why is putin more bothered about ukraine joining nato than seemingly latvia...

[jobhunter7]

somebody will be more educated than this than me... but other neighbouring countries have joined nato, is is just the final straw for him? or is it because of the breakaway bits of eastern ukraine?

He seems to be doing a Stalin right now, he went through his majorly paranoid stage towards the end of his life. Not sure if Putin is sick or going to die soon as Stalin did but the paranoia is similar. He doesn’t like Ukraine’s leader.

[quote Postdatedpandemic]Non iced up ports play a part
carnegieendowment.org/2021/05/20/what-is-russia-doing-in-black-sea-pub-84549[/quote]
This. Russia is vulnerable without secure access to ports that don’t freeze up.
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall is a great book for explaining this (either the children’s illustrated version or the original).

@greenteafiend

very good video...

---

will someone educate me further someone about the breakaway eastern republics of luhansk and donetsk?

is there a genuine desire for independence? or is it more propelled by the russians stirring up one?

@MMBaranova

Putin thinks Ukrainians and Belarussians are inferior model Russians (like Slav Orcs) but still to be included in his ethnic ramblings.

He knows that there are ethnic Russians in the Baltic states but that's something from the future.

I suspect, given his looks and area of origin, that he is something of a Chud, but many Russians up in the northern parts probably are if you delve deeply into their heritage - but so what? I wouldn't make that suggestion to his face, given his history.

What is a Chud ?

Papa Putin wants to unify the Great Russia- Russia+Ukraine +Belarus. It was in his speech, if you could call such rambling a speech.

[quote jobhunter7]@greenteafiend

very good video...

---

will someone educate me further someone about the breakaway eastern republics of luhansk and donetsk?

is there a genuine desire for independence? or is it more propelled by the russians stirring up one?[/quote]
It depends upon how far back you want to go. Many of the areas in question (not just in Ukraine, there is Georgia too) only have high numbers of ethnic Russians as a result of Stalin's ethnic cleansing.

Parts of local populace in many of these countries were replaced by ethnic Russians during/after II WW. Local populace thus replaced were either killed outright or sent to Gulags.

Chud:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chud

The Wiki link has been bastardised and doesn't present the ethnicity in discussion correctly. Russia is sticking it's sticky paw everywhere and sowing misinformation. Amazing🥸

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BalticFinnicc_peoples

This explains the situation better.
I do wonder how many Russian Bots are posting on MN right now?
All the panic inducing threads popping up in the last couple of days contain subtle misinformation.
Sharpen these Hawk-eyes, people!😳