[Khandro]

Germany's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a petition to send heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks.

[naomi24]

//The alternative is of course we say nothing, do nothing and hope Russia doesnt decide to come knocking on our door once its ploughed through Eastern Europe. And if you think Putin wouldnt then you are having a Chamberlain moment, //

Yes indeed.

[ichkeria]

The strategy was precisely to tell Putin we knew what he was up to.
Perfectly understandable.
Unfortunately it didn’t work but it was worth a try

[sandra4444]

When you have a rat in a corner you don't torment it. You slowly degrade its ability to attack.

[ichkeria]

I’ve said this before but Putin isn’t cornered. He’s a bully who needs to be stood up to with words and deeds

[naomi24]

//When you have a rat in a corner you don't torment it. You slowly degrade its ability to attack. //

Whacking them hard with a great big stick works better!

[sandra4444]

Putin is cornered. We and other countries have one big threat at the moment. Putin's threats come from many countries who are trying to stop him.

So this gives Putin the opportunity to prove what a great leader war hero he is.
To do that gives him one option only.

[sandra4444]

Whacking them with a big stick will work, just don't tell them when the stick will arrive, and who is supplying it.

[Khandro]

What really worries me is Zelensky saying he won't give up "one centimetre" of Ukraine, if by that he means the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, I think that is unrealistic, there has been a war going on there for nearly a decade.

[sandra4444]

That could be a problem in ending the war Khandro, but to be honest I don't think for on second Putin wants an end. The man is a loony and getting a big kick out of killing.

I'm more concerned about the political scoring going on within the British government, on the back of Ukraine. Its not at all healthy.

[ichkeria]

Ukraine’s position has always been thus.
And so it should be.
There can’t be peace until Russia has left Ukraine and its good to hear this being backed up now with actions

[ichkeria]

Putin/Russia will not stop at Donbas.
It may not be now but they’ll come back for more unless their ability to wage war on their neighbours is degraded.

[burlyshirley]

sandra, you seem to be a lone voice in the wilderness here, but for what it's worth, I agree with you 100%, and I am worried about Putin's continual threats to nuke us. It's all very well people saying he will be dust if he does, but so will we !!! Boris should keep his big gob shut.

[dannyk13]

Shirley//Boris should keep his big gob shut.//
On the contrary, otherwise Putin will claim that if nobody condemns him then they must not object to him invading Ukraine.

[burlyshirley]

danny - I think he is fully aware by now that people object !

[dannyk13]

Shirley // I think he is fully aware by now that people object !//
Yes he is ,because people have spoken out .

[youngmafbog]

Well thats providing an argument against yourself if ever I have seen one!

Let Putin carry on and he will. Right to this Country and beyond, using weapons of mass destruction if he has to.

Remember "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.”

[ichkeria]

I don't know if anyone last night saw the old lady being interviewed in her hospital bed in Severodonetsk: Russian no doubt to her core, she said: "I hate them (the Russians and Putin)! Death to him!"
This is Putin's strategic genius.
Meanwhile Russia's intelligence chief Naryshkin is warning that a "coalition of the willing" led by Poland and the US, is planning to "invade western Ukraine"

[EdmundD]

Anyway, back to Germany sending Gepard tanks to Ukraine:
There seems to be a bit of a hitch in that Switzerland, who manufacture the ammunition that the Gepard uses, have refused to allow its re-export to Ukraine.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/swiss-veto-german-request-re-export-tank-ammunition-ukraine-2022-04-26/

[Khandro]

ichi; //There can’t be peace until Russia has left Ukraine//

If by that you mean Crimea & the Donbass I not only don't think that will happen, I personally don't think it's worth starting a World nuclear war for it.

I know you have a lot of emotion tied up to this war but I'm not so sure how clear you are on the past. The miners in the East have been historically let down badly by the Kviv administrations, at one point the Welsh miners gave them support when they were literally starving to death, & as we have gone over several times before, Crimea has been a part of Russia (not just the USSR) since the time of Catherine the Great.

I would be satisfied if things returned to the situation as it existed before Putin's appalling ill-conceived intervention.

[sandra4444]

Most on here but one has taken my posts completely out of context. I can only assume that you just want to show how brave your all are on social media. But reality is a whole different ballgame.

My remarks are nothing to do with NOT wanting to stop Putin in his tracks.
Putin already understands how the rest of the world feels, and also knows what we have already done, and doing. But to keep on rubbing the salt into Putin's wounds is just sheer madness, especially when you are already dealing with a madman.

Tactical action and tactical speeches/ remarks are called for at this very dangerous time.
Government ministers making speeches /remarks/threats just to become popular here at home is crazy.

Putin already knows what he's done is a big mistake and at the moment there is no way he can save face and back down. He's got only one way out, and at his age along with health problems ( if he has them) I doubt he could careless, providing he can take us with him.

The UK is a pinhead on the planet compared to the likes of the USA, no place to hide with those sort of weapons.