[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Pointman

I hear you. Russia acts unpredictably and recklessly and some could argue Putin has lost his marbles. The response from the west doesn't appear to be firm enough to stop it. Since I want peace asap, I myself would like some overwhelming power to put Putin back into his place or better yet out of his place. For people in neighboring countries it may well look as if Russia does as it please and West is too weak to contain it.

Still this is not the case. Out of 14 former USSR republics (Russia itself being 15th), Putin has only attacked Georgia and Ukraine. He could have easily annex Kyrgyzstan and the west would do nothing for them, but he never did. He only went after two countries where coups toppled his allies and replaced them with some western-oriented guys. Georgia (Rose revolution) and Ukraine (Maidan nezalezhnosti). Why? Because he needs to respond. He needs to retailate to western-backed protesters toppling his allies. He fears the same destiny at home and went very hard after inner opposition when it did look as if USA is trying to set up a kind of rose revolution in Russia. Annexation of Crimea happened immediately after the Ukrainian coup. He didn't annex Crimea just for the hell of it. He felt he had to respond. He needed to show the West, that he's strong and decisive.

The lands he has claimed so far are almost worthless, Crimea naval base notwithstanding. Abhazia is a poor rural place. South Osetia is just an area in the mountains. Donbass is so devastated, it would require billions to be restored. Once it does, it will become just another area in Russia, like Orel, Kursk or Voronezh. We have no shortage of land. Even Crimea, that used to be prime summer holidays place, dare I say USSR's Florida, is not any popular without Iron Curtain. Russians much prefer Turkey and Egypt. Even Sochi is much better than Crimea.

None of Putin's land acquisitions worth it. They are actually net drain on economy, even if there was no sanctions. Those lands were never the goal.

The world never paid attention, but Russians DID freak out at every NATO expansion. The illegal bombings of Kosovo enraged Russians and there were public protests. The point of preventing NATO from expanding to the East was always the topic. It just never made headlines like now.

Russia was attacked by westerners several times. Hitler, Napoleon, Swedes, Germans in WW1, Poland came at us. Beside Mongols and to some extent Turks, the only threat we have ever faced, was from the west.

Much like Cuban missile crises happened because USA had put some missiles around USSR and we felt we had to do something, the same is happening now. Putin feels cornered and desperate yet determined to do something. He's not having fun toying with his troops around. This by no means justifies what he does though.

I'm not going to say the US wasn't involved in this ousters of governments in those countries, but when you live next to the US and how they can barely accomplish anything politically because they are so divided right now, the idea that they can manage to over-throw these governments seems far-fetched.