Comments by "Dale Crocker" (@dalecrocker3213) on "More people suffer in Ukraine because of Trump's ill-considered suspension of intelligence" video.

They are not fighting for their survival. They are fighting over resources.
5
But fewer will suffer in the long-run - so long as Ukraine surrenders to the inevitable and has some common sense.
4
@ You are wrong. This war came about because Ukraine was setting up deals with the EU which would have removed the highly lucrative mining and steelmaking industries in Eastern Ukraine from long-standing Russian ownership and control. The idea of Ukraine fighting to survive as a "sovereign democratic nation" is a load of old hooey.
3
@Zoltan1412 I'd say it was, actually! But at least we didn't go to war over it.
2
@ No. The Russians are fighting to protect existing interests. The "minerals deal" is just a blind. The readily accessible, high grade minerals are all in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine. The Russians want to keep it that way and Ukraine joining the EU would have meant them losing control.
1
@PlanetaryCitizen It's perfectly true. Look up The Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine and the EU in 2021 which set up a system of mutual co-operation over minerals. This agreement sparked the conflict because it would have eventually meant control of the multi-trillion dollar mining industry being snatched from Russian hands. The idea that this war is about morality is what really is a bunch of BS.
1
@Zoltan1412 Pretty much. It was Russian before the Bolsheviks created the Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine and stuck bits of Russia onto it for administrative reasons - and of course it remained under Russian control, as did all of Ukraine at that time. Even after Ukraine gained independence in 1991 the mines and industries remained largely in the control of Russian companies and there is a very large Russian population, especially in the industrial areas.
1
@ Correct. It was unfortunately included in the new country of Ukraine - something which has led to these enormous problems.
1
@Zoltan1412 No it isn't. It's up to the people who live there and who own the resources to say how their possessions and their lives are to be regulated. And the people of Eastern Ukraine did not want to join the EU. Forcing them to do so is pure tyranny.
1
@achosenman9376 Very many had a change of heart before the Wagner group arrived, thanks to drastic drops in wages and profits and Kiev's attempts to remove the Russian language and culture. It is actually quite impossible to say what percentage of the inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine prefer to be ruled from Moscow rather than Kiev. It could be as low as 30%, but not much lower. The main point though is not the wishes of the majority. The majority, I imagine, would prefer almost anything to being in a war zone. What is at the heart of the problem is the fact that the mines and industries are largely owned by Russian companies, and they do no wish them to be subjected to EU rules
1
@achosenman9376 I'm sure Anna has a point - but she cannot speak for all the inhabitants of Eastern Ukraine. She, I presume has fled Westwards. Millions have fled in the other direction, into Russia, which they regard as their true home. Anna's family and her class will certainly have a low opinion of Putin and Russia. Others will not, especially the working class in the industrial areas where there are still streets and squares named after Russian heroes, and even Marx and Lenin.
1
Putin is winning. Trump just wants him to win more quickly and get this dreadful mess over and done with.
1