I think that there will be western "advisers" on the ground in Ukraine, just like there were Russian "advisers" flying MIG´s down Mig alley in Korea.

It's already been reported that British advisers are there.

Oh goody, why can´t these bugger just declare WW3 and get it over with?

Weren't you the one worried about nuclear escalation?

The dates of the beginning of WW2 are different between countries. Personally, I think it was 1914.

Why should WW3 be different?

Anyway, why would this be WW3. WW1 and WW2 had countries around the world involved in it. So far as I'm aware in this one, Russia has no real allies. At least not ones ready to take up arms against NATO, Japan, Australia...

Jup! But the suspense is killing me.

It´s more the old cold war thinking. Nato + Warsaw Pact= WW3...
Nato (America) Warsaw Pact (Russia) The rest of the world will be involved one way or another.

Got it - not tourism. So garlic crop then.

Russia gathers conscripts from Ukraine:

https://www.ft.com/content/e5b88958-...0-eb1916092acd

Probably white as well.

This resonates a lot with the countries in Eastern Europe and is a "classical" soviet playbook. The "liberated" have to pay with their lives for being "liberated". Of course, the normal people never asked to be liberated, but then again, whose asking them. A brutal, brutal regime which cares only about it's own narrow goals at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lost lives and millions of broken ones.

Vladimir Putin looking to emulate Peter the Great !!

BBC News - Putin likens himself to Peter the Great

For those who like fact free conspiracy theories, the Independent is owned by an ex-KGB Russian oligarch named Lord Evgeny Lebedev who was sanctioned in Canada.

Aye yet another stain on the judgement and character of British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson who nominated Evgeny Aleaxandrovich Lebedev for the peerage back in July 2020, despite the protestations from the British Security services but there again Boris has been 'over chummy' with Lebedev over the years.

Yes, BUT all of them (UK, Germany, France, Italy) are now aware what threat and danger putin is. Not that my opinion matters, but I'd rather "forgive" them their past sins, but if they relax the pressure on Russia in the near future, this would be unforgivable. One can (should?) give them the benefit of doubt for the past, but from now on they have no excuse. Today's Russia is like cancer, it will spread until checked or will consume everything on it's path.

Like a true dictator, he has an obsession with great historical figures....

How do we do it. How do we check Russia?
Russia hasn´t been checked by talking to the Kremlin, Sanctions havn´t brought Russia into line. Supplying arms to the enemy hasn´t brought Russia to the negotiating table. All attempts by the west to "check" Russia have failed.
Actually they seem to be hurting us more than them. How long will people in the west be cool with out of control prices, inflation and the threat of a new covid wave with all the bells and whistles in autumn.
Now it´s a waiting game of who blinks first, who will be the first to give up.. Russia? Ukraine? or the West.

__________________
Back in Bavaria, god´s own belly button.

Close. It was Evgeny's dad, Alexander who bought it. Lord Evgeny (elevated to the peerage despite security concerns, by Boris Johnson) is now a part owner with his dad. And they own the Evening Standard.

IMHO putin speak only the language of power and strength. His mentality is one of a schoolyard bully and he pushes until checked. Eastern Europe has been screaming about him for decades, asking for military support, bases, weapons and a tougher stance against him to no avail. Now is the time to move all the NATO bases as far east as possible. The Baltics, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, the Black Sea. These should be swarming with NATO bases, ships and jets. It might be helpful to do a few "showcase" ops in Syria just to send the message loud and clear "you're no match for us and we're engaging you whenever you project strength". Wrecking his economy is the right move, but it will not be on its own enough to check him, its projecting raw power what will make the difference.

The problem with all the militaristic grrr-woof-woofery is what are you going to when Putin calls your bluff? We are already at the „Yo Mama“ stage. How are you going to project raw power and not be prepared to back it up with war?
And personally I don’t think we will pull the trigger, then what? Europe will be weighed as the toothless tiger it is.