Ukraine

[vic mcclymont]

Putin has stated many times JS, he wants Eastern Europe back under Soviet control to act as a buffer against perceived actions by NATO.
Read a couple of reports that FSB are ready to act against Putin. Think his days are numbered.
Vic

[j.sabourn]

#316. The idea of such I agree with , but the assistant captain may be a figment of some journalists fertile imagination , I can only think he feels he knows all about ships as most who report on them do. Maybe these countries do have assistant captains who knows ? Or maybe he is thinking of a relief captain or maybe even the 1st. Mate . I don’t suppose an explanation will ever be forthcoming ? Cheers JS

[Keith Tindell]

You can bet your life that someone in Russia is plotting his downfall, most dictators go this way. What follows could be bad, worse or better, but lets hope this guy gets the heave ho first. He must be the first one to ever openly threaten the bomb, Saddam hinted at it, even though he did not have the weapons of mass destruction, but thats what caused his end.

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If you look at the date i first opened this post, some 3 years ago, Ukraine knew then what was coming, i think if we had put a small contingent of NATO troops in there, by invite to do an exercise, maybe this lot would never have happened, at least would have made Putin think twice, kt

[j.sabourn]

For those who have CCCP stamped in the back of their discharge books have obviously been to Russia on a ship. The Russians never seemed too interested with passports for seamen and wanted their seamen’s books for inspection. Maybe because there was more info. In the same such as height distinguishing marks, scars etc. so anyone who had an obscene tattoo with the rabbbit escaping on their back , the Russians may be able to identify you and could prove embarrassing if trying to keep secret. Better if the rabbit disappeared totally and was hidden.
Cheers JS

[Tony Taylor]

For those who have CCCP stamped in the back of their discharge books have obviously been to Russia on a ship. The Russians never seemed too interested with passports for seamen and wanted their seamen’s books for inspection. Maybe because there was more info. In the same such as height distinguishing marks, scars etc. so anyone who had an obscene tattoo with the rabbbit escaping on their back , the Russians may be able to identify you and could prove embarrassing if trying to keep secret. Better if the rabbit disappeared totally and was hidden.
Cheers JS

I have one John from 79. I was turned in on the night we were due to sail when I was woken and told to go to crew messroom to be checked but declined the invite and went back to sleep, ten minutes later there was a delegation barged in my cabin and woke me up again and my discharge book picture was was compared with my mug so that they were satisfied that I was the genuine article. If it was such a great place why were they worried about anyone bailing out.
This happened in Novorossyisk, loaded full cargo of crude for discharge Yugoslavia

[j.sabourn]

#323. Did they check out the rabbit as well Tony ? Just joking as someone said you didn’t have one. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Keith.
The reason for the war now taking place is because the idiot in the Ukraine was trying to join Nato, if they had done so earlier, the war would have been much sooner and more devastating. Russia will never countenance Nato on it's border, a fact of life, or death.
Des

[j.sabourn]

The present war in the Ukraine should not surprise any history buff. All during recorded history of the world , at least every century we have had probably what each side of every conflict call despots , in the 20 th. Century we had Hitler , Mussolini, General Franco , to name just 3 . Their look on life was vastly different to others but millions flew to their Standards and fought for what they believed right. The 21 st. Century we have Putin, and others in different countries who are going to carry on in the same vein to prove they are still with us in another body as it may seem. Right or wrong depends on who and what you are , whoever split that atom years ago in the name of progress has a lot to answer for. And the traitors who passed those secrets at the time to belligerent countries certainly deserved more than what they got, which was I believe the death penalty at the time. The Rosenbergs if my memory is correct. It’s a funny thing I can’t remember what I did last week, but can still remember the furore what those two caused in the world. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

There is a problem with the West supplying arms to Ukraine.
Putin will see this as the West being in a pusedo war with him, just the excuse he would need to go much further than he has so far.
It is a very fine line between war and peace just now, NATO can do very little in this instance.

[Keith Tindell]

I think any country has the right to choose its own path as long as its peaceful, i don't agree that ukraine should not have applied to join NATO, as Russia would not allow it to happen, several of the old red block have joined, Poland, East Germany, etc. Putin has been pushing things for years, Syria etc. Moldova, not part of Russia, will see how long before he moves in there, very small country.Supplying arms to Ukraine is no different when Russia was supplying arms to North Vietnam against the Yanks. Putin is a war monger, the world cannot let him plunder other countries at will.