I've held off posting anything in hope Putin would back off and bring his troops back to Moscow. A vain hope, clearly. We are in the opening days of an exceptionally ruthless war being waged by Russia on the Ukraine and sensible people understand the plan Putin is following includes moving on Poland and other former USSR states to force them back into the 'arms of Mother Russia'.

Back in 2001 a Russian friend of mine told me 'Putin means to bring back USSR'. I believed him then and now more than then. 

We in the West bear some responsibility for what is happening if only for the 'pooh-poohing' against any wiser head warning Putin was going to do any of what he's doing now. I learned a long time ago to smile and nod and keep my opinion to myself - no-one wanted to hear it but they did quite enjoy ridiculing me as a 'conspiracy theorist modern day Cassandra' (you know, that Greek lass who turned out to be, well, spot-on with her warnings of impending doom). 

 

But it was more than mere scoffing, it was a genuine and frankly quietly arrogant disbelief that Putin would ever be so mad as to actually invade Ukraine. But he has, he has now, and thanks to decades of dialling down troop strength here in the UK, we cannot even defend ourselves from stealthy 'dinghy people' much less Putin's ravening hordes.

 

(GRRRRRRRR on those illegals swanning across the Channel in flimsy inflatables knowing our Government will take them in, give them pizza and the key-card to a 5* en-suite hotel room).  

Forgive the profanity but we bloody sleep-walked into WWIII.

For the first time in 77 year, European civilians are taking shelter from bombing attacks. Credible rumours are circulating Putin has used 'the father of all bombs' (thermobaric or 'vacuum' bombs that suck the oxygen from the bombed area and cause instant vaporisation or the horror of crushed lungs, a truly agonising way to die according to medics).

 

Children with cancers are huddled in hospital basements hoping for evacuation that quite likely may not come. 

 

Husbands are putting loved ones (wives, children, elderly parents) on trains and buses to the nearest NATO member state border and then taking up arms to defend Ukraine from Putin.

 

Russian conscripts are texting and emailing 'back home' to say they had no idea they were being sent to Ukraine to kill, that they are in the middle of a real war and they anticipate dying any moment. 

 

Meanwhile here in Britain, compassion and common sense war with one another - 'We want to give sanctuary to genuine refugees but we have credible intel Russian assassins are impersonating real refugees to gain access to the the UK and EU, so we have to proceed carefully to ensure only genuine refugees arrive to British shores' - and being a compassionate but pragmatic person myself, I not only understand but agree the lot must be very carefully vetted before flinging open the gates to Britain. 

 

So far we're seeing skyrocketing fuel prices at the filling stations, truly shocking rises in natural gas and electricity costs to householders, and steadily rising food costs. No shortages to speak of yet but that will come if this war goes on. 

 

Paul and I are quietly tucked up hoping the worst will not come, that a miracle will happen and Putin's threats to nuke the West will never be carried through. 

 

We pray for peace, we pray for the people in the war zone.

 

Tonight at midnight the clock and calendar tick over into Lent. We pray for the world.