But dear MrRiddle: Ukraine wasn't even near getting Nato membership, was it?

Or do you have secret information that Nato would overnight change its rules to allow countries with disputed borders to join?

The problem with Ukraine seems to be that it was a successful democracy on the border of Russia and that due to the historically close connections between Russia and Ukraine, Russians could easily see themselves in Ukrainians.

I don’t think so, Ukraine is key strategic point for Russia. It’s provides access to only warm water port Russia has and it’s very close to Moscow.

Ukraine was getting armed to the teeth, and with good stuff from the West. Russia had to react before it’s too late.

Keep in mind Russia shares border with many successful democracies from ex-Soviet block, I can’t see how that can ever be an argument.

> Ukraine was getting armed to the teeth, and with good stuff from the West. Russia had to react before it’s too late.

You know why they were getting armed, don't you?

Because that fellow in Kreml kept financing terrorists in Donbas so they could shoot down airliners and shell kindergarten, right?

What makes you think that Ukraine was an example of successful democracy. I don't have this feeling of "successful democracy" even for some neighboring EU countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and to some extent Greece (since the debt issue and the subsequent change in government). Quite the contrary, to me it feels that it is all smoke and mirrors propelled by mass media to convince the people that they live in an actual democracy. Under the smoke it is all business and geopolitics.

Is being repressed by a puppet government paid by Russia a better alternative?