[usrusr]

So all Putin's claims that Ukraine shouldn't really be a state were just pep talk for the boys sent out to die and he fully intends to continue that "Bolshevik fiction" of a separate Ukrainian state? That's a novel way of calling Putin a liar, haven't heard that one before.

[jacquesm]

There is some evidence that the 'boys sent out to die' were told they were going on a training exercise.

[CRConrad]

That wasn't the point. The piint was that he isn't after a neutral Ukraine, but to incorporate it. This, in turn, was in support of the earlier point that annexing Ukraine would not decrease, but increase the legth of Russia's borders with NATO countries: Ukraine borders on Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

[jacquesm]

From very credible evidence it looks as though the surprise cherry on the cake would have been to also invade Moldavia. That doesn't change your calculus in any way?

[CRConrad]

No, why should it?

IIRC Romania is in NATO, Moldavia isn't. So invading Moldavia too would just, by eliminating a bit of border with a neutral country, give him an even longer border with NATO. Thus even more putting the lie to his alleged "Must avoid NATO countries on my border!" motivation.

OTOH, if Moldavia is already in, then AFAICR from its shape on the map the length of the Russia / NATO border would hardly change at all (because Moldavia's western and eastern borders are about equally long), so neither would the "calculus".

Why; is there anything wrong with it?

[P.S:] Oh, and it wasn't my "calculus" originally; it was @usrusr's. At least if I understood them correctly.