Germany Finally Turns Up The Heat

[Khandro]

Germany's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a petition to send heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks.

[ToraToraTora]

hazzah!

[dannyk13]

Sehr gut!

[Khandro]

It's quite a step & critics on the side-lines have been saying for long how they should do more, but no one is more reliant on Russian gas, an issue that will be dealt with, but it will take some time.

If Vlad were to turn off the supply in retaliation, just one company; BASF in Ludwigshafen, has said they can last only one month & then they would have to make a 40,000 workforce redundant.

[ichkeria]

Things to bear in mind about the gas threat;
It’s a pretty loose one: it can easily be got round in a way which allows each side to say it’s complying, due to currency exchanges at different points of the payment process.
Also, of Russia were to switch it off ut would not be a straightforward process and furthermore the gas involved cannot be easily or even with moderate difficulty diverted anywhere else.
Russia might benefit short term from a spike in prices due to general shortages of supply but soon the lack of EU revenue would fail to compensate.
Poland and Bulgaria were easy to be made an example of: both countries were terminating their contracts this year anyway

[ichkeria]

From ex-President Petro Poroshenko just now:

"I am grateful to the German parliamentarians for their strategically important and courageous decision to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons. I am confident that due to this and similar steps of other western states, the Armed Forces will expel the occupier from Ukrainian territories."

[sandra4444]

If anything needs to be turned off its the rhetoric coming from British politicians at the moment , for one, Liz Truss. I have the feeling its all to do with scoring political points here at home than it does about Ukraine.

When you provoke and tantalise an unstable mentally ill Putin with wild words you can without doubt expect the worst. This government need to be more careful with what they spout.
Better tactics all round are needed.

[youngmafbog]

They dont spout anything the Kremlin doesnt know.

[youngmafbog]

Good to see the Germans finally stepping up.

As for the gas thing, thye and the rest of us need to address this pretty quick. Also the reliance on China.

But I doubt we will.

[ichkeria]

Three cheers for Liz Truss from me.

I think I was wrong about her.

[sandra4444]

The Kremlin can't be watching every country and every shipment of arms entering Ukraine. They are struggling to even keep their forces in focus.

Britain is sticking out like a sore thumb at the moment and begging for trouble. Boris can't see a problem unless it hits him smack on the nose.

Take a lesson from Putin and keep your cards close to your chest.

[ichkeria]

In what sense is Putin keeping his cards close to his chest?
I’m puzzled by that: he seems to casting his playing pack of death all around him.
Liz Truss is 100 per cent right to speak out.
Perhaps Churchill should have kept quiet too ;-)

[sandra4444]

I don't ever remember Churchill giving the Germans information of his next move?

My experience in life is that when you start banging your own drum, sooner or later you get bit on the ass.

Regarding Putin putting it around, that's what you can expect from a nutcase. I would expect better from other leaders.

[youngmafbog]

//The Kremlin can't be watching every country and every shipment of arms entering Ukraine. They are struggling to even keep their forces in focus.//

You seem to be naïve in the extreme. Watching, via satellites and various underhand methods, is really not difficult and is something the Russians excel in. It is a totally different game to controlling an invading force.

Much of this 'war' now seems to have turned to a battle of words (Yup well aware terrible fighting still going on in Ukraine) around world leaders and the Kremlin. Both sides will be using propaganda and counter propaganda techniques, it happens in every conflict.

The alternative is of course we say nothing, do nothing and hope Russia doesnt decide to come knocking on our door once its ploughed through Eastern Europe. And if you think Putin wouldnt then you are having a Chamberlain moment,

[youngmafbog]

//I don't ever remember Churchill giving the Germans information of his next move?//

You really need to get out more. Have you read about the D-Day landings?

[ichkeria]

I don’t think Liz Truss revealed any military secrets did she?

[youngmafbog]

//My experience in life is that when you start banging your own drum, sooner or later you get bit on the ass.//

My apologies, didnt know you had experience running a war.

[sandra4444]

Naive in your view, common sense in mine.
Say nothing yes, do everything yes, ( without the rhetoric) And I already know whats happening so I really don't need you to enlighten me. But thanks anyway.

[ichkeria]

Putin built up his forces around Ukraine for a year in full view of the world.
The countdown to invasion was almost comically obvious with its choreographed steps, starting with the sirens going off in Donetsk and Luhansk that Thursday.
That was when you knew it was coming in days.
Of course what he does do is consistently lie about his intentions but we ought to have learned to go by his actions not his words and I think we have now, finally.

[sandra4444]

You you seem to know everything, more than the British government regarding what Russia can or cannot see. Don't tell Putin you can see what he's up too.