| | | Yes, of course things are a lot more complicated. For instance; the reason NATO expanded was in response to Russian aggressiveness toward other countries; like Invading Afghanistan XMAS eve, like their build up of offensive armament far beyond defensive needs, like their unwillingness to accept breakaway Republics, continuous harassment and encroachment of their boundaries and actual invasion.
I see you points toward NATO being at fault, but rarely do I see the cause and effect failure of Russia to create the atmosphere for trust to grow.
In regard to nuclear threat and “respect”, I spent a long time undersea against the 7 times greater numerical advantage the former Soviet submarines force possessed in the Cold War. They basically bankrupted their nation building massive fleets and nucs to threaten the world. All I can say is “mutual respect” was not how I would describe those encounters. People died because of a lack of respect from the Soviet Union, just as they died trying to get out of East Germany for many decades during the Cold War.
Unfortunately, Russia’s lack of respect for human life hasn’t changed much, even though they can now feed their people without the need for long bread lines.
They have a sick compulsion to dominate and expand, not to free other nations from tyranny, raise standards of living, or provide opportunities for growth, but to bring them under their kleptocratic corrupt control. |
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