Ukraine

That's a good point. Putin might think if he tells Lukashenko to fire a tactical nuke, then any NATO response might be directed at Belarus. As Belarus is hardly a threat to anyone the response would be very measured. Putin, while abandoning his puppet, could say it's proof that he was right that it's NATO that's encroaching too close to his territory, while at the same time not deeming it necessary to engage NATO directly.

I can imagine a nutter like Putin thinking like that.

In other news, I see the African delegation has had a wasted journey. They went there insisting that Putin end the war and return all the stolen children, but got totally shut down midway through the meeting.

 

Putin and his top brass are in deep poo now.

Russia: Putin vows to punish Wagner's Prigozhin after city seized in armed mutiny - BBC News

Wagner has turned on them.

 

This can only be good for Ukraine. Reuters is reporting that Russian helicopters attacked the convoy heading towards Moscow. Wagner is not going to leave troops in Ukraine and allow their troops in Russia to be slaughtered and if they pull their forces out of Ukraine then the Russian conscripts will fall to Ukrainian troops.
I thought it spoke volumes the fact that Putin's broadcast was pre-recorded. Perhaps he and his billions are heading for pastures new.

 

Could we be seeing the start of a civil war in Russia.

 

The latest news on BBC's live thing says Putin's private plane has left Moscow. I wonder why that is.

Could it be because there are reports of sightings of Wagner group people still advancing in the direction of Moscow?

I think in most predictable scenarios it's a good thing, but I do slightly worry about two possible outcomes. The first being, what if Putin decides to use a nuke on Ukraine, as he must now know that his side has no chance in a conventional battle. My other concern being what happens if Putin's regime crumbles. The boss of Wagner has on more than one occasion hinted that he thought the invasion of Ukraine was a stupid idea. But at the same time, he is a serious nut case himself. If he topples Putin, I guess none of us know what he'll do next.

 

Russia appears to be full of nutcases.
I think it mostly always has been, with the odd exception they just seem to be a bunch of power crazy idiots.
I think at some stage the actual people of Russia need to wake up and see what they are supporting.
I saw a programme a few months ago, going around asking ordinary Russians what they thought about the war, and they just seem to be mostly brainwashed, almost like a colony of ants. For want of a better description.

 

For Russia substitute UK, USA, China, or choose one of your own.

 

I dont think its quite the same here, we can question our leaders without getting sent down a salt mine, as for China, well never understood that place and never will.

 

Our leaders ARE a bunch of power-crazy idiots though.

 

I assume if you want to be a leader you also want power, most of the historical leaders were not nice people, you dont get anywhere if you're "nice".

 

Yeah. I wonder if it was a stunt. But it did seem that the Russians were bricking it. They even smashed up some of their own roads to slow down Wagner's advance.

I wonder if the plan was to lure Ukraine into rushing forward, into a trap, but seeing as this whole mutiny lasted less than day I doubt that gave enough time for the Ukrainians to change their plans.

Bottom line, I can't fathom what they're playing at.

 

I think its called chaos.