A new insight on Putin's moves against Ukraine

[bronxiteforever]

The Christian Science Monitor
January 26, 2022
By the Monitor's Editorial Board

Many former Soviet states like Ukraine are making progress against corruption. Russia is not. Is clean governance a threat to the Kremlin?

Russian troops are poised to invade Ukraine and yet many experts disagree on why. Does President Vladimir Putin want to restore the Russian Empire? Prevent Ukraine from joining NATO? Split Europe from the United States?

Well, now add another theory to the mix. Based on a new report from corruption watchdog Transparency International, seven countries in the former Soviet Union – from Estonia to Uzbekistan – have made significant reforms toward honest and clean governance in the last few years. Not so in Mr. Putin’s Russia. In the report’s ranking of countries on perceptions of corruption, Russia’s score has worsened. A new law, for example, has made reporting on corruption even riskier for pro-democracy activists.

It may be only a matter of time before Russian citizens wonder why so many neighbors are moving toward civic equality, transparent government, and other essentials for curbing corruption. Ukraine’s moves toward democratic ideals since 2014 may be driving Mr. Putin to end its progress. The country has a close association with Russian history, culture, and geography.

More here

https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2022/0126/A-new-insight-on-Putin-s-moves-against-Ukraine

[marie999]

1. I am sure President Putin has many reasons.

I think the main reason is if Ukraine joins NATO, which I don't think will happen, Russia and Belarus would have a 3,122-mile border with NATO.

[thucythucy]

2. Ironically, Putin's saber rattling is having the effect

of driving various nations further into NATO.

If I were a citizen of Finland or Sweden, for example, I'd seriously be thinking at this point that being a NATO member might be a very good thing indeed.

Not to mention the Baltic States and Poland, which must be eyeing these Russian moves with a good deal of trepidation. All of them have a long and not very happy history with Russia, going back centuries.

[onetexan]

3. +1 -K&R

Putin is pissed Gorbachev dissolved the communist government & broke up the ussr.he wants his legacy to be the restorer.