The Ukrainian oil/gas fields in the Black Sea were the hole cards.
As long as they could be exploited by US/British oil companies, EU/Britain would have supply and Russia would be shut out from the revenue stream.
Putin understood how he was being cutout of the game and went in. You guys aren’t gonna take what’s been ours for 1000 years!
And they will stay in the fight forever. Remember Stalingrad. It’s a matter of national existence for them.
A deal coulda been made a long time ago. But no, that wasn’t allowed. They didn’t think Pooty Poot would pull the trigger.
Putin understood how he was being cutout of the game and went in. You guys aren’t gonna take what’s been ours for 1000 years!
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1,000 years ago, where Moscow is today, it was all swamp and scrub forest. There was a smallish enclave nearby called Moscovia, run by thieves and brigands.