The Royal Air Force has started to move personnel and equipment in preparation for a NATO Air Policing mission in Romania.

Personnel from No 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron and No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron have been preparing and transporting the equipment and supplies needed to sustain the Typhoon jets that will be deploying to carry out the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission in the Black Sea region this summer, say the Royal Air Force.

According to the Royal Air Force website:

“The RAF NATO mission is known by its military name as Operation Biloxi and is the first major operation for the newly formed RAF Support Force, of which the A4 Force Elements are a part. They bring together most of the capabilities and skills needed to sustain modern air operations and exercises, including Specialist engineering, logistics, advanced military communications, tactical medical services and the mountain rescue team.”

In addition to the RAF Wittering based units, personnel from RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth have also been preparing and despatching equipment to Romania.

You can read more from the RAF on this here.

Royal Air Force truck transporting a yellow truck.

According to NATO, the ‘Enhanced Air Policing’ is undertaken in response to Russia:

“NATO takes its responsibility to ensure integrity, safety and security of its airspace very seriously. For member nations that do not have the necessary air capabilities, agreements exist to ensure a single standard of security across European NATO airspace. Enhanced Air Policing is part of NATO’s Assurance Measures introduced in 2014, after Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of the Crimean peninsula. The Alliance implemented these Assurance Measures with the goal to demonstrate the collective resolve of Allies, demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO and deter Russia from aggression or the threat of aggression against NATO Allies.

They are flexible and scalable in response to fluctuations in the security situation facing the Alliance and send a strong, unambiguous message to the public. As part of these Assurance Measures, NATO’s Air Policing mission is enhanced across two Implementation Areas. NATO members are authorised and encouraged to provide additional assets to the Alliance supplementing existing Baltic Air Policing capabilities in the northern Implementation Area and, in parallel, augmenting national Air Policing capabilities in the southern Implementation Area.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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137 COMMENTS

  1. Obama’s biggest mistake was not doing more to support UK Defense. Another 30+ Billion 10 year deal for free equipment and support for the Israeli’s on top of the one George W. Bush gave them, and then Bibi openly campaigns for Dump, excuse me Trump. Legacy of colonialism weighed on Obama’s mind becuae of who he is but if you want to protect and defend the West, you start by helping the people who will get in the trench with you.

    • Sorry, why should America prop up the UK? Trump was trying to do the right thing by getting countries to pay their own way (and not bluff their way to 2% GPD with factoring in pensions).

      • Agreed that despite his many glaring faults, Trump’s attitude to NATO was absolutely correct and justified.

        I will say though that America’s strength is its allies, without them it would be seen as a pariah and bully like China. It is in America’s interests to support their allies and incentivise them away from drifting away

      • I’m sorry I didn’t know NATO was a toll road and we all had to pay our own way to drive on it.

        NATO is an alliance and the only time its Article V clause has been invoked was after 9/11, in defense of the US. NATO partners have been propping up the US in Afghanistan for nearly 20 full years. That is a fact.

        Further, why did the UK prop up the US and be first into Kuwait with Challenger Tanks during the first Gulf War? Why did the UK prop up the US by taking and holding down Basra during the 2nd Iraq invasion?

        RAF jets are in the air right now between Syria/Iraq and Akrotiti as they have been for the last 5+ years. Royal Navy assets are sailing in the Caribbean right now helping to keep drugs out of the US.

        As far as Trump trying to do the right thing, a guy who pretty much everybody around him is incarcerated, pardoned, or under investigation . . . thanks for the laugh!!!

        • Sorry Ron but you speak total poppycock. You make it sound like the US needs us militarily – which I assure you they don’t. What they need from us is political support in a major international crisis; they know – like we do – that we bring precious little in terms military support to the fight (except SF and intel gathering, which they highly value).

          You are correct that NATO is an alliance but each member is expected to pay its way. The issue that Trump had with Europe is that the major European countries had the money to properly contribute to the defence of their own continent but simply chose not to and instead spend their money on social welfare instead; leaving the bill for Europe’s defence to the US tax-payer.

          On and by the way, Trump issued 143 presidential pardons…. Obama issued 212 and his buddy Clinton before him issued 396!

          • David, you speak total poppycock. It’s hard to believe any Brit would defend US republicans. They have no policy shop anymore it’s pure political corruption. All they want to is defend the right to have an assault rifle, make concealed guns legal everywhere, without background checks, deny climate and pandemic science, let third party insurance companies run the healthcare industry to the detriment of everyone, restrict the right to vote, and gut the government of revenue so they can achieve their goal of killing the social programs (medicare and social security). Trump’s former National Security Advisor, campaign manager and deputy campaign manager have all been convicted of lying to the FBI. Trump’s personal lawyer got thrown in jail years ago for paying off a porn star, in violation of campaign finance laws, at the direction of guess who? Guess who is also going to see the inside of a jail cell soon? Lol.

          • Umm…I’m a Brit and I fully supported Trump and US Republicans. Stop making dumb sweeping statements – you don’t speak for me.

          • You have the right to your own opinion mate but everything I listed above is what Trump and Republicans have been doing domestically in the US for the last decade or so. I’m afraid they don’t have much in common with UK Conservatives anymore.

          • Are Democrats any different? They all receive billions in hand outs from big tech, oil, finance and insurance companies to run the country in the interests of large corporations, while the media focuses on gun control and portraying the US as a fundamentally racist country to stop people focusing on the real issues. Nothing changed under Obama which is why so many people either didn’t vote next time round or flipped to Trump. Nothing will change under Biden including gun laws because they would have nothing to whip up fear or blame for gun violence on when their gun control laws don’t work.

          • Gun control must work, because we in the UK don’t get the levels of violence seen in the US, not since Dunblane in 1996 anyway!

          • London is every bit as violent as New York, thugs just use knives instead of guns but the outcome is exactly the same.
            Banning AR15s will not prevent a single school massacre when semi automatic hand guns are every bit as effective, so when people make that argument they just highlight how uneducated and ignorent they are of firearms. Its like calling for a ban on cars to prevent drink driving.

          • Shame then, that for 8 out of the previous 12 years (or 2 out of 3 presidents) were Democrats then…….Obama (D) was in power for 8 years before Trump’s 4

          • sorry mate i gotta agree with ron there. sounds like the us is a casino full of murders who just drunk a barrel of bear or vodak. armed with Ar rifles with 30 round round mag. now imagine the Carnegie.

          • Like a stopped clock that is correct twice a day, Trump made plenty of good decisions on his watch.

            Space Force, NATO are just two.

            I’m no Republican btw but have loathed the turkey-gobbling from the MSM and Twitterati over these last few years.

        • Your reference to article V is flawed. Europeans haven’t needed to invoke article V because of the US.

          If not for the US protection, your Russian might be a bit better, or you might not be alive at all.

          And here you talk about article V as though the US is the only beneficiary of NATO, when in fact the reality is closer to the other way around.

        • The NATO membership agreement is that every member pays 2% of their GDP in to their defence budget. Pretty simple really, 2% to buy in to a club that should assure mutual protection of all members.

          It’s unfair to expect others to make up for one country’s deficiencies in funding contribution (I’m looking at you Germany).

          Not sure the involvement in the Middle East is NATO, and the Navy in the Caribbean? That’s not NATO either

      • 100%, Trump may have had his flaws but on NATO his position was unassailably correct. Europe, and the UK especially, should aim to be more than riding on the US taxpayers for defence.

          • I seriously hope you’re jurking my turkey, but it not…

            Well ‘Numpty’, I didn’t say otherwise and I’m VERY well versed in regards to the GDP expenditures thanks. However as you did bring up the figure, and we’ll skip over the pensions being included in that, it is still woefully inadequate to our needs and thus relies heavily on the US to support us in anything other than basically peacekeeping or light counter insurgency, and they are simply not capable of holding there own.
            To be clear our armed forces don’t lack training or bravery, but they seriously lacking mass, and have numerous capacity gaps to boot.

    • The US taxpayers already spend plenty of dollars supporting UK defense. If you want to help them then tell Boris or whatever his name is to spend more on defense and not on all his crazy lockdown programs that don’t work. Take responsibility for your own country’s defense like the Aussies do and stop cutting your defense budgets! Trump tried to make the UK, and all the EU counties responsible for a bigger share of their OWN defense. Even that was a tiny fraction of what America spends defending you guys and our Asian allies.

      Regarding the money the US and German give to Israel that will never change. Not sure why but every single US and German President, that includes Obama, Clinton, ect have given Israel billions of taxpayer dollars every year. Only Trump told them they must buy American defense goods with that and not use American dollars to fund their own stuff. Trump was dead on right about that. If you want our money then you use it on our stuff.

      Try doing some research dude and not trusting what your news media pushes down your throat. It’s mostly half truths and lies.

      • The lockdown programs did work!
        When the lockdowns were ended, deaths spiral up.

        With No lockdowns, deaths would had reached half a million in UK.

        • I must admit, as someone who lived in the US for the Trump years, I really found it hard to have much liking for the Republicans. Truth is, there’s very little choice in the US. Best you can hope for is moderate voices on either side, but they are pretty much quashed and down-trodden. Oh for a middle of the road party!

      • i know right all most all European countries have been lazy on defence. lately some times i wish went back the arms race in the cold war. sure I face nuclear antihalation but the scientific break throughs are worth it.

      • Boris is spending more money on defence or have you missed the budgets? Lockdowns that dont work? Ah yes America never tried one of those did it, maybes they should have.

        Money being filtered to Israel is an entire world of conspiracy theories and who knows which one is the truth.

    • UK and European defence should not need US support. Europe should be more than capable of defending against Russia’s non nuclear threat. The only reason they aren’t is because the continued US support means they can get away with continuous underfunding of their defence capabilities.

  2. Mmm could be interesting if the Russian movement of Military Hardware around Ukraine turns out to be more than a Bluff.

  3. Just read the scary Janes article on the Russian build up on the Ukranian border. If Putin takes back the Crimea canal from Ukraine, what is NATO/EU/The West going to do about it? Write Putin a letter?

    • Pretty much mate!

      I can’t imagine any government or person wants to send its boys to fight and die for Ukraine. As wonderful a people as they are and as much as they deserve their independence, I can’t say it’s worth the blood of our young men

      • Yes, and the Russians know the west feels that way, so they will do whatever they want. Our young men can rest easy. They’re not going to fight and possibly die for anyone.

        • We could go after Putin’s chums McMafia money in London. However, that would mean a loss of fat fees to City donors to the Tory & other UK parties.

    • I think the Letter has already been written ….. just sat in the pending box. waiting on the next move.

    • I think that the most the Ukraine can hope for from NATO is indirect help, ie Supplies, logistics and a continuation of training, providing of course that they manage to hold off a full Invasion should that happen. If the Government collapses then its game over anyway.

      • Well we will just have to wait and see .Friend from the Ukraine told me 3yrs ago he was in no doubt that one day Putin would invade and take it back for USSR .Pray he’s wrong.

      • I can’t see NATO going to war over the Ukraine but just imagine the Russians do occupy that nation; we could infiltrate ATGMs and SAMs over the border and give the Russians an insurgency problem that would make S Vietnam look like a side show.

        • Good point Rob, although Ukraine has a sizable ‘Russian leaning’ population, many are solidly anti Russia and an invasion would ultimately lead to a robust and bloody insurgency.

          To add to that, Ukraine has been steadily rebuilding it’s armed forces and would certainly be no push over, it would give a good account of itself.

          The Russians would pay a heavy price for an invasion militarily and in doing so complete the transition to a fully fledged terrorist hostile State.

          Economically, it would be absolute suicide and lead to Russian North Korean style isolation.

          Does all the above mean Putin wouldn’t give the order …. He’s increasingly unstable and unpredictable and there is little I wouldn’t put past him …. He’s weaponised the church, thinks nothing of using chemical weapons abroad and any semblance of what we in the West would recognise as ‘Democracy’ has been extinguished.

          The flickering candle light of individual freedoms is perilously close to blowing out in Russia too..

          • I think Ukraine would break in 2. Russian speaking/supporting and non-Russian speaking/supporting. That would probably bring about the ceasefire and satisfy Putin. It might also mean that rump (western Ukraine) joins NATO. Not sure that would end well for Putin since he now shares another border with NATO. At least Ukraine as is is some kind of buffer.

      • How will the Poles react if Russia was daft enough to move into those parts of Western Ukraine that were, pre 1939, part of Poland?

        • I’m not that well read on the history of Poland and Ukraine to be honest, but I would expect Poland would follow the Official NATO /EU script rather than act unilaterally.

      • Even if putin did invade the Ukraine fully it would be a big mistake for him , most of the Ukraine people are anti Russian now and Russia would face a long war with insurgency and it well be very expensive, money Russia does not have.

    • I would role NATO into Kiev right now!! None of this pussyfooting around!! The rest of Ukraine doesn’t matter, just Kiev. Without Kiev, Putin’s mission is a failure. It doesn’t have to be done overtly. Plus, overtly keep building up forces on the Ukrainian border.

      I’ll open a second front from my position within Russia itself.

      • Role into Ukraine with what exactly? There is one US cavalry regiment and one airborne brigade in Europe; the UK just announced a cut in the size of the army.

        • True! But doing nothing is the ultimate show of weakness! Sanctions are definitely hurting Russia, but Putin doesn’t care, he wants Kiev. More sanctions will just be used as a weapon by Putin to keep further control of Russia by saying to the populace, “Look what the West is doing to us? It is trying to kill our economy and our will. We must stand together as one”

          • I suspect what the Russians probably want is a “Finlandized” Ukraine. Absorbing all or part of Ukraine is just a massive problem on every level – militarily, economically, politically. As for the West, it has limited ability to fight a war in Ukraine and the Russians know it. It is just too far to the East and there is only one Western nation that really counts militarily – the US. The US would have to get embroiled in Ukraine exactly as the Chinese are becoming more aggressive in East Asia. That would be a massive strategic blunder.

          • Putin wants Kiev. He can’t let it fall into the hands of the West or NATO. Therefore he needs to go as far a Kiev at the very least.

            Whether ‘we’ want Ukraine or need Ukraine is another thing. It’s a massively corrupt country that may cause more problems for us than it’s worth. But to let Russia take it would then make us look weak. We’re in a pretty much no win situation.

          • Any military clash with Russia (regardless of how it starts) carries a risk of nuclear escalation. Once the forces clash, events could go in any direction. So the question becomes, is one willing to risk nuclear war over Ukraine?

          • Putin is a pussy!! To do nothing falls into his hands. I say play his hand.

            But again, do we really want Ukraine? Not really! But it is the bread basket of Europe and has ship building yards and a well established military industry that would be used by Putin to the utmost.

            So, we come back to the question of what do we do? I say at the very least we need to build up forces around Ukraine and in the Black Sea massively, and right now. It would be a massive coup for Putin if he took Ukraine.

          • You are willing to risk nuclear war for something you don’t actually want? I think I’ll pass especially since it’s the US that has to do it all.

          • Russia will Not resort to Nuclear war, because if they are the first to fire, they know retaliation will come.
            It will be kept conventional at all costs!

          • I am glad you have crystal balls. Those must be very handy in defence planning. The analysis of Putin is also impressive. I am not sure where exactly he has shown the characteristic you ascribe to him.

            It might be useful to read some of the Russian thinking on nuclear weapons and their use. In Ukraine, the Russians have what is known as ‘escalation dominance’ – you are potentially talking about two Russian army groups (vs. what on the NATO side exactly???) and a very different approach to war and nuclear use once a conflict breaks out. I doubt if NATO will roll the dice as you think they should.

          • He’s shown his real self for the last year, much of which was sat in his bunker (house) conducting business via telescreen. No more bare chested antics, all that was thrown out of the window as he was too scared to go outside where the real people live, who had to continue going to shops to buy food. And there was no getting the Sputnik vaccine on camera because he didn’t actually get it.

          • Russia would certainly be a poor loser if it was the first to fire a Nuclear warpon!

            So Don’t Mr Putin fire first then!

            Surely Mr Putin, you would want those parties in those luxury palaces with hookers to continue?

            It will be the Ukrainian armed forces that will defend Ukraine, with technical assistance of some western countries.

            They may have a surprise for you, Mr Putin!

          • See analysis by CNA: “The Russian military sees an independent conventional war as possible, but believes conflict is unlikely to remain conventional as it escalates. This is not a departure from late-Soviet military thought. The military expects a great-power war between nuclear peers to eventually involve nuclear weapons, and is comfortable with this reality, unlike U.S. strategists”. https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/escalation-management-and-nuclear-employment-in-russian-military-strategy/

          • The US devised a new Nuclear posture review in 2018 under Jim Mattis, yes far too good to have served under T., to counter this Russian tactic.

        • A Cut on paper as its under strength already. and wont replace the idiots @ the top who have never achieved anything, apart from drink whisky and fart alot… BECAUSE HE WAS A RICH PERSONS SON…

    • Yes, but it will be really mean letter, NATO will protest vigorously, and boycott yet another Russian official.

  4. So not only are the Russians moving army units towards the area…But a 10 strong naval force is heading toward the Caspian sea for “exercises” full of equipment.

    • Caspian Sea?? I’ve heard of amphibious operations before but I didn’t know the Russians took it so literally that their navy could cross continents over land

  5. Sorry if you think young British men and women are going to die defending Europe again. Your mistaken most wouldn’t piss on the EU if it was smouldering let alone on fire. Let France stand up rather than selling the other side there weapons.

    • A bit harsh on our French friends Jonny, at least France, Poland and Denmark in particular, man up when needed … The others are decidedly ‘reluctant’ shall we say.

      Germany is by far the largest European economy, the banker and therefore the real controller of the EU, regardless of what the hapless bumbling fools in the Brussels Politburo might think.

      So, what would Germany do if the Ukraine was attacked by Russia …. I’m guessing a robust deafening silence, followed by an eventual reluctant strongly worded letter, stipulating their slight disappointment … And pleading not to cut off their gas….

      • “A bit harsh on our French friends Jonny, at least France, Poland and Denmark in particular, man up when needed … The others are decidedly ‘reluctant’ shall we say.”

        Sweden and Finland are EU members too and have also increased their defence budgets (understandably). The Dutch are ok too – they’re deploying a frigate with HMS QE carrier strike group later this year. Germany is decidedly laclustre though. Possibly thinking about the NordStream 2 gas pipeline….

        • FRANCE PMSL they are worse than the USA for selling the Bullets bombs and bandages.

          KERRRRR CHING is the sound a french machine gun makes,,,,

      • ‘Man up’ You mean Battle of Britain fighter pilots from Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Holland and Norway?

        Or you mean Estonians, Latvians, Norwegians, Lithuanians, Poles, Slovaks, Czechs, Danes and the rest of NATO contributing to Afghanistan.

        Perhaps you mean the allies who have covered our capability gapping issues?

        There really are some purile comments on this thread.

        • I would suggest you read my comments again David, you seem to be flailing about and touching on WW2 there …. Odd thing to say, why not reference the Napoleonic wars, or indeed the 100 years war, going by your logic….

          Back in the real (modern) world, I mentioned some countries ‘in particular’, there are others obviously who man up.

          I note you fail to mention Germany, but going by your argument, they weren’t on our side in WW2, but Russia was!

          Talk about purile…..

      • but isnt NATO based around spineless EU countries that waved a white flag last time.

        dont see Russia invading the UK. LET THEM HAVE THE UN-GRATEFUL

  6. And this is why we needed the upgrades of better engines and better radar, a few years back. Complacency will get you nowhere. Thinking that we won’t be in an engagement anytime soon might be a fatal error. The Ruskis are up to their old tricks of slow expansion again. We should have upgraded our Typhoons a long time ago.

  8. I always wondered why no NATO troops were stationed in Romania, bearing in mind it’s bordering Ukraine. Does anyone know the answer to this? I mean is this incorrect? Do we have troops stationed there? And if not, is it perhaps to do with Ukraine’s geography? If Russia wanted to roll into Romania via Ukraine the time it would take would allow NATO troops stationed elsewhere to intercept? I doubt this, as from what I understand the plan is for NATO forces in Eastern Europe to act as a trip wire to allow time for major reinforcements to arrive. With this in mind I would forsee some kind of fighting retreat, which would not encompass rushing to Romania’s defence. Or maybe it’s political, Russia simply has no strategic interest in occupying Romania?

  9. Crikey, some scary posts on this thread. Its like some actively want to confront Russia over Ukraine. As was mentioned here
    a while back the issue is likely water and the Canal. And IMO, as far as Russia see it “liberating” pro Russian industrial areas they still view as theirs.
    Not Kiev.
    And the name of that NATO operation? Biloxi.
    I just see operation “bol**x”!!! 😆

    • I don’t we should actively confront Russia, but at the same time you can’t just let Russia take over an independent country, even if it is seen as theirs already in their eyes. But again, the question is: what do we do?

      • I’d agree it’s no easy situation.

        The problem is the rest of the world saw us take over independent countries ourselves with our Middle East operations. So it’s ok for us but not others. Did Russia “let us” do it?

        I know we had our reasons, but that’s how western hypocricy is perceived.

        I supported the Afghan intervention post 9/11 to deal with terrorist camps but not occupying the place after.

        And no, I’m no Russian troll. I just see both sides when it comes to Russia and our own record.

        • True! But we are good guys 😉

          The difference is that we don’t intend on staying, whereas Putin wants Ukraine for keeps.

    • Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem to be the type to do things by half measures – if he gives the Order the Russian Army will go all in ,Kiev as well,no ifs no butts.

    • It is not just water Daniele, the way it is being sold this side of the wall is Keiv is building up forces facing Donbass and Crimea and making alot of noise about attacking so Russian troops are being moved to counter this, true or not up to everyone to decide who’s propaganda they support but fighting has increased recently. Politically Putin would have no option but to send in army if Ukraine attacks, many in Donbass have taken option of getting Russian citizenship so now it’s not just defending ethnic Russians in Donbas but Russian citizens. Maybe it was always going to end up this way, talks are going nowhere, god willing I am wrong, I have 2 nephews in VDV who have been moved to Crimea

      • Hi Ulya.

        I agree there are always two sides to everything.

        Sorry, VDV? I had to look that up. Airborne forces?

          • Thanks Ulya. Just read of this on a BBC article. I assume they are with the unit located at Volgograd moving to Crimea. Your part of the world.

          • Out of interest Ulya how good are the airborne forces supposed to be? Where I am I see lots of VDV flags in cars with the “No one except for us logo on”, ie is it a branch with troops of really high quality or are they just about quantity?

          • Hello Stand off Rocket Man, I cannot answer this objectively, 3 off 5 brothers served in VDV for 20+ years, currently 2 nephews in and more waiting to turn 18 to join, I grew up in VDV camp so am very bias

          • OK, fair enough.

            The question then is, why didn’t you serve in the VDV? None of my business I realise lol

            I presume you did your military service if you didn’t serve as a kontraktnik. Which service?

          • Stand of rocket man, I have never served in the military or militia, 1, I am only 151.5cm tall, about 5 feet for you (that .5 is important to me btw) so to short, and 2, I have hip replacement at 17 and had most of my ribs broken plus other thing damaged so medical unfit. I worked in trade instead, mainly in Iran and ME before covid and a little trouble I had, now work as consultant and get involved in some businesses I invested in some years ago, sanctions have been good to me

          • Have you ever been outside of Russia? What do you want for Russia? Going totally off of thread I know lol I’m new to the site so maybe you’ve answered lots of these questions before. I see some of the other commentators call you a troll, which may or may not be true; I will withhold judgement until I use the site more. You state that you have a short stature and a female user name, but I would be surprised if you are female.

        • Yes Dave, turning you to the dark side of the force is my life’s mission, given to me by the ghost of the great Khan himself, or I could just be replying to Daniele about how it is being reported here. Take your pick

          • Indeed Ulya the kremlin is the dark side playing the empire game 70 years behind the times and not the means todo so, and we all know whats reported in Russia is 100% BS

          • Dave, as I said in my original comment, believe whatever you want, both sides see the world differently, both sides put out propaganda and while I find it cute you are desperate to see yourself as “the goodies”, what ever we discuss here does not make any difference to the slow walk to war our counties are heading towards because we are so busy blaming each other and can’t find any common ground to talk sensibly. Never mind, I’m sure you will do your duty to your country as I will to mine

          • Well fortunately for me living in the UK my nations media by law is impartial unlike Putins controlled media in Russia. “Desperate to see ourselves as goodies”? Oh Ulya the uk has not invaded a European nation since WW2 and they did that for the right reasons, not to mention Russia using a chemical warfare attack on UK soil. I feel sorry for you ,I really do , you want to be proud of your country ,I see that , but unfortunately for you, the kremlin only knows one thing ,dictatorships and your people are weak because they know no difference, the Ukraine people are strong they saw Russian leadership dragging them down with Putins mafia state . Under Putin and his supporters you lot really are a bunch of losers desperate for some out of date glory of empire , which is fine if you kept it to your selves ,but unfortunately Putin likes to take nations down with him who see a more brighter future west. You putin guys really need to accept you lost and have defiantly lost what ever morals you had under Putin.

          • Having read the stuff that ULYA posts here for the past few years, I can’t help thinking about all the other similar stuff He/She post’s here under various other names. I also know what ULYA translates to …. lol. Can’t wait for the reply.

          • She said she was a female a few years back, she said lots of other stuff too. Seems to have a few personality Issues.

    • I agree. Posting some reasoned factors for consideration often surprisingly and disappointingly unleashes a stream of pre conceived, superficial, ill informed opinions.

      In the Falklands, an external power acted to defend a population, of a small territory, that had voted for continued links with that mother power rather than be subsumed by another nation that spoke a completely different language and was of different ethnic background.
      In the Ukraine, a population of a small territory, repeatedly voted for closer links with a mother nation that speaks the same language and of the same ethnic background rather than be completely subsumed by a power with a different language and ethnicity.
      One common feature. In both cases there was and is strong domestic support to defend the democratic rights and choices of their cousins.

      In contrast China’s plans in the South China Sea and East China Sea are nothing short of an aggressive nationalistic policy of conquest.
      The situation is eerily similar to the Sudetenland and Appeasement.
      Soon the West will be faced with the same decision on what to do.

  10. This is the perfect time for Putin and Xi Jinping to take advantage and test the waters in the Ukraine and South China Sea.
    An enfeebled Leader of the US and Nato appears mentally incapable of making rapid and complex decisions.
    The EU is in a state of disarray with its failure to deal with Covid.
    The economies of both the US and especially the EU are one crisis away from severe distress.
    The EU depends on Russia for about 45% of its gas and 28% of its oil.
    European countries have almost eliminated their armed forces as credible deterrents to aggression.
    It would be no surprise if Russia and China coordinated their actions.

    • Rubbish!

      The US economy is set to grow by 7% this year! The highest growth since the 1950’s!

      The UK is also set for a good year by the ending of lockdowns with Covid under control at last!

      Only the EU is in a state of disarray at the moment!

      • And equal rubbish.
        The 7% essentially meaning less. It is not real growth but a rebound to below previous levels. If the US economy was has such a booming condition WHY is Biden planning a 3 TRILLION Recovery package???
        The UK has national debt has shot above £2 TRILLION with no sign of stopping.
        The EU wants 750 Billion Recovery fund as a starter.
        In short Western economies are in deep trouble and your suggestion that they are about to boom is economic ignorance.
        But you deliberatly avoid addressing the single BIGGEST problem. The Leader of the US and NATO is mentally incapable!!!
        The West’s current fundemental weakness is a deeply dangerous situation and you are are fool to bpretend otherwise.

        • @Kremlin Troll. Hit a raw nerve of the Kremlin’s nervou system?

          A very anti-Westen response!

          Some of the growth will be a rebound, but not all. The $1.9Bn American Rescue Plan is to ensure the economic recovery from Covid gets underway quickly, evenly, and without having millions of hungry people, of whom were to lose their unemployment payments by end of last month, and extended them to later in the year.
          And to pay for vaccination programs, and extra costs of Covid to business etc, etc!

          Could you not work this out for yourself Man?

          Talking about leaders ‘mentally incapable’, are you at referring to your boss, Prigozhin who has Not been seen for months?

          Sorry to hear, that Not all is going according to plan in the Kremlin!!

          • So somebody that points out you are talking rubbish is a Putin troll.

            At first you quoted the US’s expected growth of 7% as evidence of its strength, but now you mumble about soome of it being rebound and some not. So what evidence do have you to support your claim that some is rebound and some is new growth?

            You not only make vague guesses about what the Recovery fund is but you get the total WRONG. The 1st part of the fund is the $1.9 trillion, American Rescue Plan. The 2nd part is expected to be the $1.1+/- Build Back Better Package.

            This gets is back to my question, If the US economy is so strong, as you stated in such a condescending manner. Why does it need a $3 TRILLION rescure package?

            Your attempt to at 1st ignore the point about Biden’s capabilities and now deflect like a kid in a playground by coming up with some irrelevant grunts about Putin demonstates an immature and intellectual limitation to engage in debate.

          • It is You that has demonstrated a
            immature personality, and with intellectual limitations, because the answers to your questions are fariy obvious to all!

            You outright hostility to western economic policies certainly summed you up as an hostile agent of a sort, indicating a Kremlin troll!

            To answer your question on Biden’s capabilities, is considerably better then his predecessor’s!
            Which should have been fairy obvious to
            you!

            The answers to the economic points you have raised are in the media, like this example here:
            https://www.businessinsider.com/economic-outlook-us-gdp-stimulus-boost-infrastructure-spending-unemployment-bofa-2021-3?r=US&IR=T
            Again very obvious!

            Also the UK’s debt has been much higher in past. Post WW2 it was 240% of GDP with would be equivalent to nearly £5 Trillion today.

            So go and learn some true facts in the proper media, before sprouting distorted facts the next time!

    • The figures for EU dependence on imports are actually higher. However they are like the fabled story of “owe the bank a grand that you can’t pay, you’ve for a problem – owe the bank a million you can’t pay, the bank has a problem”. Good luck solving that one.

      It also misses that those supplies are the cheapest/most convenient. They are not irreplaceable, albeit at cost.

      Whatever the wailing about European armed forces, the reality is that Russia does not have the power or logistics to do anything much anyway. It’s forces have a hollowness that competes with the worst of European.

      As for Covid, Europe is now heading out from the mess, and in less worse shape than feared.

      Russia and China have as much ability and intent to comordinte their activities as Israel and Iran do. China sees Russia in even more demeaning terms than it sees Europe, as at least Europe has economic might and technology plus does things.

      As for insulting the US leader that’s just a bit sad, Putin has cowered from the Russian people for years and of course we all know that in the West, leadership and decision making comes from a lot of sources rather than “the great man”, a method that historically results in 100% failure and tragedy for any country that has it.

  11. There is a Russian saying “ You push, you push and you push some more until you meet cold hard steel. Then you stop pushing”. Putin is willing to risk nuclear war to achieve his aims. He needs to know so is the West. You stop importing anything from Russia, no oil, no gas. You break him economically. You are dealing with a total psychopath and narcissist.
    Lastly, do you really believe 200m Russians want to die for Ukraine. No more than we do but appeasement never works and nor does weakness. Face up to the fact that a war with China or Russia is highly likely and plan accordingly. Having a great NHS won’t have much impact if it all goes belly up. The first role of Government is to defend the country, that has to become everyone priority.

  12. Does anyone know how quickly the RAF could deploy a Typhoon Squadron overseas from first notification to flying CAP/DAPs?

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