Putin had good reason to be concerned about NATO moving east. I still can’t decide if NATO was deliberately being provocative or just being stupid. But then Putin completely over-reacted and sent tanks across a sovereign border.
It’s kinda like 1914 all over again. Austro-Hungary had good reason to be concerned about Serbian terrorists. But then everyone involved over-reacted. And the next thing you know, Christians are hacking each other to death in muddy trenches.
“I still can’t decide if NATO was deliberately being provocative or just being stupid. “
Always assumpe stupidity. You will almost never go wrong.
I agree with your analysis. I also think that NATO has been very alarming, quite out of control, since their "successful" attack on Libya.
IMO the Ukraine, to Russia, is similar to Papua New Guinea to Australia. PNG was "given" independence, but Australia keeps a firm hand. They make no major foreign policy decisions without Australian approval. It HAS to be that way, although it is not very fair, because that northern border is the front door to Australia. If PNG joined some Asian alliance - a Chinese NATO - Aust would have to react. But I hope we would not launch into an ill-thought out invasion.