[niknik]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

How can Ukraine joining NATO not be taken as an aggressive move from Moscow's perspective? We saw how well soviet missiles in Cuba went......

I understand Russia doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO. But aggressive move? It's not like NATO countries are invading countries. And just because Russia doesn't like the fact that Ukraine is doing it, and it may cause them difficulties doesn't give them the authority or the right to take control of another country.
I think it's pretty clear Russian operatives developed this entire conflict to get what they wanted. Control over parts if not all of Ukraine.

[niknik]

NATO is a peaceful partnership. It's a collective for defense, not aggression. There's no legitimate reason for Russia to feel threatened by NATO. Unless of course they wanted to bring aggression against a NATO country.

[ralucagymnast]

I wonder about Russias intentions; Ive actually started to think that Russia saw the ISIS threat LONG ago, and want Ukraine and Crimea to actually protect Russia from this threat; maybe thats what all this is about? Russia trying to make sure its well defended? who knows what their intentions are. But it makes me wonder..........

[Mr Poo]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

He wasn't.

I guess it wasn't year's plural, only a year.

From that same article.

On 25 July 1998, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin head of the FSB (one of the successor agencies to the KGB), the position Putin occupied until August 1999. He became a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on 1 October 1998 and its Secretary on 29 March 1999.