Comments by "Marcus Aurelius Antoninus" (@marcusaureliusantoninus2597) on "CRUX" channel.

  1.  @jacklondon295  Like shelling of Kramatorsk Railway station or Donetsk (and a plethora of other Donbass cities) residential areas? We all know who does it - the so called Ukrainian army.
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  2.  @TiberiiGrakh  same here, mate. I have a lot of friends and family members in the Ukraine, and I feel sorry for them, but then again, I didn't see much remorse in Western media when the Ukraine bombed Donbass for 8 years, killing thousands of civilians.
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  3.  @stephanyschneider5144  it's not "fortunate" for the Ukraine at all. Every day of war brings more destruction and desolation. Their army treat "their" own population in the East as human shield thus increasing civilian casualties. Millions of people already left the country and won't return.
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  4.  @theculturedjinni  The question regarding why anyone should respect Russia's sphere of influence is simple: imagine Mongolia joining NATO or Mexico/Canada joinind a China-led military alliance. It's obvious that it's not possible. The question of whether Russia should react to the Ukraine (Russian ancestral lands, btw) joining NATO is the centuries-old "Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi". Well, guess what: Russia refuses to play the role of "bull" anymore. If some major countries (great powers) can have designated spheres of infuence, then all do. If some cannot, then all don't. It's that easy.
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  5.  @frankjarleb4719  1. The Ukraine was not some colony of Russia, but rather part of its core territories. Do you know any other example in history where a big country just gave up on a piece of its core territory without any war, armed rebellion, military threat from a third party and so on? Italy is a poor example. Italy is certainly not a Roman Empire successor state in any way — be it political, cultural, linguistic or any other save occupying the core territory of WRE and sharing its state religion. 2. Again, the Ukraine is not just a "border nation" of Russia. Such a country never existed before 1991. Unlike any other country bordering Russia, the Ukraine is a Frankenstein monster of a political entity sewn together from regions of different history, culture, mentality and even language by the Bolshevik tailors. Most Ukrainian citizens have a hard time answering the question of why such a state even exists. 3. Russia tried playing along with the current geopolitical rules in the 90s. There's hardly been any more pro-Western country right after the collapse of the USSR. Russian were enthusiastic about rejoining the European family from which we were separated back in 1917. However, it turned out that major Western players never ceased to see Russia as a threat that needs to be contained rather than an ally. All the attempts of both Yeltsin's and early Putin's government to get integrated into Western institutions such as the EU and NATO were shrugged off by the Western leaders, at the same time more and more countries along Russian western border were being integrated the alliance. So, if you guys in Europe are fine with having "the man" deciding for yourselves and accepting your role as minor parties in the game, have it your way. You showed us very clearly that we are not welcome in your playground, so it's all the more reason for us to break the post-91 geopolitical rules. 4. The kingdom of Norway existed before the Ukraine was first mentioned as a territory, my good man. You may want to learn your history.
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  6.  @simonesometh4566  so you think one needs to ignore Russian position completely? But that line of thinking is exactly what lead to this war.
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  7. So what?
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  8.  @SirAser.F__k.you.Google  why is it "WRONG" (because you say so?) and since when are the notions of "right" or "wrong" used to describe international politics?
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  9. ​ @frankjarleb4719  my good man, you've totally missed my point about any major country giving up their core territories WITHOUT A WAR. Imagine France giving up Aquitaine or England giving up Northumbria without any fight. I can't. When Cathalonia tried to secede from Spain not long ago, the separatist Cathalonian elites were persecuted by the Spanish crown court. Again, pre-1721 empires did not just give up their lands for the sake of helping the new Russian empire to emerge. Russians had to fight and spill blood — their own and their enemies' — for these lands. That's exactly the point. The Ukraine belonged to Poland-Lithuania and Turkic khanates. It was then taken over by the Russian empire's armies. The country that these lands never belonged to is... the Ukraine. You seem to stubbornly ignore the fact that I keep telling you, my mate: that the Ukraine for Russia is not the same as Mexico for Spain or Bulgaria for Turkey. It is a core Russian territory, part of the territory of the Ancient Rus where Russian people first appeared as a distinct ethnic group. Russian state saw the Ukraine as its own lost territories since in first re-emerged after the Mongol yoke. Which was supported by the nobility of this region who wanted to become united with their northern Orthodox brethren. Back in the days of the Russian Empire, Little Russians (Ukrainians) were never treated as in any way inferior to Great Russians (Russians proper). They were present in the very highest circles of the Empire. Moreover, pre-1917 Kiev was the capital of Russian nationalism with ethnic Ukrainians being the staunchest supporters of the all-Russian (Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian) unity. Donbass and Crimea were never separatist. Au contraire, they wanted to cease being part of the separatist state of the Ukraine and be reunited with the main country. It's caled irredentism, not separatism.
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  10.  @jasont2610  The Ukraine was never a country that was a part of the Warsaw pact.
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  11.  de caesaris  mate, if you think that the situation at hand and your imaginary "situation" is in any way similar, then I don't need to explain anything to you. Yours is to get a life and learn some history before even trying to philosophise on such topics.
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  12.  @frankjarleb4719  nah, mate, this won't do if you are going to brand the views you don't like any kind of "propaganda". This is the last time I let something like that slip. Partitions of Poland occured when Poland was forced to cede its territory or face war that it could never win. It's the same as losing a territory in a war. The USSR in 1991 had the 2nd most capable army in the world and there were no demands for it to split made by any participants of the "war". And certainly there wasn't any war and no war ultimatum was ever given to the USSR by the Western bloc. In theory, I have no problem with Russia returning East Prussia back to Germany. However, it would hardly be appropriate since Germany lost the territory in a war. If Poland and Lithuania would cede their parts of East Prussia back to Germany within some sort of an agreement, I don't see any reason why Russia shouldn't join the said agreement. Of course, if Germany would have to offer something in return. The same goes for South Kuriles. The German Empire was never a victorious army against the Russian Empire since Russian army was not brought to facing defeat by the German Empire. It ceased to exist by the decree of the Bolshevik government that was clearly acting in German interests. I would remind you that Germany couldn't hold the said territory since it lost the war. Russia has all the right to celebrate victory over the Third Reich since it was Russian people and Russian territory and resources that was used by the USSR to defeat Germany. The goal of Germany was not to depose the Bolsheviks, but rather to kill most Russians and occupy Russian lands, so it was a true patriotic war.
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  13.  @dmitrykozhin6884  1) The distance between Shakhty and Kramatorsk is over 200 km, while the maximum distance Tochka-U can be used at is 120 km. 2) If what you meant was Shakhtyorsk (not Shakhty), then the reports of launched missiles from Shakhtyorsk were made at 10:25 am, while the railway station was hit at 10:44 am. Did the rockets fly for 19 minutes? What are they, hens? It's obvious that the rockets launched from Shakhtyorsk hit other targets. 3) Judging by the leftover parts of the rocket and the disposition of the shards, the rocket was launched from the Southwestern direction. Shakhtyorsk is to the SouthEAST of Kramatorsk. Ergo — your info is wrong. Never trust Ukies, mate, at least during the war. The Russian side spreads a lot of propaganda, that's true. However, Ukies spread nothing but lies.
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  14.  @frankjarleb4719  What do you mean "lost the Cold War"? Where is peace treaty saying RUSSIA as a country "lost the Cold War" where territorial losses are described? If Russia lost the Cold War, so did the Ukraine. However, this country emerged as a new entity rather than losing a territory. And to whom did Russia lost the Cold War — to the Ukraine? If not, why does the Ukraine occupy Russian territories and not, say, the US or the UK? I would like to remind you, dear sir, that Soviet Union was an illegitimate terroristic regime of political fanatics and spies that occupied Russia for over 70 years. Who cares about what they wrote in their leaflets? They had no legitimacy to draw borders of "Soviet Republics" on the Russian territory. Irrelevant of what the "international community" thinks about it. I couldn't care less about what Putin says. This sorry excuse of a man is a coward and a traitor.
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  15.  de caesaris  Russia is no Turkey and the Ukraine is certainly no Germany.
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  16. Exactly. That's why I keep saying that making the Ukraine cede its nuclear weapons is like grabbing a grenade out of a monkey's paws.
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  17.  @theculturedjinni  btw, your video is the only source mentioning Russia proposing Swedish government to buy Gotland and threatening it for not wishing to do so. There's not a single source both on English and Russian mentioning this proposition.
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  18.  @frankjarleb4719  ​btw, kind sir, you may want to learn what "whataboutism" is before hurling "fancy" (actually no) words around. My examples were to illustrate the situation at hand, not to divert attention to others' wrongdoings.
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  19.  @TheAbsentee67  Soviet Union WAS Russia. Occupied by the Bolshevik, but still Russia, I.e. lands of the Russian Empire.
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  20.  de caesaris  I never deleted any comments in this thread. What does Budapest memorandum have to do with anything?
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  21.  @Kennethswoodcarvings  but it had been till 1991
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  22.  @SirAser.F__k.you.Google  I won't even ask why you perceive the mere change of the form of government "evolution". I won't even argue that European countries did not "evolve" into sovereign states, au contraire, every decent European had to FIGHT for its sovereignty. But your words still don't answer the question why what you wrote is "wrong" and why we even need to apply moral judgements to players on the international politics arena.
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  23.  @kittykitty7397  pardon?
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  24.  @Katoshi_Takagumi  my question still stands, however: does it make it any better that the political violence and murders are perpetrated not by the state, but rather by individuals and groups de jure acting independently from the state (but then again, very much encouraged and endorsed by it)? In other words, is living in Somalia better than living in Turkmenistan? "Both are worse", if you ask me. Again, how about the critics of the Ukrainian nationalistic narrative that ended up dead or living abroad? Have you heard such names as Anatoly Sharii or Yury Podolyaka that were proclaimed "Kremlin agents" and had to flee the country for their lives? As for "Putin's war crimes", I'd like to hear at least one. There's hardly any person that despises Putin more than I do, but Western attempts to make this weak commonplace of a man look like some sort of a horrible demonic dictator are laughable.
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  25.  @arnold2360  except that most of you said is never backed by anything except "our unanimous sources have said...". Or even better, by the Ukrainian governmental sources alone. Which are world-famous for their truthfulness and conscientiousness.
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  26.  @bassmouter4694  But the Ukraine does not fight. They are losing despite having more men and defensive positions that were being prepared for 8 years.
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  27. ​ @bassmouter4694  who told you that Putin "expected to run the Ukraine into five days"? Was it Putin himself? Second, "25 thousand lost Russian soldiers" — what are your sources? The Ukrainian army has lost much more, not to mention thousands of PoWs. Not to mention how Russian army is being overcautious with bombing infrastructure and governmental buildings.
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  28.  @bassmouter4694  Again, what are your sources? Where exactly is the info about "sudden need to replace 60.000 men" coming from? So far, it sounds like Ukrainian war propaganda. Again, the only source I heard about "conscripts in the Ukraine" is Ukie trolls. There's literally zero evidence behind this ridiculous claim. 17? Do you realise that the age of conscription in Russia is 18? Putin must be exactly the bad guy from early James Bond movies sending conscript boys to their deaths while Russian army amounts to almost a million men, 3/4 of which are professional soldiers, and the troops taking part in war roughly amount to about 100-150 men.
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  29. ​ @bassmouter4694  So as a pinnacle of "truth" you are referring to a video about breakage of Russia as narrated by a literal Ukrainian propagandist that doesn't even hide his colours? Very interesting. What is "MSM" and why are you referring to them as some last judge of what is true and what is not? Mate, you seem 100% uncritical to your sources of info, yet you have the gall to accuse others or being affected by propaganda. "each attacking army needs at least four times more men as an defending army?" — what is it, Graeco-Persian wars? What kind of a war are you referring to? Did American army need 4 times as many men in Iraq as the Iraqi army? The issue of "conscripts" mentioned by Putin has long been investigated by multiple Telegram channels, both Russian and foreign. The "conscripts" in the videos were conscripted month ago, they volunteerly enrolled in the special operation force and signed contract. So technically they were not conscripts at the time they took part in the fight. What has happened over that last 60 days, my good man? The Ukraine is losing more and more towns and villages almost every day. There are THOUSANDS of Ukie PoWs captured in Mariupol alone. Their military object, many of which are very far behind frontlines, are being bombed every day. That's what's happening.
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  30.  @Katoshi_Takagumi  mate, did your Russophobia blind you? Have you ever read Gogol? Russian pogroms? Do you even realise that the majority of pogroms occurred on "Ukrainian", Polish, Moldavian lands within the Russian Empire and not in the territories populated by ethnic Russians? Have you heard anything about Petlura and his rampant antisemitism, including murders and rapes of dozens of thousands of Jews within the so-called "Ukrainian People's Republic"? Have you heard of the active involvement not only of Ukrainian pro-German collaborators during WWII, but of ordinary civilians in the Western Ukraine in carrying out the Holocaust on those territories? Poland and the Ukraine were the most xenophobic, anti-Semitic and romaphobic parts of the Russian Empire, and your making the current Ukrainian xenophobia look like it's some form of "Russian legacy" is ridiculous and ignorant to say the least.
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  31. ​ @Katoshi_Takagumi  Hey mate, quit changing the subject. If "any war crime is unacceptable" (which they are), then why paint pogroms as something "inherently Russian"? Why resort to despicable attempts to write off current Ukrainian xenophobia to it being "still too Russian"? Is there any reason (I wouldn't even mention if there is any proof - there clearly isn't) why the Russian army would bomb civilians intentionally? There is for the Ukrainian army (that showed very clearly how callous and ruthless it is to the "half-Russians" of the Eastern Ukraine over the last 8 years). And if you hint that Russians supposedly commit war crimes out of ethnic animosity, please advise why the alleged "war crimes" are all commited in the Eastern and Central Ukraine where ethnic Russians make from half to 3/4 of the population? Do Russians deliberately massacre their own Russian brothers? "Putin's Empire of Terror" my foot. You clearly fully adopt the image of Putin as promoted by the Western media: an evil Russian nationalist dictator. That's so much of a bull that I can't help laughing every time I hear the comparisons between Putin and Hitler or Stalin. Russian nationalism is THE most restricted and banned ideology in Russia. Most of prominent Russian nationalist leaders were either killed or imprisoned (or "unexpectedly died") under Putin. Official propaganda hardly ever even mentions the word "Russian", stipulating instead that Russia is a "multiethnic nation" (which is hardly true with ethnic Russians making about 80% of the entire Russian population). Big Russian cities are plagued with hordes of Central Asian illegal migrants that commit the majority of violent crimes (especially muggings and rapes) and steal most menial jobs. Putin, my good man, is a corrupt cowardly manlet whose (and whose clique's) only desire beyond the material wealth was to be accepted as equals among Western elites. It's entirely the West's fault — that is, the West as a political entity since culturally Russia IS "the West" (much more than the Ukraine, anyway) — that this war occured. As pro-Western as Russia was in the 90s and early 00s, it's a clear sign of degradation of the modern Western elites that Russia and the West ended up enemies. Hell, Russia even applied (twice!) for the EU and NATO membership — which applications were shrugged off, if not openly ridiculed, by the Western leaders of the time. Moreover, Putin is a fervent USSR legitimist, that is, he fully recognises the borders of so-called "Soviet Republics", which he stated multiple times since the Crimea crisis. Hence the Crimean referendum. Hence the republics of Donbass that not only were not incorporated into Russia, but not even officially recongnised until February 2022. Hence constant (to this very day!) affirmations that Russia "respects the territorial integrity of the Ukraine" and that "The Ukraine will stay Ukrainian".
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  32.  @stephanyschneider5144  there have been numerous investigations by independent Russian and European parties. Missiles that hit Kramatorsk were Tochka-U (used by the Ukrainian army) and were launched from the territory controlled by the Ukrainian forces. What about 8 years of shelling of Donetsk, Lugansk and other cities of Donbass? Is it "Russian propaganda" too? Mate, are you even sane, or do you just blindly support the party proclaimed "the good guys" by Western media?
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  33.  de caesaris  oh, you are a Ukie then. So there's no sense in even talking to you, given the brainwashing machine that's been working there for 8 years.
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  34.  @DP-sh3nk  do you give propaganda then?
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  35.  @DP-sh3nk  I don't see what it all has to do with me. I call a war a war.
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  36.  @thulsadoom544  Putin wanting the Ukraine would not be an issue. The real issue for Ukrainian nationalists is that RUSSIANS want the Ukraine. Now there are two option for the supporters of the Ukrainian state — give up or die.
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  37.  @chrishooge3442  that's preposterous. The Ukraine is one thing — these are very old historic Russian lands. Any sane Russian government would have subverted and strangled the Ukraine into submission — peacefully, if possible. Putin is a coward, and what he and his clique ever desired beyond sending oil and gas to the West in exchange for the life of luxury was to be accepted as equals among Western elites. Allowing the situation to spiral into war is a sign of absolute degeneration of the Western political class.
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  38.  @chrishooge3442  the "grand strategy" part. The Ukraine is too unique a case for Russia, and one would make a mistake if they try and project its fate on other Eastern European countries. Why, some Ukrainians protest against being part of Russia, some actively desire it to the extent of fighting alongside the Russian army. Yep, Russia does have an Air Force. One of the largest among the armies of the world. Why?
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  39.  @aprotasova  however, many of civilians have fleed to the very Russia who launched an "unprovoked attack". Btw, how about shelling of Donbass for several days before 2/24?
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  40.  @aprotasova  Ukrainian bot, please get away from here. Who are you to tell other people whether they can share their opinions or not?
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  41.  @thulsadoom544  Have you read at least something on the history of the region before commenting?
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  42.  @thulsadoom544  Where do you get your ideas, CNN or MSNBC? Sure, Putin always despised West, and that is why he always sucked up to the West before 2013, and that is why he applied for EU and NATO membership for Russia. Putin that gives a damn about Russian people exists only in the most paranoid Western media sources and their flock. You realise the official domestic agenda in Russia is that it's a "multinational" country, and Putin as well as official media hardly ever even utter the word "Russian" since it's consider extremist.
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  43. ​ @aprotasova  So it's literally "if you have a different opinion, then you're a bot". Well, given that you obviously have an opinion that is different from mine, where do you get your money for YouTube comments? The US, the Ukraine, the UK? For Christ's sake, a person does not have a "real human name" on YouTube in 2022... So, if I used a random "real" name as my nickname, I would be more real? It's funny that people only get accused of being a "bot" when they argue on politics. I also discuss a variety of topics, such as abortion, history, religion, linguistics, and I've never seen anyone accusing the opponent of being paid for commenting, it only happens when politics is being discussed.
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  44.  @aprotasova  Where do you think we are now, Ms Ukrainian Bot, on a barbecue in your backyard? I'd like to remind you that we are in a public space, which you have no authority over, and which you can leave at any moment if you so please.
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  45. ​ @aprotasova  Speaking of de Beauplan: while your vis-a-vis is not corrent when she's saying that the very word "Ukraine" has been coined by the Bolshevik, we can certainly say the "Ukraine" used to denote a region, and not a political entity, until as late as 1991. You could as well say there were countries like Louisiana, Mazovia, or Polesye, or Somerset for that matter because these names can be found on old maps. However, there were never such countries, but rather regions which were a part of a different country or countries.
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  46. ​ @aprotasova  Again, I find it hard to believe that a sane person can be surprised that someone is using a nickname in the internet in 2022. If my nickname was "John Johnson", I would suddenly have more credibility? Or less? Or do you think there's some artificial intelligence that is using a long-dead Roman Emperor's name and face while expressing its opinion in YouTube comments? Who in hell is talking about losing identity, citizenship or anything? As early as in 1990 there were no "Ukraine", however, people on this territory still had identity, citizenship, property and so on. When Russia took Crimea back, did if force anyone to renounce their identity or did it strip anyone on their legit property? What I am trying to express here is that the Ukraine as a STATE is an illegitimate entity created on Russian (except Galicia) territory. I can't care less what identity people who populate it have. Although, the fact that Russian is native for over 80% of its population is pretty telling. If your nickname is your real name, can you explain to me why "Anna Protasova" (typical Russian name and surname) is Ukrainian, while I whose last name ends in -ko is Russian? The thing is, ethnic and national identity in the Ukraine is one most fluid entity. A person who used to be a Ukrainian today may identify themselves as Russian and vice versa.
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  47.  @aprotasova  Is that all you can respond to my huge post? "Putin..." something? But I never mentioned him once. Why does as miserable a man as Putin play such big a role in your world view?
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  48.  @TheAbsentee67  it was an illegitimate totalitarian regime on the Russian soil. I'd look at you if some political maniacs would come to power in England and cut it into "republics", and then their successors would shatter the country along the borders of said "republics". Would you then endorse "Dorset Republic" or "Northumbrian Republic"?
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  49.  @DennisTheInternationalMenace  but my country has never been the core territory of neither Russia nor China.
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  50.  @stupidyoutubehandles  if you call being in the absolute defence with about 1/4 of your territory lost "kicking somebody in the mouth", then have it your way. Even whatever resistance there is now wouldn't be there if not for Putin being such a pussy and refusing to strike at Ukrainian barracks and command points on the first day of war.
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