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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"You have to understand, George. Ukraine is not even a country."
The words of Pooty Poot, whispered to the guy who had gazed into his soul, pretzeldent George w Bush.
What the West doesn't understand about Russia or Ukraine
Alexander Nazaryan·Senior White House Correspondent
Yahoo, Wed, February 23, 2022
You have to understand, George. Ukraine is not even a country.
Those were the jarring and, it would turn out, prescient words uttered by Russian strongman Vladimir Putin in 2008, during a meeting with then-President George W. Bush. It was an unambiguous assertion of ownership over a sovereign nation, an assertion that has particular resonance 14 years later, as Putin has just recognized the independence of two Ukrainian regions and sent troops to bolster Russian-backed separatists.
The West is outraged by Putins current aggression, as well as by the logic for his seemingly inevitable full-scale invasion. Who in the Lords name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors? wondered President Biden in remarks delivered from the White House on Tuesday.
Such outrage, however, ignores a complex and uncomfortable truth: Many Russians recognize Putins sentiments about Ukraine as largely in keeping with established beliefs about the relationship between the nuclear superpower and its much smaller neighbor, which has a similar language and culture. That may explain why many Russians support military action against Ukraine, which they see as a necessary response to Western meddling.
America badly wants to start this war, an elderly Muscovite told the New York Times, citing as Putin has the expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe as a prime reason for the current conflict. Ukraine isnt currently eligible for membership, but Russians have watched carefully as the Western alliance has crept ever closer throughout the last two decades.
Having grown up in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, I can safely say that most Russians view Ukraine as part of Russia. It is impossible to speak for a nation of 144 million people, especially long after leaving. However, the Russian view of geopolitics and history has, paradoxically, become more assertively nationalistic than it was during the Soviet era, when it tellingly embraced Joseph Stalin as a model leader.
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/what-the-west-doesnt-understand-about-russia-or-ukraine-215609030.html
Claustrum
(4,845 posts)They viewed them not as a separate country but part of their country. That's why they will never admit or agree that they are invading a country.
Ghost Dog
(16,881 posts)since the Taiwan Constitution also claims all of China as its territory.
underpants
(182,788 posts)Reading later
Work n stuff 😤
brush
(53,776 posts)Incidently, Ukraine is quite large, the second largest country in Europe in geographic size next to Russia.
And Russia is large, but not as large as it's seems on the Mercator projection maps we usually see, as that flattened projection greatly enlarges the size of some countries.
But when Putin is done telling them what they believe at gunpoint, that will make it all ok...
brush
(53,776 posts)Boomerproud
(7,952 posts)The only former president that has commented is guess who.
LisaM
(27,806 posts)I wonder if he has any updates on that.
brush
(53,776 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(12,369 posts)BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)In regards international affairs? FWIW - Bush is an idiot, but hes not the only one.
world wide wally
(21,742 posts)wnylib
(21,447 posts)Response to Kid Berwyn (Original post)
Tommy Carcetti This message was self-deleted by its author.
wnylib
(21,447 posts)Tommy Carcetti
(43,181 posts)Self-deleted.
Kid Berwyn
(14,897 posts)Happy to apologize if I posted in error.
Response to Kid Berwyn (Reply #18)
Tommy Carcetti This message was self-deleted by its author.
fwvinson
(488 posts)Kid Berwyn
(14,897 posts)Putin and Murdoch work for the destruction of the United States, which starts here:
https://www.governing.com/now/the-forgotten-meaning-of-we-the-people.html
And the members of my family have sworn to uphold our independence since 1776.
OMGWTF
(3,955 posts)SergeStorms
(19,200 posts)or a newspaper of record, I'll reserve judgment.
"Senior Correspondent" for Yahoo News doesn't instill a whole lot of confidence in me. Sorry.
Kid Berwyn
(14,897 posts)Russia wanted to keep the newest NATO member as its pawn; protecting it will keep us safer, not lead to World War III."
By Daniel Baer
Daniel Baer is a senior fellow a the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; he served as U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 2013 to 2017.
The Washington Post, July 19, 2018
Excerpt
Most commentators seized on the fact that by publicly questioning Article 5, which has been invoked only once in defense of the United States after the 9/11 attacks Trump had done further damage to NATO and, no doubt, elicited more glee in the Kremlin. But Carlson and Trumps example was also curious because Montenegro is exactly where Putin himself might start if he were seeking to undermine NATO solidarity. In 2008, Putin told a surprised George W. Bush that Ukraine is not a country; during their one-on-one meeting on Monday, did Putin tell Trump in one way or another that aggressive Montenegro shouldnt be in NATO?
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/07/19/ukraines-not-a-country-putin-told-bush-whatd-he-tell-trump-about-montenegro/
Youre welcome.
SergeStorms
(19,200 posts)I do appreciate your effort. Yahoo News has been known to shoot from the hip.
Kid Berwyn
(14,897 posts)To knowledge!