Could you?

Grandma70s I said you may and if that was the case i was glad for you. I am sorry to hear you have had to endure such hard time.

It is all very well saying you would like to kill Putin, but that ain't going to happen and yes, it is nice to talk about the humanity of the young men in the invading army.

But the choice will be kill them or let them kill your young men, women and children. The front line is not the place for crises of conscience, that is the way to a quick grave.

How many of them are there by choice and how many are conscripts? he Russian army is a mix of volunteers and conscripts. In any army if you sign up you are accepting that your service could take you anywhere and in any fighting you could end up killing people or being killed.

We all have the luxury of being able to discuss this issue, knowing the chances of us having to really make a decision is, thamfully small, which makes it difficult to know exactly what we would do, if actually faced with decisions facing all Ukrainians at present.

grannypiper, I wonder why you think I have lived a charmed life. Actually I was born during the Blitz and have also been dangerously ill. I was widowed at the age of 40. Not all that charmed.

I don’t know why I would do in any situation, but I suppose I would do what was necessary. If it involved violence, it would be with a very heavy heart and a feeling of deep shame.

I wouldn't stand by and let anyone harm my family so yes I would fight if it was the only choice between them and us.

My mother was working with radar somewhere around Liverpool during the war. She said they had guns there and, if the Germans had invaded, she would have had no hesitation in shooting anyone who entered their headquarters.

I think these things are easy to say, from the comfort of our own homes.

The people you would be killing, have not started this war. Many young men may have signed up, because they expected one day they may need to defend their country. Very different to invading another.

Now if you’re talking about direct attack on Putin himself, that’s more understandable.

Grandma70s you may have lived a charmed life and if that is the case i am glad for you. I on the other hand have had to turn the ignition key in my car and hold my breath whilst hoping and praying myself and my children aren't about to be blown to smithereens because someone has stuck a bomb under my car. That situation tends to show you that the world is not an easy place to live, so i am happy to say yes i will do whatever to protect my family and to be honest my neighbours family too.

Without a moment's hesitation if my loved ones were under direct threat.

I’d defend my children, grandchildren and Country/Freedom by whatever measure I could. Would those who advocate doing nothing just allow themselves and their families to be walked all over and stripped of their homeland/jobs/income by a deranged maniac? There are already charities begging for donations to help these poor displaced people. Makes me so angry!

Grandma70s If you make an answer like the above you need to tell us what you would do and what you think the Ukrainian nation should do.

Human and animal aggressive impulses have been with us from the beginning in order to protect ourselves and assure our continuing existence.

The violence implicit and explicit in some of these replies makes one realise why there are wars in the first place.

DH and I were discussing this this aftenoon. We decide that at our age, both heading for 80, we have had a good run, and we would both have no hesitation in taking up arms and/or doing everything we could to protect our country, and by definition all its people, from the unjustified attack of another country, no matter how large and powerful.

I watched a video the other day, a Russian military vehicle had broken down, a Ukrainian pulled up to the drivers window and offered to give them a tow.... Back to Russia.

They all laughed

These are all just people, all with families, most of them probably don't want to be there.

Of course I'd defend myself and my children if I had too but the cost is very high and heartbreaking

Most definitely!

Oh gosh really grannypiper I can’t imagine being able to do it but you never know until your in the situation and hopefully we won’t be It would be a dreadful decision to make and I suppose in the moment you would do what you think would be right and have the strength

Yes, in the same situation, I would.

I wouldn't even have to think about it. As for Putin i would smile as i shot the swine right between the eyes.

Chestnut

I could definitely pull the trigger on Putin. I think he is the anti-Christ.

No...the anti Christ will appear to bring world peace. It will be a delusion which won’t last, and he doesn’t come out of Russia.

MerylStreep

DiscoDancer
What did the Russian solders sign up for ?

I’m not sure they did. News bulletins we’ve seen have shown them to be totally confused as to why they’re there. ( In Ukraine).

Yes I would; I hope I never have to.

If there was a tank training it's guns on me, then yes, I would. Self-preservation has to take over at some point from passivity.

To defend my family, yes yes yes.

I think I could make weapons. In fact, if my children were on the front line, and I had grandchildren in bunkers, I'm sure i could.

I'm not sure that I could throw them directly at young soldiers, but I suppose instinct would take over. Although I am doing it myself, I can't help thinking that it's a bit tasteless even discussing this hypothetically when there are people doing it to save their loved ones, though.

Yes! I would do anything to protect the people and country that I love.

I think that in the face of an invading army there's no way of knowing what anyone would do.