They're referring to the fact that the war actually started in 2014. 2022 was only a military operation and it has only last year been finally referred to as a war by russia. So yeah, russia's been struggling in Ukraine for quite a while. They thought they could pull another Georgia 2008, I guess. Can't blame them for trying now, can we? It's only their historical territory and nazi territory that they're trying to take so it's ok.
Ignore Ukraine fighting Russians who invaded their country? I thought that was the point?
Are you trying to stand by the bald faced lie that 'its just locals who disagree' over booting out the extremely corrupt Yanukovych? Just locals with Russian military tech shooting down MH17.
I'm sure the oil and gas discoveries prior to the 2014 invasion had nothing to do with it.
What really blows my mind is the tankies ignoring Ukraine trying to nationalize the energy sector ahead of Russia's invasion.
These borders are arbitrary lines drawn by Soviet bureucrats. It did not matter as long as both countries were in the Soviet Union. This is not a war between two countries. This is a war over how the Soviet Union should break up.
Maybe, if you consider the ethnic cleansing the soviet's did. Like getting rid of all the tartars in Crimea. When you send an entire population to the gulag to die, maybe their historic borders don't matter so much anymore. Is that what you are referring to?