Putin does not want NATO on his border. Taking over Ukraine puts NATO on his border.

[fightforfreedom]

I think Putin hung out with Trump too much. He is starting to think like Trump.

[doc03]

1. Hmmm very interesting

[Claustrum]

2. His ultimate goal is to "restore" all the land Russia owned in Soviet time.

It's more a precursor for him to invade other NATO countries. I don't think he will stop at Ukraine.

[fightforfreedom]

10. If Putin attacks a NATO country, that's war, possibly world war. Article 5.

An attack on any NATO country is considered an attack on all NATO countries.

[Claustrum]

11. Right.

That's why Biden and the White House has been drawing that hard line and warning Putin not to attack any NATO countries. Biden has said there is a possibility of Putin attacking a NATO country.

You can't think of Putin and the likes of them with logics. Their "ambition" is above all logical thinking.

[Freethinker65]

3. Yep. Putin did not do this because of NATO.

[Irish_Dem]

5. What do you think is his real reason for taking over Ukraine?

[mathematic]

13. Putin considers the creation of Ukraine a historical mistake

He's trying to undo that mistake.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. He wants a bigger empire more than he wants a bigger buffer from NATO

If he can expand his empire having NATO troops positioned at his border is a price he is willing to pay. Regardless of what he says in public, he knows that NATO poses no direct threat to Russia if he does not attack NATO first. A thriving democracy in Ukraine, however, is a different story.

[Happy Hoosier]

6. There are ALREADY NATO members on his border.

He is not afraid of NATO on his border. That is pretext. He wants to own Ukraine.

[Solly Mack]

7. If you mean they are both insane egos in human flesh, then yes.

Poland is part of NATO and Poland is on the Russian border.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia also border Russia, and all belong to NATO.

NATO is already at the borders of Russia. And that's only a threat if you plan to harm a NATO country - otherwise, it isn't.

Putin would be the one to feed ideas to Trump than the other way around, though.

[C_U_L8R]

8. He might destroy Ukraine but he'll never hold it.

If the plan was to be a failed state and a pariah to the world, well done Putin. His whole scheme seems terribly planned - and now everyone knows that his military is not as mighty as advertised. Not to mention the incredible misfortune and ill-will for Russia that will last generations. Heck of a job, Putie !

[Ferryboat]

9. Nato on the border

Grim days ahead. Poland is heavily dependent on Russian oil and natural gas as is Hungary.

A weakness to be exploited in the future.

[roamer65]

12. Putin cannot hold NW Ukraine.

Arms will flow in from Poland and it’s heavily Ukrainian.

This will be a quagmire.

[WHITT]

14. I Don't Think Putin Intends

to occupy Ukraine. I suspect he wants to topple the government, install a puppet, then possibly pull back to the Dnieper river.