It's more correct to refer to Russia's ambitions as "influence expansion". And the U.S.A. has handed that to Russia in spades. There's a New World Order being built as a result of the actions of the crazies who control the U.S. government. The U.S.A. won't be included in it.
Originally Posted by Hastings
Russian history would show them to be a large nation mostly isolationist and subject to designs on their territory by the Western European powers. So naturally after their experience with Napoleon and WW1 and WW2 they desired to set up buffer states under their control. Hence the Warsaw pact. And their crash program to develop nuclear weapons and their financing of proxy wars to keep the west broke and busy.
Originally Posted by Bristoe
A pattern of behavior is making itself known in the U.S.A., also. It's interesting to see a large part of the world uniting to protect itself from the type of decadence that has developed in the U.S.A.
Above, we see the power of imagination. Seeing what they believe, not believing what they see.
Poor Russia. Just wanted to be left alone, the only country in Europe with no ambition.
So, if by your contention other countries in Europe have ambitions as well, why should we take sides?
Fair question.
We should do our best to support what is in out best interest. Of course, what that is, and is not, is subject to debate.
In the Ukraine situation, I think it is in the entire world's best interest that nations not invade each other and that they honor their treaties. Russia guaranteed Ukraine's territorial sovereignty in exchange for Ukraine giving up the nuclear weapons they inherited from the USSR.
We want less nuclear proliferation, and we want stable borders. So, we should oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
That does not mean we have to send in troops, but it can include supporting Ukraine.
That's my basic answer to your question.
If we don't take sides, we might see another expansionist juggernaut like Hitler or Stalin or even Napoleon.
We need to minimize invasions.
I am not anti-Russian at all, but I oppose Putin's revanchism and adventurism. He wants to recreate the geopolitical place the USSR occupied, in his own image, and he intends to do so at the US's expense, but not through diplomacy.
Others may disagree, but you asked me why, and there it is, in summary.
