General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This may upset some DUers but after Iraq it's hard to watch the same hacks talking [View all]Martin Eden
(12,863 posts)If objective logic dictates that that no way in hell does NATO plan to invade Russia through Ukraine, then Putin's misreading of the West is paranoid to the point of delusion.
I don't think Putin is stupid or delusional. Much more likely are internal reasons having to do with his hold on his own country and/or Putin's geostrategic goal to restore Russian hegemony over its previous vassal states. Ukraine was an important part of the Soviet Union, and he's behind a low grade war in Eastern Ukrain since 2014.
The buildup of a Russian invasion force is not a measure to forestall an invasion from the West; it is to achieve the longstanding goal of reincorporating Ukraine into Russia.
Though there is no realistic scenario of Russia being invaded, recapturing Ukraine would forestall the former Soviet state from joining the NATO alliance -- and given Putin's personal and nationalistic ambitions, it's understandable why he would take extreme measures to prevent that.
But make no mistake -- this is more about Russian ambitions than about a tangible threat of the West launching a war of aggression.