Originally Posted by
EyeKhan
I've heard the West's courting of Ukraine for NATO membership compared to the old Soviet Union arming and inviting Mexico to enter the Warsaw Pact. I would be right there with you concerning Putin, except that Ukraine is right next door to Russia, sort of their back yard. Strategically, I'm guessing it is a very difficult thing for Russia to have what they assess to be an almost guaranteed hostile next door neighbor. I am not defending Putin's actions so much as pointing out he is probably not bluffing - they will go to war over this. Do we want to fight over Ukraine? And if we did, how easy would it be for the conflict to escalate horribly, especially if Russia begins to lose. It is not the rise of Nazi Germany we are seeing, this is a nuclear armed enemy, with likely very capable cyber warfare assets, and it is facing what probably feels like an existential threat. I'll be pretty pissed off if after all this time THIS shit tips us over into the apocalypse.