sounds like they like independence for themselves, but not for others....

Strong disagree. The choice to invade Ukraine was Russias/Putin's. Every time infrastructure and civilian facilities inside Ukraine are targeted and bombed, that's part of the Russian grand strategy of making the opposition civilian population suffer. The NATO expansion is just a ploy and a bad excuse to keep doing what Russia has been up to for two decades.... In Donbas, in Crimea, in Georgia/South Ossetia and in Transnistria. Same goal, *exact* same playbook.

Absolute Nonesense Jeff, these lies fell apart half a decade ago, this is pure Russian/ Stalinist Propaganda. Why haven't they invaded Finland and Sweden now that NATO is ""expanding"" there? I can't believe a smart guy like you still falls for these 100 times debunked propaganda phrases. Nato is responsible for all the death and destruction there? It's Russia that inavded and shot, bombed the Ukrainians on their sovereign territory, NATO did not shoot and bomb them. This spin is almost incredible to believe, like do you even re-read this sentence? I was someone who liked Putin's political stances up until 2014, still I was following his thoughts on global issues becaus he provided an alternative view on global events in the present as in the past. But once he ordered the 3 Day Special Military Operation (Full scale Invasion) on the soil of Ukraine things changed for me. I started to analyze their narratives day by day and it got clearer that all these narratives fall apart once you realize that everything out of their mouths are lies, have you ever watched their live TV debates calling for the extermination of all ukrainians while they drop gliedebombs on childrens hospitals? The massacre of civilians in Butcha, confirmed also by russia intern sources. The alliance with all remaining communist dictatorships across the world? North korea, The CCP, Maduro, Lula and the Ayatollah Regime, you want to tell us a freedom loving Bitcoiner should support these demonic forces? Not saying the current western world is sane and perfect but the standard of living and the right to free speech, free thought and free movement is far more advanced in western countries then in those authorirarian eastern BRICS States. Russia is ruled by a mob and so is the west, but the difference is in the direct way they fight this war, while Ukraine has adapted new military strategies russia relies on their sovjet system of control and command with an increasingly delusional elite which has lost all touch to the general public and the ground. Corruption runs rampant and moral is declining, criminals are beeing recruited into the military ranks further downgrading moral in the country. This is why Putin and his Psychopathic Elite will loose. They care about their own ass, not the People, the country is beeing looted by the Oligarchs while the Pleb dies in the mud to unhinged drone warfare for Nothing

So if China installed puppet dictators in Canada & Mexico & then welcomed them into a military alliance that has been hostile to the US & cut of US access to factories & infrastructure owned by US companies in both countires it would be US aggression to do anything about it? This is like people calling Iran the aggressor because "look how close they put their country to all of our military bases." The US has a more aggressive foreign policy than any country in the world, but somehow it's never the US which is doing anything wrong. Take the patriotic blinders off.

Jeff, do you think Texas would be allowed to simply declare independence and then say Washington should allow it? what would if a gang of mexican criminals usurped power in a place in America and then Mexico armed and funded them for years and said, well guys, you should just let them be part of Mexico. absolute nonsense. Donbass and Lugansk were turned into absolute shitholes under little dictators and none of it would have been possible if Russian hadn't been funding it.

Wake up dude...

There would have been no conflict or invasion at all if the US & NATO weren't trying to damage Russia by imposing a financial & monetary blockade, politically controlling their closest & most economically important ally, & blowing up their natural gas line (which would have ensured peaceful economic trade relations with Europe). The US is willing to drive up energy costs in Europe & leave people freezing, as well as risk nuclear war, in order to overthrow a country that is no threat to anything except dollar dominance. Donbas was already ethnically Russian because of migrations that happened during the Soviet Union. That part of Ukraine is particularly economically & strategically important to Russia. The people there in recent years actually voted to join Russia & Russia said no but did offer a peace deal to Ukraine that would help them to secure independence. Zelensky has banned all political opposition, nationalized all media in the country, & has imposed a draft so that he can enslave people to fight this war for the US (even people who are opposed to the entire conflict). The violations of the agreement not to move NATO east were almost completely ignored by Russia until Ukraine was involved, which Russia repeatedly said was the brightest of red lines. The US goal is to overthrow Russia so that the US can break up the BRICS alliance & further prevent anything but dollars flowing for oil, which would allow them to further tax the entire world with inflation.

Independent? lol I don't know what US is up to, I'm quite sure what czar is up to. The whole conflict in Donbas was fueld by Russia since day 1. He just want Ukraine back. Ukraine's response to their provocations was equally stupid. Instead of banning (russian) language and exluding the minority from social life (what was later exploited by russian politicians) they should let free market work there. School and "official" language always has been the source of violence. Free schooling and market would not lead to this shit.

It was fueled by the puppet dictator installed by the west who nationalized all media in Ukraine & banned/jailed all political opposition & then enslaved all Ukrainian men between 18 & 40 to fight a war for the US with the goal of overthrowing Putin so that Russian oil will trade only for dollars. And every time Russia has an offer for peace the west prevents it because they don't want peace & the more men they kill in Ukraine the better it is for their sex trafficing schemes.