‘Usually just rhetoric’: European policy leaders downplay Putin’s war threats

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/13/ukraine-russia-european-leaders-putin-threat-western-long-range-weapons

29 Comments

  1. Spottswoodeforgod on

    Almost certainly true, but the problem is the “boy cries wolf” all the time – then suddenly the tanks are rolling into Ukraine… So you can’t totally disregard what he says.

  2. ruzzia is collapsing like a house of cards. The dealer himself is digging a deeper ditch to shoot his brains out in it.

  3. MorpheusDrinkinga4O on

    The audacity… how can he threaten to start a war against half the world when he can’t even take down a tiny nation with their hands tied to their backs…

  4. We need to just keep calling his bluff..

    I don’t get the west walking on eggshells with this asshole when it’s 100% clear he’s a paper tiger.

    They won’t use nukes no matter how much they threaten it because it’s complete national suicide. Their conventional forces are being decimated by a small country fighting with heavy restrictions that’s successfully invaded and taken territory in Russia proper because Putin can’t even defend effectively.

    Let him declare war on NATO.. they’ll be a nation of craters within 48 hours

  5. Longjumping_Whole240 on

    >On Friday, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said there was no doubt that the Russian president’s message had reached those it was intended for.

    If this was sent via Whatsapp, that message would only get blueticked.

  6. It’s not downplaying when all his “threats” are nothing but vague hints of “actions” and “decisions”. Not once has he come up with an actual threat.

    War with NATO lmao. This wanker is too scared to say russia is at war with Ukraine.

  7. Many of you are forgetting that whatever the state of Russia or its military, it still has weapons of mass destruction. Armchair generals abound thinking they know better than the combined intelligence services of 32 NATO members.

  8. GrandLamprey8417 on

    >But the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a statement on Wednesday that she “strongly condemns” the Language used by Putin.

    Saying you Strongly condemn something is like telling a kid you disapprove of them throwing a tantrum.

  9. He started this mess now we will perish by it. Once you make a decision you have to live with the consequences that come with it, if you didn’t contemplate those that’s your problem but it doesn’t excuse you from the responsibility. For ages his Ego didn’t have to care about the consequences at all, but the time to pay the piper is soon to come.

    This is exclusive to Putin at all, it can be applied to all world leaders, CEO’s and even the common folk but a lot of times we tend to forget about it, those that think they live above society a lot more than “us” but nonetheless my point remains.

  10. Jonestown_Juice on

    Well it would be silly. Essentially he’s saying, “You guys better not help Ukraine! Otherwise I’ll commit suicide!”

  11. There is nothing in Russia’s arsenal that couldn’t realistically be shot down before it reaches its destination. Right now it is pretty widely believed the nuclear power they used to have is all rotted and non-functional due to lack of maintenance.

  12. I’m not sure that the EU should necessarily downplay the threats but instead take them seriously and prepare for an eventuality where he may do something rash. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to believe that such rash action is imminent, but there’s reason to think that when Putin is finally pushed into a corner (most likely by power struggles within his ruling cabinet or the Russian military) he will create a distraction by starting a regional conflict with what he perceives to be a weak nation state. Being met with overwhelming force would be the best and most direct way to negate that action.

  13. Is it rhetoric if the douche is already in a war to which he has threatened nukes like 100 times on everyone else?

  14. Just like they downplayed how russia will never invade ukraine if it attempts to join NATO?…sorry but risking humanity for ukraine to join nato is absolutely moronic.

  15. Why do we take this crap? After WW2 we said we wouldn’t sit by and let these types of things happen again. But we do sit by, again and again. And now here we sit now. Led by cowards and hypocrites.