They should be kicked out of every sporting competition now. World Cup, Olympics, European football and take the F1 race off them also. They’re drug cheats anyway, we don’t need to be competing against them.
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Following the ice dancing mess that should be a given, at least as far as the Olympics are concerned. No more of this independent athletes stuff either.
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Scholtz has just announced that Nordstream 2 is to be halted.
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I am not sure what you would advocate instead ?
Given Russia still occupies Georgia and the unhinged nature of Putin (as obvious yesterday)
Putin for me only responds to acts of strength. Give him an inch and he will take a mile.
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At least the CL Final will be moved to Anfield now.
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About fucking time.
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I hope the US has at least plans to sink the black sea fleet and blow Russians planes out of the sky.
Seems like Europe are prepared to go down the Czechoslovakia route again and all those other ‘conneries’.
Just hearing that Germany have, or are planning to shut down the gas line that feeds Germany from Russia. A good sanction to take apparently.
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Brilliantly relevant as ever. From 40 years ago:
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So nothing will actually happen. 
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They halted the certification of a pipeline (Nordstream 2) that isn’t even operating yet. Still a good move, and overdue.
Former chancellor Schröder will be fuming, but at least he just got nominated for Gazprom’s board of directors.
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Just 8 more to go!
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I agree with this and would much rather they were removed totally. But since they haven’t been, in 75 yrs, all we have seen is might is right… and bullies, in this instance Russia, doing what they want against a relatively defenseless nation.
If Ukraine had nukes, I am pretty certain Russia would not be invading.
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The thing is if they were part of NATO or Russia they would have nukes, maybe not under their control but they would be there.
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At the end of the day, he is an unscrupulous KGB officer who ruthlessly liquidated anyone who has stood in his way. Anyone who listened his address last night would realise that the guy can’t be reasoned with; the only thing that he understands and respects is power.
And what’s even worse is that there are others who would like nothing more than to follow his example.
Victor Yanukovych says hi.
He was removed in a revolution precisely because the people of Ukraine rejected the idea of returning back to being under such Russian influence. It was the US’ perceived support for this revolution and more western aligned successors that really triggered this phase of conflict between Russia and the US.
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Meaning what? A full-scale war? I don’t think that anyone is ready for this, mate. Neither the Russians nor any other country in the world. If you go for Putin’s head instead of talking with him, you’ll end up with full-scale war I’m afraid.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Dombas and Louhansk regions have a majority of around 70% Russian-speaking people. That means that 70% of the population will be reasonably happy with this outcome, just like 90% of people in Crimea were reasonably happy when the Russians marched in.
People were asking the question “Where does it stop?”. For me, it’s right there. All other Ukrainian regions have a majority of Ukrainian-speaking people. Any invasion there will be met with long-term resistance from the population, and thus ultimately, with failure, no matter what the military result.
Putin might be a despicable character (he is imo), but he’s no fool.
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Interesting insight. So, Crimea and Donbas, and it stops? Whack him with some sanctions and hardship, but the people on the ground in those places are relatively happy, so not much in the way of war, and we all move on? In time things normalize, and Putin stops his land grab at that?
Based on what might happen, that seems relatively tame, so I would take it.
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I think there is some truth there, but I am not as convinced that 50% Russian is some magical stop line. Maybe in Ukraine, maybe for now.
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So Ukraine has to accept a mutilation for the sake of peace? And does it stop with Ukraine (we know it didn’t stop with Georgia)? How will Estonia, Latvia, or Kazakhstan feel with their Russian population?
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