The War: an update

Having ignored much of what gone on from late February getting on to near enough sixty odd days of what was seen as likely to been a fairly short conflict it is (if indeed militarily speaking there was one to start with) a case of aims not met.

The attempt to take Kyiv (Kiev) from three sides failed with tanks breaking down, soldiers reduced to looting for food and communications equipment not being able to be used effectively.

All that was achieved was the 90% destruction of good number of towns and cities rather than taking over the territory, and no attempted imposition of a Pro-Russian new President.

Widespread murder in cold blood of non combatants, forced movement to Russia, rape including of children and the use of chemical weapons all added to Pariah State status for Russia as the West united with massive sanctions and some support with weapons for the Ukrainian armed services.

This country, Our country did a lot to mobilize support for Ukraine in pushing for the biggest sanctions in peacetime, raising humanitarian aid badly needed and supplying without hesitation military resources including some training to fight this Russian invasion.

That's something many of us agree with as much as we detest war, vile playground bullies need to be stood up to and Putin's Russia is just that.

Currently Russian is pushing for "quick wins" in the eastern Donbass region chunks of which were in hands of pro-Rrussian separatists since 2014.

 

Things are not looking good for Europes security given recent threats to destroy places western diplomats are based, threaten nuclear strikes on London and New York and attack military bases in the West.

Liz Truss, our Foreign Secretary, has made it plain yesterday we will not just continue to stand with Ukraine but we will redouble support in terms of equipment in the event of any of these threats coupled with the attempt to invade Moldova too is to happen.

I make no apology for backing her all the way because such crass ideas that if acted upon would reap the most awful human consequences for all of us must be deterred and sometimes you have to face them down.

Russia must lose and be seen to lose to ensure the idea of terrorizing a people by war and unspeakable crimes by its soldiers does not go unpunished and territorial aggression is not allowed to prevail.

 

Ukraine: Cold war is over

There is no point in me trying to do an up to the minute blog post cos everything is and will change by the hour.

Let's put it this way: War is happening in Ukraine, it may not be declared as such by Russia but it has and started around 3 am UK time with movements involving sea, land and air from Crimea, Russia and Belarus in a  military  operation to "demilitarize and denazify"

Excuse me while I fill a paper bag: Whatever one may think of Ukraine's politicians and President, they are not Nazi's, they aren't opposed ethnically to Russians, rounding up, ill treating and killing them nor are they antisemitic.

They are not and have not waged war on Russia or anyone else: they have had Russian weapons and disguised soldiers fight them before and weapons leave bases in Russia crossing the border with no one asking what tanks and rocket launchers are doing leaving.

Find me a base anywhere in the world where I could walk out with this stuff without being arrested or killed even UNLESS it's approved.

It's not about beefing up the so called independent Peoples Republics Russian President Putin "recognized" two days ago security, already rockets have been fire well into Ukraine such as Kiev, the Capital.

It is nothing less than than a take over by war on a continent largely free from it since WW2, a total rejection of the right of a peoples to self determination and national sovereignty and a potential threat to other actual Nato member states that will drag more soldiers and weapons on their soil directly facing Russia.

Cold war is over: It's on fire now. It's not WW3 but could easily escalate.

 

Talking cold war blues

 

Somehow between two storms I somehow doubt I'll be out especially with no coat on today around by the park but more sat by the fire doing a spot of colouring or watching the tv.

This business around Ukraine, Nato and Russia is a big concern, not just in terms of the number of armed services massed, some 60% but also of weapons supplied and from that the potential for war between the West and Russia, something most of us thought had gone by the early 1990's with the reunification of Germany and former independent countries absorbed into the USSR.

To me given the whole messed up by design post WW2 borders and forced ethic cleansing and transposing trying to rejig the lot whatever grievances there may be only risks greater uncertainty and tension as unpicking any one has knock on effects.

There was a deliberate attempt to move ethnic Russians into non Russian territory where to this day they may comprise of a sizable minority and as we saw in 2014 in the Eastern Ukraine, following the replacement by election of a pro Russian president for one who was not, ethic Russians seeing their allegiance to Russian with ill disguised military support established breakaway states that were for all intents and purposes outposts of Russia in Ukraine before we consider the annexation of the Crimea.

However this heightened tension goes, the other thing is if Russia has a concern about having the West in form of Nato next door, this action is more likely to have encouraged existing former members of the Warsaw Pact and parts of the Soviet Union to be more involved with Nato with more weapons, troops and joint exercises because they'd fear more intervention in their own affairs.

It is likely to result in the very opposite of what they intended, a return to "Greater Russia" and Russian zone of influence around its backyard because it shows Russia to be a threat.

The past is over so you have to get over it.