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Gosh, now I wonder why they would have possibly intervened at that particular time. No geopolitical analysts anywhere could have ever predicted the reaction of

Gosh, now I wonder why they would have possibly intervened at that particular time. No geopolitical analysts anywhere could have ever predicted the reaction of Russia to the possibility of Sevastopol becoming a NATO Naval base and US forward strike forces and missile base setting up shop just 250 miles away from Moscow...

pjc50 26d ago
The "buffer zone" argument works in reverse: gee, I wonder why Europe got worried given that annexation of Ukraine would put Russian forces right next to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary (Orban era), Romania, and Moldova (which is already partly occupied in Transnistria).
- soco 26d ago
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- deleted 26d ago
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def_true_false 26d ago
There are already NATO bases within 250 miles of St Petersburg. Pray tell, what's so special about Moscow?
- cpursley 26d ago
  Really? Hum, maybe it’s the political and economic capital? What’s so special about Kiev, Paris?
leonidasrup 26d ago
Distance between Sevastopol and Moscow is 1284 km, 798.31 mi or 693.71 nmi. On the other hand distance from Kaliningrad to Berlin is just 618 km, 384 mi or 333.94 nmi.
- cpursley 26d ago
  Chernihiv is 280 miles, I was off my a bit. Kaliningrad is not the concern. Sevastopol is a different type of concern (navy power). Russia has a long insecurity about its western boarder going back way before Putin, no leadership there unless in the pocket of the US was going to allow that in the same way China ain’t building an alliance with Mexico. This is geopolitics 101, day 1 material.
  - leonidasrup 26d ago
    Exactly the same way the Russians are uneasy about Chernihiv, Western countries are uneasy about Kaliningrad with it's nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles. https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/17/russia-upgrades-nuclear-sites-closest-uk-23441537/ https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/17/russia-upgrades-nuclear-sites... Geopolitics 101 also says that in a war between countries armed with ICBMs delivering nuclear weapons, distance doesn't matter, everyone dies. Especially with second-strike capability like Dead Hand (Sistema "Perimetr"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_hand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_hand

pjc50 26d ago

The "buffer zone" argument works in reverse: gee, I wonder why Europe got worried given that annexation of Ukraine would put Russian forces right next to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary (Orban era), Romania, and Moldova (which is already partly occupied in Transnistria).

soco 26d ago
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deleted 26d ago
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def_true_false 26d ago

There are already NATO bases within 250 miles of St Petersburg. Pray tell, what's so special about Moscow?

cpursley 26d ago
Really? Hum, maybe it’s the political and economic capital? What’s so special about Kiev, Paris?

leonidasrup 26d ago

Distance between Sevastopol and Moscow is 1284 km, 798.31 mi or 693.71 nmi. On the other hand distance from Kaliningrad to Berlin is just 618 km, 384 mi or 333.94 nmi.

cpursley 26d ago
Chernihiv is 280 miles, I was off my a bit. Kaliningrad is not the concern. Sevastopol is a different type of concern (navy power). Russia has a long insecurity about its western boarder going back way before Putin, no leadership there unless in the pocket of the US was going to allow that in the same way China ain’t building an alliance with Mexico. This is geopolitics 101, day 1 material.
- leonidasrup 26d ago
  Exactly the same way the Russians are uneasy about Chernihiv, Western countries are uneasy about Kaliningrad with it's nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles. https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/17/russia-upgrades-nuclear-sites-closest-uk-23441537/ https://metro.co.uk/2025/06/17/russia-upgrades-nuclear-sites... Geopolitics 101 also says that in a war between countries armed with ICBMs delivering nuclear weapons, distance doesn't matter, everyone dies. Especially with second-strike capability like Dead Hand (Sistema "Perimetr"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_hand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_hand