Not gonna say U.S. has not done similar shit in other countries but Putin calling out the U.S. as corrupt as his defense for invading Ukraine is low shit justification for starting a war... wtf do innocent Ukrainians have to do with Putin's dick swinging contest with the U.S. There were plenty of media outlets and actual politicians who spoke out against the war in Iraq for example....I doubt Putin has any opposition that he cannot kill for his actions in Ukraine.
Why do you say I'm justifying the war? I'm very much opposed to any violent conflict as a way to resolve issues. And yet there were thousands of Russians standing in the cold in Moscow and St. Pete and elsewhere protesting the war.
Oh please, I knew this where you would be. You think Russia “makes some good points” about our failures. He is making those points as justification to be our enemy and threaten us with nuclear weapons genius. Wake up.
You do realize it is possible to be against an action and also support one or two of the reasons as fair points, don't you? Or are you so unilateral/black and white in your thinking that you will never listen to your enemy/opponents thoughts because they come from your enemy/opponent? By the way, the "fair points" also don't make the action any better or more acceptable. But they are fair points and we should consider them.
You can pick apart the pieces of Putin’s speech until your eyes bleed but you’re failure is that you are missing the speech is a means to an end. Try focusing on why he gave the speech and then ask yourself why those portions are in there.
Zelensky really working overtime to frost Putin's balls. Everyone who is not a total idiot understands that a lot of this Nato expansion bullshit that Vlad whines about is just code-talk for saying "I want an agreement that western lifestyle will not be right up against my borders." Ditto for this demand for "neutrality." Putin puts it in terms of NATO but does not want any further declaration by Ukraine that is committed to western european life. Ya know, things like applying for EU membership. Zelensky signs EU membership application https://thehill.com/policy/international/596124-zelensky-signs-eu-membership-application
I know exactly why he gave the speech and I betcha I understand better than you. Of the two of us, I'm betting I'm the only one who spent years in Russia and had experience with the Russian people and their thinking. I get it. And again, I don't accept his actions. But whatever the motivation you want to assign, if he makes a few good points - points where we are just as guilty elsewhere - then we ought to consider those as we're stoning the man.
1. Put your glasses on and read again please before typing 2. thousands of russians out in the square..... that is not media outlets condeming the President or politicians rising up in opposition.... Putin is not going to do anything about a few people in the square complaining but he does control the media and the entire government.