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Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine Alamy Stock Photo

US puts troops on alert over Ukraine as Biden calls European allies

NATO also said it was sending jets and ships to bolster its eastern flank.

LAST UPDATE | 24 Jan 2022

THE US HAS put 8,500 troops on alert over the growing tension in Ukraine and President Joe Biden called European allies in an effort to maintain Western unity against Russian pressure.

The European Union, meanwhile, urged allies to avoid a “nervous breakdown” in the face of fears that Russia could stage a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Despite insisting he has no intention of attacking, President Vladimir Putin has deployed some 100,000 troops close to Ukraine, where Russia already seized Crimea in 2014 and backs a separatist army in the east.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US force of up to 8,500 was on “heightened alert,” but the troops were not yet being deployed. Most of the troops would be used to boost the NATO Response Force if it were to be activated.

“What this is about … is reassurance to our NATO allies,” Kirby said. “It sends a very clear signal to Mr Putin that we take our responsibilities to NATO seriously.”

NATO also said it was sending jets and ships to bolster its eastern flank.

The tension helped fuel instability in global markets, while Russia’s main stock index plunged and the central bank suspended foreign currency purchasing after the ruble slumped.

Moscow is demanding a guarantee that Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, never be allowed to join NATO, as well as other concessions by the United States in return for a decrease in tension.

The United States and NATO have rejected the Russian demands and told Putin to de-escalate, warning that a Russian attack on Ukraine will trigger “severe” economic sanctions and a beefed-up NATO presence in eastern Europe.

The French government announced that Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet, along with French and German counterparts, in Paris on Wednesday to try to find a way out of the impasse.

Unity search

As the crisis drags on, Washington is trying to maintain transatlantic and NATO unity against Russia, which supplies about 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

Biden held a secure video call lasting an hour and 20 minutes with the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, the EU and NATO, the White House said.

The White House said the talks were “part of our close consultation and coordination”.

And Kirby insisted “there is no daylight” between Washington and EU allies.

Echoing other US warnings, Kirby said intelligence shows “it’s very clear that the Russians have no intention right now of de-escalating”.

However, some European leaders are signaling they feel less alarmed.

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after talks with US top diplomat Antony Blinken that there was nothing to suggest an “immediate” Russian attack.

“You have to stay calm doing what you have to do, and avoid a nervous breakdown,” he said.

While Britain and Australia followed the United States in ordering diplomats’ families to leave Kyiv, the EU and the Ukrainian government said any withdrawal of foreign embassy personnel was premature. France told citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the country.

NATO troops ‘on standby’

The US-led NATO alliance said its members were placing troops “on standby” and sending ships and jets to bolster eastern Europe’s defenses in response to the Russian buildup, pointing to recent decisions by Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands to mobilise forces.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg insisted the alliance “will continue to take all necessary measures to protect” members.

The Kremlin accused NATO of “hysteria”.

It also claimed that Ukrainian troops fighting Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country could launch an offensive, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office to say that Ukraine will not “succumb to provocations”.

The United States has warned that Moscow could manufacture a “false flag” incident in Ukraine to be able to then frame an invasion as a justified response.

EU differences

The European Union and the United States are trying to agree on a package of sanctions against Moscow that it hopes will deter Russia.

But the 27-nation bloc faces a complex task, as members have starkly differing approaches and ties to Russia.

The new government in EU economic powerhouse Germany has faced criticism from Kyiv over its refusal to send arms to Ukraine and hesitation over one of the harshest economic punishments being discussed – cutting Moscow from the global SWIFT payment system.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted any further aggression from Moscow would get a “clear response” from Europe and talked up the economic support Berlin gives Kyiv.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was preparing a 1.2-billion-euro emergency financial aid package for Ukraine.

Non-NATO member Ireland meanwhile sounded the alarm over upcoming Russian military exercises off its southwest coast in the international waters of the Atlantic.

© AFP 2022

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    Mute Dave Johnston
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    Jan 24th 2022, 7:15 AM

    Looking like an invasion is imminent.

    322
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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:32 AM

    @Dave Johnston: It’s the quality of daily life for men, women and children in safe homes that matters not what flag is flying.

    160
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    Mute Edward Natali
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:14 PM

    @Tom Molloy: True. But I somehow doubt a war/invasion would improve the average quality of life for citizens.. Or make them feel any safer in their home..

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    Mute Billy Davies
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:24 PM

    @Dave Johnston: here can they not just agree to saying Ukraine isnt joining NATO. (Doesnt mean they can’t be paly and but weapons, defence systems and what not off western countries and the Russian brigades return to wherever in Russis tge came from. Problem sorted or is that too easy?

    31
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    Mute Kerrill Thornhill
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    Jan 24th 2022, 5:21 PM

    @Dave Johnston: What it actually looks like is the sexed up ‘WMD dossier’ propaganda team are back again. There is an article almost daily for the last couple of weeks telling us the Russians are going to invade – even the insane mutterings of Johnson or Liz Truss warrant an article… Britain and the US have been providing arms and troops to a RW government they installed after a coup – the likelihood is that Western aligned forces will initiate a conflict to take the East or Ukraine with it’s majority Russian population via military force, but all we’ll be able to think about is the Russians started it. Propaganda blitzes like this are always the precursor to something malevolent

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    Mute Diaspora'd
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    Jan 24th 2022, 8:32 PM

    @Kerrill Thornhill: 400.000 Ukrainian protesters on the Maidan in Kiev all rustled up the CIA.? Is this the CIA that couldn’t rustlie up WMDs for the US military to find after the Iraq invasion to justify to the American people that the Iraq invasion was justified?.
    You give the CIA too much credit.

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    Mute Peter
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:33 PM

    @Kerrill Thornhill: ok so what the Russian army only have like 1000 guys on the border and the 100,000 plus is a typo. Give over and scuttle back into the box in the GRU basement.

    28
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 25th 2022, 2:21 AM

    @Kerrill Thornhill: yeah because the crimean invasion never happened either.

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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Jan 25th 2022, 4:59 AM

    @Tom Molloy: you’d like a Union Jack over Dublin would you?

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    Mute Squarepeg01
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    Jan 24th 2022, 8:48 AM

    After the fiasco of the Afghanistan withdrawal, it seems the Biden administration is taking its own incompetence seriously.

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    Mute Baronvoncass
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:27 AM

    @Squarepeg01: who initiated the terms and timing of the withdrawal….

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    Mute Peazel
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:40 AM

    @Baronvoncass: joe and co. They brought it forward rushed it due to Taliban threats to do so or face attacks otherwise

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:43 AM

    @Baronvoncass: That’s is such a weak excuse. The complete shambles of the Afgan withdrawal was managed by Biden’s administration.

    130
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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:56 AM

    @Peazel: Hate to burst your bubble but Joe and co were not in the oval office when the withdrawal if US troops from Afghanistan started. And they didn’t rush it forward when they got into the oval office either. Im Donald Trump stated he’d have all US troops home from Afghanistan before the end of his first term as president. The fact your blaming Joe and co shows trump failed and left Joe to complete the withdrawal. Which to be fair he didn’t do a great job of it .

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:59 AM

    @Alan Wright: the withdrawal started in 2020. it turned into a route when afghan army capitulated

    36
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    Mute Peazel
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:00 AM

    @Roy Dowling: mmhmm yeah so anyway, the whole thing was botched. What you’re not understanding, and maybe that’s my fault, is that Joe and co completed that rushed evacuation over several days we all witnessed on the news. Trump may have started it but the bulk was done in the hatched job that was played out on every news channel the world over, and that was Joe and co. Trump was wrong to deal trust the Taliban, absolutely, but stop talking BS and laying the blame on what happened all over the news on his administration when it was clearly old sleepy Joe

    74
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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:03 AM

    @Peazel: this Link shows trump pulling troops out. But you keep blaming Joe on it like a good trump supporter denying the facts

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54968200

    63
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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:05 AM

    @Peazel: Erm peazel had trump done what he promised Joe wouldn’t have had any troops in Afghanistan to remove. Granted he made a mess of what was left but he inherited mess from trump to begin with. Who couldn’t get them out either .

    43
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:06 AM

    @Peazel: where were the forces to stop the taliban advance going to come from? there wasnt sufficient presence left in afghanistan to stop them in time. the taliban retook the country in less than a week and could have realistically destroyed the americans present except they didnt want the counter attack

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:07 AM

    @Peazel: Also remember trump was only interested in bringing US troops home. What caused the choas for the Biden administration was he brought out as many of the Afghanistan people who helped the Americans in Afghanistan . Trump was leaving them there.

    35
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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:29 AM

    @superdooper: So that excuses the Biden administrations final withdrawal mess in 2021. Why people can’t admit that is really weird, it’s like all objective observation is gone from the world.

    39
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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:33 AM

    @Alan Wright: Oh and to add, yes Trump started the Afgan withdrawal in 2020, but when Biden came into office he immediately overturned all actions Trump brought in, except conveniently this, because Biden thought he’d be a hero for ‘getting the troops home’, but ultimately F’d it up and then blamed Trump.

    62
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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:39 AM

    @Alan Wright: The reason biden overturned trumps actions was because Trump was only bringing home us troops. He was going to leave all the Afghanistan people who aided the US and its allies there to suffer at the hands of the Taliban. Granted Joes administration made a hash it the withdrawal. But he took out far more people than trump as planning. Also trump couldn’t get the troops out by Christmas as he planned so Joe’s job of bringing out every was always going to be more difficult. ,Jhq

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:51 AM

    @Alan Wright: youre assigning fault im saying look at the reality objectively and move on

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:01 AM

    @superdooper: I’m sorry, but calling total BS on that. Honestly, if it were Trump that oversaw the catastrophic Afgan withdrawal in 2021, would you have or still be assigning fault? Sure you would. And the same should stand for Biden.

    29
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:26 AM

    @Alan Wright: it was trumps fault. he downgraded the american military presence in the face of growing taliban insurgency . trump also released the most able taliban commanders back into circulation improving the taliban effectiveness. then he walked away from it all saying its not his problem. afghanistan was always going to fall after that it was just a matter of how much blood spilled

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:51 AM

    @superdooper: Biden getting voted into office is not the same as “Trump walking away”. See the way you twist the reality of events. As time goes on, I identify less and less with the ideals of the Left. If I was American, it could push one to even vote Republican. Denial or either side is not acceptable. I even seen CNN yesterday call out the incompetence of Biden’s first year. Now, if that’s not a sign of failure, I don’t know what is.

    37
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:10 PM

    @Alan Wright: ah yes but see the way you couldnt argue any of my points . why not blame bush for going into afghanistan or obama for staying there ? pointless

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:13 PM

    @superdooper: Oh Jaysus, why don’t we go all the way back in history to the first person/tribe that went to war and blame them for all the ills of the world that came afterwards.

    17
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    Mute E.J. Murray
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:27 PM

    @Squarepeg01: — A few members of the self-appointed Afghan government are only in the government because Trump had them released from custody. Perhaps he thought he could build a Trump hotel in Kabul, complete with a golf course, so that members of the Taliban could have golfing breaks in between kicking their ways through doors and killing women who have ideas above their station?

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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:16 PM

    @Peazel: the fact is that the current taliban leadership were all in prison and released by Trump as part of the withdrawal negotiations. Trump literally released the terrorists from prison who went on to take over Afghanistan and are now presiding over a humanitarian disaster in their homeland while they refuse to allow women to return to work to provide for their families. Biden botched the quick withdrawal when it came to it but it was 100% Trump who lay the ground work for the Taliban return by releasing their leadership from Prison.

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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:33 PM

    @Peazel: You people (Trumpets) really are a joke. As always, absolutely no idea what you’re talking about… but talking anyway, of course. “Let’s Go Brandon”, eh? Amirite?

    13
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    Mute Cowboy Paddy
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:47 PM

    @Alan Wright:
    Trump basically painted Biden into a corner in Afghan, Biden would have lost a lot more life by taking any other choices…
    Biden had less than 2500, Trump alone left 5000 Taliban out of jail… Biden was stuck agreeing to Trump deal or starting an outright war again… It decided to take the crap deal…

    13
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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:18 AM

    All the Yanks have to do is remove the nukes from Russia’s back door and stick to the promised they made in 1991, then they can leave their staff in place. Doh! Forgot about the MIC, they need a market for their nukes!

    180
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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:54 AM

    @Mike Lucey: in 1994 Ukraine returned its 1700 nukes to russia in exchange for territorial assurances which russia broke in 2014 when they invaded .

    205
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    Mute John Flood
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:28 AM

    @Mike Lucey: where are the ‘nukes at Russia’s back door’ exactly? They are at sea, or missile based in the US. And there are no bombers sitting alert armed with nukes. So where is the back door location?

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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:36 PM

    @John Flood: John, There is an article in The Guardian, ‘Russia’s belief in NATO ‘betrayal’-and why it matters today’ , which explains the foundation for my comments. It’s on the Net, just Google to read.

    Then again ‘a promise’ from US Sec of State, James Baker simply was not good enough! Gorbachev should have insisted on writing the no NATO expansion into a treaty. Since German reunification 14 new members have joined NATO. The ‘back door’ members I was referring to are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

    41
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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:54 PM

    @Mike Lucey: the 3 baltic states you mention are in constant fear of Russian intimidation. I suggest you go to the Estonian border with Russia and see the large military presence not far from it and Russia buzzing them with jets everyday or do you not believe the Estonians which like us is a small peaceful country.

    59
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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:02 PM

    @Mjhint: If Estonia was a small peaceful country like Ireland they would not be part of NATO with nukes pointing at Russia!

    47
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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:55 PM

    @Mike Lucey: There are no NATO nukes at Russia’s back door. None are located in former Warsaw Pact countries that are now in NATO. There are no land deployed nuclear weapons in Europe and any deployable by submarine or by aircraft are all in Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey. Don’t be too quick to accept the Putin Paranoia.

    54
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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:22 PM

    @Mike Lucey: Do you honestly think that Estonia would be safe from Putin if they didn’t have NATO membership? Look what happened Georgia and Ukraine because they’re not NATO members. Make no mistake if Ireland were living under the same pressure as former soviet States we’d be much better off in NATO too.

    57
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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 29th 2022, 5:46 PM

    @Gerry McCaughey: Gerry, I suggest you read Joe Lauria’s take on the situation. ‘Tangled Tale of NATO Expansion at the heart of Ukraine Crisis. It may be located, here, consortiumnews.com/2022/01/28/the-tangled-tale-of-nato-expansion-at-the-heart-of-ukraine-crisis/

    Joe Laurie comes up with hard recorded facts, not the current media rubbish being out about.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jan 24th 2022, 7:49 AM

    Horrendous situation for Ukrainians. If Russia invades it will be time to take them to task as frightening as that may seem.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:15 AM

    @Mjhint: defiantly. We should do exactly what we did to the US and the UK for all the invasions and government overthrows they orchestrated. That will teach the Russians a lesson.

    148
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    Mute Mjhint
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:47 PM

    @Ivan Connolly: Well crazy Ivan we should but bad enough as they are I’d rather deal with them anyway over Russia. I’m lucky I got to deal with the Russian military on many borders. Not a pleasant experience and the poles and Czechs will tell you all you need to know.

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    Mute Denis White
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:56 PM

    @Mjhint: Ukraine have had enough time since 1989 to get their country in order. But no it’s been corruption at the highest levels in Kiev.Wouldn’t trust them for one minute

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Jan 25th 2022, 8:25 AM

    @Mjhint: well anonymous you’ll excuse me if I don’t give much credence your big story. You prob can’t remember the Irish history with the Uk, or the Indian or more than half of Africa. Perhaps you might like to talk to the South Americans about their experiences with the US, any of them. Or maybe the Iranians, the Iraqis the Indonesians, the Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians. I could literally go on to mention about 70% of the peoples of the world who have suffered under appalling injustices and misery directly and indirectly from the UK and the US so try to inform yourself a little before you embarrass yourself.

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:46 AM

    US senators are raging for a new war. First they send weapons, next will be advisors like in Vietnam!

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:55 AM

    @Carlos André: the war has been going since 2014 when russia invaded

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:08 AM

    @superdooper: what do you mean by invaded when at least 70% of Crimea population is Russian?

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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:15 AM

    @Carlos André: i mean invaded because Russian troops entered and seized territory belonging to Ukraine. its not hard. plus the ethnic make up of Crimea doesnt matter.

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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:52 PM

    @Carlos André: Exactly Carlos! And from memory, didn’t over 95% of Crimea vote to join the Russian Federation with a voter turnout of over 80% in 2014?

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    Mute Éamonn ÓGallchobhair
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:29 PM

    @superdooper: It does matter plus the 16th March referendum that declared crimea part of Russia.

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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:27 PM

    @Carlos André: 30% of the population of Gort are Brazilian. Should Brazilian troops be allowed on the streets to dictate laws and rules in heavily Brazilian areas here?

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Jan 24th 2022, 3:17 PM

    @Gerry McCaughey: great comparison! You might need to study a bit of history and geography before commenting.

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Jan 24th 2022, 3:54 PM

    @superdooper: Crimea was gifted to Ukraine by Kruschev. It was not Ukrainian territory before that gift. The majority in Crimea is Russian and supports Russia. So rather than invasion, perhaps Russia took back what was rightfully its own? The US and UK assume the right to protect their ‘power’, interests and spheres of influence, why isn’t Russia entitled to protect its interests and influence, in a similar fashion? The West has been very dismissive of Russia, even though it won the second world war and defeated Nazism. Perhaps that was an apposite time to reorient relations between the West and the former USSR [primarily Russia]? To have opened up trade and other normal international relations with Russia and eliminated, or at least greatly reduced, the tensions between East and West and promoted peace throughout Europe and Eurasia? But, as we know, the West made a different choice at the time, the consequences of which we still feel today. As for invading other peoples’ countries, there are no better at that than the US and the UK, neither of which is renowned for fair or decent treatment of subjected peoples where they install[ed] themselves.

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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:37 PM

    @Gerry McCaughey: yeah Gerry but 70% of Gort are Irish, so save enough.

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    Mute Peter
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:44 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: so Russia didn’t invade Ukraine in 2014, ok, did they invade Georgea or was that an episode of Russian MASH, how about Afganistan? Oh wait no we aint supposed to mention that little excursion that resulted in Russian soldiers commiting some of the worst acts of crimes against himanity since the second works war. What about arming and advising the vietamise or the north koreans. No Russia is a peacefull country that loves everybody except anybody that says anything against the state. Just ask the 20 million that joe stal no wiat they are all dead. Maybe ask the hungarians how things went for them under kruschev? Sorry for speeling mistakes. Tis late.

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    Mute Denis White
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    Jan 25th 2022, 12:01 AM

    @Carlos André: and was a part of Russia until the 1950’s and only handed over to Ukraine by Russia as a birthday gift. Ukraine was in the USSR at the time.
    Maybe Russia should move on Alaska as it was originally theirs and we’re never paid by the US for it.

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    Mute Denis White
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    Jan 25th 2022, 12:01 AM

    @Carlos André: and was a part of Russia until the 1950’s and only handed over to Ukraine by Russia as a birthday gift. Ukraine was in the USSR at the time. Maybe Russia should move on Alaska as it was originally theirs and we’re never paid by the US for it. LoL :))

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    Mute Denis White
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    Jan 25th 2022, 12:08 AM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: well said

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    Jan 25th 2022, 2:30 AM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: so to clarify russia wanted crimea and because russia wanted it its okay. its okay that they sent troops into a foreign country and annexed part of it. and the slim barely recognisable reasoning is that the area is predominantly ethnic russian. despite the fact that theyve been ukranians since the 1950s.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:58 PM

    Good to see Lisa Smiths trial going ahead tomorrow.

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    Mute Éamonn ÓGallchobhair
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    Jan 24th 2022, 8:38 AM

    The U.S. governments funding of its slave Nato means they don’t have to invade Russia for long time. Just keep forcing wars on them like they did between Russia & Afghanistan.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:51 AM

    @Éamonn ÓGallchobhair: are you blaming the US fir Russia invading Afghanistan??

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    Mute Éamonn ÓGallchobhair
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:42 PM

    @superdooper:  U.S. Department of Defense representative Walter B. Slocombe ”asked if there was value in keeping the Afghan insurgency going, ‘sucking the Soviets into a Vietnamese quagmire?’” When asked to clarify this remark, Slocombe explained: “Well, the whole idea was that if the Soviets decided to strike at this tar baby [Afghanistan] we had every interest in making sure that they got stuck.”

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    Mute Zmeevo Libe
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:07 PM

    @superdooper: Read your history. Afganistan had modern leftwing government. Mujahideen attack said government (who do you think organised and armed them?). Afgani government asks Soviet Union for help. Soviet union sends soldiers. Result!

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 25th 2022, 6:21 AM

    @Zmeevo Libe: they werent modern they came to power in a coup then turned on each. they were so unpopular they caused a revolt ,which they were losing by 1979, so the soviets sent in troops to bolster the communist afghans and staged a coup against its leader and installed a pro soviet leader.

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    Mute Mick Staines
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    Jan 24th 2022, 8:44 AM

    Been talking to Russian people on Reddit, they truly belive that Ukrainians are nazi
    And are going to attack them with NATO and the US.
    The propaganda is terrifying.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:12 AM

    @Mick Staines: it sure is. Reminds me of the build up to the US/UK invasion of Iraq. You’d think we would have learned to treat all media reports with a fair degree of scepticism at this stage. But here we go again with the super spin. Next we will be watching movies with those terrible Indians attacking those poor cowboys again.

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    Mute Mike Lucey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 12:40 PM

    @Mick Staines: We’ll in all fairness many of the Nazi concentration camps were staffed by Ukrainians.

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:20 PM

    @Mick Staines: will you tell me who welcome Nazi troops when they reached Ukraine? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqM4SVIvqZc&ab_channel=Ruptly

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 25th 2022, 6:39 AM

    @Carlos André: 4.5 million ukranians fought with the red army in ww2. 5-7 million Ukrainians died during the war. there were collaborators but thats true for every country captured by the nazis.

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    Mute John Sullivan
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:25 PM

    It is highly unlikely Putin will go in. He has the west running around like headless chickens at no cost to himself. Once he crosses that border he loses control of the situation. Only about 10% of Russian forces are trained to NATO standards and Ukraine-a country with the population of Spain or England pretty much would slaughter his conscripts with western weapons-Ukrainian partisans would turn the hunters into the hunted. Once pictures of dead Russians and burning tanks will weaken Putin’s aura. That said if he doesn’t attack then he has lost Ukraine…but a bllodbath could finish him-as WWI did to the Tsar and Afghanistan did to the USSR.

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    Mute A -AFC
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:45 PM

    Johnson jumping feet first into this to avoid questions on his leadership

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:06 AM

    The US are fully supportive of Ukraine, yet they’re scurrying to evacuate before a shot is even fired. I’m sure the irony won’t be lost on the Kremlin.

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    Jan 24th 2022, 7:27 AM

    You have to pity the Ukrainian people. Only one thing is their armed forces are well below their russian counterparts so whatever happens you’d have to guess will be swift.

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    Mute pistachio 32
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    Jan 24th 2022, 7:35 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: I doubt it. The main battles might be swift but you can just imagine the guerrilla campaign that will follow. The Ukraine people will bleed every last drop

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    Mute James Reardon
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    Jan 24th 2022, 7:49 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: their army has grown considerably since the crimea incident. Civilians have really put themselves forward going by online videos. Obviously nothing compared to the Russians, but holed up could slow the red machines march.

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    Mute Donal Killackey
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:36 AM

    Why aren’t the Ukrainian people out protesting in their thousands making it clear to Putin that they do not want him/Russia in their country? I Remember them taking to the streets some years ago

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:11 PM

    @Donal Killackey: You think Putin gives a f&ck about them protesting? He’s been meddling in Eastern Ukraine for years. He doesn’t care about Ukraine and sees it as part of Russia’s territory.

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    Mute John Sullivan
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:35 PM

    @Donal Killackey: The Belarussian people did that…women lined the streets making heart signs, flowers etc…..and got battered, murdered, kidnapped and given 20 years. So to make an impression on Putin…if the choice was flowers….or thousands of dead Russian 19 year olds sent back to their mothers screaming on the streets of Smolensk…my money is on the latter.

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    Mute Scott Coulter
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:32 PM

    Letting the Russians into Irish waters to conduct missile test could be a very grave mistake.

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    Mute jl
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:46 PM

    @Scott Coulter: ya, we should round up the killybegs fleet and throw Ivan back out to international waters. Maybe we could hammer him with haddock. Pulverise him with pollack or mash him with mackerel

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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Jan 24th 2022, 3:07 PM

    @Scott Coulter: I agree but the Russians are not entering Irish Territorial waters but are on the high seas that just happen to be part of an Irish Economic Zone but anyone can go to this spot and fire missiles if they wish. The danger might be if NATO also decided to visit that spot while the Russians are doing their target practice. I do not welcome the exercises but they are allowed under international law and there nothing and nation or military alliance can do about it. It would be interesting to see how many other nations have entered the Economic Zone with or without protest. Also be interesting to see how many military aircraft have entered this and other airspace managed from Ireland. (Note Irish managed airspace or waters is not the same as Irish sovereign airspace or waters).

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    Mute Philip Mckenna
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    Jan 24th 2022, 3:53 PM

    If theirs oil there, you can bet your a55 good ol USA will defend these poor people….

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    Mute Munster1
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    Jan 24th 2022, 8:26 AM

    UK withdrawing embassy staff.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:50 AM

    @Munster1: Of course the UK will do as there puppet masters US say

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    Mute Den Sullivan
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:44 PM

    Russia economic is smaller than Italy and apart from few hundred tanks that are modren rest are junk left over from Soviet times same in aircraft. But for nuclear weapons polish army would be Moscow in few weeks. What going is on in Russia is it on the verge of falling. Will Russia be able stop natos advance no they can’t stop it unless become part of China Russia doomed and all putin can do slow West geting hand on Russia resources.. Real fear is after of years of war on terrorism running out steam so much of usa and UK economy built on war sooner or later it will end tears

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    Mute Eric Vdc
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    Jan 24th 2022, 2:06 PM

    @Den Sullivan: I loled at each of the 5 sentences your wrote especially the second one. As for the rest, at least I do have an excuse of not being native speaker.

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    Mute John Johnes
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:09 PM

    @Den Sullivan: lmao you just made my evening

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    Mute Desmodromic
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:18 PM

    Vladimir reminds me of the man who decided to get burn the wasps nest under the eave of his house. It didn’t end well. Small actions in war often lead to unforeseen reactions.

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    Mute tommy
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    Jan 24th 2022, 6:34 PM

    Ya, coz any invasions from the UK never caused any lives.

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    Mute François Pignon
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:16 AM

    Democracy to be suspended to boost some frozen gulags population somewhere in deepest darkest siberia.

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    Mute Thomas
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    Jan 24th 2022, 11:11 PM

    I think the USA might actually attack Russia, I genuinely feel that the Bidan administration would like a war or even a proxy war in the Ukraine

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 25th 2022, 2:33 AM

    @Thomas: theres already a proxy war going on there in the east.

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    Mute Dave Johnston
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    Jan 24th 2022, 1:30 PM

    The 2 toughtest government ministers to fight it out in hand to hand combat. My money is on Ukraine. They have Vitali Klitchko in government.

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    Mute Ronan C Gantly
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    Jan 24th 2022, 6:02 PM

    Us and EU open a joint military base ( non- NATO alliance) called USEU in Eastern Ukraine for ” training purposes” about 10,000 troops should do it, patriot missile defences and train Ukrainian soldiers.

    That would pretty much end the conversation with bullying putin. They are giving him way way way too much credit here.

    Ironically he wants to invade and control Ukraine as NATO is too close to Russian borders ?? If he invades Ukraine that brings him right up to NATO borders for flecks sake.

    We all know that despite all the weapons and training and aid to the Ukrainian army they will flee at the first shot , just like they did in Afghanistan after US left.

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    Mute JohnDoe
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:34 AM

    surly Russian war strategists forseen this. Is Putin bluffing? how long will talks continue …

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:02 PM

    He needs to be Put-in his place.

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    Mute JohnDoe
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    Jan 24th 2022, 10:38 PM

    I’m starting to think Putin didn’t expect such response… but he’s being backed into a corner ..

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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 24th 2022, 9:58 PM

    I still think it unlikely Russia will invade Ukraine but it is certainly in the interest of Kiev to make it appear this way and with all the NATO activity in recent days it is upping the ante, both sides settling into confrontational mode.

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    Mute Elizabeth Eccles
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    Jan 25th 2022, 7:54 AM

    Bla bla US and UK have more issues at home look to you own ctry to sort them out first

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