I read this, Its as good a summary of "why" that I have seen
Why is Russia invading Ukraine?
The reason Russia would want to invade Ukraine is to deposed the pro Western Ukrainian president and install a pro Moscow dictator. This is not because Moscow has any particular love for the Ukrainian people; the Russians have never seen the ukrainians as equal. It is because in the eyes of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin leadership, Ukraine is nothing more than a protective wall against what it sees as NATO encroachment further East into former Soviet territory. The bigger question is why Putin and the Russian leadership be so concerned about having NATO next door? To answer that question we must go back to the early years of world War II
On June 22nd 1941, Adolf Hitler's military launched a surprise attack into the Soviet Union. The offensive was so quick and so sudden that the Soviet military were completely caught off guard. Even though the Soviet Union did have a massive army that was equipped enough to counter the German assault, years of political repression and purges within the military caused a catastrophically slow response from Moscow. The Nazi invasion into what was then Soviet Russia was seen as a major disgrace and traumatic experience for both the Russian people and the military. Millions of Soviets died. They would never want that to happen again. After the second world war ended Stalin made sure that such an attack would never take place by installing pro-soviet regimes all throughout conquered Eastern Europe. As far as East Germany. By 1963, the Soviet government doubled their security with the establishment of the Berlin Wall. From 1963 all the way until the walls fall in 1989, the Soviet government in Moscow was obsessed with the idea of being attacked and literally went bankrupt with defense spending. With the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union two years later in 1991, it was believed that the new Russian Federation would have nothing to fear an attack from the West. There was even some talk that NATO promised it would never expand East. It was a lie.
In 1993, it looked as though the United States and the Russian Federation were on the path to economic and political friendship. Or so it seemed. The early 90s were a terrible time for the former USSR, most notably for the Russian Federation. In October of that very year, a second Russian Civil War was barely avoided after Yeltsin ordered his tanks to shell the besieged Russian White House. The following year in the northern caucuses region, the Republic of Chechnya threatened to break away. Yeltsin was once again forced to send in the army to stop further fragmentation of the already weak Russian Federation. It was a catastrophe which cost the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers. Around the same time, many former Soviet republics, as well as satellite states, were beginning to process of being admitted into NATO. Nobody cared about Russia's opinion on the matter. The old Cold War fears of being attacked by the West came back with a vengeance. Then on the 25th of January 1995, that distrust almost proved fatal.
On the evening of January 25th 1995, a US-Norwegian sounding rocket lifted off to study the Northern lights. All the countries around the launch area were informed including the Russian Federation. The message never made it to the Russian defense agency. Russian radar operators near Moscow picked up the rocket on their scopes. Before long they concluded that the United States had just launched a surprise EMP attack from a submarine off the coast of Norway. The entire Russian military was put on high alert and the message reached then president Boris Yeltsin. Without even bothering to phone President Clinton about the matter, Yeltsin and two of his senior commanders were given the nuclear briefcase. They opened and activated them. In accordance to Russian doctrine, Boris Yeltsin had less than 6 minutes to order a retaliatory strike against the United States and Western Europe. But Yeltsin, who thankfully wasn't drunk at the time, refused and waited. After the rocket was determined to be harmless the nuclear briefcases were deactivated and closed. The terrifying crisis was over, but the fear of Western attack did not go away. It would never go away and continue with Yeltsin's successor Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin came to power in 1999. He inherited a country that had barely stayed together the previous decade. He also inherited a regime that was gripped with fear against Western aggression. Putin, a creature of the Soviet system, and former KGB agent, also holds a deep distrust of the West. That is why his administration is one of stamping out any and all enemies who so much as flirt with the West and it's ideals. It cannot be denied that Vladimir Putin is a great admirer of absolute power. He has been able to justify his autocracy under the veil of national defense against their old adversaries (NATO and the United States). In 2008, the first former Soviet Republic not under NATO jurisdiction to be attacked was Georgia. It was under the very same pre-text “The current Georgian regime was a threat to Russian interests and security. Therefore the military had to go in and install a friendly regime".
Some might argue that the Russian-Ukrainian War started in 2014. The current head of the Ukrainian government began to seriously consider joining NATO in an attempt to save itself from Russian dominance. Back in Moscow, there was panic. Ukraine is one of the largest former Soviet republics located next door to the Russian Federation. If you crane joined NATO not only would the former Soviet Republic have a guarantee of protection from the West, it also meant that NATO forces could be stationed within Ukraine itself right behind the fence of Russia. That was totally unacceptable for Putin. So he decided to send agent provocateurs and paid militias to destabilize eastern Ukraine. Soon after a so-called rebellion erupted in Donansk and Oblast. Violence errupted as Ukrainian forces went in to crush the so-called rebellion. Putin on the other hand made sure that the rebels were well supplied and well manned with plenty Russian volunteers and pro Russian extremists. A full-blown Civil War was well underway and the Ukrainian loyalists fought the rebels for many years in a stalemate. So dangerous was the violence that on the very first year of the Civil War Russian backed rebels shot down a civilian airliner with a Russian supplied surface-to-air missile system. Putin never acknowledged or apologized for that crime against humanity.
The first year of the Ukrainian Civil War saw the Russians invade and annex the island of Crimea. Putin claimed that the population of the island voted for Russian annexation. In reality the so-called election only went in Putin's favor thanks to stuffed ballot boxes and an invading army. A small portion of eastern Ukraine declared its independence and allegiance to Moscow. But the fighting didn't stop. It went on and continued to this very day. This is where it gets more complicated. The annexation of Crimea in the seizure of a small fraction of land was a small victory for Putin in 2014, but as the years dragged on and Russian volunteers began dying with little territorial gain, there were serious doubts as to Putin's intervention in Ukraine. It was just last year that thousands of young Russians began protesting all over the country against Putin's tyranny and his recklessness in handling the Ukrainian affair. As I stated earlier, Russians were dying in Ukraine and no new territory had been added. Whatever chances Russia had to incorporate Ukraine peacefully we're all but dead. Now Ukraine really considered joining NATO. The United States under President Biden, an enemy of Vladimir Putin, made it clear that Russia could not have its way and demand NATO not include other former Soviet republics. Putin once again was forced into a corner in which he now had two choices. He could continue to support a redundant rebellion and lose the rest of Ukraine entirely to NATO, or he could play his most dangerous card which is send in the army and conquer Ukraine entirely risking the ignition of a third world war with the West. Both moves have greater risks than results, but Putin is not a man who cares about the cost of Russian lives if it means his power base is safe. The sad thing is many young Russians don't want to follow him into the pits of hell. Unfortunately there is nothing they can do but watch and wait like the rest of the world.
A small quote from someone who commentates on matters chinese.
Its unfortunate, because of geography it a country that cant avoid a bear hug.
|
| The Ukraine - Volume 1 new |
|
Zero |
|
25 Jan 22 10:12 |
|
 The Ukraine, new |
|
sooty123 |
|
25 Jan 22 18:18 |
|
  The Ukraine, new |
|
zippy |
|
25 Jan 22 22:59 |
|
 The Ukraine, new |
|
Rudedog |
|
26 Jan 22 07:13 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Rudedog |
|
26 Jan 22 08:00 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Zero |
|
26 Jan 22 08:37 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sooty123 |
|
26 Jan 22 09:38 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Rudedog |
|
26 Jan 22 10:04 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Manatee |
|
26 Jan 22 10:29 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sooty123 |
|
26 Jan 22 10:42 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sooty123 |
|
26 Jan 22 10:37 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Terry |
|
26 Jan 22 11:04 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Fullchat |
|
26 Jan 22 12:16 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
neiltoo |
|
26 Jan 22 13:00 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Dog |
|
26 Jan 22 13:18 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Zero |
|
26 Jan 22 16:22 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
henry k |
|
11 Feb 22 10:26 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sherlock47 |
|
11 Feb 22 10:41 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
11 Feb 22 11:06 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Zero |
|
11 Feb 22 11:11 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Zero |
|
11 Feb 22 11:15 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sherlock47 |
|
11 Feb 22 12:01 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
bathtub tom |
|
11 Feb 22 12:46 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Zero |
|
11 Feb 22 12:56 |
|
   |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
legacylad |
|
11 Feb 22 15:22 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
11 Feb 22 12:57 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
zippy |
|
11 Feb 22 13:06 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Dog |
|
11 Feb 22 13:17 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
sooty123 |
|
11 Feb 22 13:04 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
11 Feb 22 16:42 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
Biggles |
|
11 Feb 22 17:57 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ukraine new |
|
BiggerBadderDave |
|
11 Feb 22 17:59 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
11 Feb 22 18:21 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
Biggles |
|
11 Feb 22 22:00 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
11 Feb 22 22:09 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ukraine new |
|
Zero |
|
11 Feb 22 21:32 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ukraine new |
|
Rudedog |
|
12 Feb 22 09:34 |
|
| Ukraine new |
|
sooty123 |
|
12 Feb 22 11:08 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
smokie |
|
13 Feb 22 09:18 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
bathtub tom |
|
11 Feb 22 22:58 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Stuartli |
|
12 Feb 22 00:38 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
12 Feb 22 07:47 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Zero |
|
12 Feb 22 08:19 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
sooty123 |
|
12 Feb 22 09:21 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
12 Feb 22 10:47 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
James Loveless |
|
12 Feb 22 00:41 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
martin aston |
|
13 Feb 22 16:03 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Biggles |
|
13 Feb 22 18:18 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
sooty123 |
|
13 Feb 22 19:09 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
13 Feb 22 19:22 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
tyrednemotional |
|
13 Feb 22 19:33 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Rudedog |
|
13 Feb 22 20:11 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Biggles |
|
13 Feb 22 20:29 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
13 Feb 22 21:27 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
14 Feb 22 20:00 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
zippy |
|
15 Feb 22 13:53 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Manatee |
|
15 Feb 22 14:14 |
|
| Wirral new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
15 Feb 22 14:30 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanytsi.. new |
|
smokie |
|
17 Feb 22 10:25 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyts.. new |
|
Terry |
|
17 Feb 22 10:30 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyt.. new |
|
smokie |
|
17 Feb 22 11:18 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyts.. new |
|
Zero |
|
17 Feb 22 11:57 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyts.. new |
|
Duncan |
|
17 Feb 22 13:36 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyt.. new |
|
Zero |
|
17 Feb 22 14:08 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stany.. new |
|
smokie |
|
17 Feb 22 14:44 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Sta.. new |
|
Zero |
|
18 Feb 22 15:27 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near St.. new |
|
smokie |
|
18 Feb 22 15:54 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near S.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
18 Feb 22 16:03 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near .. new |
|
Terry |
|
18 Feb 22 17:55 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near.. new |
|
Lygonos |
|
20 Feb 22 10:00 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire ne.. new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
20 Feb 22 10:46 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire ne.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
20 Feb 22 11:00 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire n.. new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
20 Feb 22 11:11 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire .. new |
|
zippy |
|
20 Feb 22 12:12 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire.. new |
|
Lygonos |
|
20 Feb 22 12:43 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanytsi.. new |
|
Zero |
|
20 Feb 22 12:59 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyts.. new |
|
Lygonos |
|
20 Feb 22 13:19 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyt.. new |
|
Zero |
|
20 Feb 22 13:31 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stanyt.. new |
|
James Loveless |
|
20 Feb 22 13:41 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stany.. new |
|
Manatee |
|
20 Feb 22 13:56 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Stany.. new |
|
Zero |
|
20 Feb 22 16:13 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Sta.. new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
20 Feb 22 17:06 |
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire near Sta.. new |
|
James Loveless |
|
20 Feb 22 20:00 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Occupiers violate ceasefire .. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
20 Feb 22 19:22 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
20 Feb 22 13:36 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
20 Feb 22 16:10 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
20 Feb 22 16:29 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Terry |
|
20 Feb 22 16:53 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
20 Feb 22 17:07 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Fursty Ferret |
|
20 Feb 22 18:49 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad?.. new |
|
Terry |
|
21 Feb 22 16:29 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad.. new |
|
Manatee |
|
21 Feb 22 17:50 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningra.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
21 Feb 22 18:43 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningr.. new |
|
Manatee |
|
21 Feb 22 22:13 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalinin.. new |
|
Lygonos |
|
21 Feb 22 22:26 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalini.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
21 Feb 22 22:52 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalin.. new |
|
Zero |
|
21 Feb 22 23:13 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningra.. new |
|
Zero |
|
21 Feb 22 22:33 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningr.. new |
|
Bobby |
|
21 Feb 22 22:42 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalinin.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
21 Feb 22 22:50 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalini.. new |
|
Ted |
|
21 Feb 22 23:07 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalin.. new |
|
Duncan |
|
22 Feb 22 07:54 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kali.. new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 08:25 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
legacylad |
|
22 Feb 22 08:34 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 08:37 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
22 Feb 22 08:34 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 09:03 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Duncan |
|
22 Feb 22 09:10 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 09:12 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 09:31 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
sooty123 |
|
22 Feb 22 10:52 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 12:50 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad?.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
22 Feb 22 13:05 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad.. new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 13:47 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningra.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
22 Feb 22 14:07 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningr.. new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
22 Feb 22 15:14 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalinin.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
22 Feb 22 15:29 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalini.. new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 15:44 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalini.. new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
22 Feb 22 15:51 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalin.. new |
|
sooty123 |
|
22 Feb 22 16:46 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad.. new |
|
Terry |
|
22 Feb 22 13:55 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kalinin.. new |
|
Zero |
|
22 Feb 22 17:06 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
sooty123 |
|
24 Feb 22 06:23 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Bromptonaut |
|
24 Feb 22 06:36 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
sooty123 |
|
24 Feb 22 06:59 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
24 Feb 22 09:16 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
24 Feb 22 09:17 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
24 Feb 22 11:16 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Lygonos |
|
24 Feb 22 11:25 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Kevin |
|
24 Feb 22 11:54 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Robin O'Reliant |
|
24 Feb 22 13:45 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
CGNorwich |
|
24 Feb 22 13:50 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad?.. new |
|
Robin O'Reliant |
|
24 Feb 22 15:53 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
tyrednemotional |
|
24 Feb 22 22:51 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Bobby |
|
24 Feb 22 18:39 |
|
| The Ukraine - Next Up Kaliningrad? new |
|
Zero |
|
24 Feb 22 19:02 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Manatee |
|
24 Feb 22 13:53 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Terry |
|
24 Feb 22 15:46 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
zippy |
|
24 Feb 22 17:15 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Manatee |
|
24 Feb 22 17:17 |
|
| Invasion of Ukraine new |
|
sooty123 |
|
24 Feb 22 17:52 |
|
| Invasion of Ukraine new |
|
zippy |
|
24 Feb 22 18:20 |
|
| Invasion of Ukraine new |
|
sooty123 |
|
24 Feb 22 18:42 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
James Loveless |
|
24 Feb 22 18:00 |
|
| The Ukraine, new |
|
Manatee |
|
24 Feb 22 19:49 |
|
