Ukraine Conflict Getting Very Close

[The Hooded Claw]

If Putin’s beef is that he doesn’t want a country bordering Russia to be in NATO, then invading Ukraine simply takes him to the border with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania - all NATO members. Plus, Russia already borders Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - all NATO members.
I strongly suspect that his motives are more linked to a restoration of Soviet era influence than so-called Russian security.
Besides which, using his rationale, Serbia, for example, could say that it is encircled by existing or potential NATO members and might therefore seek to occupy neighbouring countries, which is clearly ridiculous.
What a piece of Sh!t he is.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

If Putin’s beef is that he doesn’t want a country bordering Russia to be in NATO, then invading Ukraine simply takes him to the border with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania - all NATO members. Plus, Russia already borders Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - all NATO members.
I strongly suspect that his motives are more linked to a restoration of Soviet era influence than so-called Russian security.
Besides which, using his rationale, Serbia, for example, could say that it is encircled by existing or potential NATO members and might therefore seek to occupy neighbouring countries, which is clearly ridiculous.
What a piece of Sh!t he is.

There's more to it than Putin just wanting to turn the clock back. For over a decade he has been asking the USA, Nato, the EU, for talks on NATO's military expansion in eastern Europe. Because Russia has been viewed by the west as a 'busted flush', they've been given the political equivalent of the cold shoulder. Yes, he's a nasty piece of sh*t, but this isn't black and white. Oh, and Ukraine isn't the democratic idyll everyone is making out either.

[lardy]

There's more to it than Putin just wanting to turn the clock back. For over a decade he has been asking the USA, Nato, the EU, for talks on NATO's military expansion in eastern Europe. Because Russia has been viewed by the west as a 'busted flush', they've been given the political equivalent of the cold shoulder. Yes, he's a nasty piece of sh*t, but this isn't black and white. Oh, and Ukraine isn't the democratic idyll everyone is making out either.

I've never seen Ukraine described as a democratic idyll.

I'm pretty sure this whole thing isn't because "everyone" thinks Ukraine is really nice.

[life on mars]

I've never seen Ukraine described as a democratic idyll.

I'm pretty sure this whole thing isn't because "everyone" thinks Ukraine is really nice.

Ukraine has an edge which would not be considered that democratic in our sense , measured against others in the region its okay, as it try's to appear more Westernised and fair as a society as it seeks closer alignment to Europe and NATO, hence the problem we see now .

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I've never seen Ukraine described as a democratic idyll.

I'm pretty sure this whole thing isn't because "everyone" thinks Ukraine is really nice.

Well I quite liked it