Putin

[Alex]

Here's a thought, how does NATO, the EU and most world leaders KNOW what Putin's plans are ?  Do they have inside information and actually know that he has plans, after Ukraine, to invade
Finland or Sweden. ?  It puzzles me.....

[klondike]

Only Putin knows but the assumption is that he wants the previous Soviet satellite states back under his control. Neither of those were but certainly Poland was as were the various Baltic states.

After being invaded by Napoleon and Hitler I think Russians are a bit paranoid and most of the east including Ukraine offers nothing much in the way of natural obstacles to an invasion and the border is very long.

[Ashy]

My feeling is that Russia wants a corridor across southern Ukraine as far as the Crimea, to protect the Russian majority population there, and they'll get it. 

[JBR]

Only Putin knows but the assumption is that he wants the previous Soviet satellite states back under his control. Neither of those were but certainly Poland was as were the various Baltic states.

So why did they give them up, then?  
I accept that the unification of Germany was demanded, but they happily (I think) gave up places like the Baltic States and Ukraine.  Why?

November 11, 2024, 03:48:18 PM

My feeling is that Russia wants a corridor across southern Ukraine as far as the Crimea, to protect the Russian majority population there, and they'll get it.

As far as Crimea?  Well, I think he'll insist on keeping Crimea as well, as it includes his important naval base controlling the Black Sea.

[Alex]

All 'assumption' so nobody knows, Putin may have no intention of taking over other countries.  We're forcing him into China's arms aren't we ?

[klondike]

They do have form. Apart from Afghanistan and Ukraine...

Russia's wars for the last 30 years and their consequences
1992-1993 – Russia occupied Transnistria. ...
1992-1993 – Russia provoked the Abkhazian war. ...
1994-1996 – first Russian-Chechen war. ...
1999-2009 – second Russian-Chechen war. ...
2008 – Russian-Georgian war. ...
2015-2022 – Russia's invasion of Syria.

I suspect the former satellite states are more concerned than maybe you are.

November 11, 2024, 04:36:06 PM

So why did they give them up, then? 
I accept that the unification of Germany was demanded, but they happily (I think) gave up places like the Baltic States and Ukraine.  Why?

Nothing all that willing about it. The Soviet Union collapsed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union

[JBR]

They do have form. Apart from Afghanistan and Ukraine...

Russia's wars for the last 30 years and their consequences
1992-1993 – Russia occupied Transnistria. ...
1992-1993 – Russia provoked the Abkhazian war. ...
1994-1996 – first Russian-Chechen war. ...
1999-2009 – second Russian-Chechen war. ...
2008 – Russian-Georgian war. ...
2015-2022 – Russia's invasion of Syria.

I suspect the former satellite states are more concerned than maybe you are.

November 11, 2024, 04:36:06 PMNothing all that willing about it. The Soviet Union collapsed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union

Well, since 1991 the erstwhile Soviet Union has has some rapid changes of heart then!

As for China, Russia has also nicked some of their lands in the past.  I suspect that they'll be wanting them back before long.

[klondike]

Not quite sure what you mean by that. In the Soviet era there was just one way any dissent was answered and that was by sending in the tanks. Both Czechoslovakia and Hungary had the pleasure of hosting those.

[Alex]

I don't know enough about Russia really, I just think that since I was a kid the Russians have been blamed for everything bad that happened.  It's no longer the Soviet Union is it and why should Putin want those days back ?

[klondike]

Power mostly I presume. Same as all dictators.

[dextrous63]

As a completely random observation, when I was a child on holiday in wales, I used to take the next door neighbour's dog for a walk.  Funnily enough, the husband was an RAC repairman who used to deliver souvenirs to shops while he was out and about, as a side line and bit of extra income. 

But I digress within this digression.

The dog's name was Pwtyn, prounounced Putin (without the "y" bit of the u), and translated it meant "little one".

Anyway, back to topic😬

[Alex]

What a clever dog

[ansu]

As far as I know in the last few years Putin dealt a lot with Russian history and wrote a number of essays. He never approved the decay of the former Soviet Union and it is said that he dreams of a "Russian Empire" . In his speeches to his people at the beginning of the Ukrainian war he formulated precisely his ideas. So, in broad strokes we know what he thinks.                                                              

[Scrumpy]

Putin/Russia  has been well busy over the last couple of days..

Fed up with hearing about Russia/ Ukraine .. costing millions.. Getting nowhere..

[Alex]

Trump will sort it out