Michael McFaul is saying on MSNBC that we had decent dialogue with putin

[sprinkleeninow]

when Barack was president, and there was not a putin issue with NATO.

What changed is putin's perception because of several uprisings against him/Russia in Georgia, Ukraine...

[canetoad]

1. OK, but did Putin blame

The US or any other global actor for the uprisings?

[sprinkleeninow]

2. I'm not well versed in foreign relations.

It was perhaps a number of things that has brought putin to this point. Mb he believes we are more vulnerable now.

FFFF damaged us.

[highplainsdem]

4. He blamed Hillary Clinton for the problems he had when she was Secretary of State.

[canetoad]

5. OK then

That's certainly pertinent to today's situation.

[SharonAnn]

9. He got what he wanted from TFG, and that emboldened him.

[rockfordfile]

3. Putin is a fascist and a threat to democracy.

[sprinkleeninow]

6. I guess we're loading Ukraine up with munitions. Which is good for starters.

Russia is still playing the part it always has.

I know Ukrainians personally and Russia/putin should not be mentioned in their presence.

[Baked Potato]

7. Scared of losing power and would sacrifice precious life in

a false pretext to use Russian troops. The Covid ravaged Russian people probably aren’t prepared for the added misery of not seeing their loved ones come back home alive. And the oligarchs won’t be so happy either.

[renate]

8. Putin lost the puppet strings to the President of the United States

It must be hard to give up being the hand up the ass of a ventriloquist's dummy. So he needs to feel important in new and even more exciting ways.

Strategically, I do wonder why he didn't do this while Trump was president. Trump would have absolutely rolled over, no question.

[Irish_Dem]

14. With Trump gone, Putin has lost power, so now he has to show off?

[Deuxcents]

10. I wonder how our troops feel

Their oath is to the Constitution, I know, but a lot of ex n current service members w/ their personal/political ideas are freely being vocal

[WHITT]

11. I Found The Most Interesting Aspect

was Putin purportedly saying they're not going to invade Ukraine, they're going to do what you (the U.S.) did in Kosovo and Syria.

For example, Israeli jets don't dare enter Syrian airspace proper, as they are highly likely not to come back out. What they do is skirt along the border, launch a missile in the general direction of their target, and then as it gets closer they turn on a camera in the nose, and it's guided to the target in the same manner as drone pilot watching a video screen.

Russian forces can launch artillery barrages and air sorties without ever crossing the border.

[sprinkleeninow]

12. Isn't that still a form of 'invasion'?

Weaken the country's defense, then physically take over as they did with Crimea's annexation.

[WHITT]

13. Technically

if no troops, military vehicles, or aircraft cross the border, no.