Anyone think that Putin's war will spread across Europe and beyond?

Spoken with Polish people living in UK but still have family in east and central Poland. All of them fearful Putin will just keep on trying to take countries surrounding Ukraine. Thoughts are he waited on Covid clearing to start the march to Ukraine and all the supposed ceasefires are only to allow troops to regroup and move equipment.

He will drive on to NATO borders.

Is it Putin or his double? A friend noticed that he has different coloured eyes on some occasions and suggests that he sits so far away not because of Covid fears but because it is a double. It isn’t going to be easy to take him out for sure. Also he has got rid of all opposition so who will he be replaced with but more of the same. I fear for the world with this madman in charge.

As to this Govt being too weak - what do YOU suggest then Whitewavemark2? Every country would wants to stop him but at what cost? Are you happy for WW3 to happen with nuclear devastation? If our Govt is weak what is your opinion of America, France, Germany ....non has done anything more or different. Being critical with no alternative solution is very easy!

I couldn’t agree more volver. Nobody here knows that Putin is physically ill. Nobody here knows that he’s eyeing up Finland and Norway. Nobody here knows that his cabinet are terrified of him. Nobody here knows that there’s a system whereby if he doesn’t check in every day nuclear weapons will be fired. It’s all rumour and speculation and far from helpful.

And now a friend of someone thinks Putin sits so far from the camera because it’s really a double who has different eyes. I give up, I really do.

Personally I think the fact that Ukraine (and the West) did nothing significant to stop Putin when he forcibly took Crimea a few years ago simply emboldened him to try to take Ukraine now. Ukraine’s Prime Minister was incredibly naïve in his statements of recent weeks pre-invasion when he felt that the West’s warnings were simply scaremongering and his Country didn’t need any assistance.
However it is now a very dangerous situation because of Putins unstable state of mind with threatening nuclear war if the West actively assist Ukraine. Clearly the act of a deluded bully but a shocking and frightening one nonetheless. But if we don’t then what? Where does he stop? He’s spun both his naive troops and, as importantly, his own people vast amounts of propaganda and closed down access to any balanced information. Anyone who has demonstrated is locked up. He rules by fear.
If I was in any sort of power I’d be doing 2 things; supplying Ukraine with the top military arms supplies And simultaneously using the Wests best hackers to infiltrate the Russians own internet and get true pictures to the people (as well as Spies in the Country trying to drum up a Russian led revolution to oust him). Obviously I’ve absolutely no power at all so I can only worry for the poor people of Ukraine, send them the spare money and items I can spare and pray for peace.

Varian - I think I read he has a daughter in school in France.

Cattery I opened another google account and have been leaving restaurant reviews (5 stars) on google maps. A lot of people are doing it. You can add photos to the reviews. I am careful not to leave photos of identifiable Russian soldiers (could be very hard for the family & photos of PoW is against the Geneva convention). The BBC had some before and after photos of the residential buildings which showed what is happening. Also in areas where someone might speak English I leave screenshots of the front pages of British/American newspapers.

My son plays an internet game with some Russians (they'll all be late teens/twenties) and he reckons they know what is going on anyway (no matter what they say on TV - they can't say much really can they).

What also worries me, is if he does get killed or take a pill, is there another like minded person ready to step into his shoes, and carry on this terrible regime.

I truly believe that peace will come. Negative thought begats negativity. All I hear is negativity. The Ukrainian people need positive energy sent their way. This is all they have to hang on to. They are finding love and caring when they cross into Europe... Please discard your negative thoughts...think positive for these very brave people....

DiscoDancer1975

I don’t think it matters one jot about whether fly zones are allowed or not. We’re dealing with a demonised mad man.

Unfortunately it would seem he is not mad, ruthless, self serving and with a strong belief in the might of a Russian empire

If anyone were to assassinate Putin it would have to be a lone wolf. The policy of divide and rule puts every one of his closest cronies in fear of each other so they won't dare to plot against him for fear of it being reported straight back to him. They'll all be watching each other while trying to watch their own backs, so poison is unlikely. No one could get near enough. I wonder if he has a food taster... I'm sure there are security measures in place to prevent anyone smuggling a weapon into the Kremlin, so it would have to be a sniper. I bet he keeps well away from windows.

I think the only reason that Putin has invaded Ukraine now, was that they are not members of NATO, had they been members then he would have incurred the wrath of all NATO member countries! Which suggest that he is reluctant to engage in a major clash with the rest of Europe!
Btw.....why is no-one issuing sanctions against Belarus as they are supporting Putin?

I think we all live with the fear that Putin will not stop.
Imposing sanctions doesn’t seem to be having any affect at all, but that’s possibly because they do not include oil and gas . If these commodities were put under sanctions then Russia could very well go skint in a very short space of time.
I’m finding it harder to watch the news to see all those poor women, children and elderly leaving everything behind and trying to escape, absolutely heartbreaking.

I have read speculation that he is terminally I’ll with bowel cancer. If any truth in it - and I have no idea whether there is or not, it was in some news site, can’t recall which now, - then he is not long for this world. Of course that means he is even les likely to care about the consequences of anything he does….personally I am very worried and concerned….

I think it quite likely Putin does have a double. Lots of leaders particularly in war situations do.

If anyone thinks Putin is mad they are themselves deluded; he is cold, clever, calculating and totally devoid of conscience. At present he is entirely focused on his objective, which is to take Ukraine, at whatever cost.

He is also playing with the West. His latest offer is to allow Ukrainian civilians to leave via 'safe' corridors which lead to Belarus and to Russia.

Should he wish to use nuclear weapons he will; he will be safe in what a journalist this morning called his lair. I do not believe anyone at present has any power to influence him; to stop him he has to be defeated, but how?

Those Russian people who protest will be punished; it appears some Russians prefer what they consider to be his strong government, because they don't have to take responsibility for themselves.

Germanshepherdsmum

And now a friend of someone thinks Putin sits so far from the camera because it’s really a double who has different eyes. I give up, I really do.

I know, still conspiracy theories are flying , you would think people would realise what rubbish this is.

WTF is a Russian doing in our House of Lords? And the son of an ex-KGB agent to boot. Rumour has it that Boris intervened even though SIS said he could be a security risk. Raab at one and the same time said he was not aware of the details, but a very rigorous assessment had taken place!

TanaMa

As to this Govt being too weak - what do YOU suggest then Whitewavemark2? Every country would wants to stop him but at what cost? Are you happy for WW3 to happen with nuclear devastation? If our Govt is weak what is your opinion of America, France, Germany ....non has done anything more or different. Being critical with no alternative solution is very easy!

I think that you need t.o re-read my post.

I didn’t say that the U.K. government is weak.

What I did say is that Putin thought Europe was weak as a result of the half hearted sanctions it had put into place prior to the Ukraine invasion. That together with the division evident over the past few years.

So I think that the sanctions are producing results, but I think we need to go further and consider stopping the flow of gas and oil and the revenue to Russia which is funding the military.

We also need to show a tight United front.

Coco51

WTF is a Russian doing in our House of Lords? And the son of an ex-KGB agent to boot. Rumour has it that Boris intervened even though SIS said he could be a security risk. Raab at one and the same time said he was not aware of the details, but a very rigorous assessment had taken place!

As a security risk, he should not have even been considered. If links to Putin, should be stripped of honour.

However, his face has changed considerably of late for some reason be it Botox, steroids, or doubles with different eyes

If everyone is saying how changed he looks, the doubles aren't very good, are they?

With regard to nuclear weapons. I’ve no idea whether he would be tempted to use them.

What we do know from history is that the Russian submarine commander during the Cuba crises was told to fire a nuclear weapon, because he was under depth charge attack from a USA ship.

He refused thus saving the world from WW3.