Prayers for people under the Russian thumb.

[AppfaninCAALand]

This is history not politics

You're reading it after it was cleaned up.

Thanks for cleaning it up.

The Kievan Rus, Romanov Dynasty, the feud between Stalin and Trotsky, Holodomor, and Glastnost are history (and relevant history at that). But the current invasion very much is politics.

But I agree on keeping our politics to a minimum here is a good idea.

[AppfaninCAALand]

I know Russians and I know Ukranians , some very well , and they see each other as kin.They are in a state of shock ,dismay and abject sadness.They also tell me that Putin , a bully , was afraid of the US .Was . Now he sees weakness , and opportunity.We are in very dangerous times.BTW I have a friend , American , in Kyiv right now and am still getting real time updates .Tonight and tomorrow are critical.Make no mistake the Ukranians are fighting like hell.

When the hell did Putin ever say he was afraid of the US?

Reading comprehension? Stonewall said the Russians and Ukrainians he knew thought Putin was scarred of the US, not that Putin himself said he was afraid of the US. Putin would never say that out loud, but events on the ground over the last decade support the speculation.

I asked a simple question. Could have saved your time by just answering it (Like you eventually did) rather than your "reading comprehension" attack.

Yeah, you're probably right, it probably was a tad over the line. Sorry. I just found the use of "when the hell" as over-the-top since that clearly isn't what Stonewall had said.

[NewApp]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

[goapps]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

Putin was in the KGB but not under Stalin, Stalin died in 1953.

[goapps]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

Putin was in the KGB but not under Stalin, Stalin died in 1953.

Sorry, misread your post. I've no idea about Putin's grandfather.

[appdaze]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

KGB didnt exist when stalin was alive.

[AppfaninCAALand]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

KGB didnt exist when stalin was alive.

I've no idea, but considering Putin was KGB and the inherent nepotism of the Soviet state, I think it is safe to assume there are Stalin-era NKVD agents up Putin's family tree.

[appdaze]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

KGB didnt exist when stalin was alive.

I've no idea, but considering Putin was KGB and the inherent nepotism of the Soviet state, I think it is safe to assume there are Stalin-era NKVD agents up Putin's family tree.

From wikipedia:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born on 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia),[18][19] the youngest of three children of Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin (1911–1999) and Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova; 1911–1998). Spiridon Putin, Vladimir Putin's grandfather, was a personal cook to Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.[20][21] Putin's birth was preceded by the deaths of two brothers, Viktor and Albert, born in the mid-1930s. Albert died in infancy and Viktor died of diphtheria during the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany's forces in World War II.[22]

Putin's mother was a factory worker and his father was a conscript in the Soviet Navy, serving in the submarine fleet in the early 1930s. Early in World War II, his father served in the destruction battalion of the NKVD.[23][24][25] Later, he was transferred to the regular army and was severely wounded in 1942.[26] Putin's maternal grandmother was killed by the German occupiers of Tver region in 1941, and his maternal uncles disappeared on the Eastern Front during World War II.

[AppStFan1]

I know Russians and I know Ukranians , some very well , and they see each other as kin.They are in a state of shock ,dismay and abject sadness.They also tell me that Putin , a bully , was afraid of the US .Was . Now he sees weakness , and opportunity.We are in very dangerous times.BTW I have a friend , American , in Kyiv right now and am still getting real time updates .Tonight and tomorrow are critical.Make no mistake the Ukranians are fighting like hell.

He definitely doesn’t fear us right now and that’s evident by his actions. It sounds like he wants to get back the land they gave up previously to reunite the old USSR. What an evil person and someone who it appears won’t stop if he completely takes Ukraine.

[AppfaninCAALand]

Someone at church yesterday said that Putin's grandfather was in the KGB under Stalin. Does anyone know if this true?

KGB didnt exist when stalin was alive.

I've no idea, but considering Putin was KGB and the inherent nepotism of the Soviet state, I think it is safe to assume there are Stalin-era NKVD agents up Putin's family tree.

From wikipedia:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born on 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia),[18][19] the youngest of three children of Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin (1911–1999) and Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova; 1911–1998). Spiridon Putin, Vladimir Putin's grandfather, was a personal cook to Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.[20][21] Putin's birth was preceded by the deaths of two brothers, Viktor and Albert, born in the mid-1930s. Albert died in infancy and Viktor died of diphtheria during the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany's forces in World War II.[22]

Putin's mother was a factory worker and his father was a conscript in the Soviet Navy, serving in the submarine fleet in the early 1930s. Early in World War II, his father served in the destruction battalion of the NKVD.[23][24][25] Later, he was transferred to the regular army and was severely wounded in 1942.[26] Putin's maternal grandmother was killed by the German occupiers of Tver region in 1941, and his maternal uncles disappeared on the Eastern Front during World War II.

As I thought, though the personal cook for Lenin and Stalin is further up the hierarchy than I suspected.

[HighlandsApp]

Looks like the thread needs cleaning up some more

[WVAPPeer]

This is a long but very informative article on this with Fiona Hill - longtime Russian expert - it's worth the time to read -
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/ ... e-00012340

[WVAPPeer]

And why shouldn't Europe take a strong role in this? - next door neighbors

[AppfaninCAALand]

This is a long but very informative article on this with Fiona Hill - longtime Russian expert - it's worth the time to read -
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/ ... e-00012340

Not much new for those of us who have been following this part of the world for decades (great grandfather fought with the Whites during the Russian Civil War and I've been a fascinated but critical Russo-phile since I was a kid). But a great read for the uninitiated I'm sure. The seeds of this specific event were sown a decade ago at least. I supposed you could say it's a conflict 1000 years in the making, since it's just a continuing of generations old grievances.

Note she suggests upping oil production like I did above. Of course she said our allies should do this, failing to point we should be doing it as well - a failing on her part (or just as likely on the part of the politico editors). Regardless, overall worth the read.

[AppfaninCAALand]

And why shouldn't Europe take a strong role in this? - next door neighbors

They absolutely should be taking a strong role in this. It's great to see.

[Saint3333]

Germany should have taken a stand against the pipeline. Time to stop partnering with the enemy when it comes to energy.

Energy independence is a power tool when dealing with that portion of the world, the US could help them.

[Stonewall]

Day 6 .The attack seems to be more indiscriminate.On the other side I received a video from a Polish national...a lot of dead Russians.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

(great grandfather fought with the Whites during the Russian Civil War

What sort of position was your great grandfather in to fight on that side of the Russian Civil War?

[Mjohn1988]

Day 6 .The attack seems to be more indiscriminate.On the other side I received a video from a Polish national...a lot of dead Russians.

Problem is the Russian leadership doesn’t give a damn how many Russian or Ukrainians have to die.

[appdaze]