tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post6705395110303257457..comments2024-03-27T09:14:27.496+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Putin's BrinkmanshipPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-50474918695548601412015-02-22T16:57:11.340+00:002015-02-22T16:57:11.340+00:00My, that's not very polite! Ouch!
If you read...My, that's not very polite! Ouch!<br /><br />If you read the piece you'll see I've said nothing about Russia conscripting troops for the Ukraine <i>at the moment</i>. But in the unlikely event of the war spreading, which now looks doubtful as the rebels are finally pulling back their heavy weapons as per the truce conditions, then of course Putin will use conscripts if escalation grows to major proportions.<br /><br />As for East Ukraine forces, well-motivated they might be but without Russian arms and helpful volunteers from across the border they would have been crushed long ago.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-10403574020984892732015-02-18T14:42:34.938+00:002015-02-18T14:42:34.938+00:00Stick to the politics and the gameboy fluff, Phil....Stick to the politics and the gameboy fluff, Phil. The Russians have no need to, nor have they used conscript troops in Ukraine. The East Ukraine forces are well equipped and massively well motivated, hence their continuing victories.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14868283034257114712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-27796213804381022412015-02-16T17:32:09.337+00:002015-02-16T17:32:09.337+00:00I am not really interested in Putin or the USA (th...I am not really interested in Putin or the USA (though reading this you don't seem much aware of the US's role in this).<br /><br />I am more interested in the plight of the people of the East.<br /><br />Every time they elect a leader the citizens of Kiev don't care for they overthrow them in a coup, violently suppress opposition and then hold another election and trumpet it as a triumph of democracy!<br /><br />This would be like living in the North and seeing Labour win the general election but the people in the South continually oust them and put the Tories into power!<br /><br />Ukraine cannot possibly hold together in these circumstances, you can't have one part pf the nation dictating to the other part who the leaders are going to be.<br /><br />Therefore, Ukraine should split, it is the only reasonable position for the people of the East to take.<br /> BCFGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-90148848481565270832015-02-16T14:29:16.707+00:002015-02-16T14:29:16.707+00:00"Russia does not like NATO on its border.&quo..."Russia does not like NATO on its border."<br /><br />Countries attempting to build liberal democratic institutions (e.g. Georgia, Moldova) and countries which are now liberal democracies mainly thanks to the EU and Nato (e.g. the Baltics and Central European States) really, really, really do not like Russia on their borders!!Alex Rossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-36723022811636343412015-02-15T22:11:14.990+00:002015-02-15T22:11:14.990+00:00"It is preferable that Ukraine stays together..."It is preferable that Ukraine stays together and graduates to EU membership." <br /><br />Why? it could be said that German intervention lit the touch paper that began this conflict in any case, just did their ham-fisted intervention in Yugoslavia. <br /><br />Russia does not like NATO on its border, and it did not fancy losing its Black Sea port to it, either. <br /><br />Is "more Europe" a good thing? There are plenty of Greeks who might disagree. The EU is a democratic vacuum - sucking accountability in to a black hole and replacing elected governments at will, so has little right to preach to Russia. This is a post-democratic world. <br /><br />Yes, Putin acts like the gangster he is, but at least there is a certain integrity about him, which is more than can be said for most Western leaders who deny the obvious - that human politics is as it has always been, about self-interest and power. <br /><br />In denying this (as indeed they even might to themselves) while still actualising it (Germany's refusal to confront the reality of Greece not out of Greece's good but their own self-interest is a perfect example), they may cause more damage than Putin ever could. Speedynoreply@blogger.com