Comments by "Kath" (@Kath-nd6pj) on "Zeihan on Geopolitics" channel.

You forgot, they also had a ship advantage!
2
The same now. Of course they no longer have those ex-Soviet countries you listed, but not all became independant from Russia in 1991. They are heavily recruiting from the further away from Moscow Russian held land of other diverse ethnicity and poverty areas. Hence the first wave were stealing toilet bowls and kitchen appliances from the homes they had captured. I believe this is less prominent now, but they are still careful to not enlist too many from the more affluent areas of Western Russia. Moscow and St Petersburg.
1
@kindcanadian5825 Do you have a link to that information. Maybe they are taking in more people from other countries? . But reports I read back in 2002 were saying they were offering incentives to women to have more babies. Like in many Western countries their young were becoming reluctant to start families. So has that plan been over performing? The lack of babies could explain better why they have sent coach loads of children stollen from their occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia and Belarus. The teaching them Russian, a Putin revived version of Russian history and that Ukraine no longer exists.
1
@AeSyrNation Yes, migrants have to sign an alligence to Russia to stay there. Same as the Ukrainians in the areas they still occupy since this invasion who have been told only if they apply for Russian passport will they qualify for humanitarian help, water, medications etc, all the things that local councils usually administer. The newest though is that refugees/migrants fleeing to Russia have been told the men must join the military or the family will be deported.
1
Russia still has their annual conscription. The mothers are promised their sons will undergo training, but will not be sent to the front line. Early 2023 many were protesting that they had lost contact with their sons. I feel Putin may have changed tactics since then. Forcing migrants to join the army if they want to stay in Russia instead. 200 recruited from Nepal etc. the main recruitment is from the impoverished eastern parts of Russia. Putin is carful not to annoy the elite in Petersburg and Moscow when submitting call up papers on ethnic Russians.
1