[partiallypro]

The US, etc could have banned Ukraine from NATO forever and it wouldn't have mattered at all. Putin's speech rarely mentioned NATO as his deciding factor. He said doesn't believe Ukraine should exist independently of Russia.

[netsharc]

There's often a difference between what people say and what people think, as well as justifications for actions against the actual reasons they did the action. Because telling the public the real reason might be embarrassing.

He's saying Ukraine is ruled by Nazis and he's getting rid of them. That's made up. The real reason in his mind might be NATO, it could also be he doesn't want liberal democracies so close to Russia, what if his own citizenry gets the idea that if their neighbors can topple corrupt dictators, maybe they can do that as well..

[dogma1138]

2014 was about a trade deal with the EU not NATO.

NATO is not a threat to Russia as a sovereign state it’s a threat to Russia as a wanna be global superpower and an empire something they have no right too.

[Mikeb85]

> That's made up.

It's a stretch but there's a basis for it... https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/538103872322289664?t=BM...

[dogma1138]

About as much of a stretch that the US or Germany are ruled by Nazis because they have far right nut cases in their armed forces.

Ukraine is the only country other than Israel that both its head of state and head of government are Jews.

[Mikeb85]

Oh I know. I've even followed Zelenskiy (his social media is usually entertaining...) since he was elected.

I just said there's a basis for it, not that it's true.

[majewsky]

> I just said there's a basis for it, not that it's true.

You should have said all of that right away, because now it just sounds like backpedaling.

[Mikeb85]

It was literally always in my unedited original post.

"It's a stretch" <- means not true