I’m not sure that “non sequitor” is quite the right choice of words. It is rather more “interesting coincidence” that you who are consistently posting pro Putin comments singed up the same year that oil and gas reserves were discovered in the 3 places that have gotten the most attention from Russian jack boots. Putin needed a couple of years to organize his takeover of Crimea, and I remember seeing the reports of mercenaries from Russia moving into the Donbass to carry on their warfare back in 2014.
What is most astonishing is the fact that so little has been mentioned about the whole Ukraine has petroleum reserves issue, and the places where they are constitute the precise main target of Putin’s massive attacks. He does not care about preserving the cities which he would if he was doing it for the poor ethnic Russians who are being treated so meanly by those nasty Ukrainians. Of course he does not care, what he wants is safely stored under ground. The heck with Ukrainian human beings. And this lack of humanity is reflected in your consistently pro Putin posts. So, while there is no way I can prove you are a Russian cyber plant, or merely a modern “fellow traveler”, your date of FR arrival is a curious coincidence. And your support of the Butcher of Moscow an insult to patriotic FReepers and Putin’s helpless Ukrainian victims.
This Feb. 2019 Forbes article clearly defines the great loss to Ukraine caused by Putin’s 2014 seizure of Crimea. Even if a plebecite should prove the people of Crimea prefer a totalitarian corruption ridden Russia to a corruption ridden Ukraine, at the very least the large “exclusion zone” shown in this article’s map should be reopened to Ukriane’s use and control regarding resources. An excellent sanction against Putin’s greed and cruelty.
I can assure you my ‘showing up’ in 2012 had no connection with oil and gas discoveries in Ukraine or anywhere else for that matter. I am not pro Putin. Have mentioned on occasions that I don’t think he is a communist, that he is a thug Having said that , now that the Russkies are in Ukraine I actually have no problem with the Russian milititary destroying Ukrainian nazi zealots in the territory they plan to annex. Same way I have no prob with Israel invading Gaza or Lebanon to destroy islamonazis there. Pre emptively if need be.
Look at the Azov Natural Gas Preserves region, and then look at Russia’s
Occupation Map. He has captured all the land mass of the preserve and
all the access land to the underwater portion of that preserve.
Mariopol happens to be smack dab in the middle of it. All the shoreline of
the Azov Sea West to just short of Odessa and then out to sea is the massive
Azov Natural Gas Preserve.
Ukraine constituted a potential threat to Russia’s natural gas business.
Of course he does not care, what he wants is safely stored under ground.
***That’s sadly profound.