Thanks for repeating Russian propaganda word for word.
In reality, Ukraine was nowhere close to entering NATO. Not in 2014, not in January 2022.
This wasn't (exclusively) about NATO, but about the gradual general Ukrainian drift towards the west and its institutions. Russia wouldn't be satisfied with Ukraine not entering NATO, it would require returning back into the Russian sphere of influence as its puppet state.
> Russia doesn't want missiles pointed at Moscow from only 500 km away
NATO membership doesn't mean US missiles on the territory. The easternmost nukes are still deployed in Italy, and the eastward expansion of NATO did not make any change in that.
If NATO wanted to place missiles close to Moscow and St. Petersburg, why not do that from Latvia and Estonia? Same or even shorter distance than from Ukraine. (but NATO didn't do that and there's still not NATO base in the Baltics)
> Thanks for repeating Russian propaganda word for word.
> In reality...
So, you are completely disregarding Russia's point of view, even though they stated it clearly, and are substituting your own interpretation of events. What makes you think that you understand Russian motivations any more than Russia itself?
From Russia's point of view, NATO is encroaching. How blind must one be to disregard that?
Yes, I am completely disregarding Russian propaganda talking points. Remember how all the way up to February 23rd Russian Foreign Ministry maintained that the West is hysterical and obviously there won't be any invasion?
> From Russia's point of view, NATO is encroaching.
So again, how does Ukraine fit into that when Ukraine was nowhere near being admitted to NATO?
> Yes, I am completely disregarding Russian propaganda talking points.
But falling hook line and sinker for the Western propaganda talking points? Your bias is showing.
> Ukraine was nowhere near being admitted to NATO?
At the 2021 Brussels summit [1] NATO stated that "We reiterate the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process".
So the process has been in the works since at least 2008, and recently reiterated. I was able to find that with 2 minutes' googling knowing none of the important keywords.
Honestly, I have no side in this conflict. I don't live in Russia or Europe or any NATO country. I'm just concerned how passively people are taking the sides of their government and selectively disregarding some information yet accepting other information without question, depending on who is spoonfeeding it to them.
> But falling hook line and sinker for the Western propaganda talking points? Your bias is showing.
Such as?
> At the 2021 Brussels summit [1] NATO stated that "We reiterate the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process".
And there wasn't any progress in this matter since 2008. It's still not even part of the MAP process.
> I'm just concerned how passively people are taking the sides of their government and selectively disregarding some information yet accepting other information without question, depending on who is spoonfeeding it to them.
Weird that you say that while repeating Russian propaganda word for word.
> "NATO has been aggressive in it's expansion towards Russia. Russia warned NATO to back off many times, and as late as January the two negotiated, Russia laid down the terms to either back off or it will invade, and NATO called Russia's bluff."
Fascinating to watch in real-time as somebody tries to convince us that Eastern European nations voluntarily joining NATO over 20 years was "aggression" and poor little Putin had no choice but to rain missiles and shells down on Ukrainian schools and hospitals.
