Putin Names the United States as a Major Threat to Russia

[Frodo]

For the first time in about twenty-five years since the end of the Cold War:

Putin names United States among threats in new Russian security strategy

MOSCOW | BY VLADIMIR SOLDATKIN
Sat Jan 2, 2016 6:30am EST

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[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

[ingemann]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Russia have done this to themselves, and the West have not at any point gone as far as they could.

[dead0man]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Perhaps, but only .0001% as awful as invading your neighbors.

[DINGO Joe]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

I'm sure shale oil/Saudis have caused far greater economic impact to Russia than the sanctions.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Perhaps, but only .0001% as awful as invading your neighbors.

Crimea wanted to return to Russia. People own land, not governments.

[MaxQue]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Perhaps, but only .0001% as awful as invading your neighbors.

Crimea wanted to return to Russia. People own land, not governments.

The pro-Russian annexion parties never polled more than 10-15% before the Russian invasion.

Sadly, West are being too soft. More sanctions are needed.

[dead0man]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

[Zioneer]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Perhaps, but only .0001% as awful as invading your neighbors.

Crimea wanted to return to Russia. People own land, not governments.

I'm sure half of Ukraine (that were suspiciously well-armed) wanted to "return to Russia" as well.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

What other way could they have gone about it? The West said the referendum was illegitimate (a fair criticism). However, rather then saying there needed to be a legitimate, internationally supervised referendum, they simply stated that they supported Crimea remaining part of Ukraine. Therefore, considering the West clearly doesn't care where the people of Crimea feel they belong, what other choice did Putin have?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

In the end, the US and Russia are much stronger as allies right now and most of our interests align. I expect the next President to hit the "reset" button, ironically.

That being said, most of these current problems are Putin's doing.

[dead0man]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

What other way could they have gone about it? The West said the referendum was illegitimate (a fair criticism). However, rather then saying there needed to be a legitimate, internationally supervised referendum, they simply stated that they supported Crimea remaining part of Ukraine. Therefore, considering the West clearly doesn't care where the people of Crimea feel they belong, what other choice did Putin have?

So, you're saying you can't think of anything else Putin could have done in that situation?  He was backed into a corner, had no choice but to invade.  Just so we're clear.  That is what you're arguing, correct?  How do you feel about Chechens?

[ingemann]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

What other way could they have gone about it? The West said the referendum was illegitimate (a fair criticism). However, rather then saying there needed to be a legitimate, internationally supervised referendum, they simply stated that they supported Crimea remaining part of Ukraine. Therefore, considering the West clearly doesn't care where the people of Crimea feel they belong, what other choice did Putin have?

So, you're saying you can't think of anything else Putin could have done in that situation?  He was backed into a corner, had no choice but to invade.  Just so we're clear.  That is what you're arguing, correct?  How do you feel about Chechens?

I will to any day support Ukraine and even Georgia, but don't bring the Chechens into this as victims, those people are monsters, and destroying the statelet of those slave raiding bride stealing ravagers was one of the best thing Putin did, sadly he didn't build a wall around it to cut them off from future interaction with the rest of the world.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

What other way could they have gone about it? The West said the referendum was illegitimate (a fair criticism). However, rather then saying there needed to be a legitimate, internationally supervised referendum, they simply stated that they supported Crimea remaining part of Ukraine. Therefore, considering the West clearly doesn't care where the people of Crimea feel they belong, what other choice did Putin have?

acknowledge that such crude irredentism is not how things are done nowadays? There are proper procedures that don't involve manufacturing crises to bully a sovereign nation around.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Even if it makes more sense for Crimea to be Russian, Russia went about acquiring it in the worst possible way.

What other way could they have gone about it? The West said the referendum was illegitimate (a fair criticism). However, rather then saying there needed to be a legitimate, internationally supervised referendum, they simply stated that they supported Crimea remaining part of Ukraine. Therefore, considering the West clearly doesn't care where the people of Crimea feel they belong, what other choice did Putin have?

acknowledge that such crude irredentism is not how things are done nowadays? There are proper procedures that don't involve manufacturing crises to bully a sovereign nation around.

It is clear in retrospect that the West would never have accepted those "proper procedures" either. Otherwise they would call for a proper referendum, rather than completely dismissing the wishes of the Crimean people.

[dead0man]

backed into a corner, Putin had no choice but to kill people.  Crimea was in trouble (of some kind) and had to be saved (from someone)!

[YaBoyNY]

Sanctions are economic warfare. Trying to break people economically, to pressure their leaders into changing policies is terrible. What the west has done to Russia is awful.

Perhaps, but only .0001% as awful as invading your neighbors.

Crimea wanted to return to Russia. People own land, not governments.

Dobryy den', absolutely-Russian people of the Crimea! We are here to protect you and ensure your safety from the now-fascist Ukrainian "Novvy Reykh" (You may not know that they're secretly Nazi, but we do! All the better for you.)

We are to be hosting a referendum on joining the Russian Federation! On this ballot, you will find two choices: 1) To secede from Ukraine and join Russia right now, or 2) To increase autonomy from Ukraine,  declare eventual separation at a later date, and join Russia then.

With these two choices, we have ensured that none of you will accidentally cast an incorrect vote!

[SATW]

I supported the Russian annexation of Crimea, and I support Russia's economic actions against Turkey, but anyone who sides with Russia over the United States on the balance of power between the two nations is ridiculous.

Russia is a massive geopolitical threat to the United States and it is a physical threat to European and Asian countries that border it. I don't really care for Ukraine, but the west has an obligation to protect the Baltic states,  and the former USSR Republics in Asia.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

I supported the Russian annexation of Crimea, and I support Russia's economic actions against Turkey, but anyone who sides with Russia over the United States on the balance of power between the two nations is ridiculous.

Russia is a massive geopolitical threat to the United States and it is a physical threat to European and Asian countries that border it. I don't really care for Ukraine, but the west has an obligation to protect the Baltic states,  and the former USSR Republics in Asia.

Absurd. With the Baltic states being part of NATO and NATO's "missile defense", they are a far greater threat to Russia than vice versa.

[dead0man]

If they had not joined NATO they likely would have been invaded by now.  Of course you'd spin that too. 

"Putin was backed into corner, they were going to move a statue!  He had no choice but to invade."

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

If they had not joined NATO they likely would have been invaded by now.  Of course you'd spin that too. 

"Putin was backed into corner, they were going to move a statue!  He had no choice but to invade."

Has Putin invaded Belarus? Has he invaded western Ukraine? It was the West that instigated the Ukraine revolution, and Putin took action to protect the Russian people of Crimea. It is the West that is pulling countries together in an anti-Russian coalition, which they were doing even when Russia was "friendly" (Yeltsin era).

[dead0man]

I'd say "you can't be serious", but I've seen RUSSIASTRONK people on the internet before and you people are nothing if not serious.  I didn't know we had any here.


But anyway, Putin hasn't invaded Belarus for reasons I shouldn't have to explain (they're just as messed up as Russia).  At least you're admitting that Russia is in fact invading Ukraine, many of your ilk like to ignore all evidence pointing that way.

[Zioneer]

If they had not joined NATO they likely would have been invaded by now.  Of course you'd spin that too.  

"Putin was backed into corner, they were going to move a statue!  He had no choice but to invade."

Has Putin invaded Belarus? Has he invaded western Ukraine? It was the West that instigated the Ukraine revolution, and Putin took action to protect the Russian people of Crimea. It is the West that is pulling countries together in an anti-Russian coalition, which they were doing even when Russia was "friendly" (Yeltsin era).

No, it was the Ukrainian people who instigated the revolution, and the West who funded things after it got started. It was Russia that reacted in a land-grabbing way. And yes, Russia invaded eastern Ukraine, and they invaded Crimea as well.

And Putin hasn't needed to invade Belarus, because its dictator has been friendly to him.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

If they had not joined NATO they likely would have been invaded by now.  Of course you'd spin that too.  

"Putin was backed into corner, they were going to move a statue!  He had no choice but to invade."

Has Putin invaded Belarus? Has he invaded western Ukraine? It was the West that instigated the Ukraine revolution, and Putin took action to protect the Russian people of Crimea. It is the West that is pulling countries together in an anti-Russian coalition, which they were doing even when Russia was "friendly" (Yeltsin era).

No, it was the Ukrainian people who instigated the revolution, and the West who funded things after it got started. It was Russia that reacted in a land-grabbing way. And yes, Russia invaded eastern Ukraine, and they invaded Crimea as well.

And Putin hasn't needed to invade Belarus, because its dictator has been friendly to him.

"Friendly", as in refusing to join the West in an anti-Russian alliance?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Nah Lukashenko and Putin are tight. They had a brief lover's tiff in 2009 or so which culminated in Russia banning milk, but they have basically kissed and made up at this point. Russia needs allies you see - most of its allies are either conspiring to disentangle themselves or are fake made-up states that nobody else recognises.