The Donald absolutely ripping into the krauts, here.

[Burney]

True.

And if you look at the world from above, you understand why fear of encirclement has been engrained in the Russian psyche since the Tsars.

Yes, but the problem is that Russia's response to that threat has tended to be aggression rather than effective long-term alliances.

[eastgermanautos]

There's a whole generation of politicians and technocrats around the world who simply don't know what's hit them.

It's not really true. You see, we've learned the trick, and you Non-USers will eventually too. It's just to complain about everything, and then to take credit for some sh*t you didn't do if that sh*t seems to be working.

[Ash]

The entire history of Russia since Peter The Great has been about Russia attempting to expand its territories, a. NATO wasn't developed for a laugh. It was developed as a westward check to that historical reality. It still exists for that purpose.

NATO did its job during the cold war. It helped keep the main peace in a multi-polar world, and perhaps should have disbanded with the USSR. Since then NATO has been an aggressive tool of the USA.

Russia doesn't need more territory, it needs peace and good relations. You mentioned allies - it now has a strong alliance with China and is a key player in the BRI and SCO projects, and is the only power with good relations with all the countries in the middle east - including Israel, KSA, Syria and Iran.

Trump is portrayed as a lunatic but might yet be a peacemaker. He wants to get on with Russia and China, and wants peace in Korea. The place he might not want peace though is Iran.

To go back to the original point - he also wants to sell his more expensive LNG to Germany, who would prefer to buy cheaper energy from Russia.

[Burney]

NATO did its job during the cold war. It helped keep the main peace in a multi-polar world, and perhaps should have disbanded with the USSR. Since then NATO has been an aggressive tool of the USA.

Russia doesn't need more territory, it needs peace and good relations. You mentioned allies - it now has a strong alliance with China and is a key player in the BRI and SCO projects, and is the only power with good relations with all the countries in the middle east - including Israel, KSA, Syria and Iran.

Trump is portrayed as a lunatic but might yet be a peacemaker. He wants to get on with Russia and China, and wants peace in Korea. The place he might not want peace though is Iran.

To go back to the original point - he also wants to sell his more expensive LNG to Germany, who would prefer to buy cheaper energy from Russia.

I think it's a trifle disingenuous of you to ignore the fact that Putin's popularity has to no small extent lain in his revival of Russian nationalism and that that has entailed a highly aggressive and domineering approach over those former Russian states that became independent at the end of the Cold War. Russia may not 'need' more territory, but it does regard its former republics as effectively satellite states that it is entitled to control and bully. When it becomes clear that the states themselves have other ideas, Putin has never been slow to threaten and/or use his military to force them into obeisance. Given that (and Russia's history of aggression to - for instance - Poland and Ukraine), is it really a surprise that Russia's neighbours should seek security in an alliance with NATO?

History makes it clear that the notion of Russia being an innocent victim encroached upon by the West is nonsense. A large part of Russia's history is one of aggression towards and colonisation of its immediate western neighbours and that history is inevitably going to inform modern attitudes.

[WES]

NATO did its job during the cold war. It helped keep the main peace in a multi-polar world, and perhaps should have disbanded with the USSR. Since then NATO has been an aggressive tool of the USA.

Russia doesn't need more territory, it needs peace and good relations. You mentioned allies - it now has a strong alliance with China and is a key player in the BRI and SCO projects, and is the only power with good relations with all the countries in the middle east - including Israel, KSA, Syria and Iran.

Trump is portrayed as a lunatic but might yet be a peacemaker. He wants to get on with Russia and China, and wants peace in Korea. The place he might not want peace though is Iran.

To go back to the original point - he also wants to sell his more expensive LNG to Germany, who would prefer to buy cheaper energy from Russia.

If Russia needs peace and good relations; why does the mouthpiece of the Putin state (RT) continually bombard the Russian people with anti-Russian, western conspiracy theories which seem to have little truth behind them?

And even if you do believe that there is truth behind them, if you really want peace and good relations why tell everyone in Russia about them thereby tainting their view of the people that want good relations with?

What Russia wants or needs means nothing. What Putin wants or needs means everything. And peace and good relations do him little good as what he really wants is an enemy against whom he can protect the Russian people. Whether it exists or not.

[Peter]

Yes, but the problem is that Russia's response to that threat has tended to be aggression rather than effective long-term alliances.

THey tried effective long term alliances but the likes of you said it was brutal communist occupation.

The poor old Russians just cant win.

[Sir C]

THey tried effective long term alliances but the likes of you said it was brutal communist occupation.

The poor old Russians just cant win.

It's not funny. You normalise acceptance of communist propaganda.

You're dangerous people. Apologists for torture and oppression. It's not cool at all.

[WES]

THey tried effective long term alliances but the likes of you said it was brutal communist occupation.

The poor old Russians just cant win.

Which part of 'alliances' involves sending in tanks when the people you are allied to take a decision you don't like?

[Peter]

Which part of 'alliances' involves sending in tanks when the people you are allied to take a decision you don't like?

THat would come under 'effective'......

Tanks are frequently very effective.

[Peter]

It's not funny. You normalise acceptance of communist propaganda.

You're dangerous people. Apologists for torture and oppression. It's not cool at all.

Everyone apologise for torture and oppression under the right circumstances. Consider the immediate post war period from Russia's point of view. The war was no picnic for them.....

**** the Germans and **** leaving a bloody great big gap of **** all between you and them.

Admittedly, you would think they might cool off over the next 20-30 years but then the Cold War was in full swing until Rocky IV came along and solved it.

You people will never understand Russia.