For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Ukraine is much more than NATO’s potential expansion eastward.
The fall of the Soviet Union was a huge setback for Moscow and its influence, and the loss of Ukraine was particularly tough pill to swallow.
Thus far, Ukraine has largely rejected Putin’s attempts to bring the former Soviet republic back into Russia’s orbit, despite his view that they share a “single historic and spiritual space”.
Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith explains why Ukraine matters so much to Putin.
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#Russia #Ukraine
Putin is extraordinary gentleman
If Russia takes Ukraine and China take Taiwan its game over.
Both Ukrainian and Taiwanese people refuse the rules of Russia and China. So Russia`s and China`s claims of their territorial rights over Ukraine and Taiwan are invalid. All democratic states in the world should not forsake them.
The analysis given here is biased, unfounded, and uses false premises.
The critical issue is security for Russia, not the False premise of expansion of Russia.
What security?
russian miltary weak conpared to the west dont forget that lmao
Why not ask Russia to join EU and NATO? The main problem will be China.
YOU GOTTA LOVE VLADIMIR PUTIN🇷🇺 HE MASQUERADE HIS MOTIVES HE HIDES HIS INTERESTS HES UNIDENTIFIED WITH HIS DOMAIN HIS ENIGMATIC WAY’S FRIGHTENS NATO & ITS JOINT ALLIED FORCES!!! MAY RUSSIA🇷🇺 & IT’S ALLIED FORCES PREVAIL THE WHOLE WORLD IS FRIGHTENED BY RUSSIA🇷🇺 & CHINA🇨🇳 & NORTH KOREA🇰🇵🎯💯🎯💯🎯
THE GREAT RUSSIA
It’s clear, Russia just ask Nato not to expand to Ukraine, but West, US rejected. Your analysis just twisting the subject.
all part of the plan! NWO.. PERIOD!
It’s very irritating to hear a reporter ask a scripted question of a guest after he has already addressed that question in detail.
I`m a Japanese national, and I do not know much about the Russo-Ukrainian relatioship and whether Putin`s claim that Ukraine is an intergral part of the Russian territory or not. But even if Russia`s territorial right over Unkaine is valid, Putin should think why Ukrainian people prefer to join NATO rather than the Russian rule. And he should also ponder why former Warsaw Pact nations decided to join NATO. People in those countries still remember that their life under the rule of the Soviet Union was destitute and oppressive. It is quite a matter of course that many Ukrainian people say no to Russia. Unless Russia guaranteed affluent life and democracy, Russia`s claim of her territorial right would be invalid.
@addy red The tapes are mostly talking about the current (Feb 2014, right before Russian invasion) situation in Ukraine. They only reveal the fact the USA are assessing the situation and meeting with political leaders (that was expected). There is no reference to previous involvement, external influence or direct action.
Correct me if I am wrong by quoting the verbatim: “Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call”
What they also mean is that Russia was actively spying on (foreign) diplomats in Ukraine, probably on a large scale, which means Russia was very involved.
“their life under the rule of the Soviet Union was destitute and oppressive” – that’s standard narrative of the western (Goebbels) propaganda. There is no such thing as democracy. All countries in today’s world are ruled by the super-wealthy with their banks and corporations. Your statement about a country having the right to claim territories only when it ” guaranteed affluent life” – what kind of hypocrite are you?
@357_Maxim that’s what I said my man Russia started playing hardball AFTER us did the coup. With regards to the call my man.. I genuinely m at a loss because I have read the transcript and watched the video and to me it seems they r clearly talking about who to lead the government after Yankovic is ousted. They r even mediating between various power players to keep them all under the same banner.
The us spent millions in “democracy promotion” in Ukraine. Thing is when us does that, it generally does regime change op under the cover of these endeavors. Tell me if these were men with popular mandate where is ushenko who lead the first color revolution against Yankovic and where is yats now who lead the 2014 one?
Why is poreshenko and zelensky running the show and these guys who were supposed to be the people’s choice r non entities.
Now by ur comment it seems u r not some lunatic so either u or I have lost perspective and somehow taking in information that suits our worldview without realizing, especially with regards to the tape.
BTW I have no doubt Yankovic was utterly corrupt and most probably turned traitor as he seem to have signed something to justify Russian annexation of Crimea and the meddling in Donbass but the man had democratic mandate and us replaced him by a coup because he was cremlin’s man
@addy red I do not hear that in their call, but feel free to quote the parts you find distressing.
The US has been providing financial help to Ukraine, around 100 millions a year, of which 28 millions were for “democracy projects”.
It seems a big part of those funds were eventually reaching Yushchenko.
It’s quite common and it’s public (see: “Dollars for Democracy?: U.S. Aid to Ukraine Challenged” The New York Times).
The Russian answer is less documented, so it’s difficult to be sure, but the Kremlin was backing up Yanukovitch and his team with advisors, offering 30% discount on gas and bought Ukrainian government bonds…
…And they poisonned Yushchenko and they started waves of cyber attacks and most probably set a mass surveillance system and ultimately sent troops in eastern Ukraine… (“Russia offers Ukraine major economic assistance”, BBC).
Ukraine is under a totalitarian regime since 2014, Ukrainians are the victim of USA sponsored regime-change
Nyet. We have assembled 10,000 troops and are practicing shooting off our artillery in preparation to make big Moscow dance contest.
Modern Russia has a problem of pride because it is almost entirely run by former officials of the Soviet-era. There is a feeling among these elites that Russia has lost face post-1989 and deserves to enjoy superpower status once more. Ukraine was a critical part of the Soviet Union’s success with their industrial capacity, tech R&D, and arms industry. Like Kazakhstan (with their Baikonur Cosmodrome), Ukraine was and remains viewed by Russian elites as critical to the reemergence of Russia as a superpower.
Well basically because The USSR never thought it would disintegrate, So they evenly spread every factory tech institutions to establish all round development, and I don’t think Russia has lost the status of a superpower(though it has decreased) and Ukraine did not exist before USSR it was a parr of Russian empire.
Tbh Kiev is the starting point of he Russian empire.
@HATCH5T I guess the eagerness of Ukrainians to join the EU and NATO is particularly painful for Russia.
Someone should tell Putin that behaving like a bully is probably not helping…
@357_Maxim Ukraine currently divided the eastern part(armed with Russian weapons)wants to join Russia the Western wants to stay separate and join EU and NATO
maybe russia should treat his own people right like giving them enough to eat and his former allys wouldnt run to the west
Bro are you talking about 1940s
We are ready !
Why is the US being so nosey? Just stay in your part of the world and fix your problems: stop the cops killing your own black people, fix the homeless problem you have, fix your bridges, worry about your own boarders!
NO ONE is moVING CLOSER TO THE WEST!!! ffs.
EVERYONE IS MOVING CLOSER TO FREEDOM, RULE OF LAW, FAIRNESS AND FREEDOM TO CHOOSE LEADERS WITHOUT THREAT OF DANGGER OR MURDER!!
If Russia wants friendly relations with Ukraine, maybe don’t annex part of it, put 100k troops on their border and sabotage the country.
Russia is like the abusive ex-lover who just can’t let go and keeps harassing its former partner.
complete nonsense Ukraine would be only problem for Russia. Visibly you see the story as an outsider. You don´t find one Russian on the planet including the Russian politicians….who would say “good idea to get Ukraine”…nobody want them. It would be just another problem…on so many ways….. How a such known channel can speak such nonsense?
“What does Russia want?”
“Russia wants assurances NATO won’t expand east and there won’t be US military bases on its western border.”
“What does Russia want?”
😒😒😒😒😒😒😒
Russia needs to use top secret Trojan Horse tactic ..
JOIN NATO + EU ,,, then destroy it from within … the Core ..
boom….
So… Russian wants to treat Ukraine like a city-state. A city-state it controls. Failing that, Ukraine would be targeted for annexation to mother Russia. Copy.
Итак… Россия хочет относиться к Украине как к городу-государству. Город-государство, которым он управляет. В противном случае Украина станет мишенью для присоединения к матушке России. Копировать.
So… Russia wants to treat Ukraine like a city-state. A city-state it controls. Failing that, Ukraine would be targeted for annexation to mother Russia. Copy.
Так што… Расія хоча ставіцца да Украіны як да горада-дзяржавы. Горад-дзяржава, які ён кантралюе. У адваротным выпадку Ўкраіна будзе мішэнню далучэння да маці-Расіі. Копія.
Така че… Русия иска да третира Украйна като град-държава. Град-държава, който контролира. В противен случай Украйна ще бъде насочена за анексиране към майката Русия. Копие.
Yani… Rusya Ukrayna’ya bir şehir devleti gibi davranmak istiyor. Kontrol ettiği bir şehir devleti. Aksi takdirde, Ukrayna ana Rusya’ya ilhak edilecekti. kopyala.
Så… Ryssland vill behandla Ukraina som en stadsstat. En stadsstat den kontrollerar. Om det misslyckas, skulle Ukraina bli föremål för annektering till moder Ryssland. Kopiera.
Alors… La Russie veut traiter l’Ukraine comme une cité-État. Une cité-état qu’il contrôle. À défaut, l’Ukraine serait ciblée pour être annexée à la mère Russie. Copie.
Então… a Rússia quer tratar a Ucrânia como uma cidade-estado. Uma cidade-estado que ele controla. Caso contrário, a Ucrânia seria alvo de anexação à mãe Rússia. Cópia de.
Şeýlelik bilen, Russiýa Ukraina şäher-döwlet ýaly garamak isleýär. Dolandyrýan şäher-ştat. Bu başa barmasa, Ukraina Russiýa eneksi edilip bilner. Göçüriň.
Beləliklə… Rusiya Ukraynaya bir şəhər dövləti kimi yanaşmaq istəyir. Nəzarət etdiyi bir şəhər dövləti. Bu baş verməsə, Ukrayna ana Rusiyaya ilhaq üçün hədəf olacaq. Kopyalayın.
ასე რომ… რუსეთს სურს უკრაინას ქალაქ-სახელმწიფოს მსგავსად მოექცეს. ქალაქი-სახელმწიფო, რომელსაც ის აკონტროლებს. თუ ეს არ მოხდება, უკრაინა იქნება სამიზნე ანექსია დედა რუსეთთან. კოპირება.
Այսպիսով… Ռուսաստանը ցանկանում է Ուկրաինային վերաբերվել ինչպես քաղաք-պետության: Քաղաք-պետություն, որը նա վերահսկում է: Եթե դա չհաջողվի, Ուկրաինան կհայտնվի մայր Ռուսաստանին միանալու թիրախում: Պատճենել.
لذا … تريد روسيا أن تعامل أوكرانيا كدولة – مدينة. دولة المدينة التي تسيطر عليها. إذا تعذر ذلك ، فسيتم استهداف أوكرانيا بضمها إلى روسيا الأم. ينسخ.
Pra… Rusia dëshiron ta trajtojë Ukrainën si një qytet-shtet. Një qytet-shtet që kontrollon. Në rast të dështimit të kësaj, Ukraina do të vihej në shënjestër të aneksimit në Rusinë mëmë. Kopjo.
Dakle… Rusija želi da tretira Ukrajinu kao grad-državu. Grad-država koju kontroliše. U suprotnom, Ukrajina bi bila meta za pripajanje majci Rusiji. Kopiraj.
Joten… Venäjä haluaa kohdella Ukrainaa kuin kaupunkivaltiota. Kaupunkivaltio, jota se hallitsee. Ellei se onnistu, Ukraina joutuisi liittämään emä-Venäjään. Kopio.
Тэгэхээр… Орос Украинд хот-улс шиг хандахыг хүсч байна. Түүний удирддаг хот муж. Ингэж чадахгүй бол Украйн улс эх Оростойгоо нэгдэх болно. Хуулбарлах.
Ukrainian and Russian people are same both are white people and Slavic cultural,both are Christens and also follow the same branch of Christianity Orthodox but still don’t want to reunite with Russia well I think they should think it over why Ukrainian don’t want to reunite with Russia.
Rasssia is Reghit…. Why American com to Ukraine….. Ukraine is not naber of America 🤔
America is all probealm root.. He is selling weopen in Europen countries… He is devil on ERTH
True bro
If Ukraine joins NATO, then Kazakhstan is next.
Whenever two big Powers like Russia 🇷🇺 and America 🇺🇸 are Pin ponging only the net really gets Hit. Meaning Ukraine 🇺🇦 is the only one to get squeeze through this. From both sides. Buckle down your seat belts.
Warmongering NATO, USA and UK are forcing Russia to invade Ukraine…. The Ukraine can defuse the situation by booting NATO and other trouble makers out of their country… Russian invasion averted… Piece restored…
Russia invaded and occupied a part of Ukraine already, 15,000 dead but NATO is to blame, you are a twisted one just like Russian propagandists.
I think Putin’s demand is acceptable, NATO is designed to fight against Russia. Lots of people talks about democracy system here , but it can manipulate by other powerful institutes like CIA, and if Cuba is also welcome Russia to set missile in its front lines. People here must say No Russia is pure evil, we must criticize it. But if NATO puts missile towards Russia in Ukraine, US ‘s allies definitely will say it is decided by its own people’s selection. US = OK Russia = No
If NATO is so dangerous why Russian thieving elites keep their money and families in NATO’ countries as well as undergo medical treatment by NATO’ doctors?
the real question is “Why Ukraine matter so much to NATO(USA) and allies
Yes…. Ww3 can happen because of america and nato 💯💯💯
Need to stop Putin
‘russia wants a friendly ukraine’ – by force if necessary. that’s some friendly neighbor.
А что Россия сделала? Объясни. Какая агрессия?
@Emil Bass supplying separatists with weapons?
That’s why Baltic States joined Nato.
@Hms а США поддерживают нацистов во главе Украины. Поэтому даже не знаю что лучше. И это не сепаратисты, а независимые регионы. Они уже не принадлежат Украине.
Russia, that’s not the way to make friends – by forcing other part to be vulnerable and by breaking promises to be safe companion. You failed many years ago.
Chris Hedges interview with Alfred McCoy explains the US geopolitical strategy of encircling and isolating Eurasia. Bryan on The Newa Altas explains the how and the who of this process.
You only have to look at the positioning of the thousand or so of US military, missile and drone bases around Eurasia to see who the aggressor is and has always been.
Unfortunately the US and NATO are being led by the primitive reptilian part of the human brain which is capable of so much more.
Humanity has advanced through co operation and developing good relations between people. War has destroyed and obliterated from memory and records countless civilisations that had much to contribute.
Technologically advanced primitive people such as the anti social and nihilistic neoliberal leadership have dominated governments around the world accepting a myopic narrative that is unable to engage outside of the reptilian brain. This established through propagation by US and billionaire funded think tanks, institutes, foundations and global consultancy firms who in their own words have ‘injected their DNA’ into governments around the world. Through international Bank loan conditions they have forced reforms on countries that resulted in abandonment policies that are independent from a reptilian narrative. A reptilian narrative that was created by fashionable yet primitive people who have adopted technologies they understand how to use but not how the technologies work.
Putin is a brilliant man that knows how to lead to the general benefit of his citizenry. In the US we are lucky to get an amoeba in office that will simply sign his/her party’s bills then disappear without so much more as embarrassing the nation trying to navigate a set of stairs. Alas Democrats are in complete control and all our problems will soon be solved in 2021.
To all the people freaking out & screaming at Russia do you think if Canada wanted to join some Chinese alliance would US be down with it? Now now we are talking about the same US who wanted to ban TikTok just because it was a Chinese app & do you think USA in all likelihood ever let one of it’s boarding country & not to mention closest ally be a part of what it considers as an adversary? Once again we’re talking about the same countries who placed nukes at turkey to keep Soviet union at check but when soviets did the same they almost started world war three(cuban missile crisis)
The correction question is why does Ukraine matters so much to Biden’s America.
“If we see that Germany is winning we should help Russia and if we see that Russia is winning we should help Germany that way they kill as many as possible” Harry Truman
The US is afraid that Europe and Russia will have good relations and so it plots its wicked plot and Europe plays right into the US hands.
A few years ago the US and it’s mainstream media the same mainstream media that peddled the Iraq war lies Russia had invaded Ukraine and today about 4 later the same crowd of warmongers say, Russia is going to invade Ukraine!
The invaders of Iraq and their mainstream media are fought in their own web of lies! “But don’t count on the people’s intelligence because they don’t have any but play on their emotions” AH
Operation Barbarossa II creeping to towards Russia and Russia should nothing! Well it is not President Boris Yeltsin in power! No wonder the US and it’s mainstream media loved him so! He was like a puppet! The US only likes puppet regimes!
Who starts a war in the middle of a pandemic outbreak 😶
Then Have NATO And Ukraine Sign A “Non Aggression Treaty” with Russia…….That Should Take Care Of Russia’s Worries Shouldn’t It?
And It Also Would Show If Russia is Really Just Worried About Its Security.
There is no “why Ukraine matters so much to RUSSIA”. This is the problem.
Politicians such as Putin trying to come up with preposterous excuses to why they may act in certain ways. What people need to realise is that this isn’t up to debate. This isn’t a matter of subjective opinions and thoughts. This discussion dies before it efven started. UKRAINE IS IT’S OWN COUNTRY, IT’S OWN SOVEREIGN STATE. The people living there love the Ukranian flag, they call themselves UKRANIANS, they have their own identity. You can’t just march into their homes and demand for them to have loyalty to you. They will never be loyal to Russia again simply because they are not Russians, they are their own. If they don’t WANT to join Russia, doesn’t that kind of kill the whole discussion? Putin is showing this world once again that he is using tyranny and opression as tools to get his will through.
It’s not Nato forcing Ukraine to join them, it’s not the west forcing Ukraine to have the values and ethics they have. Ukraine has all that by itself because it WANTS to. That’s the mentality of it’s people. In their eyes the Russian mindset is wrong and backwards. You can see countries like people. You have no right to control or boss over other people. If Ukraine want’s to befriend the west it’s their free will. As simple as that.
ATM Putin is threatening Ukraine to make NATO split up into different fractions
According to this way of thinking, Russian missiles in Cuba and Venezuela are perfectly legitimate. But would the Americans and NATO allow it?
@judoforevah Russia missiles can hit the USA from Russia. Also again we denied ukriane joining NATO in 2008
@judoforevah Except America aren’t putting nukes in Ukraine
But Nato destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan and Serbia, now it’s the turn of Ukraine. Ukraine is under a totalitarian regime since 2014 by a regime-change strike sponsored by USA.
Ukraine can live freely only when Putin die go to Soviet paradise
The Donbas will soon vote to join Russia;
and Putin has his troops there to deter an attack by Kiev.
He is on a peace-keeping mission.
While the nato war-mongers cry “INVASION, AGGRESSION”.
Anyone that been in power for how long that Vlad has been in power is a straight corrupt piece of 🤬. Especially in the modern era
Ukraine is not of concern to Putin. Putin’s only concern is how to stay in power
The US did a regime coup invasion in Ukraine 2014, Grayzone & RT US-George Galloway-Ben Norton-Richard Medhurst can explain
I have Russian and Ukrainian friends…and they don’t even care…they get along well. Ordinary civilians are those that suffer in a war
Why not ask USA to disarm unilaterally?. What is Putin on?.
Russia and Ukraine is similar to China and Taiwan.
….does russia make $$ selling guns like the united states …if yes would they benefit from the tensions by selling more guns.. ? Just curious if anyone wants to answer im all ears
Why do people take seriously analysis that ignores Russia’s annexing of Crimea? As if the Kremlin put 100k troops on the border because they are worried about Western aggression.
Get out of here!
Russia will take half of Ukraine mark my words
A democratic, EU integrated Ukraine would remind Russians of what Putin has robbed them of every day.
Putin still walks like the KGB murderer he is. He is symbolic of the love affair of Russians with power and the right of force.
Russia has every right to request NATO to stay away from Ukraine for its own security. This is a no brainer.
Nope. Every country has a right to decide on their own. It’s called sovereignty.
NATO OUT!
“Russia would like to befriend Ukraine”. Yeah, right. Then return Crimea and move out of Donbas, Russia.
I’m from Crimea we all love Russia.
When you surround a country with missiles, it’s not so much a “safeguard” as much a prison, so long as it doesn’t bend to its jailer.
You place missiles when you are threatens by an hostile country, not with a friendly country.
Russia can start to become friendly, like it started in 90s and early 2000s, but that started to threaten their elitist and corrupted regime, because if you want to enter the West club you need to open to democracy and apply to some standards which will reveal corruption and other issues. And that Moscow elites can’t accept.
Lmao Russia’s excuses about Ukraine are dumb
If the u.s wanted to be aggressive we’d weaponize Alaska
Mother Russia is huge gaint with unlimite resources of man and equipment .. so USA is making mistake if fight it.
Russia has a genuine case, west must acknowledge and sort it out rather than flexing there muscles,
If situation continues so , Russia will strengthen its alliance with china, Iran, north korea, pakistan and syria
If russia take Ukraine , then china can take Taiwan, North korea can take south, pakistan can take Kashmir, Iran can take over middle east, syria can retake Golan
This is serious disaster, west must stop their arrogance against russia, and provide assurance that Nato will not expand any further and should stay away from deploying dangerous weapons from russian borders
Russia: We do not want Ukraine to join NATO. ( annexes Crimea and sponsors rebellion in the eastern provinces)
Ukraine: Then you are going about it the wrong way.
You ignorant, read a book
why do you as a net work just listen to what Putin says as their objection. You must be a puppet of the west because you try everyday all day to change the narrative to Russia wants Ukraine. Participation in this lie means this has become a hogwater network of propaganda. Russia does not want US nukes in Ukraine.
But they were not surprised when they invaded Iraq, Libya, hahaha. The hypocrisy is overwhelming
If Putin said Russia has NO intention of invading Ukraine. Why are Russian troops surrounding Ukraine? Putin is a LIER and his shallow words DO NOT match his actions. Ukraine 🇺🇦 is an INDEPENDENT NATION. UKRAINE is quite capable of making its own decision. Ukraine is a FREE nation and can determine its own destiny. UKRAINE FOR UKRAINIANS.
Ukrainians clearly don’t agree to be part of Russia. So it’s only some ex-Soviet nostalgic russian guys idea with imperialist views.
It’s a shame because even if many don’t want to be part of Russia they would prefer to be friends with their big neighbour rather than being bullied for the last century.
Al Jazeera,
🗣Russia is going to takeover Estonia!
🤷🏿
because Russia’s GDP is in the toilet 🚽
.. they must expand.. or starve
war is the only thing Russia knows. and it would have been vaporized in WW-2 if it weren’t for the Americans
This is why American SOF exists.
🇺🇲🦅😎⚓🛡️
Here we go…
Between Russia feeling a loss of pride over the fall of the USSR an China’s self proclaimed “Century of Humiliation”, maybe these countries should just suck it up and get along with everybody already!
it is not that Ukraine matters so much to Russia, it is that no western missiles station near Russian borders that really matter to Russia
Putin, you don’t have what it takes. You will soon send all your troops home with tail between the legs
Who’s think this?
It matters so much he’s about to kill thousands of civilians.
War will kill people n cost a lot of money. Let find out our investment to defend weapons are worth the money?
NATO is TRASH
Somebody should just go to Vlad, take him by the shoulders: “Vlad, the Ukraine is just NOT into you!”