Russia's annexation of Crimea was a defensive move to keep its long-held, strategic - and sole - warm water port and naval base from falling into NATO's hands after the West overthrew Moscow's ally in Kiev. Securing a defensible land bridge from Russia to Crimea was the obvious next step which Ray Charles could see coming. And NATO has been provoking Russia for two decades by adding 12 new nations in its eastward expansion to the Russian border. Finally, Russia had absolutely no motive whatsoever to shoot down the airliner over Ukraine; Kiev was the only party that stood to benefit from the atrocity, which reeks of an obvious setup by the Ukrainians.
Russia is no longer a superpower save for its nuclear arsenal. That puke Putin must learn that there are consequences for his actions.
What greater measure of a military superpower exists than the world's largest nuclear arsenal? That's like saying "Darren Wilson is no match for Michael Brown without a .40 Sig P229." Well, Wilson did have the .40 Sig and he used it to kill the much larger and conventionally stronger Brown. If you pick a fight, all bets are off.
Very excellent comments.
BS. The Russians had a long term agreement on its naval base in Crimea. The Kharkiv Pact, signed in 2010, guaranteed them use of the base until 2042. The Russians unilaterally terminated the agreement in 2014.
And NATO has been provoking Russia for two decades by adding 12 new nations in its eastward expansion to the Russian border.
A provocation? What danger does NATO pose to Russia? And those 12 nations and there are more, begged to get into NATO because they did not want to come under Russian imperialism again. I lived two years in Poland during the days of Solidarnosc and the oppression of Communism. I went back about 14 years ago and Poland is a much better place. They have been liberated.
There is no moral equivalency between Russia and the NATO nations.
Finally, Russia had absolutely no motive whatsoever to shoot down the airliner over Ukraine; Kiev was the only party that stood to benefit from the atrocity, which reeks of an obvious setup by the Ukrainians.
More BS. I don't see how you can buy into that Russian propaganda. The facts say otherwise. It was a mistake, but the plane was shot down by the Russians along with other Ukrainian planes that have been shot down by the Russians.
What greater measure of a military superpower exists than the world's largest nuclear arsenal? That's like saying "Darren Wilson is no match for Michael Brown without a .40 Sig P229." Well, Wilson did have the .40 Sig and he used it to kill the much larger and conventionally stronger Brown. If you pick a fight, all bets are off.
MAD. The Russians do not want to commit national suicide any more than they did during the Cold War. Having a huge nuclear arsenal and a relative weak conventional force does not allow them to project power globally. They are a gas station masquerading as a nation. Putin is delusional. He is trying to resurrect an empire that no longer exists.
Russia has negative population growth; life expectancy for males is 64 years; a fertility rate of 1.61; a per capita GDP of $18,100; and oil and gas represent two thirds of their revenue. Economic power is also a measure of a superpower and Russia's economy is about to descend into the toilet.
You have an excellent grasp of this situation. All that you said is spot-on.
There is a feeling that some war profiteer with lots of money, clout and control of the message is working to suck the USA and others into either major saber rattling, or outright war with Russia. None of them will ever leave the comfort of a plush office somewhere in the financial district of NYC or London..
It seems this entire Russian thing started when Obama and Putin had a run-in over Snowden. The Ukrainian thing then developed because of Obama and Victoria Nuland creating havoc.. The former commies in Russia are now in the USA and in Obamas administration.
As for the plane which was taken down...looks more and more that the evidence is pointing to Kiev. They;ve been keeping it at bay though as they don't want anything to jeopardize what the US is doing in Ukraine. To bring it out now would be disastrous for Poroshenko...but it will come out.