WAR! What is it good for?

I refuse to go to war with these people btw...

 

Yeh agree no one's saying they're good or bad, Ukraine are just pawns in all this.

Considering your chess comment it's about right as they'll be first to be sacrificed in any ****show.

 

we'll do the same as we did when he annexed Georgia and started ethnically cleansing the north. Nukes on the doorstep? Nah, that's the pretext, the reason is Putin wants it all back, that's why he's also been sniffing around Estonia & Latvia.

 

Been to Estonia, lovely country. Did a tour, they really don’t like Communism

 

Who’s this “we” you’re talking about?

 

Obviously not you Archers, you’ll be out there showing the Russians a reel of Southampton’s greatest highlights.

 

We don’t need a Russian mate, we got a Serb in the boardroom and an Austrian in the kit room

 

pretty ****ing obvious who I mean by we.

 

Well you can count me out mush. I have no argument with Ivan

 

Him and Kurt and the cat.

 

... that's terrible

 

When you look beyond the "info war" in full swing right now.

Russian troop numbers...

2020
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-de...undreds-of-planes-to-border-with-ukraine.html

2019
https://www.fpri.org/article/2019/02/are-the-russians-coming-russias-military-buildup-near-ukraine/

2018
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/1/poroshenko-over-80000-russian-troops-in-and-around-ukraine

2017
https://www.businessinsider.com/wha...sians-going-to-natos-borders-2017-8?r=US&IR=T

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...rge-russian-military-exercises-officials-say/

 

Who do you pay your taxes to? Unless you have a prior arrangement with the other side, that's your side.

 

Yeah, and that's China's argument for trying to take over the entire China sea, Taiwan, East Turkestan, Nepal, etc. They used to own it, so by-golly it should belong to them now.

Under the same justification one could argue no one should argue if Britain re-invaded India or colonized half of Africa again.

Doesn't matter who used to occupy an area. What matters is who the people who live there want to rule them. Ukrainians dont want to be rules by Russia so they deserve independence.

Not saying we should or should not get involved... But saying it used to be run by Russia so they have the right to reinvade is wrong.

 

Moldova. Georgia. Ukraine. Belarus.

Russia can and does invade and take territory and sovereignty where it can. Over the last 30 years Putin has repeatedly expanded their borders or influence where they can.

Would Russia here and now be on the doorstep invading Ukraine? Who's to say... But there are ethnic Russians within all the Baltic states that joined NATO and Russia hasn't invaded any of them. Those nations have been protected from reconquest by joining NATO. If Russia's dealings with it's other neighbours is anything to go by, those would all be puppet states like Belarus by now if they hadn't joined NATO.

It's understandable that Russia feels threatened by NATO advancing Eastward. They are more vulnerable now and understandable they wouldn't want Ukraine to join NATO and leave them more open.

The only reason Ukraine is in danger now though is that they didn't join NATO when the Baltic states did. If they had Russia wouldn't be bullying them now.

 

China may want Taiwan but it would take a major military operation with a lot of losses to take the island. Currently there is no evidence China is preparing for an imminent invasion. That disaster is still a ways off.

 

Here's what I predict:

Russia will annex eastern Ukraine using ethnic Russians living there as an excuse but the real reason is to establish a land bridge to Crimea.

Not enough troops in place to occupy all of Ukraine, plus Putin will use that as has bargaining chip... He's compromising by only taking part of Ukraine. He'll turn to the Russians and say... Look what a good wise ruler I am freeing Russians trapped and despairing in Eastern Ukraine and I am the one bringing peace through compromise without taking all of Eastern Europe.

 

Where in the sentence that you quoted, did I say Russia had a right to invade?

 

Well that's one side to it. I'm not sure you can blame him entirely for the past 30 years when he's only been president for 22 years but I take your point.

As I said in the post you quoted I don't see him as the good guy here. You've also cut out the part where I mentioned all the superpowers have their geopolitical aims. The idea of invading and changing governments to serve your interests isn't just restricted to Russia, but the U.S. too.

As for why Russia is in danger, it's because NATO has expanded to Russia's borders. I'm sure the U.S. would do the same if it was them. Which is also part of the geopolitics as mentioned above. Expansionism and protectionism is two sides of the same coin for all of them.

 

You literally said, we should keep our noses out because Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet Union. Implying it's former status as part of the Soviet Union is relevant.