4 ms·

"If God had built mountains in eastern Ukraine, then the great expanse of flatland that is the European Plain would not have been such inviting territory for th

"If God had built mountains in eastern Ukraine, then the great expanse of flatland that is the European Plain would not have been such inviting territory for the invaders who have attacked Russia from there repeatedly through history. As things stand, Putin, like Russian leaders before him, likely feels he has no choice but to at least try to control the flatlands to Russia’s west. So it is with landscapes around the world—their physical features imprison political leaders, constraining their choices and room for maneuver. These rules of geography are especially clear in Russia, where power is hard to defend, and where for centuries leaders have compensated by pushing outward." [1] I don't think the cause is so much pure historical reasons, but current defense worries. There was another talk explaining the russian perspective in 2015 by John J. Mearsheimer from the University of Chicago [2] [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/russia-geography-ukraine-syria/413248/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/ru... [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4

jleyank 5y ago
Europe spent a generation trying to help integrate Russia into Europe. Guess it failed totally…. There is a well-practiced alternative to revert to, and I fear for the Central European states.
- qiskit 5y ago
  > Europe spent a generation trying to help integrate Russia into Europe. That must be why russia is upset with the West. No it didn't. The west spent a generation robbing, stealing, attacking and bullying russia. Also, Russia doesn't need to integrate into europe. Russia IS europe. What the west did to russia in the 90s was objectively worse than what the nazis did to them in the 40s. I know it sounds hyperbolic and I didn't believe it either. But it's true. Go look at the population, economic, etc stats. It was such a disaster that the russian population still hasn't recovered to the early 90s level. And the expansion of NATO/EU which led to the wars in Georgia and Ukraine. The problem for russia is that they have no alternative. They can't really form a alliance with china. They are historical and geographical enemies. The same for turkey, iran, etc. And india is simply too far away to form an alliance not to mention the fact that india is still part of the british empire. It was russia trying to be nice to the west. It was russia that let NATO/EU expand into their sphere of influence. This is a fact. All the west did was treat russia like crap and take advantage of them. This is the same thing we have done to Turkey, Iran, India, China, etc. Treat them like shit and stab them in the back. But they do not seem to be able to form a coalition against the west so they'll keep getting shit on. Of course the west doesn't suffer. It places like ukraine, taiwan, myanmar, africa, middle east, etc that will suffer.
  - piva00 5y ago
    > The west spent a generation robbing, stealing, attacking and bullying russia. Exactly how did the West spent a generation with Putin in power robbing, stealing and attacking Russia? Describe exactly how.
Seanambers 5y ago
The video by Mearsheimer should be viewed by anyone wanting to understand whats happening. It's title is Why is Ukraine the West's Fault? and basically lays down the reasons for why the U.S have driven Nato expansion eastward. The cold war never ended in the U.S As a European I'm shocked that Euro leaders have allowed this to get so out of hand.
- gbuk2013 5y ago
  Here's a video of a talk John Mearsheime did for some students at Cambridge just a few days before SHTF https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbj1AR_aAcE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbj1AR_aAcE including his views on the sudden escalation in recent months.
- tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  Yet the US has been luke warm on supporting Europe militarily in recent years and European defence spending has plummeted. I don’t buy this idea that it is the West’s fault at all.

jleyank 5y ago

Europe spent a generation trying to help integrate Russia into Europe. Guess it failed totally…. There is a well-practiced alternative to revert to, and I fear for the Central European states.

qiskit 5y ago
> Europe spent a generation trying to help integrate Russia into Europe. That must be why russia is upset with the West. No it didn't. The west spent a generation robbing, stealing, attacking and bullying russia. Also, Russia doesn't need to integrate into europe. Russia IS europe. What the west did to russia in the 90s was objectively worse than what the nazis did to them in the 40s. I know it sounds hyperbolic and I didn't believe it either. But it's true. Go look at the population, economic, etc stats. It was such a disaster that the russian population still hasn't recovered to the early 90s level. And the expansion of NATO/EU which led to the wars in Georgia and Ukraine. The problem for russia is that they have no alternative. They can't really form a alliance with china. They are historical and geographical enemies. The same for turkey, iran, etc. And india is simply too far away to form an alliance not to mention the fact that india is still part of the british empire. It was russia trying to be nice to the west. It was russia that let NATO/EU expand into their sphere of influence. This is a fact. All the west did was treat russia like crap and take advantage of them. This is the same thing we have done to Turkey, Iran, India, China, etc. Treat them like shit and stab them in the back. But they do not seem to be able to form a coalition against the west so they'll keep getting shit on. Of course the west doesn't suffer. It places like ukraine, taiwan, myanmar, africa, middle east, etc that will suffer.
- piva00 5y ago
  > The west spent a generation robbing, stealing, attacking and bullying russia. Exactly how did the West spent a generation with Putin in power robbing, stealing and attacking Russia? Describe exactly how.

Seanambers 5y ago

The video by Mearsheimer should be viewed by anyone wanting to understand whats happening. It's title is Why is Ukraine the West's Fault? and basically lays down the reasons for why the U.S have driven Nato expansion eastward. The cold war never ended in the U.S As a European I'm shocked that Euro leaders have allowed this to get so out of hand.

gbuk2013 5y ago
Here's a video of a talk John Mearsheime did for some students at Cambridge just a few days before SHTF https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbj1AR_aAcE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbj1AR_aAcE including his views on the sudden escalation in recent months.
tonyedgecombe 5y ago
Yet the US has been luke warm on supporting Europe militarily in recent years and European defence spending has plummeted. I don’t buy this idea that it is the West’s fault at all.