Posted on 12/04/2025 9:23:29 AM PST by daniel1212
hen Vladimir Putin declared this week that Russia was ‘ready’ to fight a war in Europe, the remark barely seems to have rippled the surface of Britain’s political consciousness. It should have sent a shockwave...Yet Britain continues to behave as though danger is tidily scheduled for years in the future, safely beyond the horizon of any present responsibility. It is a comforting delusion, but a very dangerous one.
Britain cannot lead Europe if it cannot defend itself
What Putin understands – and what Britain refuses to face – is that Europe is vulnerable in ways that matter more than tanks or troop numbers. Russia’s president does not need to defeat Nato militarily to cause chaos. As he has already shown through repeated greyzone attacks, Europe’s power grids, subsea cables, energy systems and communications networks offer targets far easier to strike, far harder to defend and politically far more disruptive. Putin’s warning this week was a reminder that Russia knows exactly where our exposed nerves lie.
A recent blackout we suffered at home underscored the point. Within a split second, the basic functions of modern life disappeared as our local grid totally collapsed...it illustrated a structural vulnerability: the speed with which a highly digitised society loses its coherence once the power fails.
.Britain, by contrast, has adapted to nothing – because it continues to believe it never will need to....We talk sternly about resisting Moscow while depending on Beijing...
If Russia struck at Europe – especially at a target as symbolically potent as the UK – Beijing would have every incentive to move on Taiwan..China strangled our supply chains.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.co.uk ...
Item: The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 explicitly prohibit pillage and looting in warfare. Something called the Lieber Code in the 1860s declared that looting is a death sentence.
This is, of course, relevant to the Russian assets.
Britain, France and Germany have to gather together and fund Ukraine out of their own pockets, assuming they really do want to support the effort. If they don’t want to support the effort, then their money won’t flow. Their money, not the ECB’s (UK not an EU member).
As for this article, the UK’s oil production is far below their consumption, so those tankers are obvious targets.
That is not to build Russia up as an invincible opponent, especially given their Ukraine performance, but at least they do possess a credible threat. The UK has fourteen heavy artillery pieces operational according to the Spectator article. Not the same thing.
Still, an EU that does not contain the UK, at least at the moment, is looking for leadership from Brussels, energy from Moscow, and manpower from the Third World, not the most propitious arrangement. A UK that cannot defend even itself isn't going to solve any of those problems.
“Its funny how the story gets twisted into a perceived aggression by Putin.”
........
Are you referring to the Putin that invaded Ukraine and is sending drones into NATO countries and waginging cyber attacks?
***********
Russia invaded Ukraine, not Britain, and Russia has no reason to invade Britain. Neither Britain nor the rest of Europe has natural resources, population, or geographic assets that would benefit Russia.
Not supporting Ukraine and reporting actual facts does not mean you are pro Russia.
All the rest of the world is invading Europe except for Russia. Mostly third world countries...
“Don’t be concerned about the UK under Starmer. They’ve stated that they’ll be ready by 2030. Just wait.”
Isn’t that the date that everyone must by Electric Vehicles, even though there will be nothing to power them with?
“Russia invaded Ukraine, not Britain, “
NATO is referenced.
https://www.google.com/search?q=russian+drones+nato+airspace&oq=russian+drones
“If Russia attacked Europe, I think that some posters would side with Russia.”
Depends on the context...if the Baltic States get too ‘cute’ with Russia, such as by trying to blockade them or blockading Kaliningrad, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Russia responding to that act of war.
As far as attacking Europe for the hell of it, like the Zeepers continue to falsely claim about Ukraine, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, if, for no other reason, what the hell could Russia get from Europe, other than a society already on its own death-march in many, many, ways.
Russian cyber attacks are a global threat involving state-sponsored actors and affiliated groups, targeting governments, critical infrastructure, and corporations for espionage, disruption, and financial gain. Recent activities include attacks on Ukraine and NATO members, using methods like ransomware, DDoS attacks, and destructive malware, and also involve disinformation campaigns and influence operations. Examples of attacks include the 2017 NotPetya virus and the 2022 disruption of Ukraine’s Viasat satellite communications.
https://www.google.com/search?q=russian+cyber+attacks
If Russia attacked the United States, I think that some posters would blame the U.S.
No doubt about it
Kiev attacked the Donbass after the 2014. They pounded them for 8 years with artillery. Kiev was trying to bring all of old Ukraine under control of the coup government that seized power violently in Kiev.
As the Ukes were massing for a final attack on the Donbass in 2022, Russia moved.
But all of this falls on Ukraine and the DC/London Axis that controlled them.
So, "old Ukraine"...Was that internationally recognized as Ukraine or Russia? Was Russia helping attack Ukraine, or was Ukraine attacking Russia? Was Ukraine fomenting revolution in Russia, or was Russia fomenting revolution in Ukraine?
2035 was the EC/EU "pie in the EV sky" date. It is so amusing and yet sad that the EU makes pronouncements and edicts and forecasts and benchmarks without considering the unavoidable questions: 1) actual cost of energy, and 2) cost of materials to manufacture.
The low-paid industrial world can only have a continuing competitive advantage so long as "green" ideology and am over-reliance on messaging is able to obscure basic facts.
Energy costs' continual rise as a Greenie taxpayer expects a government subsidy for his rising bill will clarify in rather short order. Even EV-yet-coal-plant-building China will be under cut by, say, Vietnam, as best I've read. It's all about labor costs and energy costs. So does it seem.
What’s neocon about saying if Putin cannot defeat Ukraine how is it he can take on the UK? Unless that is that the UK lets him?
His warnings to other countries are a piece with his tsunami torpedoes.
Putin is a modern day Rus Viking. Or just a pirate.
He will take until his losses exceed his gain.
yep. The US, England and Europe are conquered and at war with their own people. I, for one, welcome our new overlords. Can’t be worse than what we’ve got. And sca-rew ‘your democracy’ while we’re at it. Nothing more oppressive than so-called Western Democracy.
These zeepers have hated Russia since the day they stopped being communist.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.