# Russia invades Ukraine -- The regional situation **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349 "2023-12-30T18:43:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 49
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/962 "2025-05-15T21:26:01Z")
Good stuff. Of course, there’ll always be some trolls bleating that a 2025 German buildup is somehow analogous to a Nazi German buildup, as if the two are in any way similar. > **[Germany aims to have 'strongest' military in Europe — Merz – DW – 05/14/2025](https://www.dw.com/en/germany-aims-to-have-strongest-military-in-europe-merz/a-72546478)** > > Germany's newly elected chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called for Berlin to transform its Bundeswehr into the "strongest conventional army in Europe" in his first major speech to parliament. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/963 "2025-05-15T21:47:28Z")
I mean, someone’s got to be the strongest military in Europe, and it’d hardly be a surprise if it was the most powerful nation in Europe. Or at least a nation in the top echelon of power; I’m not precisely sure where France stands compared to Germany. In the current environment, though, I suspect that both France and Germany would view an increase of either’s military strength as a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/964 "2025-05-15T21:53:57Z")
Does the world really want Germany to focus on military expansion? There’s a reason Germany and Japan shifted away from a militarized society after WWII. Yet it’s becoming unavoidable that they will have to dramatically increase their military budgets. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/965 "2025-05-15T22:00:13Z")
In German media that speech was not prominently reported, DW (Deutsche Welle) is a bit of a second tier medium. I read the FAZ, the Handelsblatt and the NZZ (OK, those are Swiss) and I had not heard of that commitment. I like it. The Bundeswehr is an army with problems, money may help. Right now I am happy that Poland has a better army. They are also closer to the action. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/966 "2025-05-15T22:30:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Does the world really want Germany to focus on military expansion? The world isn’t leaving them much choice. Russia, however ramshackle, is currently a destabilizing threat that has to be countered/contained. But at any rate the German military was considerably larger in the 1980’s. Considerably - there was a peak of 495,000 military personnel in the the West German bundeswehr and 176,000 in the East German NVA. Today there is 181,000 total. If you weren’t scared of them in 1989, nobody should be scared of them in 2031 when they’re aiming for 203,000. Military expansion sounds ominous until you realize just what they mean by that. It ain’t that much in historical terms and I don’t think Poland needs to be scared of them. Also WW II ended eighty years ago. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/967 "2025-05-16T13:31:44Z")
I should think the present Polish government would be all for the German expansion, whatever the trolling from Putin. They know what past Russian/Soviet governments did to Poland. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/968 "2025-05-16T16:55:58Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I don’t think Poland needs to be scared of them. I did not mean to say Poland should be scared of Germany (despite history), but that they have taken the Russian threat much more seriously and much earlier than Germany. And that is a good thing, also for Germany. By being better armed than Germany they are de facto defending Germany from Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/969 "2025-05-17T11:46:01Z")
Now I understand why the Russians are so successful: genetic superiority! Ukraine should just surrender now to their natural leaders. I’m at least happy to be reminded that appointing a crackpot to high office is a common thing. > **[Putin’s peace talks negotiator claimed Russians have extra chromosome](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/russia-ukraine-putin-peace-negotiator-vladimir-medinsky/)** > > Vladimir Medinsky co-authored a book that claimed Stalin was wise and branded Ukraine an ‘ultranationalist state’ ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/970 "2025-05-17T12:09:57Z")
So Russians are like potatoes? kind of make sense… ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/971 "2025-05-17T14:01:47Z")
> [@FrenchDunadan](#): > > So Russians are like potatoes? Eyes everywhere ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/972 "2025-05-17T14:05:21Z")
I was thinking more Down’s syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/973 "2025-05-17T14:12:29Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Now I understand why the Russians are so successful: genetic superiority! The whole article is worth reading. Here is a legitimate not-paywalled link: [Putin’s peace talks negotiator](https://www.yahoo.com/news/putin-peace-talks-negotiator-claimed-124232879.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF-iPq6l1In_8E1H_OZHmwIgNQpxHcCGMa7BV9suOZqOVnRhx3WCCpiYMgNeT5hIuyhXzefa1nSl5FV36k1D9xkLhtI2PuexwQjxaSnHi5M2LsjrruvQRJqXtDP_KEx_Q9fr00mTgJM-y2yaHfXlLGFFbac3RaaKzK1H_rp31xLo) > [@](#): > > He also co-authored a history textbook now in use in all Russian schools . . . . > > Putin rewarded him by making him culture minister in 2012, despite Mr Medinsky’s self-confessed loathing of art. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/974 "2025-05-17T16:05:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I was thinking more Down’s syndrome. That’s a bit unkind to Down’s people (like my great-nephew, who is happy and gentle and everything Putin and his thugs aren’t) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/975 "2025-05-17T16:19:52Z")
Yeah, I’m sorry about that; I didn’t mean to demean people with trisomy-21. It’s still not the sort of thing one would brag about, though. And that’s actually one of the more mild conditions involving humans having an extra chromosome. Most often, the fetus doesn’t even survive to birth. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/976 "2025-05-19T23:22:51Z")
> **[Romania’s pro-EU candidate beats hard-right rival to win presidential election...](https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/18/europe/romania-presidential-election-result-intl-latam)** > > Romania’s pro-European Union, centrist presidential candidate Nicușor Dan won the country’s election Sunday, defeating his ultranationalist rival in a shocking upset. > [Hard-right candidate George Simion], who opposes providing military aid to Ukraine and is critical of the EU, looked on track to win the election after he swept the first round on May 4. But Dan gained ground after trouncing Simion in a televised debate. … > > Dan, who is currently the mayor of the capital Bucharest, is a strong supporter of Romania’s NATO membership and has pledged to continue providing aid to Ukraine, which he sees as key to Romania’s own security against the threat from Russia. He also campaigned on a promise to crack down on corruption. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/977 "2025-05-19T23:48:33Z")
54% to 46%, too. A decent margin. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/978 "2025-05-21T15:16:51Z")
46% is for fascism is way too much for my taste, but I’ll take what I can get while the going is still good. Let’s see what happens in Poland. Meanwhile, in Madrid: Andriy Portnov, who had worked as a senior aide to Ukraine’s pro-Russia former president, Viktor Yanukovych, was shot dead while bringing kids to school: > **[Former Ukrainian politician shot dead outside Madrid school](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/former-ukrainian-politician-andriy-portnov-shot-dead-outside-madrid-school)** > > Andriy Portnov, ex-aide to pro-Russia former president, was dropping off children when he was targeted by gunmen Pozuelo de Alarcón! That is where one of the schools I went to as a kid was! That is not really Madrid, it is about ten km outside of the city limits, along the A6 to La Coruña. The American school is there too? Was always a posh neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/979 "2025-05-21T16:00:46Z")
One would not expect an exiled senior member of a thuggish criminal regime to live anywhere except a posh neighborhood. Good riddance to human trash. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/980 "2025-05-21T16:08:32Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Meanwhile, in Madrid: Andriy Portnov, who had worked as a senior aide to Ukraine’s pro-Russia former president, Viktor Yanukovych, was shot dead while bringing kids to school: Hmm. Is this Putin sending a message to Trump about what happens if you try to step away? Or, simply another Russian mob hit on someone trying to retire? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349/981 "2025-05-21T16:45:04Z")
Or some Ukrainian patriot decided to do something for the cause. Or maybe some secret department of the current Ukrainian government settling scores. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russia-invades-ukraine-the-regional-situation/995349.md?page=50)