Oddly, Heathrow-Moscow flights are not cancelled.
Can’t Russia just veto anything the UN SC does that it doesn’t like?
It seems likely to me that a number of US politicians have deep and embarrassing business & financial relationships with Ukraine & Russia. I feel like this is one reason Republicans went so hard after Hunter Biden - to take the heat off themselves for doing things that are likely 10x as bad. It would help explain why so many of them have jumped in the tank for Putin on national TV for the last few weeks.
At this point I am not confident about predicting what Putin will or won’t do, but I’m sure that he has shady financial arrangements with some US and UK politicians. If they don’t use their powers of office to help keep NATO off his back, I’m sure Putin would be glad to reveal embarrassing information about their ties to Russia - or worse, just skim their funds for himself.
If it’s not something like that, then it’s physical strikes on physical US assets, and I don’t think Putin is ready to take that kind of big unnecessary risk. Though now that Russia has crossed the line of departure, I am no longer confident predicting what Putin will do.
Russia has veto power in the Security Council. Short of locking the Russian ambassador in the bathroom before calling for a vote, there’s sadly not much they’re going to be able to do.
Then force them to veto. It may be an empty statement, but at least it’s a statement.
I just find it interesting that the UN, a body designed specifically to prevent another war in Europe involving the great powers, has been completely MIA for another war in Europe involving a great power.
So - important point here. The seat currently occupied by Russia was actually designated for the USSR. I am hearing rumblings that the UN could declare that Russia’s current gov’t isn’t the legitimate successor to the USSR, and hence cannot occupy that seat.
The machinations involved in such an expulsion are above my pay grade. But, while I guess it’s theoretically possible the UN could do that, a UN without both nuclear superpowers loses a huge chunk of credibility as an international deliberative and peacekeeping body.
The phrase that’s been popping into my mind this past week… this is a terrible option, but there are no good options here.
NATO is holding an emergency Article 4 meeting at the request of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Is the agenda throwing out the Balts and the Poles from the alliance? /s
George Keenan’s ghost is busy saying “I told you so” in whatever nook of Foggy Bottom he ended up in?
Meanwhile, the Russian stock market is currently down about 29% since the beginning of the trading day, after having lost nearly half its value at one point.
Yeah, I read 40% earlier.
Wonder how much the increase in oil prices will help them absorb these shocks?
If the U.S. were really playing to win, now would be the time to send a submarine to the Baltic, blow up the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, and blame it on Russia.
Kicking Russia off of the global internet might make that a bit more difficult- and have the added benefit of a soft sanction against Russian internet-based companies.
It passes through what may o may not be Russian territorial waters and they are much more likely to shoot today than request arbitration.
Submarines are very good at not being seen. In fact, it’s what they’re known for.
Not in shallow, narrow waters right next to shore.
(I like your idea in principle).
I have no idea what ranges modern torpedoes have, so I don’t know if it is possible to stay in the depths while shooting into the shallows, but barring that, you have SEALs, mini-subs… I’m sure there are plenty of ways to get creative.
Or if the pipes are really that shallow, have a B-2 drop a bunker buster into the sea.
That would be difficult to plausibly deny.
“Massive unexplained explosion destroys pipeline. NATO reports Russian activity in the area.”
Look, no offense to the German members of this board, but by buying gas from Gazprom, your country is actively supporting the Russian war effort. You really should shut the pipeline down yourself.