By all means give a different opinion but I feel the term Hogwash in response to a well written article is uncalled for. That is just my opinion, of course.
Hogwash. How can you write about Crimea without so much as a mention of Sevastopol???
The Euromaidan Revolution -- heavily encouraged by the US foreign policy establishment -- would have wrenched Russia's t principal Black Sea/Mediterranean/ warm water naval base from its control. The nominal "lease" Russia had with it puppet state Ukraine was to expire in 2017.
Russia would no more give up Sevastopol to a NATO-friendly Ukraine than we would give up San Diego Naval Station to a China-friendly Mexico.
The encroaching party in Ukraine was NATO and the EU (with a critical assist from Vicky Nuland, John Brennan, and the CIA).
It is extraordinarily unfortunate Ukraine is under the thumb of Russia. But I'm sure there are plenty of Mexicans (and leaders in Beijing) who regret Mexico being under the US thumb. But unlike Nuland, et. al., the CCP isn't foolish enough to try to upset a stable geopolitical situation by fomenting rebellion in Baja California.
By all means give a different opinion but I feel the term Hogwash in response to a well written article is uncalled for. That is just my opinion, of course.
Hogwash. How can you write about Crimea without so much as a mention of Sevastopol???
The Euromaidan Revolution -- heavily encouraged by the US foreign policy establishment -- would have wrenched Russia's t principal Black Sea/Mediterranean/ warm water naval base from its control. The nominal "lease" Russia had with it puppet state Ukraine was to expire in 2017.
Russia would no more give up Sevastopol to a NATO-friendly Ukraine than we would give up San Diego Naval Station to a China-friendly Mexico.
The encroaching party in Ukraine was NATO and the EU (with a critical assist from Vicky Nuland, John Brennan, and the CIA).
It is extraordinarily unfortunate Ukraine is under the thumb of Russia. But I'm sure there are plenty of Mexicans (and leaders in Beijing) who regret Mexico being under the US thumb. But unlike Nuland, et. al., the CCP isn't foolish enough to try to upset a stable geopolitical situation by fomenting rebellion in Baja California.
Great article. I have referred to it in one of the posts I have written about my reflections on visiting Ukraine over 20 years ago - https://hoodcp.wordpress.com/2022/03/11/reflections-on-ukraine-my-visit-in-1998-3/
Thanks for posting this and for showing what low per capita GDP looks like. In many poor countries, the capitals suck in a lot the money.
And in many rich countries too!
Yes. It really hit me when I went to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok and then the rural areas near them.
And more and more the countryside in Japan too.
I take that Putin has gotten weaker. War is always a means to get him back the power for a while. Anyway, I learned a lot about East Europe. Thanks.
No doubt an impossible question to answer, but what is your estimated/guesstimated timeline of Putin's current 'operation' in Russia.
Thank you for your interesting articles.
Way, way above my pay grade. And, I suspect, even the best experts don't really know
Excellent, clear explanation of Putin's motives.