Spot on.

As Matov has already said, Ex Soviet states have been nibbling at Russia over the years. My opinion is that Putin is in an extraordinary position. Most powerful man on the planet and probably one of the richest. It would appear quite likely he wants to restore USSR which at 69 years old will be his legacy. No easy task.
In a matter of weeks he has turned to aggression to achieve his ambitious plans.
So what do we do as a world? We can either resist him aggressively which will result in a world war, or attempt to find a much softer solution.
Massive task either way. Putin has shown a very aggressive stance this morning in his released speech warning the rest of the world if it tries to get involved.
Very very messy.
No doubt more will be revealed in the coming days and weeks. This could go anywhere.

He has chosen the path of bloodshed and aggression and the world is on the precipice of a major conflict.
The West might be unified and talk of major sanctions, and indeed introduce them but these do not deter the maniac.I have read that NATO has 100 planes on "High alert".

Ae Putin's claims of genocide persecution true?

The Ukrainian army is a mixture of the professional, conscript but also mercenary and neo-fascist rag-bag factions.

100,000 Russian speaking civilians fleeing tells you a story.

Hopefully they will return to the new republics soon it shouldn't take long for Donbass to be clear.

The BBC correspondent is in Moscow live rubbishing Russia to the skies, he is free to do so.

Unlike the British government which seeks to shut down RT.

All well and good Willo, but it's so much easier to sound off with words but to actually do what you're suggesting means that my son, daughters, sons-in-law, nephews and nieces are all likely to see their lives turned absolutely upside down and some may not even live to see the age I'm at now.

It's absolutely no coincidence that this has happened so soon after the West was seen to be in utter disarray and ununified with the shambles that was the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the divisions politically that have ripped through both sides of the Atlantic. With images of the police kneeling in front of protesters do you really think we've got the stomach to "cut the head off the snake"? There would be further marches on the streets claiming illegal wars and "not in my name".

The West is soft. China must be watching with great interest how it responds before deciding its next move on Taiwan.

And don't even get me started on how millions of homes have allowed the all seeing/all hearing Alexa into their homes - a Trojan horse if ever I've seen one!

Living down here does have some advantages. At least you can see them cry.

Well, on the positive front, Putin has found us soft; but suddenly we are sounding unified. That he does not want.

BTW Putin's language was frothing nutter stuff. "De-Nazification"?? Ukraine is possibly not the least corrupt of countries, but...