Interlude: Racey - Lay Your Love On Me

Russia: Putin lays down terms for a ceasefire.

(Moscow)  So Vladimir Putin speaking to diplomats at the Russian foreign ministry, issued his demands to Kyiv in order to halt his invasion of the Ukraine. they were:

• That Ukrainian troops leave the entire regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and that they be declared Russian territory by international agreement,
• Drop its NATO bid in order for him to end his war in Ukraine.

He also issued a demand to the West which was:

• drop all financial sanctions against Russia as a precondition to a ceasefire

To be fair, nothing has really changed as Moscow has laid claim to the 4 oblasts since the 30th of September 2022, however and a big however weeks after that proclamation Moscow suffered huge reversals in Kharkiv and Kherson Oblasts  meaning that currently Moscow doesnt fully control any of the Oblasts it covets. 

So here is what Moscow currently occupies inside the Ukraine:

What its demands are:

We saw something similar in 2014 when Moscow annexed the Crimea, which the world was told was all Russia wanted and in Feb 2022 we saw different. Who's to say that if Kyiv accepts this so called peace deal, that in say 8 years time after Russia has made good its losses, it decides its wants more. I mean isn't that how Russia has operated for over 200 years

Interlude: The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo : Black Bear

Germany: To bring back a limited form of conscription

(Berlin) Coming on the back of Moscow's invasion of the Ukraine and the viewpoint of Putin that he wishes to bring back into the fold the former parts of the Russian empire which went their own way. (Finland, Sweden, Poland and of course Ukraine) the spectre of the Russia bear again worries the leaders of Europe. Military experts taking note of Moscow's huge hikes in the funding of its military have arrived at the conclusion that Moscow will be powerful enough to march into Europe proper by 2029. (Yes I know Moscow hasn’t achieved much in 2 years inside the Ukraine other than return vast tracts of the country to the stone age, but I’m only regurgitating what is been parroted in the European corridors of power).

This threat has resulted in Finland and Sweden give up neutrality and join NATO . Poland which has a long history regards Russia has remilitarised which when completed will make Warsaw the most powerful nation (militarily) in Europe with its ground forces outnumbering Germany, France, Uk , Holland and Italy combined. In fact all the European nations have taken to increasing military spending (Bar the Uk, which whilst acknowledging the threat facing Europe continues cutting defence spending with a promise they will increase defence spending in 2030) Germany which until the other year held the title of defence spending laggard has turned that around with a record amount of funding poured into its military and the otherday declared that it intends to bring back a limited form of conscription in which to build up a reserve in case it is needed post 2030.

The government has plans to increase the size of the army from 182,000 to 203,000 by 2031. But military officials believe it needs as many as 460,000 soldiers to defend Germany in the event of an attack. Under the plan, men aged 18 will be required to fill out a form with information about their willingness and ability to serve in the army and then, if selected, to undergo a medical examination. Recruits will then be chosen from those tested.

Of the 400,000 18-year-olds who would be approached by the Bundeswehr under this plan every year, it is estimated about a quarter would likely express an interest in serving. Of these, 40,000 to 50,000 would be invited to undergo a medical examination.  Those who pass the medical will be offered six months of basic training which can be extended to a total of 23 months of service. Recruits will then become part of the reserve force, with an obligation to undergo annual training. However the Bundeswehr currently only had the capacity to train 5,000 additional recruits a year, though that number would rise in the coming years.

Meanwhislt the upcoming general election in the Uk (4th July 2024) sees the SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru (and a sizable element of Labour and the Liberals) stating that if elected they will get rid of the Uks nuclear deterrent in which to be the adult in the room in which to force others to get rid of their nukes and thus make the world a safer place. Yup good luck with that. (looks at how Ukraine got rid of her Nukes in 1994) seeing as how Moscow has threatened Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Romania, Poland and Holland with nuclear strikes if they don't do as told.