Will you open your door and host Ukrainian refugees- mothers, grand-mothers and their children?

Good post TerriBull.
Russia’s history reminds us it’s always had a tsar / leader ruling by terror. I don’t know if our news reports are accurate in reporting that older Russians support the invasion of Ukraine but the younger generation do not.
I’m a cracked record on this but if only Putin could be taken out - I wonder if his Generals could lead a coup

Excellent post Terribull and totally spot on. As the old saying goes 'There will always be a Tsar in Russia'. You're so right about WW2, Russian troops were more feared than Germans, Stalin was monstrous to his own people and it's a brave person indeed who risks the wrath of the authorities in modern day Russia.

Belarus dictator Lukashenko he's another bloody megalomaniac who wants WW3

Tony Benn always maintained that Russia had suffered such heavy losses in WW2 that the last thing they wanted was another war. I can't remember when TB died, but possibly Putin hadn't ascended into the Hitler of the 21st century beforehand. Putin's ruthlessness has been evident for a long while lets not forget what he did to Alexander Litvinenko in London for criticising what he saw as corruption within the Russian government. Then in the pursuit of the failed attempt to take out the Skripals he unleashed a chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury, killing one British citizen leaving several others with life changing conditions, making that city a no go area in the aftermath. All of this of course he denies. Tony Benn in his attempt to reassure the people of this country that Russia having lost millions in the second world war, is now as benign as any of our allies, Although suffer as they did in the enormous loss of life in combat that can't be compared to consciously annihilating a whole race of people in the way the Nazis did.

In any event the Red Army hardly covered itself in glory when it swept through defeated Germany raping and pillaging innocent civilians as an act of revenge. in the immediate aftermath of the end of the war.

Turning back to Tony Been he couldn't possibly see how the landscape was to unfold in time under a ruthless dictator. who has been increasingly flexing his muscles in threatening to take over independent countries that were part of the Soviet Union.

For anyone who moans and groans about the cost of our royal family particularly in not handing over the palaces they live in to everyman to share, this from Camilla Long in yesterday's Times "Look at Putin's summer palace on The Black Sea, you will see what his regime is made of, disgusting furniture and greed, it lies on an estate 39 times the size of Monaco and contains a myriad of rooms, a strip club, a petrol station, plus bogs where the lavatory brushes alone cost $1,500". The man has a personal wealth of billions which he doesn't share with his fellow citizens either. Did they ever? since the inception of communism the lives of the ordinary people did not improve , in fact how many millions of them starved to death in the time of Stalin's "Collectivisation programme" that went well!.

Russia seemed to have had a brief hiatus when they had decent leader in Gorbachev. Right now one has to feel sorry for the average Russian who have been bravely demonstrating against the proposed takeover of Ukraine at pains to show this isn't done in their name and risk being arrested for treason and facing a frightening fate for doing so. We also have to feel sorry for the young Russian soldiers deployed because clearly they are just cannon fodder.

Putin is a prime example of absolute power corrupts!

Paddyann, I don’t see your point, the Russians do what they are told, we know the consequences if they don’t. Many disappear.
You cannot justify Putin. His behaviour is the actions of a mad man. How these pathetic people attain such power I don’t know, he will end up the same as the other megalomaniacs, most if them die cowering.

The answer unfortunately for me is no.
I feel so much for the Ukrainians and the Russian people who do not agree with Putin, he’s deranged.The look on his Generals faces said it all, they know he’s mad, how do you stop him? He even sits 20 feet away from them as he might catch Covid, he’s a coward, he risks others not himself.

paddyann54

Russia fought WITH us in WW11 Karmalady ,THEY lost 25 million of their citizens and we wouldn't have beaten Hitler without them .A wee fact many forget they lost 4 + times as many as the Jewish communities did .

Paddyann you have no clue. I am not going into detail. My family have been at the other end of russia trying to get domination of a country through assissination and violence, on a pretext. Kgb have been at the heart of my family losses and yes I too find your comment stomach churning

USSR only entered the war when Germany betrayed them, and attacked them in June 1941. My father-in-law witnessed first hand following on where Russian soldiers had been, he was sickened by their behaviour.

That there are posters who defend Russia's attack on Ukraine is stomach churning.

paddyann54

Russia fought WITH us in WW11 Karmalady ,THEY lost 25 million of their citizens and we wouldn't have beaten Hitler without them .A wee fact many forget they lost 4 + times as many as the Jewish communities did .

Oh good to know all the Jews exterminated in the gas chambers count for nowt. Current Russia wants to control other countries, so your point is.....?

Neither do I, surely such a fierce advocate of Scottish independence can empathise with Ukraine's desire to remain independent. Since WW2 enemies have become allies. That war is irrelevant as to what is happening now, except Putin shares all the hallmarks of Hitler's megalomania.

paddyann54

Russia fought WITH us in WW11 Karmalady ,THEY lost 25 million of their citizens and we wouldn't have beaten Hitler without them .A wee fact many forget they lost 4 + times as many as the Jewish communities did .

Nobody has forgotten. I don't see what point you are trying to make?

Russia fought WITH us in WW11 Karmalady ,THEY lost 25 million of their citizens and we wouldn't have beaten Hitler without them .A wee fact many forget they lost 4 + times as many as the Jewish communities did .

Shandy57

That's the link I used as well karmalady, I paid in Euros. I am so very sorry to see Putin has now put his nuclear deterrent forces on high alert. He must be stopped.

Deranged putin has done that to put the frighteners on people and I see much of that on mumsnet, the younger ones who have not been through the cuba missile crisis, not quite as calm as we are. Best always to just accept fate ie what will be will be, no point worrying about `what ifs`

My dad was brave like the ukranians. Said goodbye to his mum when he was 20, never saw her again. Russians then as now.

It went through fine, I checked my bank account

I love this one, sunflower for peace. I saw her on tv. I`ll be clicking the donate button in a minute. Small charity, I think she was getting medical backpacks sorted, to carry into the stricken areas, to save at least 10 people

www.facebook.com/sunflowerofpeace/

Will you open your door and host Ukrainian refugees- mothers, grand-mothers and their children

You question begs another, why does it matter? It doesn't need everyone to be able to house refugees in order to make it worth giving sanctury. Everyone who wants to and can, will find something they can do to to help.

That's the link I used as well karmalady, I paid in Euros. I am so very sorry to see Putin has now put his nuclear deterrent forces on high alert. He must be stopped.

I@ve donated to a refugee charity and the Red Cross and also one of the animal charities which is helping. No room to shoehorn anyone else into my house, although I have got my son's ex partner here at the moment and she's a Hungarian immigrant. If I had the room why wouldn't I?

I would do if we had the space. We donated via the Red Cross today. We have written to our red wall Tory MP about the need to welcome refugees from Ukraine - we have an established Ukrainian community here

Yes

I would. We have a spare room

I wish the uk govt had a list of charities over there with links

We’ve donated to Médecins Sans Frontières.

after a lot of messing, it was easy to pay in USD via the small online form in my first link. They send a receipt if you put your e mail in on their response

That was a tricky link so don`t use it. I got the gbp account from jp morgan chase. This link is better for various charities in ukraine

www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a39219445/ukraine-donation-funds/

I would in an instant.

Its heartbreaking for them.