The real land being fought over isn't land at all.
It's all about NATO controlling the Black Sea, denying Russia a naval base in Sevastopol, and denying Russia the freedom to trade.
Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia.
What are NATOS's objectives?
Surround and control the Black Sea.

I'm getting to the point where I almost hope Putin nukes Europe including the UK, because all the leaders there are warmongering scum who couldn't care less about their constituents, past ripping them off and denying them their rights.

And I don't even think any of their elections are legitimate.

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Binoy churns out articles for OLO at an amazing rate but, much to my regret, he never completes the exercise. Binoy never takes questions or engages in the debates his articles are designed to provoke (or should be).

The purpose of OLO is not just to publish articles. It presents itself as “a not-for-profit e-journal that aims to provide a forum for public social and political debate about current Australian issues” – and adds that “articles are gathered from a variety of independent sources and are published in the belief that ideas are the essence of progress and that issues and opinions should be addressed, not suppressed. We welcome any rational contribution to what has become a robust public debate not available in any other media or forum”.

I am surprised that in this latest article, Binoy writes :

« Unpopular governments always retreat to grounds of lazy convenience. Instead of engaging in exercises of courage, they take refuge in obvious distractions. And there is no more obvious distraction than preparing for war against a phantom enemy.

That is exactly where the government of Sir Keir Starmer finds itself. »

Three paragraphs later, we learn that the so-called “phantom enemy” that Binoy is referring to is none other than Russia.

As we all know, Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and has been actively waging war on Ukraine for more than three years now since it invaded the country in 2022. Concomitant with that, Russia has been waging what has come to be known as a “hybrid war” against Ukraine’s European allies.

This, together with the demise of Trump as a reliable European ally, his open support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, and his threat to renege on military support for any European country he considers is not spending enough on military defence.

It’s a pity Binoy uses OLO just to publish his articles.

I would have liked him to explain why he describes Russia as “a phantom enemy” of the UK and, probably by the same token, of Europe.

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Dear critic,

«I'm getting to the point where I almost hope Putin nukes Europe including the UK, because all the leaders there are warmongering scum who couldn't care less about their constituents»

Sure Putin cares for his constituents...
And he was not just talking war like Starmer - he actually started one!

If Russia nukes Britain, then who do you think will be killed?
The constituents of course!
But why should you care?

Breaking down the Russian state is the best thing that could ever happen to the Russian denizens. The people of other Eastern European countries got their [relative] freedom between 1989 and 1991 - the Russian people are still waiting.

Fortunately for you, you do not have grandchildren living in Russia, or else they would be forcibly taken to the Russian army to die on the Ukrainian front - but then you would speak differently.

Any state that exercises conscription does not deserve to exist, thus you ought to rejoice at its fall.

But... But... you may ask, what about Ukraine? What about Israel?

Well yes, they too, I agree, as well as China and North Korea, Switzerland and Singapore, but as a matter of urgency, the vast majority of Russian soldiers never come home again while the Swiss soldiers do.

The UK and the rest of Europe may have many problems, like who doesn't, but they have the moral upper hand since their soldiers are volunteers and Russia's are not.