Join the supporters club. You can choose your own handle. It doesn't sell books, by the way, but it took several years to write and there's a sense of accomplishment from writing a book.
Join the supporters club. You can choose your own handle. It doesn't sell books, by the way, but it took several years to write and there's a sense of accomplishment from writing a book.
Thanks. I've got a book in the works on running injuries 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️.
I think his motivation is incredibly clear. He has made it abundantly clear.
Putin's issue is that Ukraine want to join NATO and NATO is considering it rather than stating it won't happen. Putin can't have NATO on his doorstep or risk a conflict over the Crimea with Ukraine backed by NATO.
The real question is what do you think his action is going to be? If you think his action is the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine then you're watching too much BBC.
Putin is a liar. He's been taking over parts of other countries for years and you still believe what he says? What kind of thinking is that? What the heck difference does it make if missiles are in Poland or Germany or Ukraine? NATO touches only a tiny part of Russia. It's nonsense.
Anyway, I think Putin will take over the eastern Ukraine breakaway republics. Like he took over Crimea. That's the pattern. Total aggression, taking land and destabilizing democracy. Nibbling away and trying to wreck all the local democracies.
He's also trying to wreck the big Western democracies too- sending misinformation out for the rubes in all the Western countries and working to get right wing destabilizers like Trump elected.
The Ukrainian president just sort of insulted the West for not being supportive enough.
I wonder if NATO suggested he do that in order to make it look like Ukraine and NATO weren't getting along well. So Putin wouldn't feel he had to go in and bust up the budding romance.
That would give Putin another offramp. To go along with the 'Biden says I'm going to invade. Now I can't invade or it looks like he knows everything I think.'
Putin messaged his concern s about NATO expansion for 15 years.
He was ignored all that time.
He started to prepare. Now according to his calculations West loses. So he will strike.
You can call him thug or mad or whatever. Fact is west ignored him for too long mildly saying.
It could be over in a second if west agreed not to expand NATO anymore. I hope Biden knows what's he doing but they couldn't stop guys in flip flops in Afghanistan
Putin messaged his concern s about NATO expansion for 15 years.
He was ignored all that time.
He started to prepare. Now according to his calculations West loses. So he will strike.
You can call him thug or mad or whatever. Fact is west ignored him for too long mildly saying.
It could be over in a second if west agreed not to expand NATO anymore. I hope Biden knows what's he doing but they couldn't stop guys in flip flops in Afghanistan
.
why aren't people ashamed when they quote a dictator and trust what he's saying? I mean it's just too stupid for words.
In WW2, less than 3000 US citizens died. In WW2, 15,000,000 Russian civilians died. Russia needs to feel safe from the WEST! One can view the Ukraine as Russia's "line in the sand" because if the Ukraine joins the EU and then NATO, there will undoubtedly be US military weapons/forces in the Ukraine. BTW, the US created the Monroe Doctrine which forbids any outside interference in Continent American affairs. Maybe, the Russians should create their own European version of that.
Putin messaged his concern s about NATO expansion for 15 years.
He was ignored all that time.
He started to prepare. Now according to his calculations West loses. So he will strike.
You can call him thug or mad or whatever. Fact is west ignored him for too long mildly saying.
It could be over in a second if west agreed not to expand NATO anymore. I hope Biden knows what's he doing but they couldn't stop guys in flip flops in Afghanistan
.
The most interesting thing about NATO expansion is the fact the all the former Warsaw Pact countries, the Baltic States, wanted to be with the west and have joined NATO. Now even a former SSR, Ukraine wants to be with the West and NATO. That alone speaks volumes about Russia.
Russia has always exerted it's influence with force and with Russification of it's neighbors. That is what's happening now in Ukraine.
In WW2, less than 3000 US citizens died. In WW2, 15,000,000 Russian civilians died. Russia needs to feel safe from the WEST! One can view the Ukraine as Russia's "line in the sand" because if the Ukraine joins the EU and then NATO, there will undoubtedly be US military weapons/forces in the Ukraine. BTW, the US created the Monroe Doctrine which forbids any outside interference in Continent American affairs. Maybe, the Russians should create their own European version of that.
if Russia were a functioning democracy that nation wouldn't care two bits about Ukraine leaning west. Heck, if Russia were a functioning democracy Russia would lean west. There would be no fear of a land war from Western Europe.
Point is, Putin cares about 5/100 about NATO and France invading...and 95/100 for his own skin. He needs democracy to fail in Ukraine to keep it from spreading. And Putin will squeeze Ukraine until that happens. I hope the Ukrainian prez has a food taster.
In WW2, less than 3000 US citizens died. In WW2, 15,000,000 Russian civilians died. Russia needs to feel safe from the WEST! One can view the Ukraine as Russia's "line in the sand" because if the Ukraine joins the EU and then NATO, there will undoubtedly be US military weapons/forces in the Ukraine. BTW, the US created the Monroe Doctrine which forbids any outside interference in Continent American affairs. Maybe, the Russians should create their own European version of that.
This is a really disingenuous argument. Using Russian deaths in WWII, against Nazi Germany as an example of why Russia needs to "feel safe from the West" today. NATO exists only in the post war period to today.
BTW, since you brought up WWIi. The USSR made a nonaggression pact with Hitler and then they Russia invaded eastern Poland and Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. That is why all those countries have joined NATO after the breakup of the USSR, because they all experienced Russian expansion through invasions and Russification of their homelands. NATO was set up as a defense against further Russian aggression and expansion after WW2.
In WW2, less than 3000 US citizens died. In WW2, 15,000,000 Russian civilians died. Russia needs to feel safe from the WEST! One can view the Ukraine as Russia's "line in the sand" because if the Ukraine joins the EU and then NATO, there will undoubtedly be US military weapons/forces in the Ukraine. BTW, the US created the Monroe Doctrine which forbids any outside interference in Continent American affairs. Maybe, the Russians should create their own European version of that.
if Russia were a functioning democracy that nation wouldn't care two bits about Ukraine leaning west. Heck, if Russia were a functioning democracy Russia would lean west. There would be no fear of a land war from Western Europe.
Point is, Putin cares about 5/100 about NATO and France invading...and 95/100 for his own skin. He needs democracy to fail in Ukraine to keep it from spreading. And Putin will squeeze Ukraine until that happens. I hope the Ukrainian prez has a food taster.
Now that you went with democracy as a reason to support Ukraine and condemn Russia, it is time for you to tell us your personal biases in regard to Russia and Ukraine situation. In other threads, you have let us know, you are on the Back Nine regarding your age. You are no doubt old enough to know: U.S. is not concerned about spreading democracy globally, U.S. is concerned, as you know about spreading capitalism on U.S.' terms globally. U.S. military &/or C.I.A. have put down democratic uprisings for over 120 years. Many democratic uprisings U.S. eliminates with force are democratic socialist movements. List your personal biases please in regard to Russia & Ukraine. As soon as you stated democracy, I knew your arguments have been flawed.
if Russia were a functioning democracy that nation wouldn't care two bits about Ukraine leaning west. Heck, if Russia were a functioning democracy Russia would lean west. There would be no fear of a land war from Western Europe.
Point is, Putin cares about 5/100 about NATO and France invading...and 95/100 for his own skin. He needs democracy to fail in Ukraine to keep it from spreading. And Putin will squeeze Ukraine until that happens. I hope the Ukrainian prez has a food taster.
Now that you went with democracy as a reason to support Ukraine and condemn Russia, it is time for you to tell us your personal biases in regard to Russia and Ukraine situation. In other threads, you have let us know, you are on the Back Nine regarding your age. You are no doubt old enough to know: U.S. is not concerned about spreading democracy globally, U.S. is concerned, as you know about spreading capitalism on U.S.' terms globally. U.S. military &/or C.I.A. have put down democratic uprisings for over 120 years. Many democratic uprisings U.S. eliminates with force are democratic socialist movements. List your personal biases please in regard to Russia & Ukraine. As soon as you stated democracy, I knew your arguments have been flawed.
certainly the US is concerned about spreading democracy around the world. Like it is concerned with all men being created equal. That is to say, imperfectly.
Does that mean we take the side of a murdering lying thug who would like nothing better than rebuild the iron curtain, doesn't allow domestic free press or speech, murders his opponents, invades neighboring countries and messes with elections in all major democracies?
Trying to understand where you are coming from. Sounds like you come from a position of nihilism. That's no way to go through life, son.
just to revisit this, if you listened to Putin's speech before invading he said clearly that he cares 90% for rejoining the USSR empire and 10% - if that - about fending off NATO.
he's an imperialist who wants to stitch together an...empire. Simple as that. NATO barely enters into it.
A neutral cost-benefit analysis of invading Ukraine would clearly lean towards one conclusion: "no"
-Ukraine is dirt poor with no significant natural resources, so economically there's not much advantage. Ukraine has access to the Black Sea, but so does Russia.
-Ukraine borders several NATO countries, but so does Russia. So there's a minor strategic advantage to increase the buffer region, but not really.
-By invading Ukraine, Putin will make Russia an international pariah for generations to come, in both trade and international affairs (olympics, UN, international organizations, NGOs, etc).
The only motivation that makes sense is he's a desperate, aging leader who wants to gin up nationalist sentiment to consolidate more power internally, but he's already the undisputed leader/dictator of Russia so that doesn't make sense to me either.
Putin is not a stupid man, so there must be a good reason for doing this. Maybe he know something we don't?
Actually you are quite wrong about a few things. Ukraine has a lot of natural resources in both agriculture and minerals. That alone gives Putin reason to invade in his mind. Putin is a product of the former Soviet Union. He would like nothing more than to get the old USSR back together again.
A neutral cost-benefit analysis of invading Ukraine would clearly lean towards one conclusion: "no"
-Ukraine is dirt poor with no significant natural resources, so economically there's not much advantage. Ukraine has access to the Black Sea, but so does Russia.
-Ukraine borders several NATO countries, but so does Russia. So there's a minor strategic advantage to increase the buffer region, but not really.
-By invading Ukraine, Putin will make Russia an international pariah for generations to come, in both trade and international affairs (olympics, UN, international organizations, NGOs, etc).
The only motivation that makes sense is he's a desperate, aging leader who wants to gin up nationalist sentiment to consolidate more power internally, but he's already the undisputed leader/dictator of Russia so that doesn't make sense to me either.
Putin is not a stupid man, so there must be a good reason for doing this. Maybe he know something we don't?
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