The Mongols were pushed into attacking Ukraine because Ukraine was about to join the EU and become a member of NATO. The same was true of Katharin the Great in 1776. Not controlling Ukraine was always an “existential” threat to everyone not in Ukraine.
All that aside, what was the real threat from Ukraine? It was an imperfect but struggling democracy with some of its own crooked politicians and oligarchs. But had it aligned with the West the living standards and wealth of regular Ukrainians would have rapidly shot above that of nearby Russia. THAT was the threat. Many Russians had family members in Ukraine and would have traveled there and seen the living standard differences. They might have even taken jobs there and moved their families there, further hollowing out Russia’s collapsing demographics.
There was already jealousy in that Ukrainians are known to have a better work ethic, take better care of their homes, and take better care of their streets.
There is a photo going around Ukrainian social media showing the Soviet Union National Soccer Team from the 1980s. It has one Tatar, one Russian, and the rest were Ukrainians.
they goaded by saying they were going to add Ukraine to NATO
but they had no intention
Putin was stupid to take the bait
He could have threatened his own sanctions, ie oil, if they tried which they had no intention of doing anyway
Zelensky said they were giving public speechs about Ukraine in NATO but privately they told him no way
If you actually knew what was going on, you wouldn't need to ask silly questions.
Ukraine had passed laws prohibiting the teaching, or even the use, of the Russian language being spoken in public. Since 2014, the Nazi element in Ukraine had been executing a reign of terror upon Russian speaking Ukrainians.
The western nations refused to intervene , and were in fact arming and training the Nazi element to attack the Russian speaking Ukrainians.
The other night Tucker said that Biden etc ruined any chance of peace deliberately because they wanted Putin gone because they wanted to punish him for getting Trump elected.
This makes no sense - all those people in DC knew Russia had nothing to do with Trump getting elected - it was a lie.
So why does Biden want Putin gone - my guess is he stands up for Russia and doesn’t want the NWO. Unfortunately he isn’t a really good guy...but in a way I can understand what I think is his reasoning.
Only after reforms (kill the worst of the corruption) and after many steps and considerable time.
Remember Zelenskyy pleading to be let in, shortly after the attempts by Russia to take Kyiv? His frustration in the slow process was palpable.
and become a member of NATO.
No. Too many NATO countries opposed that, including some majors. Their veto power is absolute, and NATO actually does follow its own procedural rules. Only a major mistake by Russia could have changed that (which it may have.) The pap that the Biden Admin. put out was just that, and Pooty and his pals could not possibly not know it. That doesn't prevent them from fabricating an external threat (NATO) though. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book.
Agreed that a progressing Ukraine would be a severe threat as you describe. However, I've come to believe that control of resources (prevent Ukraine from becoming a serious competitor to Russian petro sales to Europe, etc.), the gaining of strategic resources (warm water shipyard, for one), and simply getting a stronger Ukraine out of the way of Russian Empire -- sort of an overall strategic package, was even more a factor in Russia's decision to invade. After all, Ukraine would fall quickly (/s), and a weak / "sissified" Europe + US (Biden) would be too fearful to undo it, right?