Such a sad, sad day, all our thoughts should be with the people of Ukraine.
The rest of the World, without exception, should be taking measures against Russia and wondering how we've allowed Putin so much free rein over the last 22 years to be in a situation where we have no effective course of action against aggression of this kind against an allied sovereign state, politics and politicians across the globe have failed the people of Ukraine.
The lessons of history have not been learned and the warning signs from Chechnya onwards have not been heeded, Putin's influence has been allowed to spread and propagate and now, without resorting to the bloodshed of millions, we are unable to do the right thing, emasculated through reliance and finance, Putin has played a long game and now pulls the strings of the World, he can do what he wants when earlier, stronger and more impactful action would have weakened his position we have been distracted and self immersed whilst the wolf has gathered his pack.
I don't know what we do next, I fear for the people of Taiwan, Moldova and all those countries coveted by more powerful neighbours knowing there is no-one is coming to help, I despair at how toothless the UN have been and how unprepared and unwilling they have been to take decisive, significant action earlier.
Russia is a great country, full of wonderful people unfortunately it is led by a despot megalomaniac who has been intent on flexing his military muscle and supressing criticism and dissent, the hope of an internal uprising and the removal of Putin from within seems remote his actions from day one have been to gather the support of the Military forces and remove the threat of any opposition through murder, imprisonment and censorship.
War is the worst of options but it does tragically seem to be that Putin only understands the martial language of missiles and bombs, and, today, the blood and sacrifice of so many of forebears so that we may never suffer the same seems to have been shed and suffered in vain.