The world can do much now. Even from just a humanitarian perspective, accepting refugees, making sure people don't starve (Ukraine, also Afghanistan, and elsewhere).
Unless you are in Ukraine, you cannot do anything to influence the outcome of this war.
Because he thinks this is how he stays in power. He set up this whole situation with a lot of optimism about Ukraine capitulating, or getting some concessions, and it didn't work out. Now he's attacking because he doesn't want to look weak by withdrawing the buildup. That might lead to him losing power, in his mind.
Or he's insane. The above is the only rational explanation I can think of.
It's the number one reason why this is is happening.
Putin said it was a red line on about 75 separate occasions. Ukraine ignored and pushed ahead anyway. NATO ignored and pushed ahead anyway.
Two days before the invasion as Putin announced a "semi" pull out of amassed, Zelensky reiterated his commitment to joining NATO.
NATO destroyed Libya (now on its second civil war). I doubt they'd leave Russia alone after incorporating Ukraine. It would be irrational to not fear its encroachment.
What Putin thinks about what Ukraine should or should not do stops at the borders of the Russian Federation.
Russia could decide to stop trading with Ukraine, or impose sanctions on Ukraine, or any of a number of other legal options.
Instead, they chose to militarily invade a country.
The US took a dim view of it if I recall correctly.
When the defence of the heartland is threatened, notions such as sovereignty tend to take a back seat and invasion is very much on the table.
Strategically the Ukrainian border is kind of like Russia's jugular. Hence the insistence that NATO membership is a red line.
How true is this since circa 1950, though? There are very few plausible scenarios involving a ground invasion and most of Russia is exposed to modern weaponry so it’s not like the primary threat is a bunch of B-52s flying out of Kyiv. It’s true that distance affects reaction times but they already have similar range borders & submarine launches substantially affected that, too.
At the end of the day, it appears Russia wants eastern Europe politically.
Until they can accept it as independent and sovereign, any protestations about military systems are smoke screens for their general unhappiness with an independent eastern Europe.
Russia sponsored and equiped Ukrainian dissidents to seize eastern Ukraine.
The US embargoed Cuba after the failed invasion.
Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, and has now invaded Ukraine.
The first step was the same, but the US military didn't invade Cuba when it failed.
But sure, all that NATO name dropping surely is the reason for this aggression on a sovereign nation.
NATO as a threat is very real, though. It is enough.
All that went out of the window now.
It's like the geopolitical equivalent of shouting aggressively at a bear from a mile away vs just being between her and her cubs.
Ukrainian-Russian border is where Russia is at its most vulnerable, hence why the reaction to projected NATO encroachment is so violent.
You seem to want to rewrite your position on this.
From day 1 of the invasion it seemed clear to me that their goal was not to occupy all of Ukraine but to "break" it and potentially to cleave off strategic pieces in negotiations and extract a promise of neutrality/demilitarization.
Because I think the real reason why this all happened A) matters rather a lot B) is being swept under the carpet.
NATO's (lack of) respect for Libya's sovereignty can perhaps explain why Putin didnt think that it would have much respect for Russia's sovereignty which is, in turn, why he didnt have much respect for Ukraine's.
No country respects the sovereignty of another when it feels threatened.
The real reason why this happened is utterly irrelevant, but you seem to be a bit stuck on that subject as though there is a possible justification to be found there.
> No country respects the sovereignty of another when it feels threatened.
There was no conceivable way in which Ukraine was a threat to Russia. Full stop.
It wasnt like he was unclear that pursuing NATO membership => invasion either.
>The real reason why this happened is utterly irrelevant
This is precisely the way to make this kind of thing happen again and again and again...
Are you from Russia?
> This is precisely the way to make this kind of thing happen again and again and again...
No, the way to make sure this won't happen again is to make sure that little tinpot dictators don't get their hands on nuclear arms. Apropos, North Korea...
Putin: No plan for Ukrainian invasion. Western hysteria.
Fairly plan liar, that is…
Btw the Russian troop “pullout” was a fabricated lie. It was a few tanks sent back needing mechanical repairs from heavy drills. So it appears we’ve already established you’re falling for Russian state propaganda talking points that turned out to be false.