Ukraine

[eighthobstruction]

....seeing all the damage and destruction of Russian vehicles [hundreds of them seemingly] one wonders if there is a similar number of fatalities on Russian side....(many apparently running out of fuel)....

....I still think if the Russians really want to do 'shock and awe' things would change quickly....I personally think the Russian regime consider this first wave -just strategic cannon fodder....Ukr troops using anti-tank missiles to take out lorries....and this first wave does appear to be comprised of very old Soviet period vehicles

[Cockney Sparrow]

the sheer bl**dy nastiness of Russian occupation - try talking to those that lived thru it instead of 'useful idiots' in the west.

I know two families, that experienced life in satellite states, in the latter years of the USSR. They can't stand anything to do with Russia to this day - and that includes music. They felt stifled by the Russian overlord and installed leadership (or leadership tailoring its actions to the party's requirements). Of course, they constantly experienced the oppression of their own institutions and cultures, the corruption, not to mention their awareness of the complete lack of the many freedoms they knew their western contemporaries enjoyed.

[mahlerfan]

His article is already out of date .BP have dealt with the supposedly crippling prospect of sanctions by getting rid of their entire Rosneft stake at enormous loss to the company. He has underestimated NATO - the response of the German government goes way beyond tokenism. Parts of the article bespeak a weary cynicism which looks like yesterday’s view. There is though quite a lot I agree with. Soviet Russia is a distant memory for most Russians and no memory at all for many. Age must give way to youth and youth doesn’t want war for one very good reason - they are ones who suffer disproportionately.

The Germans being the world's third* largest of arms dealers can be of huge help to Ukraine.

*Depending how it's calculated, some say fourth

[french frank]

His article is already out of date .

Yep, after two days! I was really wondering if he was going to argue that the Russian 'intervention' was justified (given that Putin has accused NATO of 'aggressive statements'), but he didn't go that far.

[Dave2002]

I was a regular visitor to the old Soviet Union during the 70s as going over Orthodox Xmas saw the best availability of the excellent high culture on offer but being able to wander around the backstreets of Moscow one saw other aspects of life - the Soc Soc (Gorbachev) restrictions on alcohol sale resulting in extremely long queues for Vodka (which appeared to be the universal lubricant of life) being 'policed' by thuggish police might have suggested to some that low culture wasn't quite as happy.

I doubt that Russia is/was the only country in the frozen north which has/had problems with alcoholism. In Sweden it was only possible to buy alcohol through the state systembolaget and at restricted times. Those times have been relaxed a little, as at one time many people took an afternoon off at the end of each week in order to get their weekend booze in. So in fairness to Russia - and I'm no apologist for it - some of the issues are common in countries in those cold regions.

There were other effects to. Apparently the bus drivers in Stockholm were given instructions not to ask people to get off the bus in winter during the night, as a substantial number of homeless people would otherwise spend the nights on the streets - leading to frozen bodies in the morning.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Per capita alcohol consumption in Russia in 2016 wasn’t much higher than the UK. It is however heavily concentrated in certain male age groups . It’s all in wiki if you’re interested…

[Frances_iom]

I doubt that Russia is/was the only country in the frozen north which has/had problems with alcoholism. ....

no doubt at all (and the Finns are also heavy drinkers) - but queues of over 100yds in early January being 'policed' in that way were something different - I don't know if you too travelled in the old USSR and its client states but dismal is the best description of many of the towns and of most Soviet architecture but important things such as heating + transport (road, rail + air) worked most of the time even in situations which in the UK would be thought impossible - there were jobs for all but often held by people who didn't want that type of work - the actual people were generally great tho maybe until the late 70s many would prefer to avoid an obvious Western tourist in the streets.

[kernelbogey]

I don't think nationality has anything to do with it - support for Putin's regime is the relevant issue.

That's what I meant, though perhaps was not clear enough in choice of words.

[oddoneout]

I think the ad is just about right but not an accurate reflection of combat - that probably wouldn’t be acceptable. Thing is ultimately you are trying to attract people who are fairly fearless or who can be trained to supress fear . There’s not much point joining if you get very wobbly when it gets a bit tricky is there? I’ve known a fair few Marines ( and a lot of RN personnel ) and they definitely fall into the fearless/ able to control it category.

Unless there's been some cutting and pasting (I only saw the first bit of it) then it's not a new ad, so concerns about the type of person it might attract may be a bit late.

[richardfinegold]

There might well be but one problem is the secrecy that's part of the contract with the people concerned and another is a jurisdictional one; a third is the "revolving door" arrangements of which the wealthier can take advantage in which funds regustered under some nebulous trust in, for example, the Cayman Islands at half pas three could be re-registered under another in the British Virgin Islands by four o'clock. We'll see, of course. I suppose that another issue that affects much more modest residential properties owned openly by Russians in UK is that their ownership might be quite legitimate and, if they're mortgaged, confiscation would not only throw the owners out of their homes but also dent the mortgage arrangements with the lender/s - but I doubt that such properties would likely be targeted.

Which was what I intended with the OP. I have no problem with canceling Gergiev and other vocal supporters, but I would hate to see all Russian Artists tared with the same brush

[richardfinegold]

At the moment - while Putin is in control. Will his place be taken by similar hardliners or will the pressures on ordinary people as a result of this adventure force the political will to move back towards the Reagan-Gorbachev era?

Politicians' thinking is diverse and not always clear. Does it really seem to Putin - or Russians - that a Russian western border with NATO countries poses a 'security threat' to Russia? Under what circumstances? In the early 1990s relations between the Russian Federation and NATO were very good, cooperative.

In Putin' eyes, the nineties was not a good time with Russia vs a vis NATO. He thinks NATO exploited Russia's relative weakness and he means to reverse it

[richardfinegold]

....seeing all the damage and destruction of Russian vehicles [hundreds of them seemingly] one wonders if there is a similar number of fatalities on Russian side....(many apparently running out of fuel)....

....I still think if the Russians really want to do 'shock and awe' things would change quickly....I personally think the Russian regime consider this first wave -just strategic cannon fodder....Ukr troops using anti-tank missiles to take out lorries....and this first wave does appear to be comprised of very old Soviet period vehicles

I couldn't tell what the denominaotr was. Thecolum was 3 miles along. Yes, there were several burned out vehicles on the road, but if 90% reached their target unscathed...

[Nick Armstrong]

Which was what I intended with the OP. I have no problem with canceling Gergiev and other vocal supporters, but I would hate to see all Russian Artists tared with the same brush

Agreed - I follow a couple of Russian pianists and they are trying to carry on - one was in the Russian aircraft turned back from the US. I’ve yet to learn if his NY concerts at the end of the week will go ahead after further attempts to get there via other places (and after criss-crossing the Atlantic at least 3 times…)

[ChandlersFord]

Gergiev has wielded far too much power in Russian and world musical politics - his Tsar-like capacity to cast singers who displease him into outer darkness has been remarked on for some time. But no-one has been able to do anything about it.


As for Netrebko .... my understanding is that Gergiev was her patron and, through him, she gained the patronage of Putin, on whom she seems to have had something more than a schoolgirl crush.

The billionaire cellist Sergei Roldugin’s western career would also appear to be finished (did it ever begin?0

[ardcarp]

In Sweden it was only possible to buy alcohol through the state systembolaget

Norway too...at least the last time I went a couple of years ago...still has restrictions Supermarkets now are able to sell low-alcohol drinks (e.g. beer, lager, etc) but spirits are still under state control. If you can afford them!