Earlier quoted context omitted.
Assuming your thesis is correct: the war in ukraine is a dead end and the EU should let russia finish what it started (parahpraasing, I apologise if I miss the nuance) Surely that would mean _another_ russian friendly Satellite state that can be used as an invasion point by a resurgent russia? Surely its in the best interest of the EU (and US, because trading partner and sphere of influence) to make sure ukraine wins…
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Agreed.
> a perma-militarized frontier state dependent on EU doesn't meet their interests at all.
Also agreed.
I think the point I want to make is that a lot of the EU realise that its far better to have the frontier in eastern ukraine than to have it in eastern Poland , Slovakia, Hungary and romania. Russia isn't going away, its doing what its been doing for the last 150 years, which is waving its dick about in the Steppe and as far south as afganistan/india(delete according to which imperialist bastards you want to aim your ire at) With out ukraine russia wasn't going to stop. Like they blew up a fucking passenger plane, poisoned civilians in the UK and a whole host of other stupid shit. All the things that we as "the west" kinda half arsed in reply.
> a lot of people mistake Ukraine as being part of Europe
I don't see Ukraine as European, its that grey area. in the same way that greece is european, but bulgaria probably isnt (as in its bulgarian, and not seen as part of the Yugoslav tapestry of blood, even though it was ottoman for a loooong time)
I see ukraine in the same way that I see Georgia, a country that has been aggressively brutalised by putin. Its not right that russia can waft in and bomb the living shit out of a country and attempt to ethnically cleanse the place. (before you ask, iraq, Libya and afganistan are in roughly the same ball park) Its also too close to home to have russia fucking with.
I currently work, and have worked with ukrainians off and on for the last ten years(both east and west). So perhaps my view is warped.
> EU itself struggles put up a solid unified front and its members regularly disagree on how to approach Ukraine.
Again agreed. You and I know part of it is standard EU stupidity, and some of it is russian fuckery. then the rest is short sighted economic/political self interest.
I think letting ukraine in the EU would be a mistake, in its present form. Its still adjusting from the last lot to reach full member status.
I'm not american, I'm british and live in London. I think most people in the UK see it as not cricket, and that we should support ukraine, up until the point we have to put soldiers in. But then we don't have an army anymore and we are woefully underprepared.