"Russia Warns US....." Topic

Putin is hopping mad that the US and NATO allies are providing military weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russian troops there:

link

They are warning of unspecified consequences if the US continues to provide such aid in the future.

It WILL be interesting to see if this really does result in the start of WWIII, or is just typical Putin bluster.

It WILL also be interesting to see if this results in the USA and NATO scaling back on their military assistance to Ukraine.

WIII started the moment Russian troops entered Ukraine. The question now is whether we can pull back from the brink.

Give the Ukrainians what they need, and let them win the war.

I'm probably wrong on this but Putin has been clearly signalling his plans in warnings etc since the lead up to the war.

I get the impression that NATO isnt as I ti.idated as they were 2 months ago because Russia's performance hasn't been impressive.

Adds up to sleep walking into the greatest catastrophe in human history

Perhaps the U.S. should just calmly get its own nuclear forces ready without any official statement and see if the Russians flinch.

Just kidding, of course…
Or not.

And yes, give Ukraine what it needs to survive its own birth as an independent nation.
Although, that would be more the job of the other second-rate regional power in Europe, Germany.

That will teach the Russians a lesson.

Those fools really do not know, what they have awakened.

We are slouching toward Armageddon.

Putin making threats has lost a lot of credibility in the last 50 or so days :-)

Give the Ukrainians whatever Zelensky wants and see what happens. I guess if things start going boom all the pundits can say "oh, didn't see that coming". No big whoop.

Give the Ukrainians what they want. What do we do or say now with the mass amounts of bodies they are finding that were executed? Do we as civilized nations let a barbaric army like Russia continue to slaughter the people of Ukraine?

Actually, An unspoken but de facto Western nuclear threat might even be a way out of their disaster for these Russian fools.
They could retreat and tell everyone they saved humanity from Armageddon with their peace-loving Russian rationality.

And then we, Ze Djermans that is, buy them a neat and shiny new flagship because they are good boys.
Built in one of our shipyards, of course.

"Perhaps the U.S. should just calmly get its own nuclear forces ready without any official statement and see if the Russians flinch".

That IS already happening according to a report I read today – some US nukes are on their way to forces in the UK, if the news story is correct.

A real pity we scrapped all of those smaller, tactical nukes we had. Seems like a loan or sale of those to some might be a good idea and give various countries the protection they need and want.

Pershing IIIs anyone?

Waiting for Putin to pull a Khruchev (sp), and start pounding his shoe on a table.

I imagine he's much more likely to pound the table with the head of one of his generals.

Or they mention their last sip of vodka "tastes funny".

Most think Putin is saber rattling, trying to intimidate, etc. However, you have to at least take threats of WMDs somewhat seriously. There is a reason they are called WMDs.

And as I and many more have said. As soon as Putin's forces started to mass on the Ukraine Border, 5-6 months ago IIRC. We should have sent them everything they wanted and more. That may have just deterred Putin from attacking. And if not the Ukrainian Forces would have been just that more effective.

Agree we're at a really dangerous phase and I suppose it depends on whether Putin gets so pissed off and irrational that he pulls the house down in ruin with him. Also if all of close cronies are prepared to go along with him right over the edge of the abyss or whether some of them decide they'd sooner rule a portion of the world and stay alive or destroy it all.

Interesting question I wonder about is that since we've discovered through this that lots of the old Soviet gear does not actually work as advertised or else has had its maintenance so badly neglected it no longer works then I wonder how those problems might also apply equally to Putin's nukes? Will anything happen if a button is pushed on something that old? What is their maintenance cycle and requirements and has the schedule been followed? And recently?

Russia spends a lot on its nukes – so lets not test that theory. Something which also part of the of the reason why their conventional forces aren't looking so hot. Russia's economy isn't even in the top ten. There's only so far the cash will stretch especially when Putin does seem to like his wunderwaff weapon programmes as well.

Once/if Putin uses WMDs that changes the equation. But bottom line we don't want to have a nuclear war. Remember Sarajevo, 1914 … how quickly things rolled out of control.

Apparently, their economy is about the size of that of Italy (not really an economic powerhouse), and less than that of the state of California.

They've seen their GDP cut by about 10% if the reports are correct and are at risk of defaulting on their loans.

Pershing IIIs anyone?

Weren't those the symbol of evil back in the 80s? Protests and all that?

No, Pershing IIs.

Pershing IIIs would be the new ones, with more power and range.

Plus they put smiley faces on the IIIs so they look kinder and cuter.