Russia has been amassing troops along the Ukrainian border and NATO has been helping Ukraine prepare for a possible invasion. NATO and the United States have told Putin to back off, but Putin feels like he has the upper hand and is not going to back off unless his demands are met. But the demands are anything but reasonable. Putin wants NATO out of Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The Russian leader however tells a completely different story of how Russia is threatened by NATO and the U.N.
“Vladimir Putin has said he will consider a military response if Russia feels threatened by Nato, in a sign that he is not ready to de-escalate tensions over a potential invasion of Ukraine.
In a combative speech on Tuesday, Putin – who has demanded “security guarantees” from Nato – told his top military commanders that the west was to blame for the rising tensions. It came against a backdrop of a Russian buildup of tanks and artillery for what could constitute an invasion force within weeks.”
“What the United States is doing in Ukraine is at our doorstep,” he said of Washington’s support for Kyiv. “And they should understand that we have nowhere further to retreat to. Under [US] protection, they are arming and urging on extremists from a neighboring country at Russia. Against Crimea, for instance. Do they think we’ll just watch idly?”
“If our western counterparts continue a clearly aggressive line, we will undertake proportionate military-technical countermeasures and will respond firmly to unfriendly steps,” Putin said in televised remarks. “I’d like to stress that we are fully entitled to do that.”
“At every step Russia has been forced to respond, the situation has got worse and worse and worse … And now we’re in a situation where we must make a decision. We can’t allow the situation I’ve described to develop any further.”
I think the key part here is “I’ve described.” Putin is selling his country this idea that Russia has no choice but to act when they are the aggressors. No one is looking for war. The only one that benefits here is Putin. NATO is just trying to protect Ukraine.