That is not true. In fact, that is the stated goal of the Banderites in Ukraine.

I did a deep dive about this:

"Nazis in Ukraine — It’s Worse Than You Think"

Surely you have heard about how they have outlawed the Russian Orthodox Church, arrested priestsm etc.? Or how they outlawed the Russian language?

All the people in Donbas wanted was a little accommodation like the Catalonians and Basques have in Spain, or the Wallonians and Flemings in Belgium.

BUT NO - the Banderites were hell-bent on eradicating all traces of Russian culture - and of course starting in April 2014 they started eradicating the Russians themselves.

And, as Jens Stoltenberg himself admitted, THAT was when the war started.

And just because you thought the Iraq war was a "big fat mistake" doesn't make you liberal - it just puts you in the same camp as Donald Trump.

I cannot believe that you are so misinformed. This was ALWAYS about NATO. I watched the Tucker interview twice. I have read Putin's speeches going back years - both internal and external. He was quite clear about what Ukraine in NATO meant.

Hell, Lavrov told Ambassador Burns back in 2008 that Ukraine in NATO was a red line. "Nyet means Nyet" was the headline of the cable that Burns sent back to the White House. He explained that Ukraine in NATO was something no Russian leader would tolerate - the "reddest of red lines".

What did Bush do? Three months later at Bucharest he announced the "open door" invitation for NATO membership to both Ukraine and Georgia. Two months after that the idiot Saakashvili attacked South Ossetia. I guess after what Bush said, and what John McCain was whispering in his ear, he thought the West would come running to back him up. They didn't.

And as for your "Putin is a madman" comments, I can only say that whatever you spent on NIU was too much. You have a depth of analysis that is equal to a greeter in a Walmart.