That’s an existential threat to Russia. If Ukraine succesfully made a change more Russian sattelites would get the idea that it’s possible to escape the Russian grip. Second is the power projection on the Black Sea Russia was set to lose.
This is repeated over and over again, but doesn't make it true: it is an existential threat to a corrupt regime, not to Russia.
Russia will be fine without the regime. It may have some rough times, but in the long run, it will be fine. Putin's regime isn't Russia, and Russia isn't Putin's regime.
Just like the propaganda narrative: "Oh Russia tried democracy for a couple of years and it was awful! Democracy doesn't work in Russia!"
Reforming institutions and culture isn't something you do in a few years. Look at the process Ukraine is going through to join the EU. It takes time, and thankfully, we have frameworks for what works nowadays.
What matters is that the EU has the mechanisms, frameworks, controllers, and auditors that monitor this process.
It has worked well for most European countries, with the only exception being Hungary, which, from the looks of it, won't last much longer in the EU.
Joining the EU isn't a theatrical display of a man singing a piece of paper, that has no value, at a big table with all the state-controlled media cameras pointing at him.
But now it's my turn to guess... you're observing Ukraine from the Russian side, and you think you know the process better than the Ukrainian... and the EU... while not living in a democracy or knowing what it takes to make a democracy work properly.
>Why does it matter where I'm observing this from?
Because the processes that are happening in Ukraine has nothing to do with democracy, human rights, religious freedoms, rights for private property, courts independence etc. And yes, I'm well aware that EU propaganda tells beautiful stories of how all of the above prospers in Ukraine, but reality on the ground is total opposite.
>But now it's my turn to guess... you're observing Ukraine from the Russian side, and you think you know the process better than the Ukrainian... and the EU... while not living in a democracy or knowing what it takes to make a democracy work properly.
Man, I have relatives living in Odessa since Soviet times. I have multiple friends in Ukraine that I studied in University with, that are living in Kiev and Kharkov. I've been in Ukraine many times over the 43 years of my life, and while I haven't been there since 2022 for obvious reasons, I have a good clue of how life there looks like if you're actually there, not listening to your local propaganda. What's going on there has nothing to do with democracy or human rights, and it's a pain for me for every day this war keep going.
> Because the processes that are happening in Ukraine has nothing to do with democracy, human rights, religious freedoms, rights for private property, courts independence etc. And yes, I'm well aware that EU propaganda tells beautiful stories of how all of the above prospers in Ukraine, but reality on the ground is total opposite.
And you know this because your... propaganda told you so?
You're accusing me of being gullible for the EU ascension process, which enrolled 27 countries, many of them thriving. But we should believe you because of anecdotes of someone who apparently doesn't know the institutions and functions of a democracy.
Or you're expecting a country that is being annexed in a genocidal war, with Martial Law in place, to be thriving? +10 million Ukrainian refugees.
> I have a good clue of how life there looks like if you're actually there, not listening to your local propaganda.
Of course, you know - and Russia knows what's best for Ukraine - everyone else, including Ukrainians, doesn't know?
Well, more an existential threat to the current regime running the place. I imagine the Russian people would be quite happy to have a regular democracy. Which is one reason Putin isn't very keen on one in Ukraine.
Ukraine never had any glimpse of regular democracy. For 30 years it was just a state when one or the other oligarchical clan was able to install its puppet on the throne to decide who's looting the majority of profits in their pockets.
Right now Zelensky totally usurped power, his political opponents were either killed of forced to flee the country, total mass media control installed, everyone who tried to argue were raided and taken under control or had to flee the country, religion rights are taken away, churches are raided and the right people are getting installed. Borders are crossed and mined, everyone who's trying to flee the country are getting hunted and killed if there's no way to catch them to send in trenches. Russian language, that is the mother tongue for 80% of population and Zelensky himself is forbidden in schools, and any other public services. We have a classic case of nationalists dictatorship being installed and turned the country in the same shit hole that Germany became in the late 1930's with storm troops having population under control by force. That's why Putin isn't very keen on what's going on in Ukraine.
Well, yes, Putin is attemptng to revive the whole shebang and these countries don’t want it any longer. The threat is more countries breaking apart from the sphere of influence and Putin’s plan falling apart completly.
Had there been another plan, make prosperity by other means then yes, this whole thing would not be any threat, they’d have embraced it and played along and won on different fronts: they almost had the entire Europe dependent on gas. But then Mr Putin blew it.
