You literally said Russia invaded Ukraine - "Russia was not justified to invade Ukraine" - and now you're saying it didn't invade it.
For someone who likes to brag about his "misrepresentation" skills, you certainly do loads of it. I said Rada Ukraine - the Ukrainian government and what it controls, not Donetsk nor Luhansk (which most see as part of Ukraine, still). Furthermore, Russia can still be thought as to invade Ukraine, as it did take Crimea obviously against Rade Ukrainian permission.
And who cares about a little bullying?? Get out of the utopian world of rainbows and butterflies. This is geopolitics.
Who cares about one fellow killed? This is a riot, 50 folk are killed. That is what you say, now.
Russia has a clear national security interest in protecting Eastern Europe from encroaching UN-NATO influence
Russia has no national security problems, not since 1949. America is not foolish enough to attack it when there are so many other smaller countries that are much easier prey, since they don't have atomic bombs. And frankly, I'd rather Russia surrender to America than Russia invade Crimea.
did not sent soldiers into Rada Ukraine under orders from the Duma
Sent soldiers anyway. Before Russia officially took Crimea, Russian soldiers took Crimea.
Putin's approval ratings according to the Levada Center are nearly 90%. Putin has no need to rig Russian elections when he already has incredible popularity and public support. And don't come back saying Levada Center is a propaganda arm: "Since it was founded in 1987, originally as the All-Union Public Opinion Research Center, the Levada Center has conducted the country's most credible surveys on social and political topics. It is known around the world for its objectivity and professionalism."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2015/jul/23/vladimir-putins-approval-rating-at-record-levels
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/why-the-kremlin-hates-levada-center/480433.html
Yeah, he is supported greatly in Russia, I don't deny that. He's far better than most the other candidates, but there is a net, there's no risking this stuff, and how folk feel. Vote rigging will be done as needed, as it is done everywhere else, in India, America so on.
Also your point on how an election is democratic with the military forces in Crimea is completely irrelevant. You really think the Russian military was going to start shooting up Crimean citizens if they voted against joining Russia? That doesn't even make sense.
Well, no, it's just full-rigging on unneutral electings, and also intimidation and impartial "discouraging" of wrong votes. I mean, 96%: if you asked 25 folk, only 1 fellow in Crimea would say they were against union with Russia, and I mean, 10% of the population was ethnically Ukrainian, anyway. And obviously, it makes sense. If you shoot someone who would vote against, then you don't have an against voter.
I said they had "permission from Assad, the democratically elected leader of Syria, to engage in military engagements against ISIS in Syria".
You know, let me clean up a Russian myth right now: Bashar Assad was far from elected. Just to give you an idea, as official policy, non-Muslims were not allowed to vote. At that's just of the SAR, not of Syria. And again, even America has support of more sides in the war than Russia. Thankfully, Russia is leaving there.
Its not an invasion if they have permission.
Yeah, it wouldn't be an invasion if Russian forces stayed in the SAR, but truth is, they're bombing the Mashriq, along with everyone else.
In the Gulf War of 1990 the US landed troops in Kuwait to liberate the nation. Would you call than invasion?
Tsh, "liberate". I think the word you mean is "free", and that is propoganda pshhh. Anyhow, yes, America invaded Iraq, which had what was formerly Kuwaiti government lands. It's like asking the House of Romanov if to invade Russia, and they say yes. Doesn't mean there is permission.
The same situation applies here. Assad asks Putin for help to take out ISIS. Putin with clear permission engages in military activities.
And so Russia invades the Masrhiq. As I said, America has much more permissions than Russia.
If anything, you can call US/NATO military activities in Syria an invasion because last time I checked they don't have permission from Assad to do so.
Assad rules one country, one faction, not 4. Just the SAR.
evil, murderous nationalists in Russia.
Shouting Allahu Akbar would get you killed in Moskva, you'd love it. Not to mention all the hate to the dirty Kazakhs and Mongols.
And we have Xy, a former Belarus resident, arguing that Russia's actions have not been justified.
Well, I used to live in Russia, too, but to be frank, Belarus is not Russia (and the government and folk try to emphasise it - for example, in Sweden and Germany, there were a few petitions to get them to stop calling Belarus "Vitrussland/Weißrussland" (White Russia/Rus Land) and to call them Belarus.
