This is why Puti Pu has got his panties in a bunch:

[El Supremo]

[Cha]

1. Fuck OIFF putin.. Nio Excuses

for him.l

TY!

[TheBlackAdder]

22. If Putin & Trump were going to take any land, it definitely would be called -- CRIMEa.

[Wicked Blue]

2. Nations join NATO for protection against Russia

not because they want to invade Russia

[dalton99a]

4. Precisely. And it is their right as sovereign nations

[SheltieLover]

5. Precisely!

[Qutzupalotl]

16. Perfectly stated.

I wish Putin would see it that way, but he is paranoid, or pretends to be.

He is definitely projecting, accusing the opposition of what he is doing.

I love that Biden is announcing Putin's troop movements and giving away his plans. He's taking away the element of surprise and uniting countries against Russia's actions.

[smirkymonkey]

33. I think he knows that.

The whole "fear of a NATO invasion thing" is just an excuse for him to pursue his colonizing fantasies. He's an evil bastard, but he's not a complete moron. He knows how to play this to his advantage. I really wish he would just drop dead.

I am beginning to think he is more dangerous to the world than Trump, which wasn't always the case. Trump because he is stupid, ego-maniacal and reckless, Putin because he is evil, unhinged and power-mad. Of course, both have all those qualities to some extent and then some, none of which bode well for the rest of us. At least Trump is currently out of power.

[Lonestarblue]

39. Yes. And I suspect that it is the fear of democracy and not the fear of invasion that drives Putin.

None of these small countries is even remotely interested in invading Russia. But some, perhaps many, Russian citizens have family in countries next to Russia, especially Ukraine, and Putin does not want then to hear anything about democratic government providing a better life. That could jeopardize his cushy job as president for life, though technically he could be voted out but he rigs the elections.

[uponit7771]

46. +1

[Ray Bruns]

43. Exactly. They remember what Stalin did after WW2. Swallowed them up wholesale.

[dalton99a]

3. He is demanding a rollback to before 1997

[BlueIdaho]

6. You mean when he had hair?

That’s two things that aren’t coming back…

[smirkymonkey]

34. *snort*

[relayerbob]

7. He invades Ukraine

You will be able to include Finland in that list for sure, and possibly Sweden, maybe Austria.

With luck, Belarus will collapse, and they'll need to occupy them also

[roamer65]

10. If he invades, I think he will leave NW Ukraine alone.

That section of the country is heavily Ukrainian and would be a quagmire.


There eventually will be a smaller Ukraine that’s in NATO.

[relayerbob]

14. Very possible

[StClone]

24. I suspect the idea that Kyiv is going to be invaded is a false flag

I suspect his goal is to take the eastern pro-Russian area of Ukraine, Donbas. The target is to fully occupy Donbas as they have had a lot of influences there already. It would be a strategic hit, smaller in scale, more easily taken. I think that is why Putin is evacuating women and children from that region. He will take it, the way he took Crimea, and occupy it.

The long-range plan is to use all these little bases of occupation to manipulate the rest of Ukraine, and the world. The big thing is I do not think Putin's reign of Oligarchs will survive to see the end play of this strategy.

[Bucky]

54. I would like it if you were right. If he goes after Ukraine he'll want Kyiv

It's likely he'll leave Western Ukraine untouched. It's a really big country and he doesn't really need an additional hostile border that far away from his center.

But we can't forget what a humiliation it was when the Baltic states joined NATO. I thought that was a mistake, too provocative. Maybe I was wrong. But stable & free buffer states between Russia and NATO always seemed like a good idea to me, as far as the global balance of power goes.

[msongs]

8. one recalls russia invading poland along with the nazis nt

[paleotn]

20. Spheres of Influence Ribbentrop, Molotov, Hitler and Stalin called it.

The Molotov Ribbentrop Pact. That is until Hitler wanted Stalin's "sphere of influence" for himself as lebensraum (living space).

[11 Bravo]

50. After Yalta, Churchill raised holy hell over the agreed upon lines ...

to be established after Germany's inevitable surrender. FDR and Stalin basically ignored him during the negotiations, but he made no secret of his disapproval post-Yalta.
Churchill was right.

[roamer65]

9. Konigsberg should be given back to Germany.

…or Poland or Lithuania.

[IronLionZion]

26. It's a bit late for that

Germany renounced their claim to it and most German people repatriated to Germany. Russia has filled it with Russians and it is their only ice-free port in the Baltic.

Poland and Lithuania also don't want it.

[Bucky]

57. Yeah, that's not gonna happen

[Hav]

11. When all the countries around you

run away from you, you may have to consider that you are the problem. These countries didn't join by force from the West.
The irony is, Putin's actions prove those countries right. In fact, Ukraine would be in a safer position now if they were already a Nato member.

[stopdiggin]

15. yep. all those 'recent joins' - have prior 'experience'

with the Russians. It adds a certain 'clarity' to perceptions.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

44. No kidding

He's like the stalking abusive boyfriend/husband. "Why don't you love me?"

[Wicked Blue]

45. That's a good analogy

Both situations stem from someone's low self-esteem.
I wonder if Putin's dick is 1 inch or 2 inch?

[bucolic_frolic]

12. This is the same fallout as post-war, but the countries are free to align as they choose now

[msfiddlestix]

13. ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️

Hattip for the map that tells the whole story, really.




Editing to Add: My entire perspective on the matter is a complete 180 from how things looked to me in 2014.

I was just flat out wrong about Russian invasion on Crimea.

totally.

Good Luck NATO, President Bide. This ain't gonna be a walk in the park, but I know you know that.

[Deuxcents]

17. Yes..ty for the map..really helps

Love that I get educated on issues here.

[paleotn]

18. All were bullied by the Russians for most of the 20th century....

Most were part of the Warsaw Pact in the bad ole days. Can't say as I blame them.

[erronis]

42. Great addition to this great discussion. I'm impressed by the cogent opinions posted here.

[llmart]

19. What a great visual that really captures the truth in one picture.

Putin is a power hungry megalomaniac who needs to be put in his place. He surely has miscalculated about President Biden's resolve.

[smirkymonkey]

35. +1000

It really does put things in perspective, doesn't it?

[GoCubsGo]

21. That, and Ukraine has a ton of natural resources.

Oil and gas, farmlands, iron , uranium, and other valuable minerals...

If you think Pootie Poot's shorts are in a wad now, just wait until Sweden and Finland join NATO. Sounds like his antics in Ukraine are driving them right into NATO's arms.

[AdamGG]

23. It wasn't by accident that Dump chose to push the PM of Montenegro...

scoring points with Vlad

[smirkymonkey]

36. I am still completely disgusted by that display of arrogance on Trump's behalf.

I can't even tell you how much it infuriates me. It is just SO HIM!

[3catwoman3]

41. My standard description of him is C5 - C to the 5th power.

Crass, common, crude, coarse, and cruel.

He has no redeeming qualities. Not a single one.

[FakeNoose]

25. What's wrong with Austria and Switzerland?

They're surrounded by NATO on all sides, but they're remaining "neutral." Well of course we know they aren't really neutral, they just haven't joined NATO for some reason.

[usaf-vet]

27. ///

[TexasTowelie]

32. Since both countries are surrounded by other NATO countries

they essentially receive all of the benefits of being in NATO while contributing nothing to pay for that protection. Free stuff!

[AdamGG]

61. I think the Swiss managed to stay neutral with the Nazis

It's been a long term survival strategy for them.

[Justice matters.]

28. What's so bad about joining NATO Vlad? Join it?

Oh... too many crimes in your past 30 years I see...

Too bad. If all countries joined in, we could end stupid wars for greed.

[dalton99a]

29. Kick

[electric_blue68]

59. Oh, I remember that cover!

[UTUSN]

30. K&R, with all that purple seems like we could slap him around and down.

[CloudWatcher]

31. Well NATO does need a new name :)

Not much "North Atlantic" about it.

That said, how quickly can we get Ukraine as a member? If we're lucky, tomorrow might be soon enough.

[Gore1FL]

37. Maybe we should trade Turkey for Ukraine. nt

[ananda]

48. Works for me.

Good idea!

[SouthernDem4ever]

38. Thanks for the graphic. Really puts it in perspective.

[Maru Kitteh]

40. Panties.

Really?

[uponit7771]

47. Why doesn't Pooty Poot bring back the Warsaw Pack ?! I mean, he'll have tons of folk begging

... to get in that crew.

Come on Putin, sup ?!

[Bucky]

55. Right now the members consist of Russia and Belarus

I dunno, maybe Syria is a member too

[uponit7771]

60. +1, all the authoritarians regimes no one wants to be a part of not even the people stuck in them

... right now except people who don't know any better.

[Schmice3]

49. In the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962

the USSR pulled out its missiles from Cuba BUT the US had to agree to pull its missile bases out of Turkey. Geo-politically speaking, Putin is just protecting Russia's borders as its power wanes.

[Hav]

52. I'm getting some "Legitimate political discourse" vibes (n/t)

[Bucky]

56. I'm not sympathetic to Russia, but I agree

I wonder if, in the long run, Putin settles for just taking half or 1/3 of Ukraine and then see if he can wait out the sanctions. Being the primary exporter of oil and natural gas to Central Europe gives him a shutload of bargaining power.

[Joinfortmill]

51. Pray for Ukraine. Sanction the hell out of Russia.

[DFW]

53. Yes, being in the KGB was SO much more secure

Especially when it was the Soviet Empire (dba "the Warsaw Pact" ) who was on OUR borders with East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

[El Supremo]

58. I can't believe this map has garnered so many recommendations.

But I had a class in Russian history many years ago. And ever since Napoleon, Russia has worried about control of its western borders. This is the latest manifestation. They are worried about nothing unless they want to return to the Soviet domination of eastern Europe.