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Install a puppet govt and delay "free" elections. follow the Russian model of arresting prominent politicians that are an electoral threat to Russia's choices for new leadership. Russian troops "monitoring" polling stations. Claim it is a legitimate Govt as elected by the people.

His support is solid if not spectacular. State controlled media. His time on the KGB means he knows how to control internal dissent. High profile opponents tend to end up in prison. Any large protest will be clamped down probably under some kind of martial law. Energy income has strengthened...

Like Hungary 1956 Czech public memories of 1968 are still very emotive. But won't be surprised if it is the Czech and Hungarian leaders who start the calls for rebuilding relationships etc when it is politically less risky to do so. Both have been courting a lot of Russian & Chinese Govt...

Looks like they've been caught off guard by the types of attack particularly on where the Russians are striking in the west of the country. We're seeing plenty of coverage here of attack helicopters operating at low levels. Reports here of Russian ground troops saying they believed they were...

Already divisions on sanctions. Germany in particular not keen on removing Russia from the SWIFT system ( basically because of how much trade there is between the 2 countries - seemingly mainly energy and automative).

To be fair we've had Germans,Greeks ,Dutch and others living in Buckingham palace :)

How this thread becomes a rerun of Brexit is most strange? One UK remains a major factor in NATO. Two don't think Putin would have had 2nd thoughts if UK was still part of EU

Falklands effect. Nationalism (patriotism rather than any far right ideology) is a very powerful factor in most East European countries. Most independent media had been closed in Russia so media very much Govt controlled.

Without air cover they can't just stand and fight - they'd lose quickly

Also the will to use them. When you have only one voice on one side and multiple voices on the other becomes more complicated.

He's been quite clear over the last few years with various interviews, articles and speeches that it is to expand Russia's area of influence to levels near what the former USSR had. Been quite clear of last few months that the minimum is to remove NATO forces form the Baltic states - something...

Well aware of what the Treaty says. Has it ever been tested? If Russia moves 20km into all the border states and stops would it lead to all out war? 30km? 100km? As you say it brings in the US but it's a long way to move resources in a short period of time. It would not be a conventional war...

Can easily take it in stages. Thinking could be he can take then hold former territories in a negotiated peace? Or how prepared are NATO to escalate it if it reached a potential nuclear stage? History littered with cases where countries believed others would not get in involved in other...

There were regular Russian forces there just not in an official capacity. All the arms and leadership were provided by Russia. We were farming that region at the time and our colleagues obviously had friends and family there. Was no secret what was going on there.

6 months ago no-one seriously thought he would invade Ukraine. He's deadly serious about NATO pulling out of former Eastern European states. Does this invasion of the Ukraine seem a rational act? Is it likely he invades a NATO state right now? Probably not. If these sanctions do seriously...

My late father in-law was involved in pouring barrels of oil on the steep roads in Buda to stop the tanks being able to go up and down. He was bombed by the Germans, Russians and Americans in WW2. October 23 remains a huge national holiday here and a very emotional one amongst those who...

Shock here but not surprise. Mistrust of Russia runs deep. Concern here seems to be any weakness from rest of the world will embolden Putin to continue to expand his territorial demands at later dates. Interviews published this week of recently retired Russian military commanders saying...

They are waiting to see how it pans out and that will affect their decision making on Taiwan.

For all his games with the EU and cosying up to Putin to wind up the EU Orbán is well aware of the sensitivity of Hungarians to Russian expansionism. 1956 is ingrained in the Hungarian consciousness as well as other memories of Soviet occupation. Bullet holes are deliberately left in a lot of...

Ramps it up a bit in your mind. Saw some massive convoys of troops, armoured vehicles on lorries, ambulances etc. go past me today on the way to the border.