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How close are we to a major war?

Don't believe everything you read in the media! Quite possibly Russian oriented folk though. There are a couple of million Ukranians in Russia too!

Any real Russian soldiers/advisors would be well hidden from the news media!

Are you suggesting that the separatists are not receiving support from the Russian authorities?

Or are you questioning whether they are, as I said, ethnic Russians, even speaking Russian as their everyday language, who found themselves living in, what to them, is a foreign country after the break up of the Soviet Union?

I am afraid your point is not clear as I have certainly not suggested that these were members of the Russian armed forces.
 
Are you suggesting that the separatists are not receiving support from the Russian authorities?

Or are you questioning whether they are, as I said, ethnic Russians, even speaking Russian as their everyday language, who found themselves living in, what to them, is a foreign country after the break up of the Soviet Union?

I am afraid your point is not clear as I have certainly not suggested that these were members of the Russian armed forces.

They are obviously receiving some sort of support - otherwise where would have they have got that missile.

However, it's not clear - so open to propoganda - what the scale of that support is.

There have long been Russian oriented (for one reason or another, not necessarily ethnicity) communities in Ukraine, just as there are communities of Ukrainians in Russia. They didn't simply find themselves in a 'foreign region' - and after about 15 years, the region isn't really foreign at all!

Ukraine is probably the most screwed up country in the Northern hemisphere (worse than Greece even!) - and is right in the middle of some 'major power' machinations far beyond its ability to control. 'Managing' the media is an important part of those machinations.

Some sort of split might actually be in Ukraine's best interests, but there's much more than just ethnicity involved in that move!
 
I think we're a long way off any sort of major war. Plenty of sabre rattling a plenty over the Malaysian airline but sanctions won't make too much difference and with all the oil/gas production from Russia we're reliant on there's no way that will be jepordised
 
I think they are mainly Russian Soldiers. Russia wants the Ukraine Army to try to remove them so they can launch a major offensive in the name of protecting ethnic Russians.
 
sanctions won't make too much difference and with all the oil/gas production from Russia we're reliant on there's no way that will be jepordised

So do they use that philosophy knowing they hold the cards and believe they can get away with almost anything?
 
I don't think that the "annexing" of parts of Ukraine, or the sad shooting down of the Malaysian plane will lead to an international conflict.

However, if Russia (or Russians) try the same in the Baltic states, that is when it may escalate as I believe that they are part of NATO now. It smacks slightly of the Sudetenland being allowed to be annexed by Germany, but when Hitler started invading sovereign nations, that was when it became an inevitability.
 
So do they use that philosophy knowing they hold the cards and believe they can get away with almost anything?

I would like to think the West would completely annex Russia over this and that the USA would assist with securing energy supplies. Alas I dont think people have the stomach for anything that will make life the slightest bit difficult any more. If the West did cut off Russia completely then I think Putin would have to think long and hard when his money supply was cut off. The Joker in the pack is of course China, it would be a much simpler task if China fully backed sanctions.
 
Think the whole world is going belly up to be honest. We've got a passenger plane shot down and the fall out from that and Israel bombing the Gaza Strip. No a lot being done about either, to much money and wealth tied up in both for us to do anything. Yet our countries were willing to invade Iraq and Afghanistan for less.
 
Think the whole world is going belly up to be honest. We've got a passenger plane shot down and the fall out from that and Israel bombing the Gaza Strip. No a lot being done about either, to much money and wealth tied up in both for us to do anything. Yet our countries were willing to invade Iraq and Afghanistan for less.

So the rockets being fired into Israel are OK? Would we be happy to sit back and twiddle our thumbs if someone was doing that to us?
 
When Korean flight 007 was shot down in 1983, during a time of heightened tension between the west and Russia, there was lots of noise and sabre rattling but no war. This time the west is in even less of a position to start anything...

No there won't be a war unless Russia invades somewhere that is of great economic value to the west, e.g. Saudi for its oil.
 
I dont think we could ever understand these people ,the know very little else except conflict so where we see it as "yikes" it doesnt seem as much to them

My thoughts on the airline was the russians armed some idiots to do their dirty work in the Ukraine who thought it was a army plane and shot it down by mistake and this will be sorted well away from the media

My thoughts on war , nah big guns (forgive the pun) dont mind the existing conflicts that are there , but they all know the reality of the big players taking on each other
 
We not close to war as too much to lose for everybody and those lost can never return no matter what , its all so very sad and what its like for those that have lost loved ones , what they are feeling god only knows , on the other side of things , a freeze on Russian assets in Uk , chelsea`s boss included and are we going to see a threat to boycott the next world cup , I know its 4 years away but these are only starters and Russia will pay a heavy price
 
If it involves anything against the Germans I am fighting for them.

After about ten trips in the last 3 years I now know that their beer is fantastic,it's a wonderful country and the folk are smashing people.;)
 
You have completely lost me.
Although France has a couple of navy bits of hardware that belong to the big bear, the boxheads are a major trading partner with RasPutin and his mates as most of their oil and gas come curtesy of Russia. They have been the major blocker within the EU for not applying worth while sanctions, so when the list of sanctions is announced on Thursday I suspect Germany to be the major stumbling block.

But I'm a synic so HID says and spent to many tours with the UN.
 
Although France has a couple of navy bits of hardware that belong to the big bear, the boxheads are a major trading partner with RasPutin and his mates as most of their oil and gas come curtesy of Russia. They have been the major blocker within the EU for not applying worth while sanctions, so when the list of sanctions is announced on Thursday I suspect Germany to be the major stumbling block.

But I'm a synic so HID says and spent to many tours with the UN.

WTF is a 'Box Head'? I am guessing you are referring to Germany?

Why use this term and what does it mean?
 
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