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Some events like Dublin Digital Day (pictured) and Age Action teach older generations how to use technology, but not everyone has access to these classes. Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Know anyone who isn't tech-savvy? This is how you can help them this Christmas

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

SINCE YOU’RE HOME for Christmas, chances are you’re seeing friends or family members who, despite their best intentions, wouldn’t be the savviest when it comes to technology.

For the most part, this is understandable. For some people, thinking about security or how something works is a distance thought when your main focus is just using their smartphone or laptop.

The problem with this is we only start thinking about these things when something goes wrong.

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help them out. But first:

  • Always ask for permission before doing anything. Even if you think it’s fine, it’s good manners to ask.
  • Explain the reasons behind each action, even if it’s seems obvious.
  • Be patient. Sometimes, you may be tempted to take over and do things yourself but guiding them through the process is recommended.
  • Be prepared for questions – they are a good thing as it shows they want to learn.
  • Have a notepad handy so you can jot down notes for any major thing that comes up so they can use it as a reminder when you’re not around.

1) Check/Update their phone and PC/laptop software

One of the easiest ways you can keep devices safe is to make sure you’re using the latest version. Some like Windows offer updates automatically while others like Apple iOS will prompt you to update every now and again. Still, there are many people who are using older versions which are more vulnerable to malware.

iOSSettings > General > Software Update
AndroidSettings > About Phone/Tablet > System Updates (Official location may differ from device to device)
Windows 10Start > Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update*
MacOpen up Mac Store -> Updates

Remember that you won’t be able to use your device while it’s updating so save it for non-busy times.

* If the device runs an older version of Windows (7, 8, 8.1 or, god forbid, XP), either advise them to upgrade to 10, or use an alternative device (phone, tablet, Chromebook) if upgrading isn’t possible.

Apple Counterfeit Lawsuit Kiichiro Sato / Press Association Images Kiichiro Sato / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

2) Update WiFi firmware and change passwords

While you mightn’t think it, WiFi modems also require software to run properly and updates to help protect it from being compromised or other people from connecting to it without your permission. Accessing it is relatively simple, log into your browser and type in these codes into your address bar:

eir - 192.168.1.254 (for third-party modems, use 192.168.1.1)
Virgin Media - 192.168.1.1
Sky - 192.168.0.1

After that, type in your username and password. What that is will depend on the type of modem you’re using (further details for each one can be found here).

Here you can change your login details as well as install any firmware updates.

3) Install virus protection and scan devices

This is more relevant for PCs and laptops instead of smartphones but many security changes are irrelevant if a device is already infected. It’s not a bad idea to install something like Bitdefender, Avira, or AVG and scan a device in case there’s something amiss.

Also, it’s worth reiterating that there’s no such thing as 100% security and the older something is, be it software or hardware, the more vulnerable it is. It’s essential to stay one step ahead of this and explaining how to check this is important.

4) Check lock screen security on their devices

While unlocking phones is handier thanks to things like fingerprint scanners, some people forego using the lock screen completely. Make sure they’re using PIN, passwords or fingerprint scanners, anything that prevents anyone from unlocking it

Go through features like auto-lock (the length of time it takes for a phone to lock when left dormant) as it’s easy to forget.

Tech Samsung Store Richard Drew / Press Association Images Richard Drew / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

5) Set up Find my Phone/laptop 

Another action that can be completed relatively quickly. There is no reason why this and the ability to locate, ring or wipe your phone remotely is a useful option to have.

iOS – Sign into iCloud.
Android – Download into Google Device Manager and sign in.
Windows – Settings > Update and Security

While the legality of recovering your phone through this process isn’t as straightforward as you might think, the ability to wipe it remotely or ring it still makes it worthwhile.

img2.thejournal Google Google

6) Back up their phone data

One of the most annoying things that can happen is losing your data. Regardless of how it happens – theft, loss or your device failing – it pays to have your contacts, messages and other important information backed up.

Depending on the device, you can either use iCloud, your Google account or Windows backup to do this. For specific apps like WhatsApp, you should check its settings to see if there’s a backup option.

7) Check accessibility features

Accessibility features may be aimed at those who are unable to use a phone like normal but even those who might not suffer from a condition can find certain accessibility features useful.

Alongside options like inverted colour, things like larger text or a touch delay might help them out. For example, iOS has a zoom mode hidden in Settings > Display which blows up text and icons a little. It might not change their world, but it will make things easier for them.

Also remember that for Android devices, you can download different launchers like Wiser or Nokia Z Launcher which are easier to use.

screen-shot-2016-09-19-at-09-52-03 Launchers like Wizer can simplify Android devices so they're easier to use. Wizer / Google Play Wizer / Google Play / Google Play

8) Sort out account security

One of the easiest ways to improve account security is to start using two-factor authentication, a process that requires you to use a randomised code from an app to log into your account.

This shouldn’t be used in place of a strong password which is key to protecting accounts.

Creating strong passwords is easy, but remembering them is the hard part. There are two ways to get around this. The recommended step is to use a password manager like 1Password, LastPass, Sticky Password or KeePass, which create random, complex passwords and takes the work out of remembering them.

Another option is to write down said passwords and store them in a safe place. There are obvious cons to this – if you’re prone to losing items or live with people you don’t trust, then it’s best not to do this – but the chances of anyone breaking into your house so they can steal a piece of paper isn’t likely.

The biggest threat is a hacker remotely breaking into an account because a person used a weak password like ‘1234567’. Strong passwords should be a major priority and a password manager is your safest (and easiest) bet.

9) Teach them about what signs to look out for

The methods used to trick people into handing over personal information and details is well documented, but with these attempts becoming more sophisticated, it’s harder for even experienced users to spot when something is a scam.

Take some time to explain the different ways you can check out something first:

- Check who is sending the email and the address. An official company using a @gmail or @outlook address is usually a warning sign.

img2.thejournal

- Usually, such scams try to impersonate an official company (online banking, Amazon, Apple, etc.) and feature details that may look similar to an official email. Show them what an official email looks like first so they can spot any irregularities.

- If it’s a company or name you’re not familiar with, Google them first to see if they’re legitimate. Don’t just settle for the first result you see either.

- Don’t trust pop-up ads. They usually bring you to a false or misleading site.

- Don’t click on any links from unsolicited mail.

- Likewise, tell them about official signs that show their information is safe. If you’re shopping online, never enter personal info into anything that doesn’t have a HTTPS sign. Also, check for a physical address and phone number, reviews and other details that verify them.

10) And for everything else…

Let them play around with it and see what it can do. For sake of argument, if they’re learning to use a messaging service like WhatsApp, let them send messages to you and experience how it works.

You learn faster when you’re doing something and while you might have to be on call for any potential questions, they will get the hang of it. Just remember to be patient and it will be worth it in the end.

Read: Netflix users can now download films and TV shows >

Read: Scammers using Whatsapp and Daft to extort money from desperate renters >

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11 Comments
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    Mute Brian Kelly
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    Jan 26th 2022, 2:33 PM

    It’s a good thing there is still dialogue between them. I’m still on the side of Ukrainian people and their government. They should be allowed to join what ever they want be it the EU and NATO. No other country should dictate to them what they can and cannot do. This is what is called democracy!

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:18 PM

    @Brian Kelly: True, Ukraine should be allowed to join what they want. And I’m sure NATO would be only too glad to have them join. It would mean NATO/US bases set up in Ukraine right in the face of Russia.
    On the other hand could you imagine if Canada or Mexico decided to join a Russian military alliance? With Russian bases set up around Canada or Mexico peering in to the US? I wonder what the US reaction to that would be to that? Maybe they would put 100,000 troops on the border as a show of strength?

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:41 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: Something tells me Canada isn’t going to quit NATO and join Russia any time soon.

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:49 PM

    @Roy Dowling: of course Canada are not going to join a Russian military alliance. Do I really have to explain to you what the point of using Canada and Mexico in my comment was for?

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:04 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: russia is a bad neighbour especially with Putin harboring territorial ambitions. you cant blame any country bordering russia from looking for assisstance keeping the bear from the door.

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    Mute Kerrill Thornhill
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:45 PM

    @Brian Kelly: It’s oxymoronic to keep say you are on the side of democracy and support the violent coup that overthrew democracy in Ukraine in 2014, installing a fascist regime – who incidentally are the only country (with US) who recently refused to condemn the glorification of nazism in the UN. There is a huge swath of Ukraine that does not support the current regime, pretending there is a united Ukrainian voice is garbage, who is going to protect them from more atrocities like this, carried out by Western backed forces: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/ukraine-dead-odessa-building-fire

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:48 PM

    @Roy Dowling: Hypothetical arguments are hard.

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:41 PM

    @superdooper: wouldn’t disagree with you but Cuba felt the same about the US and we nearly had WWIII over Russia attempt at setting up in Cuba.

    There’s still sanctions imposed on Cuba by US today for being a communism country.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:49 PM

    @Jim Buckley Barrett: true. i think the americans found it useful to have cuba as a bogeyman. gave them a handy enemy.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:09 PM

    @superdooper: Israel and Saudi Arabia are bad neighbors. Don’t see the EU, NATO or the US imposing sanctions and threatening them if they keep attacking there neighbors.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:34 PM

    @Roy Dowling: true.

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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:40 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: they’re all gangsters dude – the yanks/ nato in Iraq – the russkis in Syria – the only ones that gain are the crooks at the top and regular folk suffer – until we have a brotherhood of man nothing will change

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    Mute Paul Duffy
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:10 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: didn’t we have something like that before…. oh yeah Cuba
    The yanks didn’t like that one little bit

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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:12 PM

    @Roy Dowling: yeah he’s just showing it from Russia’s point of view. This thing is the Cuban missile crisis in reverse. Now it’s the Americans who are friendly with Russia’s neibhours and they’re worried about first strike missiles being placed in ukraine a couple of thousand miles from Moscow. America lost the rag when it was the Russians putting their missiles in Cuba. And yes America invaded Cuba too they just got some separatists to do the work much like what Russia is claiming.
    Recently both countries have been shooting down their own satellights in a message that says don’t try putting the missiles in space attached to satellights. Now we have space debris that presents a hazard. Both of these countries have no right to involve the rest of the planet but that’s the status quo.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:01 AM

    @Brian Kelly: Funny but when the Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba the US responded just like Russia is now. Where was the democracy when the U.S. supported by the coalition ( NATO ) invaded Iraq. Hypocrisy and propaganda at it’s best

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 3:49 PM

    The Americans need to back out of this. Everything they do is influenced by their own internal division now. Biden is the only one making threats at the moment. Putin has been playing the American division for years and there’s nothing to suggest this is any different. The Americans need to concentrate on how to fix their own union before all he’ll breaks lose there.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:05 PM

    @Vonvonic: you remember russia invaded ukraine in 2014 right and seized the crimea. he got away with it then and now hes looking for more. appeasdidnt work with the nazis and it wont work here

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:16 PM

    @superdooper: do you remember when the US and its allies invaded half the middle east and got away with it?

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:17 PM

    @superdooper: “Appeasment didn’t work with the Nazis” is a cliche based on a misunderstanding of the facts; and propagated by Curchillites. In reality, it allowed Britain the time to arm up. Even after the Nazis invaded Poland; it took months before Britain were in a position to enter the war properly.
    In any case; it’s has no resemblance to current events. The absolute imperative in Ukraine is to avoid war. The French are far more likely to achieve this through diplomacy than a US which doesn’t know what to do with itself; never mind Ukraine. Biden is making a complete fool of himself with the tough talk.

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:22 PM

    @superdooper: The last thing Russia needs is more land. It’s already the largest country on the planet, by a very long margin. This is about security for Russia. They do not trust NATO. They accepted NATO as a neighbour in the smaller Baltic states, but they’ve said repeatedly and consistently that Ukraine is a line too far, because of those security concerns; which appear justified considering that NATO keeps prodding at them. If there are parallels with Nazis in the 1930′s, then the lines run in exactly the opposite direction to that which you think they do.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:30 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: so the fact that us invaded iraq means that russia gets a free invasion of ukraine is it?

    23
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:32 PM

    @Vonvonic: the war could have been avoided altogether if france and britain had refused to allow germany to rearm in the first place. they ignored the nazis rearmament and allowed hitler act with impunity on the mistaken belief that if they acceeded then he would stop. he never did

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @superdooper: The nazis had rearmed well before appeasement came about. Go.away and read about.
    Again, nothing to do with the current situation in Ukraine. It’s not a zero sum game. Nothing is black and white here.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:51 PM

    @Vonvonic: the Ukrainians would say its pretty black and white.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:00 PM

    @Vonvonic: appeasement continued for almost the entirety of the 1930s. if the allies had taken a stronger unified approach at the reoccupation of the rhineland it might ( and what were both talking about is whataboutery) have deterred the nazis.

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:30 PM

    @superdooper: The British military stated over and over in the 30s that they didn’t have the capacity to defend the med and the homeland. It was the main reason for appeasement. They wanted to keep their empire.
    No, the Ukranians wouldn’t say it’s black and white. Their stated aim is a diplomatic solution. Are you saying that someone should go to war with the Russia?

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:52 PM

    @Vonvonic: i dont russia should go to war with anyone. i think russia should withdraw from crimea

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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:03 PM

    @superdooper: Russia have been invaded in the past by Germany and Napoleon. Russia wishes to protect its border and do not want Nato military bases on its border as was agreed in 1991. Russia is the largest country on earth full of minerals, metals, oil and gas. They have no need for small additional tracts of land in Eastern Europe. Russia needs access to the Black Sea so they can get to the Meditteranean and the Indian Ocean. The Russian Navy is based in Crimea and they have been there for centuries since Elizabeth The Great defeated the Ottoman Empire who previously defeated the Greeks. So no way they were going to give up those Navy bases.

    33
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:24 PM

    @Damian Moylan: in 1994 ukraine returned 1700 nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for territorial agreements. Russia broke those sgreements when they invaded in 2014

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:04 AM

    @superdooper: Think the Russians have experienced the Nazi regime before. Wonder why you didn’t mention the coup that brought the present Ukraine government to power. If you can remember the Western media claimed the new government were right wing fascists..Funny how that has suddenly changed.

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:38 AM

    @Damian Moylan: this isn’t about Russia gaining land it’s about Putin rebuilding the USSR in his image and longing for his old KGB days and for that he needs Ukraine, and if he’s let get away with seizing that where will he stop? The border with Germany? Will he try to get eastern Germany back. At what point does he get told enough is enough. After he invaded Hungary or the Czech Republic.??

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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:06 PM

    Russian minorities in Ukraine don’t want to be under Kiev rule and is Russian a language of the EU when their are minorities in the Baltic states and decades of Russian influence in eastern and central europe. Europe needs to make overture to Russia that shows that it respects its security issues.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:27 PM

    @andrew: so russia is allowed sponsor rebellion amongst their populations living abroad then seize territory

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:43 AM

    @andrew: This is nothing to do with security. That’s just Russian propaganda. It’s to do with Russia taking back land that it considers to be Russian. Despite the fact hat it isn’t Russia’s to take back!

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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:00 PM

    The best solution to this crisis and conflict would be best resolved by dialogue between the people of the Ukraine and the people of Russia, as they are the ones that have the most to lose if this conflict escalates.

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    Mute Splat
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:40 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: oh the democratic peoples of Russia?… I just fell off my chair.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:55 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Russia isn’t interested in dialogue. Where was the dialogue when they annexed Crimea? Where was the dialogue when they sent in soldiers and funding to terrorists in Eastern Ukraine? Zilch.

    Putin is a tyrant.

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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:11 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Ukraine broke the agreement about Crimea where was agreed annual lease for the land upon which the Russian Navy have their bases. Turns out Russia has been in Crimea for centuries (1783) and most people working there are connected to the Russian Navy complex. As a largely land locked country they need Crimea as access point to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. No way they were going to be forced to leave the Black Sea and replaced by the U.S. Navy or Nato ships in Crimea on their doorstep.

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    Mute Zmeevo Libe
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:05 PM

    It is great that France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia are having talks without the Americans. By all that was written in the last week it looks like the US of A are doing their best to ramp up the tensions. After all, if a war starts they will be on a different continent, so why not start s small profitable war in Europe? I wonder how long will NATO last. It is so blatantly pushing for American interests over those of their allies, you wonder how would European countries keep up the appearances?

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:48 AM

    Russia is the kid in the playground who’s parents had a really bad divorce and he’s going around bullying other kids because it gives him a sense of power. Now substitute that bully for Putin.

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