Moldova - could Russia invade a 2nd country

[securespark]

Do you think that extends to the Nuke threat?

 

[jeds]

Putin said right from the start that 'this isn't just about Ukraine' so it wouldn't be a surprise if he does have ideas of moving into Moldova, or Georgia, or both? Of course at that time he was thinking Ukraine would be a week or two tops so that might have a bearing on it. I read the other day that sanctions were beginning to bite quite hard in some parts of Russia and have started to show in the main cities. As time goes I still believe the balance of Russian public opinion will change as things get more and more difficult.

 

[THFC]

Do you think that extends to the Nuke threat?

Yes

 

[JP_]

Its been very worrying since mid Feb

It's been worrying since 2014. Well, since 1917, and then when they made a nuclear bomb.

 

[ajohn]

Despite his BS threats, I don't think Pootin would invade a NATO country. That obviously doesn't include Georgia though.

I'd be inclined to agree with that. For some reason the Polish president insists that the will invade them and of course Zelensky mentions more countries for very obvious reasons. I doubt if they are correct, They would probably need a WWII sized army. Certainly a lot larger than they currently have. That is one of there current limitations.

Moldova though. All pundits say the same. The bloke who mentioned it has no powers that allow him to say that. It could be a blind for strategic reasons. The biggest problem is Odessa with it's 2,500km of deep tunnels. Will he or wont he. He would if he could just walk in. Another Kyev problem with bells on it. A long term siege might do it but arms would still be around in there throughout it. So far as with some other places the suburbs are said to have been hit but nothing shown as far as I am aware. Pretty sure it was a place that chose to speak Russian when that was allowed. An peculiar report mentioned that their library had Ukrainian translation of Russian masterworks waiting to be put on the shelves to replace the originals. There are several places that elected to speak Russian when it was allowed.

 

[securespark]

Yes

So if we don't truly believe he will set em off, why don't we go in and help Ukraine?

 

[THFC]

a) because it's only my opinion, not necessarily shared by the powers that be and

b) because Ukraine is not a member of NATO

 

[ajohn]

Do you think that extends to the Nuke threat?

Stating that nukes are on alert isn't really a threat. It's just a reminder that they are there.

Why are they there - all comes to MAD. Forget winning wars they are purely intended for mass destruction on an enormous scale.

That leaves 2 other areas where they could be used. Tactical - think of the ones used on Japan used to help conquer it. The other is battle field size - a shell with rather unusual explosive power and up. Or the newton bomb which as far a residual damage goes doesn't do much. The radiation does. In terms of bangs they are reckoned to be about 1mtonne or a bit more. Maybe less is possible as well.

Russia says it will only use conventional weapons ?????? So far it has.

 

[Notch7]

As the West have done nothing (militarily) to stop him carrying out the mass slaughter of civilians in Ukraine, I imagine he thinks that the same will apply when he invades Moldova.

Putin takes a step, sees what the West does, if nothing he takes another and another…..

NATO / Biden / the West made a massive error in telling Putin they would stand by and let him invade Ukraine.

 

[transam]

Despite his BS threats, I don't think Pootin would invade a NATO country. That obviously doesn't include Georgia though.

may be
May be not ?

what Putin is good at though is starting issues in a country by supporting separatists (? Latvia )

Moldova is neutral but has appplied for EU member ship

 

[Notch7]

Despite his BS threats, I don't think Pootin would invade a NATO country. That obviously doesn't include Georgia though.

I agree

if Putin invaded a NATO country, that would be a huge escalation resulting in a war over which Putin doesn’t have any control

 

[transam]

The question about any escalation by Putin ??

is will Nato hold the line ? Or will it cave in ?

or will it fragment ??

who are the loose cannons in the organisation

Hungary for a start are there others

The Turks have stood up to Putin in the past but ????? Hmmmm

 

[Charlie George]

The question about any escalation by Putin ??

is will Nato hold the line ? Or will it cave in ?

or will it fragment ??

who are the loose cannons in the organisation

Hungary for a start are there others

The Turks have stood up to Putin in the past but ????? Hmmmm

Maybe France and Germany, they don't seem to have the stomach for a fight with russia, France has been on the fringe of Nato in the past,and Germanys reliance on russia.

 

[ajohn]

is will Nato hold the line ? Or will it cave in ?
or will it fragment ??

In some respects it already is.

The Turks have stood up to Putin in the past

More correctly the 2 countries trade with each other. As Russia does with a number of others.

Putin takes a step, sees what the West does, if nothing he takes another and another…..
NATO / Biden / the West made a massive error in telling Putin they would stand by and let him invade Ukraine.

NATO / major western countries are going to go to war against Russia then? They are at war against them effectively but not directly.

 

[transam]

Putin has been reading up on Adolph

find a region in Moldova that has an ethnic Russian population

invent some caper about how they are persecuted

send in the army to rescue them from there persecutors

a land corridor between Transnistria and the Crimea
Which will in effect cut off the Ukranian access to the Black Sea

Odessa will neeed to be taken by the Russians