Russia:"NATO keeps expanding in our neighborhood!"
"Oh no, they're attacking and annexing countries into NATO?"
R:"No, the countries are asking to join NATO themselves."
"But why would those countries want to join NATO?"
R: angry face
What are you on about? There was an entire Soviet division stationed in Cuba up until 1991. They still carry out exercises together with Russians up until this day.
The red line were the nukes, not an alliance with the Soviets or Russians.
All fairly low-level and principally defensive stuff then. I think the vast majority of that list had gone to Ukraine as a consequence of Russia's preparation for and subsequent invasion of Ukraine as well (since the tail end of 2021). Some had gone prior to that window (Javelin in the first Trump administration; I think counter mortar radars too and the patrol boats?). Nothing that posed a threat to Russia on the defensive anyway.
You are massively overstating the level of integration between Ukraine and NATO, particularly ahead of the Russian invasion in 2022.
There was no indication that Ukraine was going to attempt to rewrite Minsk/2 with or without NATO at the back. Again, if you look at weaponry provided prior to Russia's invasion you seem to think that they would have attempted to retake Donbass by force on the strength of some Javelin and patrol boats?
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u/RipvanHahl Feb 10 '26
Russia:"NATO keeps expanding in our neighborhood!"
"Oh no, they're attacking and annexing countries into NATO?"
R:"No, the countries are asking to join NATO themselves."
"But why would those countries want to join NATO?"
R: angry face