Ukraine: Invasion Imminent?

[altus 540]

33 minutes ago, trastrick said:

In spite of the Western do-gooders who brought "regime change" to a rich and powerful Nuclear ally like South Africa, and left it an economic and social basket case.

South Africa dismantled its nuclear weapons during the apartheid regime (so before your "regime change") at a time when Republicans held the US presidency.

[altus 540]

4 minutes ago, geared said:

They tried economic influence, they did it quite often within the old Soviet Union.

 

The problem was the whip cracked both ways, and it was turned around on them when market conditions suited.

Russia had a chance after the break up of the Soviet Union to form a sort of Soviet Commonwealth similar to the British Commonwealth after the disintegration of the British Empire. Instead, many of the former Soviet states took one look at the kleptocratic basket case Russia was becoming and turned their faces west. This was only accelerated by Russia involving itself militarily in Georgia and then Ukraine (Donbas, etc).