[verbify]

I'm no geopolitical expert, but the economic concerns are there. Ukraine is a 'breadbasket', if they were to join the EU's common market (with export tarrifs) then presumably Russians would face rising food costs.

The motivation to keep Ukraine in Russia's military sphere probably has as much to do with economics as anything else.

[agumonkey]

It's an interesting question but it also show something about international relationships now. Russia seems to get stuck in military control of resources while other countries are more fluid and want threat-free negotiations.

Now I could be wrong and maybe there are a lot of strings being pulled in disguise.

[abraxas]

Then you sign a border trade agreement. Not fucking invade a sovereign country!

[Borrible]

Yes, because we all know what happens when the most competent nations try to topple regimes the cheap way with the help of The Company and its friends like say '53 in Teheran. In the end you have paranoid rulers that try to secure their position under all circumstances with secret police and else fun stuff. Which then causes riots and revolutions as a reaction. And the trouble you have then for decades, which is again advantageous for others, of course.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9ta...

Operation Ajax, how fitting. He also ended tragically in insanity.

[verbify]

I'm not saying the economic motivations justify the invasion. I'm saying the economic motivations make more sense to me as the root cause of the invasion compared to military reasons.