[John]

The news this morning is grim. Not just Russian tanks crossing the line but a huge cyber attack on Ukrainian infrastructure.
It's obvious Putin has gone mad. Where this will end is anybody's guess.

[Subversive_plot]

Putin issued a bald-faced, unveiled threat to anyone that opposes him. I think he does not plan to stop with Ukraine.

Belarus has offered to join Putin in his madness.

Except for the odd idiot here and there, the world seems to fully back and support Ukraine.

[Hampshire Hog]

Very sad news John.
Not sure he is mad though, unfortunately I think he has calculated that he can get away with it. Hopefully there will be relatively few deaths and injuries. Not that I’m very confident.
HH

[John]

I think his plan is becoming clear. Invade and effectively annex Ukraine, putting a puppet government in like Belarus. They're already talking about arresting political leaders.
I think he knows we're not going to go in because WW3 would be too awful. The hope is that the Ukrainian army and people fight and make this invasion too expensive in terms of lives and equipment for the Russians. The west has supplied advanced hardware and, one assumes, intelligence so if the Ukrainian people have the will to fight it could be a defeat for Putin.
Best option is someone kills Putin.
The Russians may not be as strong as they appear - the T72 tanks are near 50 years old (although up-armoured) and the Javelin anti-tank system is very advanced and effective. I don't know what else the Ukraine has.

[Subversive_plot]

In this morning's radio news I heard one Ukrainian reservist being interviewed (I think it was our National Public Radio, but might have been the BBC broadcast, they are very close together in the morning).  The reservist was staying close to home with her bag packed, expecting to get called up, she seemed eager to get in the fight and defend her country.  If she is representative, I think Ukraine will do all it can to put up a fight.

Zelenskyy has asked the west for heavy sanctions, weaponry . . . but so far, not troops.  I think he intends for his people to do the fighting. I hope the sanctions from the west become biting enough that, together with Russian soldiers in body bags, Putin calls it off.  What I expect Putin will actually do is a different thing.

John, your "best option" would not bother me.  I hear he's fond of polonium.

Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have asked for consultation under NATO Article 4 (used when any member state feels their territory or independence is threatened).

What is most insulting is that Putin is referring to his attack on a free democratic country as "denazification".  Maybe my recollection of history is hazy, but didn't Ukrainians also fight against the nazis?

[John]

What is most insulting is that Putin is referring to his attack on a free democratic country as "denazification".  Maybe my recollection of history is hazy, but didn't Ukrainians also fight against the nazis?

I believe the Jewish president of Ukraine pointed out they lost 8 million people in WW2 to the Nazis.

[Subversive_plot]

I believe the Jewish president of Ukraine pointed out they lost 8 million people in WW2 to the Nazis.

Points off for me not knowing Zelenskyy is Jewish. 

The history you describe makes the insult even worse; I knew they suffered in much the same way the Russian people did, and fought/died battling the nazis. I did not know the tragic number of Ukrainian deaths (most likely, over here, rolled up into the Soviet death toll, also tragic).  It makes you wonder what the Russian and Ukrainian survivors of WWII think about these recent events, and those comments.

[John]

Watching the news - not what I hoped this morning, they appear to be losing. Putin is obviously threatening to go all the way if we put troops in. He's insane. Surrounded by yes men for 20 years he believes he is invincible.

[snowdrops]

Hubby & I have been saying he’s a madman since he came into power. So very sad for all those innocent people. Just seen a woman interviewed & her pain & fear for her 2year old daughter was gut wrenching.
 Surely the politicians & ministers must have known how unstable he was for many years.

[John]

Hubby & I have been saying he’s a madman since he came into power. So very sad for all those innocent people. Just seen a woman interviewed & her pain & fear for her 2year old daughter was gut wrenching.
 Surely the politicians & ministers must have known how unstable he was for many years.

Putin's ministers appear terrified of saying the wrong thing and it was obvious to the German generals that Hitler was delusional towards the end of the war but they obeyed him as he wilfully destroyed Germany.
I saw the same clips on the news - choked me up.

[bayleaf]

I can't see a stop to the attack occurring whatever the Russian casualties. Even if successful I think the Ukrainian people will engage in terror attacks. It wiill be a blooming civil war over time. NATO must move to protect neighbouring states. Putin only understands force as ex KGB.

[AndyRVTR]

Unfortunately there will be no stopping Putin until he has a puppet regime in place, just like his ally Lukashenko in Belarus. His argument that he doesn't want Ukraine to become part of NATO on his western border doesn't stand up, as there are plenty of other countries in NATO that border Russia already. I personally don't think he will go any further than Ukraine though its not looking too good for Moldova, however, bottom line is they are now a pariah state and will be for years to come! My worry is China, they are keeping very, very quiet at the moment and apparently some of their jet fighters were buzzing Taiwanese airspace yesterday.

[JayG]

Have to admire Clive Myrie's performance as BBC's Kyiv reporter - he's still doing his job despite explosions behind him as he doggedly continues his live broadcast.
Hope 'they' get him out safely.

[GraciesGran]

Frigate that  grandaghter was on has sailed for the Mediterranean.  Selfish of me BUT I am so glad she is currently landbased. 

[rowlandwells]

what you need to ask yourself will Putin stop there?