Comments by "Dale Crocker" (@dalecrocker3213) on "Ukraine update" video.

@perkinscrane These constant comparisons between the situation in Ukraine today and that in Europe in the 1930's are becoming increasingly ridiculous. Putin is not Hitler and has no plans for world domination. He saw how those ambitions helped destroy the Soviet Union.
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@perkinscrane They were Soviet weapons. Ukraine did not possess them - they were simply stationed there. They could only be fired on instructions from Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union lengthy discussions took place over the distribution of Soviet materiel, and the nuclear weapons were sent to Russia. Ukraine had already gained independence before this finally happened.
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@perkinscrane It was not an "equal union". The Ukraine was a "semi-autonomous" SSR as were all others apart from Russia which was "Federative" and had overall control. Ukraine in fact kept some Soviet military equipment but gave up the nuclear arsenal, largely because the launch codes were kept in Moscow and Ukraine could only have fired them after a complex and potentially dangerous engineering process.
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@ You should read "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians". It was published on July 12, 2021, and it presents Putin's views on the historical ties between the two nations. It clearly shows that, however regretfully, he concedes that is it neither practical, nor even desirable, to attempt to re-create the Russian Empire, Soviet or otherwise.
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@perkinscrane You are misinformed. The idea that Putin wants to reunite Russia and Ukraine is incorrect. All he wants is to establish control of the mineral rich eastern parts of the country which were is danger of being transferred from existing Russian ownership into that of Western agencies.
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@ I don't believe for a moment that Putin wants re-unification. He has made it quite clear that all he wants is for those eastern parts of the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine to be returned to Russia. They have substantial Russian populations and much of the industry there is in Russian ownership, and always has been.
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@ Does Putin want re-unification? The evidence seems to point to him merely wanting to regain control of the eastern parts of the former SSR of Ukraine which have substantial Russian populations and close economic ties with Russia.
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@ I see no evidence that Putin has any wish for re-unification, much less to recreate the Russian Empire. He is merely protecting his country's existing interests.
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@perkinscrane On the contrary, Putin has been able to accept it - however regretfully. I suggest you read the essay he wrote shortly before the invasion which makes his position entirely clear. The truth behind the catastrophic war in Ukraine is that the Western powers - notably America - have refused to accept the independence of the Russian Federation and have consistently attempted to both diminish it and to take over many of its resources. In Eastern Ukraine, for example, there are trillions and trillions of dollarsworth of minerals. Russia has mined these resources for centuries and Russian companies still own many of the mines and the steelmaking industries which have sprung up around them. The prospect of the new Ukrainian state nationalising these resources - and then selling them off to Western agencies -is what has largely persuaded Putin into the grim necessity of war. It has nothing whatsoever to do with some romantic notion of re-creating a Russian empire.
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@ Of course Putin accepts it. You should read the essay he wrote about the subject shortly before the invasion. The idea that he wants to re-create the Russian empire is just silly propaganda designed to keep silly people behind what is basically a Western attempt to take over Russian resources in Eastern Ukraine.
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@perkinscrane He isn't. He is merely trying to ensure that the mineral-rich eastern part of Ukraine remains under Russian control.
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@ I like your reference to Shango. Vladimir Vladimirovich would be flattered, I'm sure. I don't really see your analogy about the North Sea oil fields though. The mineral resources of Eastern Ukraine were developed by Russia, using Russia labour and Russian capital, and continued to be largely owned by Russian companies even after Ukrainian independence. Ukraine's contribution has merely been somewhat half-hearted attempts to nationalise them, in order to flog them off to foreigners.
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Zelensky being ousted by "democratic" process is a far more likely pathway to peace than Putin being found dead in a fridge, I have to say. From playing the piano with his penis to overseeing the destruction of his country has been a long haul for Mr Z. He was picked out of the chorus line for a starring role and has performed quite brilliantly, all things considered. But the theatre is now under new management and the bill is about to change. With Trump as impresario high drama will give way to variety, with plenty of conjurers and dog acts on the bill. It won't be over till the fat lady sings, but the chances are high she'll be singing something in Russian.
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