War with Russia

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

I was questioning where the line was between targeting and not targeting though. Do you have to be directly trying to kill civilians for it to be classed as against the Geneva Convention or is destroying their power in the height of winter covered? I have no issue with it as the Russians are the aggressors and their population is culpable for the actions of their Government but there most be a fine line legally.

Geneva convention is nice and all weren't it for the fact that it is ignored by Russia from the start. (not only of this conflict.) and to an extent by the UK and US as well in different conflicts.
I personally see the targeting of the Russian power networks knowing full well how much backup capacity they have as completely different than Russia targeting Ukraine's power plants, knowing full well Ukraine has much more issues restoring the power back up. Apart from the fact that targeting Moscow power plant(s)is primarily hitting those who can stop this war, again leading to an inconvenience to them not a threat or life.

Not sure that’s how the Geneva Convention works. They’re either both legal acts or both illegal acts. It seems a bit of a grey area which and comes down to what the likely affects will be of cutting off civilian power supplies. FWIW many Western governments were arguing it was illegal when Russia did it initially.

It was, the point is what are the sanctions for breaking the convention? and the answer to that question explains exactly why it is broken so many times

Iranians are protesting en masse and it's bedlam. 5 protester deaths and the people are calling for the Royal family to return - who are living in exile in the US.
Meanwhile Putin has sent 7 large military aircrafts in to support the regime. Carrying men and munitions.
Now he's fighting a war on multiple fronts.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. I don't think it will be cheap however Putin plays it but the threat of a major ally and consumer going the wrong way must be weighing on him.

Russians and Iranians sadly have a bit of experience with hitting down civilian unrest. often coming down too kill until the fear takes over. Having said that it seems to be a happening more, more frequently and more intense so maybe at some point they will win. Lets hope whoever than takes over has the poeple's vote.

 

[Psamathe]

Russia will never "give up" until they achieve their goals regarding the ethnic Russian population in Ukraine

Russia will never give up ... or maybe Putin will never give up.

 

[Pinno718]

[Reuters]

Brent crude down again despite the Venezuelan take over.
So there is a global excess in oil which deflates Russian oil sold at discount (currently less than $36 per barrel) which throws all financial budgets and forecasts out of the window. VAT rises to 22.5% as of Jan 1.
OPEC is having an internal war trying to sell oil which is further deflating prices.

 

[Pblakeney]

Nice to see Starmer talking tough, even though the prospect is horrendous.
More likely that Putin will kill off any peace deal with these conditions.

The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is made with Russia, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced.
After talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be deployed.
Allies also largely agreed robust security guarantees for Ukraine and proposed that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territory is still being discussed.
Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target".
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcements made in the French capital.

 

[Pinno718]

Nice to see Starmer talking tough, even though the prospect is horrendous.
More likely that Putin will kill off any peace deal with these conditions.

The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is made with Russia, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced.
After talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine" to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be deployed.
Allies also largely agreed robust security guarantees for Ukraine and proposed that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territory is still being discussed.
Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target".
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcements made in the French capital.

I think that behind the scenes, the protagonists are seeing a very much weakened Russian state. If Russia wasn't, they wouldn't be talking like this.
I am just catching up on the war in Ukraine and it's not looking good for Putin having now lost Venezuela as well as Syria and it looks like Iran is having a revolution. Even if Iran doesn't 'fall', their currency is devaluing by the day and is in free fall with inflation at over 40%.

Jake Broe collates all the headlines and summarises:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caanMaBBpD4

 

[Pblakeney]

Meanwhile, Russia is sending naval ships out to defend a Venezuelan oil tanker while the US is sending naval ships to capture it.
The tanker is currently between the UK and Iceland. Bluff? Bluster? Grandstanding? Potentially worse?

 

[Pinno718]

Meanwhile, Russia is sending naval ships out to defend a Venezuelan oil tanker while the US is sending naval ships to capture it.
The tanker is currently between the UK and Iceland. Bluff? Bluster? Grandstanding? Potentially worse?

1 tanker is not going to save the Russian economy and 1 tanker is not going to bolster American revenue. It doesn't bode well for long term Russian supply.
Wtf are the yanks doing?
The military cost of this probably far exceeds the value of the oil in the tanker.

 

[Pblakeney]

1 tanker is not going to save the Russian economy and 1 tanker is not going to bolster American revenue. It doesn't bode well for long term Russian supply.
Wtf are the yanks doing?
The military cost of this probably far exceeds the value of the oil in the tanker.

Grandstanding it is.
With a potential to escalate. Think of two "hard men" meeting in a pub. It might end in a fight, it might not.

 

[Pross]

Maybe Donnie's brain has deteriorated to the stage that Putin will need to remind him who the real boss is and that he still has those photos / videos.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

Maybe Donnie's brain has deteriorated to the stage that Putin will need to remind him who the real boss is and that he still has those photos / videos.

Fact is, Russiadespite on paper being on par with the US has been defeated in Syria, Afghanistan, and Now Ukraine and if the peace deal with the UK and France indeed takes happens, they would have a other problem on their hands, batlle harderned troops from Freedom of Russia and similar (several loosely organized groups of mostly ethic Russians fighting on the Ukranian side with the end goal is eliminating Putin and his allies.)

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

Grandstanding it is.
With a potential to escalate. Think of two "hard men" meeting in a pub. It might end in a fight, it might not.

Nah, it stays with russia being really angry they know they can't beat the US in any meaningfull way.

Maybe Donnie's brain has deteriorated to the stage that Putin will need to remind him who the real boss is and that he still has those photos / videos.

Well we just had the Epstein files, and after claiming it was all fake he captured a dictator and now everybody forgot about it. So photos and video's aint gonna help Putin