Jez posted: " Just a short(ish) comment this morning, as I imagine we all agree on a few things which are important: Putin is a megalomaniac who has been planning the attack on Ukraine for years, having (probably) interfered in the 2016 US election to get orang"
Just a short(ish) comment this morning, as I imagine we all agree on a few things which are important:
Putin is a megalomaniac who has been planning the attack on Ukraine for years, having (probably) interfered in the 2016 US election to get orange moron Donald Trump into power and thereby destabilise the whole of America, and (probably) did the same with the UK referendum on the EU in the same year, with the goal of destabilising the European Union.
The Ukranian people are stoic, brave and frankly incredible.
Suddenly that EU army that Leave campaigners scare-mongered about in the run-up to the referendum doesn't seem such a daft idea, does it?
But whilst there have been some truly moving tributes and displays of solidarity with the Ukrainian people at sporting events over the last couple of weeks, some Chelsea fans chose instead to sing in support of Putin supporter and club owner Roman Abramovich.
Which makes it really hard to feel sorry for them, now that sanctions have been imposed which prevent Abramovich from cashing in his chips and selling the money-laundering business football club he bought in 2003, placing financial restrictions which also means their club shop has closed and limits have been imposed on the amount they can spend on things like travel costs, which casts doubt on their ability to continue to take part in the lucrative Champions League competition, since they may not be able to travel to the away games.
It couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch, right? Frankly, I could only have been happier if it had been Arsenal.
Abramovich's mistake was that he can't have donated any of his ill-gotten gains to the Tory party; perhaps if he had then he wouldn't have been named as one of only seven Russian oligarchs embedded in the UK that had sanctions imposed on him.
So here's something you don't see me saying everyday: the Conservative government have done something right. If only they could have extended these same sanctions to the Russians whose money funds the Tory party, I'd be even nicer about them.
But they haven't, so I won't.
Chelsea FC are apparently in negotiations with the Government to ease the sanctions so that they can continue with their normal business, so watch this space: doubtless we can expect to see them being let off the hook soon in return for a sizeable donation, covered up by inducting John Terry to the House of Lords. Which is no more ludicrous than professional dunderhead Gavin Williamson being knighted. Still, at least JT's dad will be able to do unauthorised tours of the Houses of Parliament instead of Stamford Bridge for a change, which will open up a whole new market for his entrepreneurial nose-candy distribution services. I hear they're mad for it in there.
Meanwhile, our response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis has been nothing short of shameful and embarrassing. Whilst pretty much every other country in the world, and certainly all of the EU, have dropped their usual restrictions to allow the millions of displaced Ukrainians safe passage into their countries, we have bleated on about being "world leaders" in the introduction of an all-new queuing process to obtain a form to apply for a visa which might allow entry into our country, subject to the applicant having been sent to a non-existent office in Calais before being redirected to Paris and put on a waiting list for an appointment, and them having a member of their family already here, and provided they're willing to pick fruit if they're still here come summer.
It's not unintentional that the application process has been made so hard, you know.
Should the UK, heaven forbid, ever be invaded and bombed like Ukraine has, causing millions of us to flee and try to find sanctuary elsewhere, then heaven forbid the other countries don't show us the same levels of disdain as our current lot are showing those Ukrainians to reach our shores. I'm sure we wouldn't want to be greeted by a finger pointing to the back of a line and the promise of a possible assessment appointment in three or four weeks time.
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