Ukraine

I have to say, I hadn't expected the missile strikes. I'd gradually got to the place where I thought Russia would stop rattling sabres and gradually just roll into Ukraine but I was horrified at this morning's news.

Don’t you think Putin had already factored in any sanctions he doesn’t care sanctions were never going to work

So now it is too late, I assume proper sanctions will be brought in by Johnson, or is he too busy saving his skin because of another debacle?

We couldn’t have a worse leader.

I agree about sanctions. They’ve had plenty of time to move money and from what I gather the tough sanctions would also hurt us.

Waking up to this awful news this morning I’m very apprehensive and I don’t have confidence in Boris Johnson to lead us through this extremely difficult situation.

No amount of Sanctions brought in by any Government would have stopped him

I agree with rosie1959 no amount of sanctions would have made any difference - Putin is a power mad meglomaniac intent on expanding Russian territory.

It is not just the U.K. that needs to be tough on sanctions it’s the whole of the Western World.

Now is the time to bring in the really hard hitting ones, like stopping Russia and Russian Companies trading on the money markets, stop buying products (including energy) and stop supplying anything to them.

Total isolation is the only way to go, and like was said upthread Vladimir Putin has probably factored all this in to his plans…

vegansrock

Seems like the measly sanctions haven’t frightened Putin, surprise surprise. What will be our circus of a government here’s response? We need to build bridges with the EU and have a combined response with the US.That would mean a different government here, I fear, as this lot have burnt too many bridges. Can’t wait to see Liz Truss in her fur hat issuing threats.

What a pathetic excuse for Russia. Do you really think any sanctions would stop that megalomaniac. Perhaps you would prefer the quisling Corbyn response that he uttered in the PMQ yesterday. Roundly and soundly rebuffed by Ben Wallace.

Putin doesn't care twopence about sanctions however severe and anyone who thinks differently is totally naive. He wants to stop Ukraine joining NATO and will stop at nothing to achieve this, doing exactly what Hitler did 83 years ago. He is already threatening Poland and no doubt will eventually turn his attention to Latvia etc, all NATO countries. Then only way to realistically stop him is to fight him, a sobering thought indeed, too awful to contemplate, but something we may eventually have to face. Calling people names is unhelpful and childish though I have to confess to an enormous sense of relief at not having a government run by Mr Corbyn.

It's extremely worrying that the calibre of those in government is so lacking. Just the other week there were resignation questions over a party and now there are vastly difficult questions to be dealt with and not a grown up in the room. The Tory party have let the country down.

putin has an aggressive personality and appears to have developed a mental problem, linked to his background of bullying. The russian people will not be wanting this but have been scared of crossing putin. Germany and france have been pathetic in their responses as has biden, france running away as in their past history. The skandi countries are also at very great risk, particularly finland with its leaky borders

rosie1959

No amount of Sanctions brought in by any Government would have stopped him

Quite right, rosie59. He's been preparing for this for years.

I was watching the BBC this morning at about 5am. They reported that the President of Ukraine at phoned Boris at 4am.

If we're so useless no idea why that would have happened.

The EU has problems because not all countries want the same thing. Germany have been in a quandary because they get so much gas from Russia.

It's all desperately sad and to try to make political points is childish.

Russia will absorb sanctions, the absorb high casualties. One could imagine that they have chosen this time because the Western powers look weak. The question is how far they will chance their arm before America acts. I think, on balance, that America will let them have their victories. The alternative is unthinkable.

Just what sanctions does the OP think should have been employed? Does she really think that Putin would take notice of any sanctions? It was always his intention to invade Ukraine.

I didn’t slag off other countries - we need to be more united. Germany cancelled a very big gas project with Russia which will have had a big economic impact on Germany . Surely now is the time for us to invest much more in renewables, seize Russian assets and money laundered in London - it’s not known as Londongrad for nothing, and join other countries in a combined response.

I am not surprised by the invasion. It has been carefully planned by Putin and the sanctions have been timid so far.
My heart goes out to the Ukrainians who are suffering this unprovoked attack by power hungry Putin.

I think that Putin has become very, very dangerous. He is exploiting the fact that we are not speaking as one voice, just as he has exploited division in Europe.

The only thing that he will understand is meeting like with like, as he is listening to nothing else. We need to give Ukraine every possible support.

Let us hope that he stops at Ukraine.

He is another Hitler. Another power hungry dictator. I hope all other European countries retaliate. Indeed, Russia should be totally isolated from the rest of the world in every way, trade and banking. Their banks rely on the US$, let's see what happens when President Biden stops all of their monetary movements around the world. I am from Australia and absolutely horrified. Our Prime Minister has just spoken, and we stand with the rest of the world in condemnation.

I don't think this megalomaniac will stop at Ukraine. He wants the old USSR back. If he is successful in Ukraine he will carry on into other countries. He is not afraid of war.

Apparently a Chinese spokesperson has stated they don’t believe Russia have done anything wrong and, of course, this leaves the way open for them to do likewise in Taiwan. We’ve allowed both regimes to become too powerful and we should not be dependent on either.

Although I don’t have much confidence in Boris, I do feel for him as he has had far too much to deal with in his time as PM.

Vegansrock
Germany haven’t cancelled Nord Stream 2, they have suspended it. Covering their arses.

It’s all very well all world leaders condemning what Putin has done but he couldn’t care less. We have to be prepared to suffer ourselves, and I don’t mean war, in order to punish this man.

It seemed to be inevitable and there's not much anyone can do about it. Putin knows exactly what he can get away with. We'll just watch it happen.

MerylStreep

Vegansrock
Germany haven’t cancelled Nord Stream 2, they have suspended it. Covering their arses.

yes, covering their arses

Germany sent, laughably, some helmets to ukraine, as a show of support.

I am proud of the UK