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Russian-American relations have worsened not because of russophobia, but rather because of several high profile and geopolitically relevant events. The first of
by ComradeTaco 9y ago
Russian-American relations have worsened not because of russophobia, but rather because of several high profile and geopolitically relevant events. The first of these was the invasion of Crimea and the funneling of arms to Ukrainian Separatists engaging in a civil war. These actions are a direct violation of the Budapest Memorandum signed by Russia and the US. Essentially, Ukraine agreed to destroy the nuclear weapons leftover from the USSR in exchange for total respect in regards to territorial integrity.[1] Furthermore, a Russian BUK system, staffed by these separatists downed the civilian airliner Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing 298 innocent people.[2]. Furthermore, Russian hackers hacked the emails of both major political parties, and has, literally, a 3 story office complex staffed with internet trolls intent on misleading the American public via social media for the last several years[4]. Finally, you have the most recent incident where Russia attempted to murder not only a former spy in the U.K., but also his daughter, and about twenty other bar patrons, neighbors and first responders. The poisoned used was a nerve gas developed in Russia and exclusively available in Russia.[5]
Clearly, these are meaningful events in the context of American-Russia relations as well as NATO-Russia relations, you can't just handwave them away by saying it's one parties political problem.
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Securit...
[3]https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/comey-republicans-hacked-russia/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/comey-republicans-ha...
[4]https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/15/594062887/some-russians-see-u-s-investigation-into-russian-election-meddling-as-a-soap-op https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/15/594062887/...
[5]https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/europe/theresa-may-reprisals-for-russian-spy-poisoning-intl/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/europe/theresa-may-reprisals-...
- mc32 9y agoPeople need to understand Russia needs a deep water port in the black sea. There is no way around that. That's what Crimea is about. They couldn't give two shits about it otherwise. But Obama wanted to thumb his nose at Russia and ignored that to Russia (as well as the USSR) a deep water port on the black sea is a must. The separatists are often labeled as Russian military in the MSM, but I gather they were essentially militias who overran Ukraine depots and then later got some Russian leadership help. The MSMs though, present them as Russian regulars. The Russian troll factory for most of its existence was to troll Ukrainians not The West. It'd be like expecting us (the US) to give up San Diego as a strategic harbor and let it silt up. It is not gonna happen.
- akhilcacharya 9y ago>The separatists are often labeled as Russian military in the MSM That would be strange, especially if they were able to get weapons issued only to Russian military at Ukrainian depots. >It'd be like expecting us (the US) to give up San Diego as a strategic harbor and let it silt up. It is not gonna happen. Are you claiming San Diego is a part of another country? Because if it were a part of Mexico and it was annexed tomorrow I'd have very similar concerns.
- mc32 9y agoI'm saying that the ports have equivalent strategic importance. Who is providing the evidence of the weapons, Ukraine?
- Const-me 9y agoHere’s loads of evidence of artillery attacks across Russian-Ukrainian border (from Russian side) in 2014: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/02/17/origin-of-artillery-attacks/ https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/02/17/ori... Here’s direct evidence of one episode of invasion: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/russian-military-vehicles-enter-ukraine-aid-convoy-stops-short-border https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/russian-milita...
- stelonix 9y agoIt did not start with the Ukrainian coup, but rather with the Georgia conflict back in 2008. Can't really blame the Russians, what do you think it'd happen if a pro-Moscow government were elected in Mexico? What would be the US' reaction?
- lern_too_spel 9y ago> What would be the US' reaction? Maybe a wall that is ten feet higher. Certainly not an armed invasion.
- chopin 9y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_invasion_of_Grenada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_invasion_of_Grenada
- lern_too_spel 9y agoGrenada is not comparable to Ukraine and Mexico.
- lostmsu 9y agoGeorgian event is not clearly fault of Russian side. The Ukraine one is though.