>Remember, the year before invasion all what Russian diplomacy wanted - it is to give guaranties that Ukraine won't join NATO?

"The year before the invasion" - 2013, right? That's the year you're referring to? The year in which he got a 30 year lease on Sevastopol, thereby keeping Ukraine out of NATO for decades? Because Yanukovich was still in power, and doing everything to appease him?

Why is it that the medal Shoigu got for the Crimea takeover commemorates a date a week prior to Maidan, and two weeks prior to the "official" start of the invasion? Why is it that despite the "diplomacy" they never even attempted to abide by the Minsk agreements (and if you feel like disputing this, refresh yourself on article 10 and the timeline of events at Donetsk Airport)?

Watch the recent Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin.

There is a literally 2 hours long historical lecture from Putin, explaining in great detail why (to his opinion) Ukraine doesn't and shouldn't exist as a sovereign state and "in fact" never was, since the beginning of the history, LMAO. This is what really concerns him, if you listen. In his reality, Ukraine is a Russian province, not an independent state.

He goes as far as justifying Hitler's attack on Poland ("they made him to attack by not voluntarily giving away their territory, it was Poland's fault") — sic. You see where he goes?

So it seems that NATO didn't bother him very much, it is just a red herring or "diplomatic speak" to express his true concerns. The real issue is Ukraine's sovereignty / independence. Joining NATO is just an act of that sovereignty, that couldn't be tolerated.