“And those local militias have legitimacy because?”
Because the residents there were being SHELLED. All societies have a right to collective defense.
“Because the residents there were being SHELLED. “
Or because the Putin created militias were being shelled???
“All societies have a right to collective defense.”
As did Ukraine, courtesy of the Budapest Memorandum.
That Russia itself helped to draft.
To ensure that if any nation invaded Ukraine, Belarus+Russia+USA+UK would take action if asked by Ukraine.
Putin knew if he ordered boots into Ukraine without Kyiv’s express consent it would be a violation of its own binding agreement... and he knew that’d drag the USA and UK into the conflict.
This is how world War One started. A invades B and B invokes the treaty bringing in C to defend against A which then drags D in to defend A from C, and so on.
All Putin had to do was check that Pushilin and co were not bullshitting about an imminent invasion by Ukraine, and not jump the gun.
The separatist MILITANTS made this claim, and offered not one shred of evidence to back it up... and they were bullshitting. No such invasion was taking place.
They’d also been bullshitting about genocide for 3 years... according to their own genocide investigators.
Can you explain that, Bob?