Current Affairs

[towny44]

Major superpower invades sovereign country with overwhelming force. Objective regime change and capture or killing of the President. Indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure with missiles. Bogus reason given is the invaded country poses a security risk to the superpower.

Sound familiar?

Ukraine 2022.

Iraq 2003.

Thoughts?

Similar but not identical. Iraq, we wanted to put a western supporting regime in place, but never had a viable plan to complete the job. Ukraine, Putin wants a Russian supporting regime, and will ensure this works by quelling any objections with as much force as is needed.

[david63]

On the basis that Carnival Corporation have today Tweeted this

In light of the recent attacks by Russia in Ukraine, Carnival Corporation brands will be modifying our itineraries in the coming week once alternative ports can be confirmed. We stand for peace.

would it not make sense that P&O (other brands may also be affected) removed the option to purchase excursions in St Petes?

The good news, certainly for those not overly bothered about St P, is that it sounds as if the cruises will be going ahead with revised itineraries.

[Kendhni]

Major superpower invades sovereign country with overwhelming force. Objective regime change and capture or killing of the President. Indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure with missiles. Bogus reason given is the invaded country poses a security risk to the superpower.

Sound familiar?

Ukraine 2022.

Iraq 2003.

Thoughts?

Hmmmm .. maybe Russias oil happens to be under Ukraine ... like our oil just so happened to be under Iraq.

[oldbluefox]

Two days in SP certainly puts me off doing another Baltic cruise so a cruise with alternative ports would certainly suit me, and there are plenty of ports around the Baltic which would appeal. It may be something for P&O to consider after this situation has died down, although I think this may not be for some time yet.

Interesting development that a Russian delegation has been dispatched for talks with Ukraine. Has Putin realised that little Ukraine is not the pushover he expected or is he issuing further threats/ultimatums? As it stands Zelensky is refusing to negotiate, certainly not in Belarus.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I see Saga are already notifying booked passengers of changes to take SP off the itinerary, with the option of accept the change, move the booking to another cruise or take a refund.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Interesting development that a Russian delegation has been dispatched for talks with Ukraine. Has Putin realised that little Ukraine is not the pushover he expected or is he issuing further threats/ultimatums? As it stands Zelensky is refusing to negotiate, certainly not in Belarus.

I don't blame him. Good set up for an assassination.

[Manoverboard]

We cruised on Artemis with only one day in St Petes, we gained Visby and Riga instead

[towny44]

Interesting development that a Russian delegation has been dispatched for talks with Ukraine. Has Putin realised that little Ukraine is not the pushover he expected or is he issuing further threats/ultimatums? As it stands Zelensky is refusing to negotiate, certainly not in Belarus.

I don't blame him. Good set up for an assassination.

I suspect he would not be allowed back into Ukraine unless he had signed an unconditional surrender.

[Ray B]

Comrade Putin has put his Nuclear deterrent unit on standby. Why? I don't think he needs to worry about incoming unless he pressed the button.

[Ray B]

Olduefox = As it stands Zelensky is refusing to negotiate, certainly not in Belarus.

Looks like a meeting will take place at the border now.

[david63]

I suspect he would not be allowed back into Ukraine unless he had signed an unconditional surrender.

Not sure that is correct.

I suspect that he would not be allowed out of Belarus unless he had signed an unconditional surrender and if he had then he almost certainly would not be allowed back into Ukraine.

I was reading earlier that Putin did not expect this "invasion" to last for more than four days, by which time Ukraine would have collapsed - got that wrong

[david63]

Looks like a meeting will take place at the border now.

I bet Putin will not be there.

Why is it that Zelensky has to attend any negotiations but Putin doesn't? If I was Zelensky I would not agree to any negotiation unless Putin was sat opposite me

[Ray B]

David, if you were Comrade Putin, would you stick your head above the parapet.

[david63]

David, if you were Comrade Putin, would you stick your head above the parapet.

If I was Comrade Putin I would not have started this in the first place!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Comrade Putin has put his Nuclear deterrent unit on standby. Why? I don't think he needs to worry about incoming unless he pressed the button.

Sounds like bluster to me. Our nuclear deterrent is surely always on standby, with one of the subs always at sea. I would assume theirs was too. You don't get much time if the other side fires first.

[towny44]

Comrade Putin has put his Nuclear deterrent unit on standby. Why? I don't think he needs to worry about incoming unless he pressed the button.

Sounds like bluster to me. Our nuclear deterrent is surely always on standby, with one of the subs always at sea. I would assume theirs was too. You don't get much time if the other side fires first.

He must be getting desparate if he is even contemplating needing to use nuclear weapons to crush opposition from Ukraine, who I dont believe have nuclear weapons of their own.

[Gill W]

I think Putin's nuclear threat is to 'the West' and NATO because of what he sees as 'aggression. I took that to mean he's threatening to nuke us, not Ukraine.

[Stephen]

In case he gets the hump with us I am doing a nice line in fall out shelters.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60542877

[david63]

In case he gets the hump with us I am doing a nice line in fall out shelters.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60542877

I trust that your shelters come with a compo form just in case they do not work

[Stephen]

If they don’t work you not be needing any compo forms.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Comrade Putin has put his Nuclear deterrent unit on standby. Why? I don't think he needs to worry about incoming unless he pressed the button.

Sounds like bluster to me. Our nuclear deterrent is surely always on standby, with one of the subs always at sea. I would assume theirs was too. You don't get much time if the other side fires first.

He must be getting desparate if he is even contemplating needing to use nuclear weapons to crush opposition from Ukraine, who I dont believe have nuclear weapons of their own.

No they don't. They used to but they disarmed.

I think Putin's nuclear threat is to 'the West' and NATO because of what he sees as 'aggression. I took that to mean he's threatening to nuke us, not Ukraine.

If that's what he means there'll be no winners.

[towny44]

Sounds like bluster to me. Our nuclear deterrent is surely always on standby, with one of the subs always at sea. I would assume theirs was too. You don't get much time if the other side fires first.

He must be getting desparate if he is even contemplating needing to use nuclear weapons to crush opposition from Ukraine, who I dont believe have nuclear weapons of their own.

No they don't. They used to but they disarmed.

I think Putin's nuclear threat is to 'the West' and NATO because of what he sees as 'aggression. I took that to mean he's threatening to nuke us, not Ukraine.

If that's what he means there'll be no winners.

So if he can't subjugate Ukraine within his self imposed timescale it will be the wests fault, allowing him justification to nuke us. He's definitely as mad as Hitler was.

[david63]

He's definitely as mad as Hitler was.

I would say that he is worse - Hitler didn't have nukes

[oldbluefox]

Needs bumping off......

[Mervyn and Trish]

My hope remains that he cannot do it alone. Reports say his senior officers looked very shifty at his deterrent alert statement. A military coup would be handy.