War with Russia

[icowden]

Suspicious death of sacked Russian minister- shocker.
Strangely, he may have been dead before he was sacked!

Also unusual for him not to have fallen out of a window...

 

[briantrumpet]

Also unusual for him not to have fallen out of a window...

He lived in a bungalow, I think, so not as effective as carelessly walking into a bullet.

 

[Pinno718]

Konstantine Strukov, a Russian Gold Billionaire stopped from fleeing Russia.

Putin stabs one of his loyal followers in the back as he tries to nationalise companies in a power/resource procurement bid.
Minister of transport, Romain Starovoit gets fired as a scapegoat for the chaos in Russian aviation amidst Ukrainian drone strikes affecting domestic flights and infrastructure.
Romain Starovoit found dead just hours after being fired by Putin.

A Russian gold mining tycoon was blocked from leaving the country over the weekend as authorities moved to nationalize his company and investigate alleged corruption and financial misconduct.
Konstantin Strukov, the CEO of Russia’s third-largest gold producer Yuzhuralzoloto, was reportedly preparing to fly from the Chelyabinsk region to Turkey on Saturday aboard his private $50 million Bombardier jet when federal aviation authorities halted his departure, the Kommersant business daily reported.
Footage published by Kommersant shows Strukov sitting in the cabin of the grounded aircraft as several security officials stand nearby.
Russia’s federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, cancelled the flight at the last minute, citing the aircraft’s "arrested" legal status.
Bailiffs subsequently boarded the plane and confiscated Strukov’s international passport, which officials from the Interior Ministry had already voided.

 

[Psamathe]

Suspicious death of sacked Russian minister- shocker.

Strangely, he may have been dead before he was sacked!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7nvxzrvr0o

Also unusual for him not to have fallen out of a window...

Although, much as Russia has a "reputation", there were corruption (embezzlement) allegations against him being investigated and those were in relation to a lot of money allocated to securing Russia/Ukraine border (in the region he was governing at the time). So one could envisage circumstances where, innocent or guilty, he knew the outcome and what that would mean for him and his family?

Ian

 

[briantrumpet]

Who knows what's going on? Well, today, it's arms shipments to Ukraine day. Tomorrow? Who knows?

 

[First Aspect]

It isn't as though it's a matter of life and death.

 

[Pinno718]

Putin has played Trump because Trump is an idiot and Trump is vengeful.
It's not necessarily a positive escalation. I only hope that the assistance is kept low key but Trump isn't capable of dampening down the rhetoric as it doesn't put the spotlight on him.
We always wondered when there would be an American president capable of pressing the button and doing the unthinkable.
That is a bit of a doomsday scenario and I am doubtful he would as I think Trump might be viewing mineral deals in the face of Putin weakening. It's all about the deal.

 

[First Aspect]

I'm still moderately optimistic of more supplies of defensive weapons, and at least a change of tone over further sanctions. Russia's economy is finally starting to creak, and you'd think someone somewhere in the administration will drawn an analogy between tarrifs and sanctions as a mechanism for doing a deal.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

Putin has played Trump because Trump is an idiot and Trump is vengeful.

Agreed, i do almost admire Putin's abilty to piss Trump off given the position he had with him.

It's not necessarily a positive escalation. I only hope that the assistance is kept low key but Trump isn't capable of dampening down the rhetoric as it doesn't put the spotlight on him.

Think the only positive escalation would be the whole of current Russian leadership falling/taken down and then something in it's place that respect international borders and ends the war.

We always wondered when there would be an American president capable of pressing the button and doing the unthinkable.
That is a bit of a doomsday scenario and I am doubtful he would as I think Trump might be viewing mineral deals in the face of Putin weakening. It's all about the deal.

Well the biggest thing with nuclear weapons is having the abilty to say you can use them. but as in military objectives convential weapons are much more usefull, or the ones they dropped on Iran's alleged nuclear bomb facility

 

[Pinno718]

I'm still moderately optimistic of more supplies of defensive weapons, and at least a change of tone over further sanctions. Russia's economy is finally starting to creak, and you'd think someone somewhere in the administration will drawn an analogy between tarrifs and sanctions as a mechanism for doing a deal.

Do you want a deal? Does Ukraine want a 'deal'? I think Putin would use a deal (cessation in conflict) to re-build. I would rather the West see an opportunity to f*ck Putin over proper. Only when he's strung on a lamp post or falls through a high window will there be a chance of long term cessation of aggression.
He's lost generals to assassination, he arrested and seized a gold Oligarch's estate, he's assassinated 2 of his own military leaders because he's probably under severe pressure. It's time to stick the knife in. Finish the job.
A 'deal' is not going to do the Ukraine or Europe any favours. A severely weakened and impotent Russia leaves China with a lame duck ally, if it isn't already. China and N Korea will only support Russia as long as the spondoolicks roll in. It's simple maths. If the money stops flowing because the Russian economy is teetering and there is signs the debt can't be paid off...
Trump is an idiot. With the USA on board with the West, there was manageable attrition. Now there are less restrictions to inhibit the spread of China's tentacles.