So why didn't Putin / Russia (right now I can't see any clear difference) start negotiations years ago around spheres of influence, NATO expansion, "buffer states", neighbours joining the EU, etc etc all the stuff we're saying "contributed" to this war? I mean, explicitly and publicly and in full view like a statesperson. Why solve the problem by military means? Was there really no other way for him to address these "concerns"?
Why does Ukraine have to negotiate now, not to lose bits of itself, when Russia wouldn't negotiate before to maintain its sphere of influence / check NATO expansion? Why has Putin's state been murdering dissidents, threatening neighbours and promoting conspiracism for years?
There's a massive double standard here, where Russia is being treated as if it's a nation without agency, so weak it had no choice but to lash out. While other states have to give up bits, Russia gets to just take them. Fine, if we want to live with that, personally it's unlikely to affect me me me, but why would anyone argue that this state is behaving in any way legitimately? If the USA did the same in Mexico, or if/when China did/does the same in Taiwan or Kashmir, I can't imagine the same defence springing up from the UK left. Not at all.
www.independent.co.uk
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