Belong to Russia.
Been doing a little reading and trying to piece together what Russians are saying. I just watched a video made by a Russian, and another interview by a Russian official. He smirks a little about how the world thought nothing of the attacks made on Russians in 2015.
From their point of view, those two regions in eastern Ukraine declared independence as separate republics, and Russia accepted them, just as we annexed Texas after it declared independence from Mexico (albeit some years afterward). Once that happened, in the Russian mind - Ukrainians were attacking RUSSIA. The way they see it, they were just protecting a region that had freely chose to join Russia out of years of mistreatment at the hands of the Ukrainian government.
Again, from their point of view - they'd have just about enough, and have determined that the only way to keep the regions they've - annexed - is to overthrow the government in Kyiv and end the fighting in the east.
Lest anyone get the wrong idea, I disagree entirely with everything Russia has done, and nothing can justify the barbaric shelling and destruction they have heaped upon all areas of Ukraine. Perhaps the world didn't notice, but I don't recall the necessity of millions of citizens of Luhansk and Donetsk FLEEING the horror of the war zone as their cities were summarily leveled.
Russia seems to believe that the transition of regions don't need recognition legally or by the world or whatever - when South Sudan broke away it took fighting and conflict, but it was resolved by referendum, law and recognition by all involved, including Sudan. Try to imagine if Puerto Rico had a "referendum" where they decided they wanted to be part of Cuba, and the Cuban army "annexed" it. This is akin to what the Russians did - no official recognition by Ukraine or the rest of the world.
Been doing a little reading and trying to piece together what Russians are saying. I just watched a video made by a Russian, and another interview by a Russian official. He smirks a little about how the world thought nothing of the attacks made on Russians in 2015.
From their point of view, those two regions in eastern Ukraine declared independence as separate republics, and Russia accepted them, just as we annexed Texas after it declared independence from Mexico (albeit some years afterward). Once that happened, in the Russian mind - Ukrainians were attacking RUSSIA. The way they see it, they were just protecting a region that had freely chose to join Russia out of years of mistreatment at the hands of the Ukrainian government.
Again, from their point of view - they'd have just about enough, and have determined that the only way to keep the regions they've - annexed - is to overthrow the government in Kyiv and end the fighting in the east.
Lest anyone get the wrong idea, I disagree entirely with everything Russia has done, and nothing can justify the barbaric shelling and destruction they have heaped upon all areas of Ukraine. Perhaps the world didn't notice, but I don't recall the necessity of millions of citizens of Luhansk and Donetsk FLEEING the horror of the war zone as their cities were summarily leveled.
Russia seems to believe that the transition of regions don't need recognition legally or by the world or whatever - when South Sudan broke away it took fighting and conflict, but it was resolved by referendum, law and recognition by all involved, including Sudan. Try to imagine if Puerto Rico had a "referendum" where they decided they wanted to be part of Cuba, and the Cuban army "annexed" it. This is akin to what the Russians did - no official recognition by Ukraine or the rest of the world.
