gringo2011
Premium Platinum
correct me if i am wrong but the deal for Russia leaving Ukraine, was that Russia would get the Nukes and in return the Ukraine would get NATO support: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum
the reality is these countries wanted to leave Russia.
i don't see how anything justifies the Russian invasion. just like I don't think there was justification for Afghanistan or Iraq.
Nothing justifies it but they were also provoked. The US put in a puppet government and orchestrated a war for profit and destabilisation of other super powers. No-one is saying Russia are good guys either.
China is a good model. They do the same thing where they tie countries up in their financial orbit but through soft diplomacy. Paying for infrastructure in poor nations instead of flattening them. Doesn't mean they won't turn nasty at some point but right now they are a better world citizen than most of the western nations.