Why does Russia, the largest country, not simply join NATO?
NonCredibleDefense
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They don't have to. They just interfere in our politics
It was considered at one point in the 90s.
Before both sides walked away. Both sides had shit that the other side wanted nothing to do with.. and it mostly involved Russia insisting it be allowed to keep a sphere of influence (read puppet and slave states with no autonomy or say in their own affairs)
Russia will never abandon its imperialist ideology without a Nuremberg style purge
And NATO. in sight of that imperialist ambition. Wanted nothing to do with Russia. There was also the matter of Russia being a mobster state.
Really was a consideration all the way up until mid 00's. After 9/11 Russia warmed to NATO when they expanded the "war on terror" and even became a part of a permanent joint council.
Relations soured when Russia started dicking around in Ukraine and Georgia again in 04 and 08. Russia's version of soft power is basically empowering local oligarchs by giving them cushy oil/mineral deals and have them get involved in their respective countries politics. A big part of the orange revolution was kicking out the pro Kremlin oligarchs.
Russia's transition from soft to hard power has always been funding and supporting "separatist groups" like they did in Georgia and Ukraine. It's always the same fucking playbook.
Boris Yeltsin sure did drink a lot, eh?
They've tried on more than occasion, but been rejected.
Russia feels "threatened" by NATO.
It's a defense pact. As long as you don't attack nothing happens - so why would you feel threatened by that if you don't plan on attacking those countries?
Cue conspiracies about NATO strong-arming countries into joining to further the imperialist agenda of the United States (and their goal of making Russia a scapegoat for all the world's problems). Yes they exist.
>Be Putin
>Invade Ukraine to prevent NATO expansion.
>2 more countries join NATO.
>MFW
Ehhhh, it was always just an excuse, just like all the other reasons that they invented. Nazis, NATO, will of the people, whatever bullshit he came up with, the real reason was always because there's was money to be made by owning their land.
To be fair, the Russians do have an answer to that: Western secret services like the CIA have been infiltrating those countries' governments and/or orchestrated anti-Russian, pro-Western coups.
To be fair yet again, that answer is a load of bullshit, those democratic governments have plenty of genuine popular support, the people in these countries are anti-Russian because of personal experiences with the Russian state, not just because of propaganda, and the USA, while influential to an outsized degree, is obviously not just "calling the shots" on the entire western world. Things would look very different if they were.
Speaking of "calling the shots", the EU and/or UK narratives are even funnier. If some country in Europe takes action against Russian government:
- And the US agrees with that: "US made their puppet do that"
- And the US disagrees or obviously not involved: "Ha, US can't control their corrupt puppets!", or "The anglosaxon deepstate strikes again"
I'm way more worried of the anglo-dane deep state. It's so deep some think it vanished an age ago, but I know they are still out there, just biding their time
Well, I innfiltrated Denmark so I hope to find the deepvikingstate jarl, befriend him and affect his decisions.
I thank you for your service!