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Originally Posted by Catfish
Yes. Do you really think Russia would have invaded Poland by now, had Poland not joined NATO? Really??
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I did not say that, but there is no reason to think the Russia would be acting differently in Ukraine if NATO had not expanded eastward.
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Umm, yes. So it not too far-minded to see it belongs more to Russia,than to its western neighbours. If they WANT to join the west, ok. Does the majority want it? Really? Or is it western media hype?
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there are many polls floating around to gauge public opinion, i.e.:
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Among Ukrainians living outside Donbas and Crimea, majorities support receiving economic aid from Western countries (71%), joining the EU (67%) and increasing sanctions on Russia (65%). More than half also want to receive military assistance (54%) and join NATO (53%), though support for these measures is more tepid and regionally divided. Ukrainians in the west are much more supportive than those in the east of becoming a member of NATO (68% in west vs. 34% in east) and receiving military aid (66% support in west vs. 38% in east). Neither western nor eastern Ukrainians, however, want to join the Eurasian Economic Union with Russia (82% and 61% oppose, respectively).
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http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/06/10/...-military-aid/
Ukraine does not "belong" to Russia any more than Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldavia, Kazkahstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikastan, etc., all of which used to be part of Russia or the USSR at one time.
History moves on.