By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following the failure of U.S.-Russia talks, NATO foreign ministers convened in Brussels to strategize support for Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that NATO members must pressure Russia through various means, including providing Ukraine with resources. Though Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the Moscow-Washington talks as constructive, he admitted that they did not yield any significant progress. This follows the U.K. Prime Minister’s assertion that Russia is the aggressor and is avoiding a resolution.
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Britain says Putin’s war threats are ‘claptrap’ and it’s difficult not to agree. Let’s be honest, the whole situation is starting to feel like a never-ending episode of a particularly farcical sitcom. The threats, the posturing, the back-and-forth – it’s all rather tiring. It’s like we’re watching a bad play with a script that keeps repeating itself. We’ve heard it all before, haven’t we?
Putin, faced with a Ukrainian stalemate and a freezing winter, seems to have only one card left to play: more threats. His latest pronouncements are not just unconvincing; they’re, as the Brits would say, utter claptrap. He’s in a tricky spot, and everyone knows it. Ukraine, thanks to a combination of grit, drones, and covert operations, has been chipping away at Russian infrastructure. The idea that Putin can suddenly conjure up a win from this is, frankly, laughable.
Remember that almost-successful attempt to get the Trump administration on board with a “peace proposal”? It was a masterclass in how *not* to negotiate. The Europeans saw through the smoke and mirrors, the literal Russian translations revealing the true, less-than-peaceful, intentions. The plan was so poorly conceived, so transparently self-serving, that it was destined to fail. To even suggest that NATO could be rearranged without consulting its 31 members was, well, it was claptrap in itself.
So, here we are, back to threats. “I don’t want war, but we are ready for war with Europe.” It’s double speak, a clumsy attempt at creating an illusion. Even Putin seems to realize his threats are becoming stale, so he has to dress them up in innuendo. The more he threatens, the less seriously anyone takes him. Remember when he threatened to invade Sweden and Finland if they joined NATO? Then, surprise, they did join, and he pretended he never said anything of the sort. This constant backpedaling only confirms his desperation and makes his words even more meaningless.
Putin’s aim, some believe, is to prevent a cohesive US-European alliance that could actually confront him and support Ukraine. He wants to keep those European democracies trapped in an order the US controls. It’s a game of power and control, but the tactics are looking decidedly weak. The reality is, he can’t win. He’s trying to rattle the same saber for 100 years.
The British view on Putin’s strategy? Essentially, the threats are worthless. They’re baloney, absolute codswallop, and a load of old bollocks. They’re hokum, and they’re spoken by a right poppinjay. They are tomfoolery, tosh, and balderdash. It’s all just flummery and twaddle, and nothing more.
The idea that Russia would launch nuclear strikes is absurd, in my opinion, I have no faith in human nature at all. Russia has proven its lack of fighting capability. And as we all know, a buffoon scorned will never take a piece o’ eight on the table unhindered.
The concern that Russia will become even more dangerous as it suffers from the war is not a bad point, but the reality is much like Trump threatening Venezuela. Even if Russia ultimately loses another war in Europe means more death and suffering in the meantime. The British have been ready for Putin for 40 years. It seems highly unlikely that they will be caught off guard.
The situation is serious, yes, but let’s not pretend Russia’s bark is worse than its bite. They are piffle paffle, and most likely just tommyrot. The NATO chief and now the UK dismissing Russia’s threats as nonsense, does not mean they won’t, one day, just bomb us. But it is always better just to not react and ignore them.