What is the purpose of utterly obliterating Ukraine's military operations capability, if not to take over and defend it yourself?
I guess they don't want any nazis or keen Ukrainian soldiers using them against Russian forces in the meantime.
Probably the aim in the long term is to get quite a lot of the Ukrainians to vote to join Russia like Crimea did. That could be half the country or more. That's my speculation. Ukraine could never again be co opted by the west as a proxy to threaten Russia.
The Donbas is almost half the country. Most of the western half is made up of parts of Poland, Romaina, Hungary and Czechoslovakia gifted to the Ukraine from 1939 to 1945.
The Crimea was gifted to Ukraine in 1954. The Donbas by the Bolsheviks in 1917.
Ukraine is a region, it has never been a country until the break up of the USSR in 1989. Putin, in his history lesson speech pre invasion, spoke of how Lenin and the Bolsheviks gave these areas autonomy who had never had it before. The communists continued this. He called it one of the biggest mistakes they made and is the root of all the problems now.
Ukraine went from the control of the Golden Horde, to the Princes of Moscow, to the Czars of the Russian Empire, to the Communist USSR. It is also a region that has seen near constant turmoil for 1500 years. The Khazars, the Cossacks and the Sarmatians of Roman times were all from near this area. It was also a backdoor to Constantinople used by Viking traders and raiders. This is the western end of the Russian Steppes.
Yeah, Crimea's been mostly Russian since the 18th century. Not sure about the rest of Ukraine, but I bet they still hate Russia for the whole starvation thing.
Sure, although that's kind of like saying that in the 30s and 40s, it wasn't Germany being the asshole—it was Hitler and his Nazi party. Fine, technically accurate, but people still call it "Germany" and "the Germans" as shorthand speech. I don't see that changing any time soon, as in ever.
Just like in subsequent decades it was "the Russians", even though it was officially named The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (only one of which, the largest, was Russia). "Russians" is just a little quicker and easier to say, that's all.
I guess they don't want any nazis or keen Ukrainian soldiers using them against Russian forces in the meantime.
Probably the aim in the long term is to get quite a lot of the Ukrainians to vote to join Russia like Crimea did. That could be half the country or more. That's my speculation. Ukraine could never again be co opted by the west as a proxy to threaten Russia.
The Donbas is almost half the country. Most of the western half is made up of parts of Poland, Romaina, Hungary and Czechoslovakia gifted to the Ukraine from 1939 to 1945.
The Crimea was gifted to Ukraine in 1954. The Donbas by the Bolsheviks in 1917.
Ukraine is a region, it has never been a country until the break up of the USSR in 1989. Putin, in his history lesson speech pre invasion, spoke of how Lenin and the Bolsheviks gave these areas autonomy who had never had it before. The communists continued this. He called it one of the biggest mistakes they made and is the root of all the problems now.
Ukraine went from the control of the Golden Horde, to the Princes of Moscow, to the Czars of the Russian Empire, to the Communist USSR. It is also a region that has seen near constant turmoil for 1500 years. The Khazars, the Cossacks and the Sarmatians of Roman times were all from near this area. It was also a backdoor to Constantinople used by Viking traders and raiders. This is the western end of the Russian Steppes.
Yeah, Crimea's been mostly Russian since the 18th century. Not sure about the rest of Ukraine, but I bet they still hate Russia for the whole starvation thing.
The holodomor wasnt Russia exactly, it was Stalin and the communist USSR. Stalin was a mad dictator.
I really think we need to separate Russian history from communist history. Its important to what is happening now.
Sure, although that's kind of like saying that in the 30s and 40s, it wasn't Germany being the asshole—it was Hitler and his Nazi party. Fine, technically accurate, but people still call it "Germany" and "the Germans" as shorthand speech. I don't see that changing any time soon, as in ever.
Just like in subsequent decades it was "the Russians", even though it was officially named The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (only one of which, the largest, was Russia). "Russians" is just a little quicker and easier to say, that's all.