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Russia is currently occupying the territory of another European country, or several countries if you count the Caucasus as Europe. What makes you say they pose
by literallycancer 6y ago
Russia is currently occupying the territory of another European country, or several countries if you count the Caucasus as Europe. What makes you say they pose no threat?
- sudosysgen 6y agoRussian occupation of Ukraine is a bit more complicated. It's in the context of a red line they set out decades ago, which is that NATO wouldn't be able to extend all the way to the Russian border in the south. Now certainly that's a bit unreasonable as countries should be allowed to associate with whoever they want, but it's not exactly a live wire threatening war left and right, it's a red line they set out a very long time ago, and there's not much reason to think they're interested with much beyond that red line.
- mc32 6y agoSevastopol is critical to the Russian navy. It’s like Mexico taking over San Diego. It will not be allowed to happen. The Crimea was not historically part of Ukraine, though for political and administrative purposes it was assigned to the Ukraine soviet republic. Given its criticality Russia took it back.
- Robotbeat 6y agoBalooney. Crimea was not historically part of Russia! Second, Russia is not just annexing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula but also attempting to annex parts of eastern Ukraine and recently moved a bunch of troops potentially to expand their held territory beyond the peninsula and deeper into central Ukraine. I don’t understand these arguments carrying water for Russia. Yeah, we all know Russia wants to annex parts of Ukraine for what they consider strategic reasons. But we can’t go about justifying wars for annexation in the 21st bloody century! Doesn’t matter if it’s the US, China, or Russia. Annexation is not justifiable.
- mc32 6y agoIt was made part of Russia by the Russian Empire during expansion a couple of centuries ago. It was its own soviet republic prior to WWII and afterwards made part of Ukraine SSR. Now Russia took it back. Majority speak Russian not Ukrainian since most actual native Crimeans were displaced during Soviet era.
- rmind 6y agoCrimea was part of the Ottoman Empire for 3 centuries and a part of the Golden Horde for 2 centuries before that. What's your point? Just because some state controlled the territory in the past doesn't mean it belongs to it in the XXI century. This world came up with the international law and rules for a reason.
- mc32 6y agoThe point is that it’s not historically Ukrainian and that given its history Russia has more claim in it than the other claimant. And given its strategic importance, I don’t see them giving up that claim. It’s akin to China asserting a claim on Guam. We will not let that happen.
- danbst 6y agoYou are correct about strategic importance (which is still not tolerable). But it is not correct to justify this annexation by any historical reasons. That's like saying Ukraine has claims in Kuban, because it was historically Ukrainian.
- Robotbeat 6y agoOn the contrary, both Ukraine and Turkey could make a more legitimate historical claim than Russia, and independence is even stronger. Russia does not have any legitimate claim to Crimea. China and the US are peers in terms of national power. Ukraine is a former vassal state of Russia that is much poorer and weaker, and Russia is also trying to annex the eastern portion. Where the heck do people get off on justifying imperialist annexation of smaller, weaker countries by an aggressor?
- mannerheim 6y agoFunny how historical ties only ever go in one direction with regards to territory transfer. '[C]hanging borders is not the best way to resolve problems' - Vladimir Putin on the Karelian question