Just wanted to correct one number. I said that Ukraine was destroying russian equipment at a 7 to 1 ratio. I think that was just for a week's action near Avdiivka. Overall, the numbers since russia started their latest offensive are between 3 and 4 to 1.
Yep, that's all I've heard. Ukraine is taking out far more Russian military than Russia is taking out of Ukrainian military. But yeah, Russia is killing a LOT more innocent civilians...
What is Russia's wife in this hypothetical? Seems to me more like, somebody is trying to steal your wife and children and kill you and/or them in the process if necessary. And you're trying to make them stop rather than letting them enslave your family. And you're suggesting the people standing next to this exchange should tell you to just bend over and take it for your own good. And besides, the attackers are big and scary and could hurt everyone if we don't give them everything they want.
Honest question hoping for honest knowledgeable answers. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? What was their reasoning/justification for it? Seems it’s skipped over for the most part when I read how bad Russia is for invading. But they had to have some sort of motivation/justification in their/Putins mind? I don’t trust left or right answers. No hard left or hard right links please. Looking for an unbiased, middle ground, realistic answer. Doesn’t mean the answer will actually justify the invasion, but what was there reasoning for starting a war?
My (likely ignorant and oversimplified) understanding has always been that they used the largely ethnically-Russian population of eastern Ukraine (allegedly) wanting to be part of Russia rather than be part of Ukraine as their justification for the invasion, which was actually primarily motivated by Ukraine's association with the EU and NATO--organizations Russia simply doesn't want on their border (for whatever reason).
That's right, I remember hearing/reading some of that. So my question is then, was there any type of relocation discussions between the two? Was Ukraine not willing to let them go if Russia agreed to pay for their relocation to within their borders? Were those people in that area willing to relocate to inside Russian borders? Did Russia exhaust these types of possibilities prior to invading? Sure seems like if this was the primary motivating factor of the invasion, it could have easily have been negotiated and war avoided? Heck, USA could have funded the whole relocation for far less than what we have put into the war so far. Also, I do recall hearing something about Russia needing/wanting the port access?
From the Link: Putin's invasion announcement Main article: On conducting a special military operation On 21 February, Putin announced Russian diplomatic recognition of the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine as independent states: the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. The following day, Russia announced that it was sending troops into these territories as "peacekeepers",[56] and the Federation Council of Russia authorised the use of military force abroad.[57] Putin's address to the nation on 24 February 2022. Minutes after Putin's announcement, the invasion began. Before 5 a.m. Kyiv time on February 24, Putin in another speech announced, a "special military operation", which "effectively declar[ed] war on Ukraine."[58][59] Putin said the operation was to "protect the people" of the Russian-controlled breakaway republics. He falsely claimed that they had "been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime."[60] Putin also falsely claimed that Ukrainian government officials were neo-Nazis under Western control, that Ukraine was developing nuclear weapons, and that NATO was building up military infrastructure in Ukraine to threaten Russia.[61] He said Russia sought the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine, and espoused views challenging Ukraine's right to exist.[62][63] Putin said he had no plans to occupy Ukraine and supported the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination.[61] Russian missiles struck targets throughout Ukraine,[64] and Russian troops invaded from the north, east, and south.[65] Russia did not officially declare war.[66] Reports of an alleged leak of Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) documents by US intelligence sources said that the FSB had not been aware of Putin's plan to invade Ukraine.[67] The section I bolded stands out to me. If this were true, Id have to think the UN would have bene heavily investigating such genocide allegations, much like they do in every other accusation of such atrocities? Also the next couple of sentences about developing nuclear weapons(not bolded)... if that were true, in a war scenario, wouldn't the Russia want to take those operations out? I haven't heard a word of Russia targeting potential Nuclear weapons facilities? But I don't keep up on this 100% of the time. Sure seems skeptical to me.
I'm quite certain that if this were actually the real issue, and if relocation were even broached, the response would be, "We don't want to move from where we are to another location inside Russia; we want 'where we are' to be a location inside Russia." However, like I said, I think that the "breakaway republics" (as they're apparently known) were really just a convenient excuse.
I agree, but I would add then that IF that were the case, I would think Ukraine would then at least try to appease those folks and attempt to negotiate new borders accordingly? I know that's an overly simplistic response to a very complicated potential resolution, but I question whether it was even an exhausted option attempt? Wouldn't this be about the same as the USA declaring war on Texas, for attempting to leave the states? I dont see us doing that, and I don't think Ukraine would do that. We/they might not help in the process, but to openly deny it with violence doesn't seem like it would have part of the equation.
No--it would be more like the US declaring war on Canada if residents of British Columbia said they wanted to be part of the US. Of course, the significant difference is that Ukraine was a part of Russia 33 years ago, whereas no part of Canada has ever been part of the US. I'd imagine there's a lot more complexity in the way of ethnicity and national identity than either of us can properly understand.
Gotcha. I was thinking we were Ukraine in that post though. I used Texas because of thier recent desires to leave. So it would be more like, us allowing Texas to leave and then invading 30 years later(if we were Russia), claiming they want to return.
