Are you concerned at all about the Russian troops on the border. What’s your plan’B’ if they decide to enter the country? I just want you and your family to be safe. You don’t have to answer me on this forum, but you’re welcome to call or email me.
Herb – the Russians seem to have their hands full in Kazakhstan at the moment. I don't think that they're going to cause trouble here.
The Russians have historically been rather cautious aggressors. They browbeat and bully other nations, but they have a pretty thin history of actual aggression. The closest they came was Afghanistan, which was a disaster for them as it was for everybody else.
Imperial Russia did not fight aggressive wars. They beat back Napoleon, and they successfully defended Crimea in the 1850s. But they generally acquire land by simply leaning hard on their neighbors. They took over Ukraine by showing up as allies in Ukraine's fight against the Poles and Lithuanians, and simply sticking around when the exhausted Cossacks couldn't push them out. Likewise their acquisition of the satellites after World War II – they simply didn't go home.
Look at the 2008 war with Georgia. They kicked ass, made their point, and retreated back into their borders, hanging onto a couple of Russian-speaking enclaves that had never been happy with Georgia in the first place. They have done the same in Transniestria (where is that?!). And in eastern Ukraine. I think there was only about one Ukrainian casualty as the Russians took over Crimea.
Donetsk and Lugansk were a surprise for Putin. He probably expected Russian speakers to rally to the flag a whole lot more than they did. If you give the matter any thought, you would have to conclude that he was not very aggressive at all in supporting the "popular uprisings."
Russia has other problems. I recommend reading Edward Slavsquat on Substack for a different point of view, especially concerning the problems that the Covid injections have created in Russia. I do not think that Russia has the wherewithal to mount an invasion of a fairly well organized and armed Ukraine.
I do not underestimate the current administration's ability to screw things up, but I don't think that they will be able to provoke Putin into doing something stupid.
Hi Graham
Are you concerned at all about the Russian troops on the border. What’s your plan’B’ if they decide to enter the country? I just want you and your family to be safe. You don’t have to answer me on this forum, but you’re welcome to call or email me.
Take care
Stay Safe!
-Herb
Herb – the Russians seem to have their hands full in Kazakhstan at the moment. I don't think that they're going to cause trouble here.
The Russians have historically been rather cautious aggressors. They browbeat and bully other nations, but they have a pretty thin history of actual aggression. The closest they came was Afghanistan, which was a disaster for them as it was for everybody else.
Imperial Russia did not fight aggressive wars. They beat back Napoleon, and they successfully defended Crimea in the 1850s. But they generally acquire land by simply leaning hard on their neighbors. They took over Ukraine by showing up as allies in Ukraine's fight against the Poles and Lithuanians, and simply sticking around when the exhausted Cossacks couldn't push them out. Likewise their acquisition of the satellites after World War II – they simply didn't go home.
Look at the 2008 war with Georgia. They kicked ass, made their point, and retreated back into their borders, hanging onto a couple of Russian-speaking enclaves that had never been happy with Georgia in the first place. They have done the same in Transniestria (where is that?!). And in eastern Ukraine. I think there was only about one Ukrainian casualty as the Russians took over Crimea.
Donetsk and Lugansk were a surprise for Putin. He probably expected Russian speakers to rally to the flag a whole lot more than they did. If you give the matter any thought, you would have to conclude that he was not very aggressive at all in supporting the "popular uprisings."
Russia has other problems. I recommend reading Edward Slavsquat on Substack for a different point of view, especially concerning the problems that the Covid injections have created in Russia. I do not think that Russia has the wherewithal to mount an invasion of a fairly well organized and armed Ukraine.
I do not underestimate the current administration's ability to screw things up, but I don't think that they will be able to provoke Putin into doing something stupid.
Thank you, Graham!