[shahadi]

I've recently recalled the conflict in Georgia in 2008. I now believe that Gerogia initiated the hostilities thinking NATO would back her militarily; due in large part to the Bucharest Declaration issued by NATO in 2008.

Here is part 23 of that declaration:

"We agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO."

However, Ukraine has not made the Georgian mistake, although NATO is committed to add Ukraine to NATO.

Ukraine's geography is most important as well as the flow of natural gas through Ukraine. I think Russia intends to bleed Ukraine's economy; while pressuring the Ukrainian elites to accept what amounts to an oligarchical goverance along the lines in Russia; where industries, products, and services are allocated among the elites. I do not think Russia wants to invade Ukraine.

The US headed by Cruz and many other senators are threatening to replace the Nordstream II pipeline with US shipped natural gas. The US may have recheted up the tensions between Ukraine and Russia since 2014. In other words why now?

Could the case be that Putin is reacting to US threats to slash Nordstream II?

Ukraine has deployed the bulk of her fighting force, nearly 120,000 troops to Eastern Ukraine; and it should be noted that with the close
proximity of large formations a spark causing hostilities could smolder on winds from the East or West of Luhansk and Donetsk.