@doctor_zoidberg@mastodon.social @kravietz
Exactly!
> they can accept any misery, as long as their closest neighbours are as poor as themselves
Not only that — the economy was doing more or less fine till 2013, but oil prices started dropping and this would've slowed down the economic growth drastically. At the same time in 2011-2013 people were protesting.
Seeing poor economic performance more people could've joined the protesters, so he had to respond — and short victorious war isn't exactly a new trick.
@doctor_zoidberg@mastodon.social @kravietz
Few remember that now, but before invading Ukraine, Russian troops were deployed in Kazakhstan in 2022: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Kazakh_unrest
> Putin described the intervention as a concerted effort to protect regional allies from what he described as colour revolutions instigated by foreign interference"
Annexing a part of KZ was the alternative, but China told him to get out. He knew that at least some people would support another conflict with UA — so he went that route.
@doctor_zoidberg@mastodon.social @kravietz
Except… he expected it to go exactly it did with Crimea, his intelligence had been lying to him and he miscalculated.
Economy performing poorly under Pooteen is the primary reason — always was, everything else follows. And NATO never had anything at all to do with it — Trump and his advisors demonstrate their utter incompetence even bringing that up, and some European leaders are falling right into KGB trap discussing this instead of implementing what has to be done!
@doctor_zoidberg@mastodon.social @kravietz
As sad as it is to admit, but a lot of people genuinely welcomed the Crimea annexation. Besides — now poor economic performance could be pinned on sanctions! Which as we know weren't even remotely effective.
He tried to repeat the success with Syria, but few were interested in that conflict. At that point people have readjusted to the new economic realities, but suddenly a pandemic broke out, this was a serious problem.
Time for another victorious war?