Ukraine From Deputy P.M. of Ukraine M.Federov
Vladimir Putin and Russian people are not thinking long term of it’s invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin and Russian people justified the full scale invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022, by stating that NATO was using Ukraine as a base to attack Russia, and that Russia was getting rid of Neo-Nazis in Ukraine.
Russian state media framed the invasion of Ukraine as a NATO preemptive strike. Because Ukraine is not a part of NATO, Russia could use Ukraine as a battleground to fight NATO. If Russia attacks a NATO member, all of NATO is dragged along. Russia is not about to attack any NATO member and risk the entire European continent against them.
Now, I say Russian people and the leadership in Russia is not thinking long term because while Russia is carrying on it’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia is sanctioned by majority of the world. Not only are they sanctioned by the majority of the world, they are also highly dependent on Iran (weapons tech), China (economic dependency), North Korea (for ammunition and manpower for the invasion).
As Russia is isolated for its invasion of Ukraine, their neighbor China is slowly making moves in Central Asia and Siberia. Despite the economic relationship between the two neighbors, Russia and China has had bad blood all throughout history over land disputes in Siberia.
China from time to time, will bring up Russia’s participation in the “Unequal Treaties” of the 19th century where Russia, stole the city of Vladivostok from Qing Dynasty which was then called “Haishenwai” by the Chinese. The 1858 Treaty of Aigun, was an unequal treaty signed between the Qing Dynsaty and Russian Empire, which Russia took a part of the coast from China.
This resentment from the Chinese carried over for many many years, and it still does to this day. Despite China and Russia cooperating economically, they are not allies, and still have regional competition in Central Asia. One can say that China baited Russia with false promises before the invasion, that China will defend Russia. This is honestly agenda by China to weaken Russia, and to reclaim their old territories.
Meanwhile, Russian people are drinking Putin’s Kool-aid that the USA/NATO are the biggest threat to Russian sovereignty. I have never heard any NATO country fly over Russian airspace or provoke Russia, contrary to what Putin says. Russia has bigger problems to worry from China, than they do of NATO or Ukraine.
Instead of weakening themselves, and losing thousands of soldiers in Ukraine over ridiculous conspiracies about the West, Putin needs to transfer all of his soldiers into Russian Asia, to protect his unprotected borders against China. After all, China is happy to watch Russia weaken themselves in Europe.
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