A regime that doesn't want NATO next to them.
They already have NATO next to them. Two years ago it was short borders with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, now it's also long border with Finland.
Ukrain leadership gambled and lost,
Only alternative would have been to end existence of Ukraine as sovereign nation and contuniation of hudreds years long Russification policy. And war isn't lost. What are recent gains for Russia? Captured city (Avdiivka) which had 30K pre-war popullation with 16K casualities?
this territory is moderated
Ah yes, since NATO is already surrounding them, it doesn't matter if a very big neighbor also joins NATO and almost completes the encirclement. Is this your argument?
Don't you see this is all an escalation of the tensions with Russia ? We are isolating them completely, so better be prepared for some resistance.
I am not an expert in Ukrain-Russia relations. But more efforts to remain neutral would have been a better move, in hindsight.
Russia can continue playing this game more than the West.
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NATO is defensive alliance, nobody should be afraid their neighbours joining, unless you plan to attack them.
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Sure, tell that to the one they are encircling.
It's a Western military alliance, encircling its old opponent.
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Exactly
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If you really believe that Ukraine and its NATO partners can win this war against Russia, then you probably also believe that Epstein Island was a kind of Robinson Crusoe Club
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