First you have to understand what NATO is. Second you have some understanding of the Euro US relationship within and outside the alliance. Your post suggests you know neither.
You should add...
Third, you need to understand President Vladimir Putin, his background, and his end goal that's
beyond Ukraine.
In my opinion, Ukraine should
not be the focus of the United States involving what Russia is doing or why it's doing it considering Ukraine is
not a NATO country...it's just a NATO partner. Behind the scenes, the Ukraine/Russia War is more of a problem for Europe than it is for the United States.
Yet, due to partnerships between Europe and the United States...the U.S. has learned from history to not ignore what's occurring abroad. History has taught us when a partner is ignored...can we stomach genocide that typically follows sooner than later???
Europe has always been problematic for many centuries with its WARS...border countries will often get into conflicts and then a strange spark...ignites a WAR that most thought would never occur.
With that said, Russia's most powerful military arm is up towards
Finland and
nuclear submarine training/exercises are up north near Finland. Russia should be more concerned about Finland because it was a
huge strategic military failure for Russia when Finland joined NATO while Russia was (is) at War with Ukraine.
https://www.state.gov/u-s-signs-defense-cooperation-agreement-with-sweden/
https://um.fi/defence-cooperation-agreement-with-the-united-states-dca-
I naively thought that when Finland joined NATO...Russia would end its War with Ukraine. I and many others have all proven wrong about Russia's end game with Ukraine considering Ukraine and Russia have been killing each other
since 2014 even though Russia has deep cultural, economic, and political bonds with Ukraine in comparison to Finland.
Yet...On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. The invasion became the largest attack on a European country since World War II. It's the reason why it became a big deal in February 2022.
I exited the U.S. military in the early 90s but I did vacation a few times in Finland with my South Korean girlfriend...I'm a cold-weather person. I'm a little flabbergasted about our country's concerns with Ukraine especially considering they've been killing each other since 2014 as if it's a
civil war (brother against brother).
Simply, Putin wants Ukraine back so that Russia can have some resemblance to its old self. If Russia can not have it...I think he just wants to
kill it so that no one else can have it.
It's like a bad divorce ending.
Yet, we must contemplate NATO's part in
escalating the tension between Ukraine and Russia when NATO entertained Ukraine's interest in joining NATO
way back in 1991 following Ukraine's independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union considering back then...only about +60% of the people in Ukraine had an interest in joining NATO and the EU.
Simply, with support not that strong for joining NATO or the EU by the people (not the politicians)...Ukraine knew it was going to be a bad ending to the divorce from Russia. In my opinion, best to stay out of other people's marital problems.
Unfortunately for Putin, he devoted so much time to Ukraine...he forgot about Finland...the most important border. I've never been to Ukraine but I've been to Finland. Finland is a strategic country that Russia should fear much more than Ukraine.
wrbtrader
