1. I support the annexation of Crimea and the territories of Ukraine. I first visited Crimea in 2015, a year after joining Russia, to celebrate the Great Victory on May 9, and saw the joy in the eyes of the locals. And I visited Crimea in 2020 and personally saw the positive transformations that have taken place and are taking place there. And I also talked to local people and their joy from being part of Russia, despite the indecision of many Russian companies, banks and mobile operators to work in Crimea.
2. Like many of my acquaintances, I have no illusions that this is a war between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine is only a tool in the hands of Western countries.
If mobilization is announced, I will not be asked if I want to go or not.
3. I know that military service and the work of civilian contractors on the territory of Ukraine are now well paid, but I am satisfied with my earnings and am not ready to go there yet.
You are misguided on several points.
You visited Crimea and saw that *some of the population were delighted to be a part of Russia. People don't decide in a democracy who governs them by the will of people in individual areas. They vote and the Government they vote in decides the future of the country either because they vote for a government with a specific policy that aligns with that or because that Government calls a national referendum and the country as a whole votes and decides the future. I might not like my local Council or even my Government (I don't), but that doesn't mean I can decide to declare my house or my neighbourhood independent because I live in a democracy where the future of my neighbourhood and country are decided by votes where everyone n the country is asked what they want and the majority vote decides what happens. Yes some people don't get what they want, but they have a chance to change that next vote around. So everyone gets a fair say, not just a few, and it's what the majority want that decides. That may sound undemocratic at 1st glance but the point here is it's not just one section of a communities voice that gets heard but everybodys because everybody has a right to decide the future of their country. Ukraine democratically voted to separate from the USSR in the 1990's. If the ex-Russians in Ukraine don't like that, but the rest of Ukraine does, then the answer is for the ex-Russians to go and live in Russia. You don't simply decide you're going to ignore everyone else's will and do what you want even if the majority don't want it. The country decided. You either go along with that or live elsewhere. You have the choice.
Ukraine has never been a tool of Western countries. Nato doesn't expand. Countries ask if they can join Nato and then as you've seen, the existing Nato nations hold a vote as to whether they're going to let that country join - it's democratic. Even if the countries want to join,unless all other members vote for them to be allowed to join, they can't. If 1 country said no to either Sweden or Finland, they couldn't join. Why do countries want to join Nato? Because they feel threatened by Russian Aggression such as the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Nato wouldn't have expanded if Russia hadn't caused other countries to fear invasion from it. In the current expansion, Sweden and Finland have been against joining Nato until the invasion of Ukraine this year. It's Russia and Putin that have caused Nato expansion. It's likely in the future, Moldova and Ukraine once liberated will join to ensure this never happens again.
This is entirely Putin's and Russia's fault. Don't threaten and invade your neighbours and you won't cause fear in other countries that causes them to want to join military defensive alliances, and that's what Nato is defensive. It's like the Warsaw Pact. It's not an army. It's not an offensive force. It's purely a pact that if one member country is attacked, then all the others will join in to defend it. Nato has no nukes near Russian borders. Nato had very few troops and equipment in countries bordering Russia prior to this war as Nato / the EU always respected Russia and kept only enough to mount an immediate defence to an invasion on the premice they would hold out until reinforcements arrived should the worst happen. Nato / EU never kept large forces in bordering countries expecting it to happen. That is the result of Putin's attitude and moves.
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This is the view from my window. If they allow themselves a show, then even they are not needed in Ukraine yet. And we are even more so.
I mean no offense when I say this but you're post on taking up Ak's (pleased you won't and value your family and children), is somewhat deluded in thinking you can take on the Ukrainian army or the West as is the post on your airforce. I'm pleased you are proud of them and they've put on a great display for you.
However...
Look at what has happend in Ukraine so far. Putin is quick to say you're fighting Nato or the West, you're not. You're fighting a poorly equipped army with a little Western training (although that is improving as the offensive shows), and you're still losing heavily. You're ships are too scared to leave Crimea after losing the Moskva and 800 sailors. Today your submarines are being recalled to Russia because Crimea is no longer deemed safe. Your airforce hardly goes out because most of the aircraft sent have been shot down / get shot down. Your army has lost 80,000 men with many more injured. You've lost most of your equipment and against an army that is 1/2 trained and poorly equipped. Any leader telling you you could take on Nato or the even the US or even the UK and win is clearly lying to you. You're losing against an army that is no where near Nato standards in training or equipment.
At the start of the war, you'd have been totally wiped out before you even got anywhere near Kyiv. Look at the road to Basra after just a couple of US aircraft took task to Iraqi vehicle convoys:
.and that was 1990's tech and capabilties.
Understand this, Putin is all lies and propoganda. Your army can't take out Ukrainian forces so how can you take on US and Nato forces who are highly trained, equipped and motivated? You'd be wiped out in hours. Plus why would you want to attack the West?
Understand this also, Putin is full of hate.
The West does not hate Russian people. Many Russians visit the US, UK and Europe and receive a warm welcome. They see we have a much higher standard of living. We have freedom, we have love for each other and for them. Russians are not treated badly in the West. They're treated like any other people (there maybe some cooler attitudes atm in some parts of the EU due to the war), but generally Russians are welcomed in the West.
The idea that the West hates Russian people and wants to invade Russia and destroy the people is entirely something of Putin / the Kremlin / the leaders making to keep the Russian people hating the West and supporting communism and suppression. Ask any Russian citizens who live in the US or UK or have visited there what their experience was? I'm guessing the vast majority will tell you they were treated well and warmly, at least pre-war. If I meet a Russian in a shop, I treat them like anyone else even during this war. The majority of Western people don't blame the Russian people, they blame the leaders who want war and who want to grab land to re-instate the former Soviet Union ie Putin and his cronies. The West loves the Russian people. The Russian people are being fed hatred by their leaders to think otherwise.
