Russia Ukraine Update Thread

Britain vowed to impose sanctions on Russia after Prime Minister Boris Johnson assailed President Vladimir Putin's recognition of breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine on Monday as a breach of international law and a very dark sign for the region.

Britain joined the United States and European leaders in swiftly condemning Putin's recognition of the regions and promising a tough response.

"Tomorrow we will be announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," foreign minister Liz Truss said in a tweet.

Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Johnson was speaking at a news conference, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.

Source: Britain prepares Russia sanctions, says Putin has broken international law

I've seen that this meeting will take place 0630 local time within the UK tomorrow. How will Russia respond to these sanctions? I wonder how impactful these sanctions will be, or are they just a show of solidarity?

Putin knows the west will do nothing. too weak and too skint. He's chosen his timing perfectly.

There may be talk of sanctions but with the whole of Europe reliant on Russian Gas and Oil and other commodities, I doubt the western countries will do much.

There will be much gnashing of teeth and blowhard rhetoric from Johnson and other leaders in Europe and America but I fear Ukraine is about to be offered up as the sacrificial lamb, much like Poland in WW2.

Fill your boots, Vlad. You crazy old bastard.

A summit between US President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely, a senior administration official told reporters Monday, following intelligence and indications on the ground that Russia is likely to take military action in neighboring Ukraine.

On Sunday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden agreed "in principle" to a meeting with Putin sometime after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet on Thursday — as long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine.

But the official said that while the Biden administration was open to further engagements between the two leaders, “if we thought it made sense and could have a beneficial impact on the crisis,” intelligence reports indicating further Russian military action would preclude any leader-to-leader summit.

“Our strong sense, based on everything that we are seeing on the ground in the areas around the Ukraine to the north, to the east, to the south, is that Russia is continuing to prepare for military action that could take place in the coming hours or days,” the official told reporters, adding the administration “certainly can't commit to a meeting that has as a predicate that Russia won't take military action, when it looks as eminently like they will.”

Source: US official says Biden-Putin summit is unlikely

No surprise here... I think both sides appeared to do so either to bide time or save face. I didn't think this meeting was going to happen regardless of what Russia did. I think Putin has said what he already has to say, and at this point, the decision has been made to recognize the two regions.

The U.S. is discussing moving its embassy out of Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in the eastern part of the country, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. is temporarily moving all State Department personnel out of Ukraine to Poland for security reasons, according to the people speaking on condition of anonymity. Biden officials intend for the personnel to return tomorrow morning if there is no invasion by Russia, one of the people said.

Spokespeople for the State Department and the National Security Council declined to comment. Russia denies it intends to invade.

Source: U.S. Weighs Moving Embassy Out of Ukraine on Threat From Russia

Lessons learned from Afghanistan? Looks like the US is wasted no time moving from Kyiv to Lviv, now from Lviv to the safety of NATO member Poland.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

How far will Putin and Russia go then? Will they be satisfied once Ukraine is cut off from the Black Sea, or will they march all the way to Kyiv and remove Zelensky to install their pro-Russian figurehead? I don't see the latter really working out all too well.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
Putin knows the west will do nothing. too weak and too skint.

Ahhh, nah and nah.

The West could fund a war and do very well out of it.
Weak, please!
We may have weak leadership but military might we are not short of.

More proposed video footage of military equipment on the move towards Donbas. I'm still trying to validate various videos floating around that these are indeed Russian.

🇷🇺🪖🇺🇦 A convoy of military equipment was spotted on the ring road of Donetsk.
The network claims that it could be Russian troops. According to the RT channel, these are units of the DPR army.
#Putin #Donbass #Donetsk #Luhansk #Russia #Invasion #Ukraine
Trucks have no "Z".

Source: twitter.com...

So the invasion begins, and now Biden sits back as his enemies grow bolder and stronger. Where is Biden, looking for the nuclear football, now a bunch of liberals are up against Putin, let’s see who wins, guess who, Satan, Biden wants an invasion, so people die, as long as they aren’t Americans.

originally posted by: putnam6
Currently two HC 130 Super Hercules planes been flying in a tight circle on the Polish/Ukraine border for the past few hours. First time I’ve seen this. They’re just up there flying in a circle.

Now both flying westward, without landing?

Maybe Zaphod can chime in a bit more as he's a subject matter expert in this subject. To me, it looks like a holding pattern before landing. A very long holding pattern.

originally posted by: majesticgent
a reply to: Soloprotocol

How far will Putin and Russia go then? Will they be satisfied once Ukraine is cut off from the Black Sea, or will they march all the way to Kyiv and remove Zelensky to install their pro-Russian figurehead? I don't see the latter really working out all too well.

Not with only 150,000 troops Kyiv is a city of 3 million people, he will enforce those areas in the southeast, and do his best Aldo Raine impression

a reply to: Randomname2

Makes no sense, except, maybe to you?

Feeling your love for Putin.

Traitor?

originally posted by: Tagz

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
Putin knows the west will do nothing. too weak and too skint.

Ahhh, nah and nah.

The West could fund a war and do very well out of it.
Weak, please!
We may have weak leadership but military might we are not short of.

At what cost?. Roll the dice.

❗️ТЕРМІНОВЕ ЗВЕРНЕННЯ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ ВОЛОДИМИРА ЗЕЛЕНСЬКОГО | 22.02.2022

(Google Translate - URGENT APPEAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY | 02/22/2022)

A live stream of Ukraine president Zelenksy's address to Ukraine.

Recap in English:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation early on Tuesday saying “we don’t owe anything to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone” following Russia’s recent actions.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered what he called “peacekeeping” troops into two pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine, after recognizing their independence.

“We are on our land, we are not afraid of anything and anyone, we don't owe anything to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone. And we are confident of this,” Zelensky said in his video address, adding said the move was a violation of Ukraine’s “national integrity and sovereignty."
Zelensky added that Ukraine’s international borders will “remain as such” despite Russia’s “declarations and threats," and he said Ukraine counted on the “clear and effective steps” from its international supporters.

He said Ukraine had initiated an emergency meeting with the Normandy Four, which include Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France.

He warned that Putin’s latest move undermined current “peaceful” negotiations and “may mean a one-sided exit of Russian Federation out of the Minsk Agreement and ignoring of Normandy agreement."

Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine wanted “peace” though had been prepared for a Russian act of aggression for a “long time."

To Ukrainian citizens, he said Ukraine would deal with the crisis calmly and confidently, and he thanked the entire nation for their cool-headed reaction to the latest developments. He assured citizens there was no reason for a “sleepless night.”

Source: Ukraine President Zelensky says “we will not give anything to anyone”

originally posted by: majesticgent

originally posted by: putnam6
Currently two HC 130 Super Hercules planes been flying in a tight circle on the Polish/Ukraine border for the past few hours. First time I’ve seen this. They’re just up there flying in a circle.

Now both flying westward, without landing?

Maybe Zaphod can chime in a bit more as he's a subject matter expert in this subject. To me, it looks like a holding pattern before landing. A very long holding pattern.

NAH they headed back west towards Stuttgart about to land now. Im thinking they were perhaps watching to see if a larger invasion happened, it could have been an airdrop of some sort, though why advertise?

originally posted by: putnam6
Not with only 150,000 troops Kyiv is a city of 3 million people, he will enforce those areas in the southeast, and do his best Aldo Raine impression

I believe if the troops get attacked in Donbas, then more troops will stream from the North. That could be the initial push. We'll see?

originally posted by: putnam6
NAH they headed back west towards Stuttgart about to land now. Im thinking they were perhaps watching to see if a larger invasion happened, it could have been an airdrop of some sort, though why advertise?

To ensure no mistakes happen?

originally posted by: majesticgent
a reply to: Soloprotocol

How far will Putin and Russia go then? Will they be satisfied once Ukraine is cut off from the Black Sea, or will they march all the way to Kyiv and remove Zelensky to install their pro-Russian figurehead? I don't see the latter really working out all too well.

They could go as far as the US and its alliances did Iraq and Afghanistan but that's the very reason the West is now weak, skint and its people don't have the stomach for war.

Underestimate Russia at your peril.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
They could go as far as the US and its alliances did Iraq and Afghanista

Both of those were debacles that didn't work out too well.

originally posted by: majesticgent

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
They could go as far as the US and its alliances did Iraq and Afghanista

Both of those were debacles that didn't work out too well.

No # Sherlock

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
No # Sherlock

And that's my point. Russia would suffer the same fate in Kyiv if they decided to take that route.