>

This is part of what bugs me.
Posited.  The invasion is not the work of just one man.  Russia is just completely fucked with no way back to being part of the world.
If that is true, and everyone seems to think it is, why do we allow them to continue to exist as a state?
Russian debate tactics are so circular and silly. I’ve encountered them a few times on this very site. It’s like talking to a brick wall, pretty pointless. They don’t make anything resembling a good point but they’ll talk in circles until your brain turns to goo if you let them. >


Invading Ukraine is wrong.

But what about when you went to Iraq?

That was wrong too but what does it have to do with invading Ukraine?

But what about your war crimes in Iraq?

War crimes are wrong no matter where they're committed. 

So you admit the West is guilty of war crimes in Iraq?

We're talking about Ukraine.

But what about your war crimes in Iraq? >

It's also quite odd this stance on the west as a collective

So you admit the West is guilty of war crimes in Iraq?

France/Germany/Sweden/Norway/New Zealand: "I'm sorry when did we do this?" >

Well, in their view, all nations in the EU or NATO are basically just satellite states of the US. It's stupid, but that's how they think. >

It still kinda baffles me as to why they keep antagonizing the US. As a US citizen, if they hadn't been continually invading their neighbors I would have forgotten about them. We aren't competing for anything, they're just another country... EXCEPT, they keep stealing from their neighbors. Whats the fucking point in all this!
I asked in r/askarussian why russia would do this when it will only hurt them the most and they basically replied "false it will hurt Ukraine the most". Meanwhile I meant it would hurt Russia far more than 'the west'.
As far as I can tell, the Russian people really are all for this war and they cant see at all that they are the villians. >


It still kinda baffles me as to why they keep antagonizing the US. As a US citizen, if they hadn't been continually invading their neighbors I would have forgotten about them. We aren't competing for anything, they're just another country...

Imho in some sense this actually kinda insults/hurts them the most. As you pointed it out, they do not really compete that much with western (or rich eastern) nations. Sure, they were an important supplier of energy and resources to Europe, but aside from that, there was not a lot Russia could offer to the rest of the world in terms of trade, science or entertainment. Having been once a superpower, it must be simply unbearable for Putin and russians of his ilk to be forgotten by the international community (and especially by their archenemy America).
EDIT: You know, there is this cheese saying that you're only truly dead when no one remembers you anymore. Well, Russia was on that track while still being physically alive. Sums it up, imho >

The Soviet Union was broke & poor as HELL throughout the Cold War. What did we rich, capitalist Americans even have to fear? Some people believe propaganda, some see through it… >


What did we rich, capitalist Americans even have to fear?

The nukes? >

If they even HAD working nukes - I mean their entire populace stood in lines for days for a hunk of black bread & a chance at a pair & a half of Wrangler jeans… in retrospect I’m not sure they were ever anything to be so feared as our OWN propaganda had it during the 80s… >

You know they tested their nukes right? The Tsar Bomba test was the largest manmade explosion ever. >


Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Japan and Western countries of convening the meeting without any intention of thinking “systemically and impartially” about the rule of law.

Look at this. It's as if they're living on another planet. Crime of aggression, crime of genocide, 56,000 criminal acts charged against invaders... >

Russia seems oblivious to the fact that the outside world can hear their internal rhetoric and how contradictory it is to statements made for an international audience. >

They want to be able to a) do what they want; b) say what they want about it; and c) influence behaviour by what they choose to say about it.
If they want to annex a territory, they want to a) do it; b) not worry about being truthful about their intentions; and c) try to stall responses by other nations by confusing them with mixed signals.
If they were to say “we’re going to invade”, then they invade, and they admit they invaded because they wanted to annex territory, then the response from other nations would have been quicker and will be quicker next time, as there won’t be confusion in the populace about what those countries should commit to the problem.
They aren’t worried about looking foolish in the western press, where we expect talk to bear some relation to actions, given that’s a fundamental of democracy and re-election.
Putin doesn’t need to be re-elected, he just needs to keep certain domestic groups on his side, and playing games with other countries in their media helps him with those groups where trying to be truthful would limit his options. >

I kinda think that doesnt matter anymore. If they pull this shit again in another country the response will be even swifter. >

That’s what people thought after Georgia, and after Ukraine in 2014. Perhaps there will be a better response next time, but eventually the memory fades and the strategy works again. >

Russias only real saving grace was and is that people really don't want to go to war. They were willing to give him concessions under the impression that if they did, hs would fuck off and people could continue with their lives(aside from his victims, sadly).
At this point Putin made it clear he's both not going to stop, ever. Its also been made clearhowever that he overplayed his hand and that Russia as a country can be hurt, badly, by getting involved in this war.
The goal since this current phase of the conflict began has largely been to hurt the Russian milirary so badly it can never challenge anyone again and destabalize Russia so much it can't even THINK of trying this again for the forseeable future. >

As if Russia will listen to anyone at this point.  So long as Putin remain in power Russia will keep on adding more charges on war atrocity and crime against humanity. >

Thing is, it's not just Putin. The entire Russian government is like this. If they weren't, Putin would be dead already. Look at Navalny. That guy has more lives than a cat. Navalny is Putin's greatest competition. He's locked up and nearly dead. Putin has huge support in the government. His critics say he hasn't been brutal enough. Any replacement for Putin will have to go harder to prove they aren't weak. >

Or a replacement will have to push reform and create openness with the rest of the world to improve the quality of life for Russians, because otherwise their life will just become far, FAR worse. >

Radical nationalists are so well implemented in Russia that if, somehow, a "conciliatory" government came in power, they would probably be coup'd within weeks.
As of right now the two main factions are the pro-army (Shoigu, Gerasimov) and the pro-wagner/other nut jobs (Prighozhin but also Kadyrov and Strelkov)