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Putin believes that Ukraine is historically part of Russia and it's independent existence is only tolerable if the country is firmly in Russia's sphere of influence.
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He believes the CIA engineered a coup that overthrew the legitimate government of Ukraine and replaced it with a western puppet regime in 2014.
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He believes the modern nationalist Ukrainian state draws from the legacy of Nazi collaboration during WWII and poses a direct threat to Russian national security. Removing this particular nationalist influence is a key goal of the military operation, which he seeks to achieve through negotiation.
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Russia expressed interest in joining NATO during the Clinton administration but was rejected. This lead Russia to feel geopolitically isolated and cut off from the whole western project.
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He believes the west is obsessed with weakening Russia as much as possible and that NATO is nothing more than an anti-Russian alliance.
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Putin thinks China is now more powerful than the United States and more relevant.
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He believes our government is controlled by an entrenched bureaucracy that cannot be changed through elections.
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He believes the US and European Union are extorting taxpayers to fund Ukraine's war. He sees no reason why the US continues to support Ukraine.
Putin Interview Summarized
RUSSIAN SALT MINES 🇷🇺
I have not hear the "strap" term used before like this. Always looking to expand my vocabulary & analogy ideas.
What is meant by "a strap" at worst?
Sorry it was a typo. I meant to say a satrapy, but it got autocorrected. A vassal is subordinate but there is some give and take between liege and vassal, a satrapy is just a colony to be exploited without recourse.
Satrap. Puppet governor of a region under the Persian (?) Empire.
Strap makes more sense & I learned a new word/history today. Thank you.
Auto correct is a killer sometimes.