Even if they did join, so what? Chance of NATO invading or attacking Russia = 0%. Chance of belligerent Russia invading its neighbors? 100% Interesting he cited 2008 considering that was the year Russia went in to Georgia. They still hold 20% of that territory today. I’m sure that’s working out lovely for the residents there.
BTW. Merkle and her successors have admitted that the 2008 vote was a mistake as they failed to understand Putin's desire to invade his neighbors.
The collective West trembles at the very present prospect of a paper Tiger running roughshod over Europe.
You don't seem to understand that it has nothing to do with what you or any of us suppose about NATO intentions. It has everything to do with what Vladimir Putin supposes about NATO intentions. We can't force him to trust us or to feel safe with us setting up a western-backed government in Kyiv. If he doesn't feel comfortable with it, he doesn't feel comfortable with it. He's not concerned with random American message board poster odds. He sees the west not acting in good faith with previous agreements and he's drawn his red line. It's not like we didn't get years of advance notice. And you need to understand for this reason and this reason alone, Russia isn't going anywhere as it relates to their current positions in Ukraine. You can settle it now, get on with rebuilding Ukraine and stop the dying or you can settle it later while risking more territorial losses to Russia in the process. Either way, Russia isn't going anywhere. You need to understand this is not an option in their minds and Ukraine can't make headway against defensive positions when they are already severely outnumbered.
You and Putin fail to see that we don't care about his comfort level. He has invaded yet again, and it won't be tolerated. Hence the NATO ( and nearly world) support for Ukraine. He can settle it now or the world will again cause the collapse of the Russian economy and he'll have nothing to show for it but NATO now in Sweden, Finland and perhaps Ukraine. All sitting on his borders, a huge loss for Putin.
After your thunderous threat I’m hearing that Russia is retreating on all threats and ceding St. Petersburg to Finland.
I would probably resort to such a juvenile reply if I lost an argument as badly as you did. When you grow up, you may have more intelligent things to say. LOL.
I would be a little more worried about the gene pool that the comment came from. You can't do a deep dive into a shallow pool.
So if you don't feel safe, murder, mayhem, mass destruction, torture centers, and chemical weapons attacks are all acceptable responses. It's up to the rest of the world to give Putin what he wants until he feels safe. His comfort is the top priority. If he needs all of Europe to feel safe, we have to give it to him. None of the other Russian leaders since WWII felt a need to invade Ukraine--maybe, JUST MAYBE, Putin is the problem. Calling Mr. Thick-Skull, calling Mr. Thick-Skull, we have a message from Moscow. If we give Putin what he wants, there will be no Ukraine to rebuild. There will only be a western Russia. You are happy to help rebuild it, however, so Moscow can focus on increasing weapons production for next glorious victory. (Ukrainians will be most grateful that you would like to help make their slavery less horrific, but they will always blame you for not supporting their freedom.) The only reason that the option of retreating is not in Russia's minds is that there are simple-minded Americans who refuse to provide weapons to Ukraine. They believe that it is hopeless, when in fact, their actions are what is making Ukraine's fighting hopeless, not anything that Ukraine has done.
Speaking of chemical attacks, Russia is believed to have launched five chemical attacks on Ukraine, using chloropicrin. Just another violation of the Geneva Convention by the barbarians. Official: Russia launches 5 attacks with chemical weapons on southeastern front lines in past day
