Ukraine

But we all know he would.

 

Yes. But currently he can say they are fair, we all know otherwise, but he can say the west is making it up. He can even say that this is proof that the west is against Russia, after all, if the UN really wanted peace, would they not have organised a referendum for the poor persecuted ethnic Russians that Putin claims to be defending.

 

Looks like another turning point. In addition to this, I'm reading about mass protests, but unusually for Russia (apparently) people are now starting to stand up to the police, with reports of physical violence against anyone that tries to stop the protests. I read of one security forces officer being headbutted while trying to arrest someone, and another had to run for his life when a group of protesters chased him.

Putin has made a monumental error. His control over people was all about fear. Don't protest or you'll go to jail for ten years, or disappear, and probably get beaten up in any case. Problem is, now it's, don't protest and we'll send you and your brothers to your death and imprison you if you try to get out of it. Russia is now a nation of people with nothing to lose. If they stand up to their government, some will go to jail. But if they do nothing, they're getting sent to fight to the death against a nation of people that has all the motivation to win.

 

Unbelievably sad. Someone with a good aim needs to step in.

 

Someone blew up both Nordstream pipelines under the sea near Sweden.

The public news: nobody knows who did it.

Intelligence agencies (no doubt) : know exactly who did it, and the country that did it is sending a little message that they can creep about undetected wherever and whenever they want.

In other news, while fighting age Russians are crossing the border into Georgia to escape conscription, the Russians have announced they're putting a military recruitment centre right on their side of the border crossing. That's not even subtle.

 

Referendum result 101% of the complete residents, voted to be Russia

 

You joke, but have you seen the results? You're not far off. 99% in 3 out of 4 results announced. I mean, come on Putin, if you're going to cheat, at least try to make it believable. I'd have gone for about 80% if it was me.

 

The annexation vote has been counted, the results just in are:

- For joining Russia - 102% of vote
- Against joining Russia - 23% of vote

Turn out was reported to be high amongst those Russians who had been bused into the temporarily occupied areas.

 

That is not Putin - it's his body double - very close match though - got to give them that.

 

Putin has won.

Tomorrow he will announce that four regions of Ukraine will become part of Russia, following referendum results showing almost total support for that outcome.

Of course we all know that the referendums were ridiculous. But he's going to tell his people that all of the goals of the special military operation have been achieved, and eastern Ukraine has been liberated.

What happens next is Ukraine fails to respect the wishes of the people, and will attack the newly Russian territory. The evil Ukrainians will be backed by NATO, thus demonstrating that Putin was right all along when he claimed that NATO posed a threat to Russian security.

I can't see any possibility now for a peaceful resolution.