James Doogue

Ukraine is now in a state of emergency and it has been reported that the Ukrainian government announced compulsory military service for all men of fighting age.

Whether or not additional Russian troops have crossed Ukraine's border in recent days, there's no dispute about the fact that Putin has placed 200,000 troops plus plenty of artillery on Ukraine's Eastern border. They have also continued shelling targets within Ukraine. This of course is in addition to the many Russian troops and equipment which have been operating as 'separatists' within Ukraine since 2014.

Academics and diplomats might not want to call the situation an invasion for diplomacy's sake. Some politicians in the US didn't like it when Trump referred to the invasion at the US southern border. But the facts speak for themselves.

Certainly if the boot was on the other foot and NATO was funding and supplying a separatist movement within Russia, then declared parts of Russia as 'independent' nations, and amassed 200,000 troops and artillery and other equipment at the border and was shelling targets inside Russia, it would be considered by Putin as an invasion, and a 'casus belli'.

If Putin then staged an offensive to stop the shelling and attack the troops massed on his border, the UN would not be discussing war crimes against Putin.

As for what Zelensky says, he's walking a tight rope between not panicking his country but also needing to request help against Russia from the West. Putin on the other hand is clearly bent on taking the Donbas with as little conflict as possible, and without involving any military action from the West.

Truth is the first casualty of war.

Valerius Ander adds:

There are several mysteries in this war

I have the nagging feeling that most people in Ukraine and Russia did not expect it to happen.

The Ukrainians did not destroy the bridge to Crimea- this made the invasion easier

The invasion routes have been printed for weeks - and yet there was no resistance

And all those US and UK weapons - mostly remain unseen

Even NATO took many hours before being able to get a few words on paper - as if NATO had not been predicting the invasion for months

There is something mysterious happening over there.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 11:08 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 389 words, total size 3 kb.