Russia begins moving troops into eastern Ukraine

[Dill]

(02-24-2022, 06:28 PM)Au165 Wrote: I love how people think this actually has anything to do with any President of the United States. We are so self absorbed with politics we literally think everything is somehow related to us, it really isn't. This is a much more complex issue than who is in the White House and intelligence around this very idea has circulated for years. Putin has fantasized about re establishment of the Soviet Union in a bid to reclaim Russia's super power role in world politics.

One could even look to timing as more of a coincidence of a post pandemic world where world leaders as a whole may be hesitant to respond due to economic implications that would arise from intervention. We do know that Germany was hesitant for instance to involve economic sanctions around Nord Stream 2 because of how it would effect their economy in an already fragile state. We also know that the EU is struggling with removing Russia from SWIFT for the same reason. If the world was in a better space economically I think the response could have been different as a whole, which is why I don't think the timing is coincidental but I don't think it has anything to do with us. Donald Trump was never sending boots into a war with Russia anymore than Biden is. The only thing either ever had to use were economic sanctions and they are currently being used at about the best rate you could hope for less than 24 hrs in.

This frames the issue well.  International relations are exceedingly complex, with many causes producing a wide range of mostly unpredictable effects.

Regarding the second bolded--this MAY have something to do with us in the Ukrainians were more vocal and hopeful of NATO integration when Biden became president. But that is too weak to be in itself a causal factor. Could influence a decision to which P was already tending.

But Putin has been working out how to regain control over the Ukraine at least since 2007.  I think his planning has been rather fluid and adjusted to changing circumstances, including the degree of his hold on power in Russia, which requires control of the Duma.