Imagine it is Russia in every instance reacting to us, not us to them, we are leading (calling the shots) on all these issues, with them "reacting" to us.
We invaded Iraq, Russian aligned.
We attacked and over threw the government in Libya, Russian aligned.
We invaded and attacked Syria, a formal Russian ally since 1970 with air and naval bases there.
We attempted over throwing the government in Venezuela, Russian aligned.
We offered NATO to Ukraine in 2014.
We offered NATO to the Republic of Georgia in 2008.
We offered NATO to Ukraine 2021, despite Russian protest and legit security concerns on their behalf (which we just ignore), us not willing to accept if in their shoes (total hypocrites), us lying about NATO East expansion (which we just pretend we didn't), withdrawing from a Ballistic Missile Treaty (which we don't even consider even though it plays a role in all of this) and it wasn't until after this that Russia began amassing troops along the Ukrainian border...
Cause and effect - a timeline quickly dispels your argument.
You put forward interesting comments to this debate.
So here are my answers:
Red6:
“Imagine this scenario: Russia is weak and no longer even a true near peer. We know this.”
USA-FRANCE:
Russia national economy is weak yes, its about the size of Italy’s.
However, It has a massive military complex machinery inherited from the Soviet Union. +30% of Russia’s entire national budget is now dedicated for war and for the aggression on Ukraine. +30% is mind-boggling! They can produce 3 million shells a year... Next year in 2025 Europe will be able to produce 1,5 million per year. America’s and Europe’s economies are not built for waging permanent wars. Russia is.
Then you said:
“Imagine it is Russia in every instance reacting to us... “
Our “invasion” of Iraq / Afghanistan, our short (non-invasive) intervention in Libya, etc...
USA-FRANCE:
We TEMPORARILY invaded Afghanistan because they were refusing to handover bin Laden who killed 3000 civilians in America in multiple terrorist attacks.
That has nothing to do with Afghanistan being “Russian-Aligned)
We never ANNEXED Afghanistan.
We initially invaded Iraq because of its blatant violation of international law as it illegally invaded ANNEXED Kuwait. France helped America to liberate it - and many other nations within the coalition. Evidently it had nothing to do with Iraq being “Russian aligned”.
In Libya, Reagan and Obama each made short military interventions there because of Libyas deliberate terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103, and later the imminent massacre it was prepared to commit against its own people. France was actually the main player in that military intervention, and got a helping hand from America.
There was never any American invasions there. And no ANNEXATION of Libya.
The whole thing was done in a matter of days. Thus and again, it had nothing to do with Libya being “Russian aligned”.
Then you said : “We attempted throwing the government in Venezuela.”
USA-FRANCE:
Well that was never really proven, and anyway America never even imagined any kind of invasion or ANNEXATION of Venezuela.
The you said: “We offered NATO to Ukraine in 2014.”
USA-FRANCE:
Let me remind you that Germany and France vetoed in 2008 any attempt by Ukraine to join NATO. Big mistake. Back then Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy were leading their respective countries. They were weak, and semi-pro Russia for economical reasons. They were compromised by Russia.
However... Sarkozy made France join NATO again! But that was before he became compromised by Russia...
There was zero chance that Ukraine would be a member of NATO:
And to top it all Zelensky even said this:
“Ukraine will not join Nato, says Zelenskiy, as shelling of Kyiv continues”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/15/kyiv-facing-dangerous-moment-amid-signs-of-russias-tightening-grip
But Russia invaded anyway... purely for imperialist, colonialist, financial reasons.
And here is yet another smoking gun concerning Russias malevolence, deceit and lies:
Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s ambassador to the EU (DAYS BEFORE THEY ATTACKED UKRAINE): “It’s not an issue of readiness. Russia has no plans to invade either Ukraine or any other country. It’s a bluff created not in Russia, but in those countries that are now spreading this hysterical message, I would say, across Europe and the world.”
Whole dialog here:
https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/27/russia-has-no-plans-to-invade-either-ukraine-or-any-other-country-says-moscow-s-top-eu-dip
SO... you undestand better now ?