Dear Vlad unilaterally walked away from talks because it was all a ruse. He always intended to invade Ukraniane.
Even President Macron of France came to the conclusion Vlad was being duplicitous.
NATO is a peripheral issue, and a petty grievance. Putin has always felt provoked by loss of empire and by witnessing the transition of former vassal states in building free societies based on liberal democratic principles.
That's is what it is all about at it's core essence.
do you mean todays talks? I havent kept the news on TV - i am still recovering from cataract surgery and to make a long story short it's not going well
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It's easy NOW to hold talks . where were they when it counted?
I know of at least 3 letter sent to Biden that were rebuffed without any attempt to address NATO expansion
Or even the Black Sea shenaigans or bombers along their coast. These are very concrete concerns
not dream of Empire
If NATO expansion isn't a driving force here -why didnt we simply say
nyet to Ukraine membership?
Germany and France would not have voted in Uk and Ukraine corruption was also a disqualifier
I get your idea on the Messianic Mission to reconstitute the USSR - perhaps
But I also see the realpolitik of a continent wide hostile alliance (who already broke their word)
as an exigent threat to Russia ( before the invasion)
IOW is Putin a rational actor or not?? I think he greatly miscalculated driven by fear of Ukraine
being a permanent hostile power -whatever his "vision"