Some motivations behind Putin’s sphere-of-influence demand in #Ukraine:
😭Soviet Trauma: Hurt national psyche
😤Great Power status: Lost, Want
😬Origin Story: #Russia’s history begins in Kyiv
🤭Identity: Russian “greats”- Ukrainian
🇺🇦Democracy: if works next door,🥾corrupt Putin
😭Soviet Trauma: Hurt national psyche
😤Great Power status: Lost, Want
😬Origin Story: #Russia’s history begins in Kyiv
🤭Identity: Russian “greats”- Ukrainian
🇺🇦Democracy: if works next door,🥾corrupt Putin
https://twitter.com/antontroian/status/1467566812388855815
"There are tactical reasons for threatening an invasion, but the real cause may lie in the Kremlin’s fixation with righting what it sees as a historical injustice."
Good read. #Ukraine, colonized by #Russia, has a better historical injustice argument IMHO
nytimes.com/2021/12/05/wor…
Good read. #Ukraine, colonized by #Russia, has a better historical injustice argument IMHO
nytimes.com/2021/12/05/wor…
I've always found Putin's "one people" argument incoherent in an abusive husband kind of way: Ukrainians & Russians are one people, have shared history, language & culture. Therefore, #Russia will invade #Ukraine, kill more "brothers & sisters", proving Russia really cares??🤔 
On Ukraine, Putin is 💯King George:
"Oceans rise, empires fall
We have seen each other thru it all
When push comes to shove
I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!
…Cause when push comes to shove
I will kill your friends & family to remind you of my love
"Oceans rise, empires fall
We have seen each other thru it all
When push comes to shove
I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!
…Cause when push comes to shove
I will kill your friends & family to remind you of my love
Also absurd is Putin demanding “legal guarantees” Ukraine doesn't join NATO or host more Western forces. The guy shred the Budapest Memorandum guaranteeing Ukraine's borders when he invaded & annexed Crimea. And now wants guarantees?! Ukraine gave up 1900 nukes for nothing.
Today Dec. 5 is the anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum by Russia, the UK & the US. The 1994 memorandum included security assurances against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan.
Putin's done everything possible to turn Ukraine away from democracy—propaganda, corruption, even war. As a result, Ukrainians see the appeal to history & culture as hollow & pretextual.
Alyona Getmanchuk sums it up: “They stole our past. Now they’re trying to steal our future."
Alyona Getmanchuk sums it up: “They stole our past. Now they’re trying to steal our future."
"Russian identity does not exist w/o Ukrainian identity"—@iponomarev, fmr Russian lawmaker who had to flee b/c he voted against Crimea's annexation.
Russia wants Ukraine to own its origin story (Russia's birthplace is Kyiv) and many historical & cultural icons (from 🇺🇦 not 🇷🇺).
Russia wants Ukraine to own its origin story (Russia's birthplace is Kyiv) and many historical & cultural icons (from 🇺🇦 not 🇷🇺).
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