Where have you picked that up?

I very much doubt it myself. I cannot see us risking putting SAS personnel into Ukraine, unsupported. What would their role be? What realistic impact could they have? We may have some liaison officers to ascertain what hardware they need, but that would be the extent of it.

I also doubt they will be in Moscow. There's no point.

The SAS, Britain's famed special forces corps, has been training Ukrainian soldiers on the ground in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian military sources have told The Times of London.

Officers from two battalions told the newspaper on Friday that SAS troops led training sessions last week and the week before.

One commander said the trainers showed how to use NLAWs, a type of British anti-tank missile.

The report of serving British soldiers on the ground in Ukraine for the first time has not been confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence.

I watched the video. I was deliberately using sarcasm to compare the relative scale of the destruction.

I am fully aware that there are people living in the east who think of themselves as Russians. It's you though who is being simplistic. It's very complicated. Are you aware that there are also Russian speakers there who regard themselves as Ukrainians? Some of whom are fighting the Russians.

I read your comments and get a whiff of sympathy for Putin's land grab, as though just because some separatists exist their big brother next door is justified in taking whatever they want, just because they can.

There are two sides in this war. One is wrong, and the other is right. No-one, with access to the information we all have, ought to give even a hint of saying otherwise.

I've stated my position quite clearly since the war began. I blame Russia for starting it. As previously debated, the causes of the war I view as a complete failure of western policy since 91.

In terms of who owns what border area land between the Ukraine and Russia......Why on earth would I care? I don't....My principle concern is in the west and hence us getting out of this both economically and with our lives.

From the moment this war started I could see that the west had a poor hand compared to the Russians. This is an existential war for them, they are going all in. I stated that...I stated that they are ultimately going to win against Ukraine, it's just a matter of at what cost.....I stated right at the start that economic war would push Russian into China's hands. I stated right at the start that the world would actually divide and that politicians weren't telling people about the economic damage this would cause.....nor the increased terrorist threat that comes after it.

The course the west has undertaken doesn't see a 'win', all it does is put more people into poverty on both sides, with the comfortable and middle class losing out as well. I agree with Orban's position....sanctions made sense, increased Nato defence, but ultimately we are being pushed into attritional proxy war that has no winners, only losers.

My position has been to argue for peace as soon as possible and for the re-positioning back to the nineties where we rid ourselves of cold war and resolve a European continent to peace. That means respecting more than one power structure until such time that trust resolved them all into alignment.....I'm a pan European....of course I want that.

I view a Russia/China alliance....and if they aren't careful Indian alliance as a complete disaster both economically and strategically.

What am I meant to do....just shut up? That's how I see it panning out. I think our elites have taken the wrong decisions over decades here and they have doubled down on a bad hand.

Edited by Stirlingsays (17 Apr 2022 1.47am)

Yes, we disagree on Nato policy and the wisdom of policy in this area over decades.

In terms of globalism, you say that I must accept the version presented or be crushed. However, when it comes to Russia's version you, seemingly without self awareness, call that authoritarianism and say it can't be accepted.

Do you not see the contradiction? You just prefer one version of authoritarianism over another.

I am resentful over what has happened to my country and by extension what is happening in Europe the double standards and all the rest of it. That is one thing but I'll set that aside and talk about preferable end states for humanity.

I'm simply of the view that human beings have better lives in more decentralised power structures than fewer centralised ones.....not in every aspect (roads, health) but as a general rule the less control the powerful have over your life the better.

So I'm against elites, corporate or governmental whose actions are essentially returning us back to a master/serf relationship.

I understand that elites will always be with us and are needed, however I'm definitely of the few that their power needs capping.

If you recall my own view was, that as a Russian victory was all but inevitable, the best outcome would be a quick and painless one, which would inflict the minimal damage.

The problem with that is that neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians agree. Putin will take as much as he can, so with an easy victory would have taken the whole country. Ukraine wants to give away as little as possible, so is fighting to the end.

Your analysis of the west's behaviour and response is not shared by me. I think Nato has behaved admirably both in the years prior and now. I think the economic sanctions are vital and will need to be applied until Russia is persuaded to join the modern world. I don't see any threat from China here. They may well end up buying more from Russia and gradually having a greater influence over them but, on balance, see that as probably more of a positive, than a negative. We live in a fast changing world and that would be just another wheel turning.

As with you wanting to resist globalism, seeking to stop this happening is not going to work. The wheels of history will turn. We have only two choices. Turn with them or be crushed under them. What we need to resist is the kind of authoritarianism demonstrated by Putin. That cannot be accepted as a model for the future of the world.