[throwaway_4ever]

This is simply because Armenia and Azerbaijan have weak de facto sovereignty, just like Ukraine, by being neighbors with Russian sphere of influence. Russia can tell these countries to knock it off or there will be Ukrainian invasion level of consequences. The west has no hard power or appetite for it in this region. It's only because Putin is a warmonger.

[alexryndin]

Why is Puitn is a warmonger here? Because his troops controls Armenia-Azerbaijan border to prevent further clashes? Or he is a warmonger when he asked NATO for a formal guarantee to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO? Or maybe Putin is a warmonger when NATO breaks their promise not to expand eastward? https://then24.com/2022/02/18/der-spiegel-discovers-natos-ea... https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/nato-osterweiterung-aktenfund...

[throwaway_4ever]

I hope you don't think I've only just heard of these Putin propaganda 101 remarks...

It's not because he's a warmonger he's controlling the Armenia-Azerbaijan issue. He controls the Armenia-Azerbaijan issue because he's a warmonger and they're scared of the Ukrainian invasion level of shit he will do to them if they don't comply.

Surely this Russian invasion has dispelled all doubt on the NATO argument here. Every country like Poland and the Baltics that requested to join NATO got to live in peace free from Russian invasion. Ukraine wasn't able to and was thus invaded. 5,000+ are dead because of this. A country being in NATO is unacceptable to Putin because it then means they can't be threatened and invaded. From the ashes of the USSR, Poland and the Baltics have been prospering into great standards of living, while the kleptocrats that control Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia have pilfered their people's country enriching themselves. Every country has requested to join the alliance. While Russia invades multiple countries who aren't. It's pretty simple and clear what's going on.

Discussions between Baker and Gorbachev, that were rebuffed by diplomats as infeasible when checking if it could be put in a treaty, and which Gorbachev and other Soviet diplomats did not care to put in the treaty, are no way to conduct global diplomacy. Every treaty will start with countries' diplomats discussing things and seeing what deal they can work it. You can't bind people to everything they say in first talks. Insane. Meanwhile, Russia breaks multiple signed treaties, like the ones respecting Ukraine's territory for giving up nuclear weapons and invading when there's the Minsk Protocol. These are legally binding agreements, and yet you're hung up on something that was briefly approached 30 years ago. Also insane.

PS. You should know that Russia will be closing the borders soon and you will be stuck in a place where criticizing your government will land you 15 years in a gulag. Feel free to join the 100 other countries where you can talk shit about any government any day of the week on the news. Obviously it is a scary and huge undertaking. However the standards of living offered by western countries will be unparalleled by the currently crumbling Russian economy. I'm talking about 30,000,000 ruble/yr compensation in the US and we'd love to have you contribute.

[alexryndin]

Ukrainian officials have been saying that losing nuclear status was a mistake at least 4 years ago. https://www.rbc.ru/politics/11/04/2018/5ace2a089a79478435462...

In addition, according to statements by some of the employees, Zaporozhye NPP transferred some nuclear materials for scientific research related to plans to develop Ukrainian nuclear weapons. The IAEA inspections were aware of the transfer of nuclear materials for military needs.

When a free and independent Cuba placed nuclear missiles under America's belly, no one cared about its free and independent status.

When Russia defends its state interests, I only hear that I am going to the Gulag. no one will talk about how many people will never be able to leave Guantanamo. No one will count how many wars the US has unleashed. no one will remember the bombing of Yugoslavia.

if you're really interested in my contributions, you'll get them from whatever country I want. if you just don't want to see the existence of Russia, you just continue the stories about the Gulag.

PS I also see how other countries close their airspace to Russia, and not vice versa.