Curtis Houck @CurtisHouck
This is just an almost comically false statement by Putin:

"Despite the known problems, Russia has always cooperated and worked with Ukraine in an open and honest manner, with respect to its interests."

He adds Ukraine blackmailed them.

Lol okay.

2:13 PM · Feb 21, 2022 //

Putin’s “history lesson” on Russian territorial claims and the Soviet Union is obviously not an accident. He is clearly is laying the groundwork not just to take Ukraine, but to rebuild large swaths of the former USSR under his rule. That’s not exactly a new goal for Putin, as the former KGB agent has long spoken lovingly of the Soviet Union, blaming its downfall for Russia’s current malaise.

Perhaps the most important development from Putin’s speech came towards the end, though. The Russian leader recognized the “sovereignty” of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Eastern Ukraine. //

It’s not hard to game out what happens next. With those areas now being “independent” states as far as Russia is concerned, the separatist leadership there can now invite Russian military forces to enter. In other words, Putin has just taken a chunk of Ukraine without firing a shot. If Ukraine or NATO try to prevent the entry of Russian forces into those areas, it’ll set off a hot war that can be blamed on Western “aggression.”

It’s actually a very cunning move, and it shows just how idiotic Joe Biden’s strategy has been in dealing with this situation. While the administration has been focused on using the threat of sanctions as a deterrent, Putin was busy going in the backdoor, getting what he wants without triggering the repercussions set up by the Western nations. Further, Biden also lifted sanctions on the Nordstream 2 pipeline, giving Putin enormous leverage over Europe, while receiving nothing in return. //

Let’s recall that Sen. Ted Cruz tried to get a sanctions bill targeting Russia passed back in December. He would have had the votes, too, if not for a vigorous lobbying effort by the White House on behalf of Putin. Perhaps those sanctions would have caused enough financial hardship to change the situation? We’ll never know for sure, but what we do know is that the defeat of that bill was the green light for Putin to start amassing his invasion force.