01-01-2023, 08:19 AM
(01-01-2023, 07:48 AM)mateinone link Wrote:As was Ukraine with Yanukovych in control. Unfortunately Ukraine/Belarus and Russia are/were all plutocracies with full blown corruption to a level that is almost impossible to fathom. The powers in Moscow would have been receiving huge kickbacks from the corruption in Kiev and there is little doubt in my mind that is one of the biggest reasons (as well as Putin's desire to build his legacy) for this invasion, as well as the invasion of Crimea and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in 2014 after the revolution. The revolution would have cost Moscow billions.Ukraine are big into exporting Agriculture products, they are a major supplier in the world for a few products in some cases and its worth a lot of money.
Russia would love to either take all of Ukraine back or install another puppet government back in control to keep their coffers kicking over.
Putin though wants more than that and he wants to be a war hero like Stalin or a big name winner like Brezhnev who presided over Cold war Russia which is an era Putin admired. Ukraine has the export resources appeal for the money but also had the advantage of being a non NATO country which made it appear a safer easier target on paper.