4 ms·

While I wouldn't call Russia justified at all, Ukraine presented a number of threats to Putin's desire to be a superpower. The main threat to Putin is Ukraine's

by goda90 5y ago

While I wouldn't call Russia justified at all, Ukraine presented a number of threats to Putin's desire to be a superpower. The main threat to Putin is Ukraine's growing but still undeveloped natural gas resources. One of the biggest parts of the Russian economy is fossil fuels. There's large amounts of underwater gas right around Crimea that are now under Russian control. And there's large deposits of shale gas in the eastern edge of Ukraine that Russia could at least disrupt long term with the war. On top of that, Ukraine charges Russia tariffs on the Soviet era gas pipelines running through it. If considering NATO a threat, the further west Russia can put it's troops, the easier time it would have defending it's territory. The flat open lands of northern Europe expand the further east you go, all the way to the Urals. If they have troops at the western end of Ukraine, then it's a smaller front line to guard with the Carpathian mountains to the south and the Baltic sea to the north.

JaimeThompson 5y ago
The largest threat to Russia becoming a superpower was Putin allowing himself and the other ultra rich to take so much out of the Russia economy and keep it for themselves. Had they not down this and actually grown the economy he might have been able to get what he wanted.
- goda90 5y ago
  I agree that Putin and co are the primary cause of Russia not prospering. I honestly think that Russia joining the EU would be great for the Russian people and the EU, but it's not great for plutocrats.
  - modo_mario 5y ago
    On one hand yeah but on the other it would require a ludicrous amount of change that we won't see for the forseeable future. Additionally Russia and Turkey's populations are too big would create power imbalances in the EU that Italy, Germany and France wouldn't like. Oh and eastern EU countries are absolutely (and justifiably) paranoid over Russia of course

by goda90 5y ago

JaimeThompson 5y ago

The largest threat to Russia becoming a superpower was Putin allowing himself and the other ultra rich to take so much out of the Russia economy and keep it for themselves. Had they not down this and actually grown the economy he might have been able to get what he wanted.

goda90 5y ago
I agree that Putin and co are the primary cause of Russia not prospering. I honestly think that Russia joining the EU would be great for the Russian people and the EU, but it's not great for plutocrats.
- modo_mario 5y ago
  On one hand yeah but on the other it would require a ludicrous amount of change that we won't see for the forseeable future. Additionally Russia and Turkey's populations are too big would create power imbalances in the EU that Italy, Germany and France wouldn't like. Oh and eastern EU countries are absolutely (and justifiably) paranoid over Russia of course