223
this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
223 points (97.9% liked)
World News
32297 readers
910 users here now
News from around the world!
Rules:
-
Please only post links to actual news sources, no tabloid sites, etc
-
No NSFW content
-
No hate speech, bigotry, propaganda, etc
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I don't disagree that Nations should be able to defend themselves. I have major issues with the US trying to dominate the world through violence and the weaponization of the Federal Reserve Note. This whole war, in my opinion is directly related to NATO expansion (which the US promised Gorbachev wouldn't happen) How would the US react with Russian missiles on its border? If the Cuban missile crisis is any indication, rather harshly. Ukraine is being lead by an extremely corrupt Western puppet. I simply don't believe Russia would have made a move against Ukraine if it had remained neutral. The 3 day operation was meant as a warning and a swift means to negotiations, not an attempted occupation. Foolish on Putin's part cause it cost a lot of Russian lives.
According to Gorbachev himself, the US made no such promise. According to that interview, the commonly cited quote from Secretary of State James Baker, "NATO will not move one inch further east," is taken wildly out of context. It was made during talks over the reunification of Germany:
He also said this, without further elaboration:
Here is where I think Gorbachev's interview comes in for some legit criticism. I honest find this a bit perplexing. Putting severe limitations on NATO membership, knowing that many countries would want to join, was a big ask. The proper thing is to write that out in legal language, translated into Russian and English, and mutually agreed upon. This feels like the geopolitical version of empty "thoughts and prayers."
This is just Russian propaganda. Ukraine weren’t even close to being considered for NATO membership when the special military intervention was announced. They’ve had a border conflict with Russia since 2014 and therefore they could not join NATO.
Ukraine is defending itself. Zelenskyy said “I need bullets, not a ride” and the west simply helped Ukraine with what they actually needed. It’s completely reasonable that Ukraine can use western aid to strike military targets within Russia that threatens their sovereign territory.
Ukrainian forces were being trained and armed by NATO members for 8 years after euromaidan. It is ridiculous to believe that western powers were not trying to encircle Russia.
Even if the war was not worth the cost in lives, it is absurd to believe that Russia attacked Ukraine for shits and giggles. Or even for resources (Russia has some of the world's largest natural resource reserves), or land (largest country in the world), or people (Ukraine had a worse demographic problem than Russia, and the war has made things worse). The only thing they can plausibly gain is access to warm water ports (they already got that with crimea in 2014), and security against NATO.
I don't think it's Russian propaganda. We're not going to agree, but that's okay. I'm not quite ready for nuclear war. Let's hope however this turns out, we're around to discuss it. ✌️