> The reason being, purely from a military strategic thinking: Moscow simply cannot afford to have a vulnerable flank from the wide open fields of Ukraine and B

> The reason being, purely from a military strategic thinking: Moscow simply cannot afford to have a vulnerable flank from the wide open fields of Ukraine and Belarus. Are you sure? What is the source of that belief? Russians? The same Russians that repeatedly claimed that Ukraine will not be invaded? They have nukes. Even if Germany would get back to WW II levels of aggression and army size then invading Russia would work even less than in WW II.