This is Ukraine - Do not Panic.

[Rufus_the_dawg]

Ukraine - Russian invasion.

Bad bad day, I hoped the cold war was over, but this day has been coming for 10 years.

[Slim]

Yes it's a historic moment, for all the wrong reasons. I was pleased to hear the level of unanimity in the Commons earlier. You know it's an unusual day when you hear Boris Johnson compliment Ian Blackford on his statesmanship and wisdom, without a hint of sarcasm.

And Sir Keir's remarks about the coming cost, to the people of this country, of defending the principles he and the PM referred to were also well made. I'm afraid a cold wind will blow through the world economy and we'll feel it here.

Have to wonder if Putin has really thought this through? He may gain control of Ukraine but he could well face an insurgency, covertly backed by the West, for years. And of course military forces in the NATO countries closest to his borders will be strengthened.

[Nick]

I see the Ruskies have taken control of Chernobyl. They did their damndest to solve the problems they created there and hopefully they are trying to protect it from war damage.

I fear for the Baltic states and the NATO trigger. Then again the geographical anomaly that is Kaliningrad looks a worrying target from the Russian point of view.

[dom]

And every time Trump speaks he just proves himself to be even more odious.hard to believe that would even be possible

[pdw1]

Love this
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-60525996
this woman deserves a nobel peace prize

[captainkurtz]

God bless those Ukrainian soldiers who told a Russian warship to 'go fuck yourselves' before being bombed.  Die with your boots on.

Heartbreaking seeing what is happening in real time.  And scary.

[Slim]

I was out on my bike today and listened to the news for about four hours straight; nothing but Ukraine of course. Really jaw-dropping stuff. Apparently they've been cracking open crates of rifles and handing them out to Ukrainan citizens in the street. Asking people to fight the Russian armour with petrol bombs. People begging for a NATO air exclusion zone.

A woman from the Ukrainian parliament was interviewed, she's never fired a gun before in her life but she's been given a Kalashnikov and a quick training session today, and she's determined to use it.

I recall both the UK and US sent special forces as "advisors" to help the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the '80s; I wonder if we'll do the same again in Ukraine if there's a prolonged occupation.

[Nick]

We have to somehow give Putin a way of backing down. I listened to an interesting article on the Cuba crisis where Cuban missiles were removed and the removal Turkish missiles was the offset, we don't have that option in this crisis. Is he more dangerous if cornered?

[Slim]

Yes I agree that's the worry - and the irony is that the harder it becomes for him to subjugate Ukraine, the more dangerous he potentially becomes. Ukraine seems to be an emotive subject for him.

There must be some acceptable way that he can be claim to have profited for his audience at home.

[Matt2112]

There must be some acceptable way that he can be claim to have profited for his audience at home.

Does he not have pretty much complete control over State media - they'll obediently pump put any old horsesh!t claim he makes.

How much of the proletariat buy it is another matter.

[Nick]

He could stop the war and become Putin the peacemaker.

[Nickslikk2112]

I say keep it up Putin, anything that keeps those Meerkat adverts off the telly is well worth it

[Slim]

Massive, historic increase in military spending in Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60549916

Let's hope they're not marching along the Champs-Élysées in ten years' time!

[dom]

Massive, historic increase in military spending in Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60549916

Let's hope they're not marching along the Champs-Élysées in ten years' time!

And the EU agreeing to send weapons and fighter jets to Ukraine as well as linking it up to its electricity network and speeding its accession to the EU.

Not sure it has ever worked with such haste!

One in the eye for Putin.

Good to see Switzerland moving away from its long held neutrality to match EU economic sanctions too

[Slim]

I was a bit alarmed to note that roughly 1/3 of people who reacted this morning to a satellite pic of the Russian convoy near Kiev on the GB News Facebook feed did so with the smiley. Looking at the comments it seems that a lot of people think the war is fake; here's one for example:

Where is the snow??? This looks like its been shot in the summer...we are being played ...I've seen a report from reuters which show evidence that they are using photos from other conflicts ...one peice of footage shows zelensky ...apparently this photo footage was taken from a film zelensky starred in...He was an actor ...don't believe all you/we are being told ...and seeing....its all part of the wicked propaganda being spewed out of their lying mouths.