I thought it might be interesting to get views
on what's happening with Putin and the Ukraine
and how others see the situation there.

Here's a link from the BBC that might help start
this discussion:

http://bbc.com/news/world-europe-56720589

How does this affect us?

Putin just wants peace,

A little piece of Georgia,
A little piece of Ukraine...

Two things:

* security for his homeland
* recognition of Russia as a great power.

Oh and he wants to achieve those things while the West is being run by the greatest pack of morons since Chamberlain/Daladier.

Putin has frequently bemoaned the "loss" 0f
the former Soviet occupied countries now
independent - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine, after the
Soviet Union collapsed. Of course he wants to
rebuild the Russian sphere of influence in
Eastern Europe. And equally he wants to show
to the West (and to his people) that Russia is
still a super-power.

I watched the breaking news on television and our
Prime Minister's speech of the actions that Australia
plans to take regarding the situation in the Ukraine
and how Australia plans to support its allies in
standing up to thugs and bullies like Putin - which
Australians have always done and will continue to do.

There are many Ukrainians in Australia who are rightly
concerned about their fellow countrymen, their families,
and friends, in the Ukraine. And rightly so. Sanctions
will be placed on Russia. Putin has to learn that he
cannot simply go in and take over sovereign neighbours
at his whim. The free people of the world will not allow
this to happen.

What Putin doesn't want is Ukraine joining NATO.

We shouldn't be affected at all. Morrison said no troops, but today there were murmurings about what America might ask for. All media yap so far. Our concern is China, not Russia; and there is no reason for any Western country which has lived by democratic means to waste time, money and lives on countries that have not lived by the same rules.

If I was an American, whose country could be involved, I would be with Tucker Carlson in asking why Biden is so interested in the Ukraine border, but totally disinterested in America’s own southern border.

Incidentally, I think that Putin is as insane as Xi Jinping, who refers to Putin as his "most intimate friend". Yuck!

I also hope that sense prevails, and I believe Xi might not actually be supporting an attack on a 'sovereign country', because Xi is a bit jittery about China's sovereignty. Could be all talk off course. Fingers crossed. The sovereignty bit could bode well for the China/Australian relationship. We might get to stick with jaw jaw, not war war.