So the US, the Atlantic Council (whatever the heck that is), and NATO did not "choose" Ukraine. Geography, Russian history, and Ukraine's memory of Russian history did.
One good thing about Putin and Cuba/S. America? When something happens, he won't be able to blame NATO. He will try, anyway.
....”the Atlantic Council (whatever the heck that is), and NATO did not “choose” Ukraine”....
Well if you don’t know who or what the Atlantic Council is then no wonder you get it wrong so often.
But they most certainly did “choose” Ukraine and the US was obviously supportive if not the lead.
Putin doesn’t give a rats buns what nation leaders think now...any more than Israel does. They are moving to do what they believe needs doing of because they know that they can withstand any who oppose them....it’s just that simple.
“A major fault with that reasoning is the assumption that Putin is just a nice guy who wants “respect.” “
Nobody paying attention thinks Putin is “nice guy”. He is a cold, calculating SOB raised to Machiavellian thinking.
That said, because of that very Machiavellian thinking, he understands what is happening in DC and other capitals today better than Obama and the Radical Socialist Ideologue minions he is surrounded by.
They wanted to “get back” at Putin for stopping Obama’s attack on Syria, and they chose the already existing urest in Ukraine to do it. They handed Putin a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he took advantage of it.
The result of that is what we are seeing today. Ukraine in Chaos, and the Obama administration calling the shots, while the cronies scoop up the assets, like Biden’s son, and Kerry’s nephew, are doing.
The very same “Moderate” Syrian Rebels that Obama almost went to war to support, creating a “Caliphate” in Iraq, while Putin outmaneuvers “The Smartest Man Ever Born!” again, by providing real help to the Iraq government.
An “Eastern Bloc” is forming before our very eyes, instigated in large part by the weakness and indecision shown in DC.