badgerx16

Of course it would not have happened the same way, the US would have done even less to stop him. Donnie would have been in Vlad's pocket.

Meanwhile at the Kremlin, Vlad is pacing round his office gesturing to his cronies; "I don't understand the West, can't they see that all I want is a little peace, a little peace..... A little piece of Donetsk, a little piece Luhansk, The whole of the Crimea, and Chernhiv perchance." ( With apologies to the shade of the great Mel Brooks )

Once a twat, always a twat. ( Trump, GM, or both - dear reader, you decide )

Trump says Putin is "smart" and a "genius". How might things be going if Vlad HAD managed to get Donnie back into the White House ?

But other than China, where can they spend it ?

sex

When is China going to offer a line of credit to Russia to compensate ?

Analogy appears to be beyond AL76.

Sergei would not have disappeared "at will".

Russia effectively annexes the 2 rebel controlled areas, we sanction 3 billionaires. Ouch, Putin really felt that response.

Stalin would have nodded to Lavrentiy Beria, Beria would have nodded to an NKVD officer, Sergei would have disappeared.

Try telling BoJo that.

Putin is sulking because he failed to fix the US Presidential election.

Russian state television reporting that the Queen wants a war to distract from the Prince Andrew situation.

And Russia was involved then.

People who fancy a long holiday in Siberia.

The Baltic states are in NATO, different fish entirely.

So now we will see how far to Hell this handcart is going to be driven. Putin has known all along that the West ( NATO ) will not actually go "hot" for Ukraine, and the UN is impotent to act against a permanent menber of the Security Council. By his declaration this evening Putin can now legitimately move troops into the Donbas at the request of the "Governments" of the 2 republics.

Pi

To paraphrase "If you don't find Alan Partridge funny you are probably of lower intellect".

We have a large sink, in which sits a smaller washing up bowl. Uses less water, and consequently less energy to heat it.

Vlad about to ramp things up by recognising the 2 rebel regions as independent republics.

Are Al Murray and Dara O'Brien "obvious and slapstick" ? Are John Richardson, Bill Bailey, or Ross Noble, all of whom I find funny. I don't think The Thick Of It fits your characterisation, nor Father Ted, but the only response Partridge induces in me is to cringe.

Ripple

Agree to differ.