Ukraine

Chestnut

varian

The UK is not united with the 27 EU countries which have granted Ukrainian refugees a welcome without any need for a visa application.

When the refugees arrive at an EU border they are given all the assistance they need and can travel free of charge to any EU city.

The UK is the shameful exception.

I think you'll find the UK is also dealing with illegal immigrants arriving by boat totalling 3,000 already this year. And maybe you should remember that Germany has a population density of 234 per sq km. France has only 119 per sq km. whilst England has *434 people per sq km.*

The population of the UK as a whole (according to Worldometer) is 281 per sq km, so only a little higher than Germany.

The whole idea that surface area is a measure of a country's ability to accept immigrants is very misplaced. It doesn't take account of uninhabitable areas like mountain regions or dense forests. But if you want to go that way, maybe you should remember that migration is reserved to Westminster, and that the population density of the UK, of which England is a part, is 280 people per square km.

varian

The UK is not united with the 27 EU countries which have granted Ukrainian refugees a welcome without any need for a visa application.

When the refugees arrive at an EU border they are given all the assistance they need and can travel free of charge to any EU city.

The UK is the shameful exception.

I think you'll find the UK is also dealing with illegal immigrants arriving by boat totalling 3,000 already this year. And maybe you should remember that Germany has a population density of 234 per sq km. France has only 119 per sq km. whilst England has 434 people per sq km.

DaisyAnne
I think you’ll find that Germany has a bigger problem than us attaining those green credentials.

www.politico.eu/article/the-catch-with-germanys-green-transition-transformation-coalition/

This morning I watched an American who was at this summit.
What this article doesn’t say but this woman repeated was:
France and Germany vetoed the membership because they didn't want to rattle the Russian bear
With hindsight was NATO right or wrong?

euobserver.com/opinion/154452

GrannyGravy13

Germany as far as I can find out is still buying Gas and Oil from Russia and has not sanctioned two Russian Banks in order to pay for them.

It's been interesting to see the different issues for the countries. My one hope is that as each country makes their supplies secure, they use this to green them. Sadly the country I have the least expectancy to do that is the UK. I am happy to be corrected and for someone to explain that we are moving fast in that direction.

Chestnut

The EU has nothing to do with it. All western countries are united in this.

That is a bit like saying the USA has nothing to do with it; all states are united in this. I'm sure they are. However, the weight of the USA is that it is a union of states.

GrannyGravy13

Germany as far as I can find out is still buying Gas and Oil from Russia and has not sanctioned two Russian Banks in order to pay for them.

Yes they have a real problem to solve. They have begun it by ordering €1.5bn of liquid natural gas, not sure where from - possibly the USA. They are also slowing down their exit from coal.

Germany has stopped the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. It has also announced plans for LNG terminals as well as to begin to tap its own gas and coal fields.

Of course it is still buying gas and oil amounting to approx 38% of its total use, but it clearly is making strenuous efforts to change that. Pragmatism is sensible re the banks.

Germany as far as I can find out is still buying Gas and Oil from Russia and has not sanctioned two Russian Banks in order to pay for them.

Chestnut

The EU has nothing to do with it. All western countries are united in this.

You will see a very different EU after this. Germany will be the biggest military power in Europe, including the UK, Except it won’t have nuclear weapons, but France has those.

It’s huge economic power has made a vast difference to the sanctions experienced by Russia and all roads lead to the EU throughout this period.

The U.K. has played its part, but has been slow in sanctions and the refugees.

Johnson has just come back from the Middle East having succeeded in precisely nothing, this would not happen if the EU had decided to do the same because it’s clout is so huge.

The UK is not united with the 27 EU countries which have granted Ukrainian refugees a welcome without any need for a visa application.

When the refugees arrive at an EU border they are given all the assistance they need and can travel free of charge to any EU city.

The UK is the shameful exception.

The EU has nothing to do with it. All western countries are united in this.

VLADIMIR Putin and his inner circle are shocked at the unity of the European Union, claimed former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov.

Mr Kasyanov offered insight on the Russian regime and how Western sanctions on Russia are impacting the economy badly. The former Russian Prime Minister served for four years under President Vladimir Putin. He suggested his former boss and his closest allies had been "shocked" by the united front the European Union and the US had put on in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine after failing to fight back over Georgia or Crimea.

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1582011/Vladimir-Putin-invasion-Ukraine-EU-Russia-backfire-strategy-VN

Even the Daily Express which has been campaigning against the EU since it was the Common Market, now acknowledges its strength.

So India, the country that we were begging for trade deals with ( to replace all the trade deals we lost with the EU) are now stepping in to buy oil from Russia to negate the impact of the rest of the world not buying oil from them.

I'm just watching President Zelensky address the Canadian Parliament. He thanks all the allies for their help. We help, but it doesn't seem enough.

When we needed the US help they were already sending us food and arms but had not joined the defence of democracy. In the end, they joined because of the attack on Pearl Harbour. Will we only give Ukraine what it needs if Nato or the EU are attacked?

There is a myth that the British had Signals intelligence about the proposed attack but Churchill didn't pass it on to the US. It is only a myth and didn't actually happen but it does tell us a bit about how it was when we felt we stood alone in WW2. We didn't, of course, Poland, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada all declared war within days of our declaration. Norwegians, Belgians and Dutch fought alongside our troops - but we needed more and it felt very lonely. I see that as the point Ukraine has now reached.

Remembering that I do think the allies of Ukraine should be getting more involved. I do understand there will be a cost but this is, once again, the defence of democracy and we need to know which side we are on and what amount of help is needed to defend our democracy, not to expect a small country that happens to be on the boarder of Russia to spend their 'blood and treasure' for our democratic rights.

Casdon

I’m of the mind that this is unlikely to be resolved in a traditional way whitewavemark. I think ultimately the sanctions imposed on Russia will force them to stop, the population won’t support Putin if it means a return to an austerity regime, and he won’t be able to afford to continue. The world’s moved on due to the Internet opening up doors of knowledge that he won’t be able to keep closed however hard he tries.

Yes that’s true.

Just reading that the NATO members butting up to Ukraine are not feeling entirely confident that NATO will come to their aid if they a re fired in by Russia.

Iuliia Mendel
@IuliiaMendel
·
38m
President
@ZelenskyyUa
said today that European countries, especially those bordering Russia, don't have confidence that the NATO will not be afraid to respond if Russian missiles fly on their territories.

I actually don’t know how the Kremlin works. Does anyone know. I suppose I could get off my lazy bum and find out for myself? but just in case someone does know.

I'm really hoping that there are ambitious people eying his job and secret manoeuvring going on. However, I recently read that Putin surrounds himself with not the sharpest tools in the box as he's paranoid about his position. Good. I hope it keeps him awake at night!

I am hoping that there will be people in the Kremlin who will begin to see Putin as a liability.

I’m of the mind that this is unlikely to be resolved in a traditional way whitewavemark. I think ultimately the sanctions imposed on Russia will force them to stop, the population won’t support Putin if it means a return to an austerity regime, and he won’t be able to afford to continue. The world’s moved on due to the Internet opening up doors of knowledge that he won’t be able to keep closed however hard he tries.

Grafitti in Paris

Looking at history, and trying to make sense of possible outcomes to this invasion.

I think there are two possible outcomes, which may seem a bit obvious.

The first is that Ukraine will gradually become more and more unable to cope with the constant bombings and terror that they lose their fighting will and give in

Or the second - and I am hoping this is more likely

That the Ukrainians have everything to lose and so are fighting like lions for their home and pride in their country. The Russians simply cannot counteract such willingness by the whole population to resist their invasion. Kelensky’s popularity stands at over 90%.

I think you need to look at North Vietnam to understand the mentality of the Ukrainians. The North Vietnamese felt exactly the same about their country when dealing with the USA, and in spite of vastly superior fire power they managed to rid their beloved country from an invader.

The other alternative is to ghastly to contemplate so I’m not going to?☠️

Maybe theres not a fridge big enough to hide in.

He certainly missed a trick there, in his fatigues.

I’m surprised Johnson doesn’t go for a photo op ( not).