trying to picture ukraine in nato. that would be bizarre:-)

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not possible, NATO has no "сало" ;)

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- Независимость - это когда в 20-й раз наступаешь на одни и те же грабли, а русские уже ни при чем....

Well Pom,

 I guess I can't deny that russia has had it's fair share of clever politicans. My favorite being Stalin (who outsmarted Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta, but please, don't mistake honesty for ass kissing, I am not kissing any ass).  It reminds me of a quote he once said:  "I know that when I am gone, they will put a heap of garbage on my grave, but the wind of history will blow it away mercilessly." 

Internal dysfunction didn't prevent slovakia, slovenia, etc. 

potential conflict w Russia didn't prevent baltic republics.

What else is there that could prevent it? 

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"Я это понимаю на рациональном уровне, но не могу принять на эмоциональном" --Бизнесмен Борис Березовский

BillyBadAss:

Well Pom,

 I guess I can't deny that russia has had it's fair share of clever politicans. My favorite being Stalin (who outsmarted Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta, but please, don't mistake honesty for ass kissing, I am not kissing any ass).  It reminds me of a quote he once said:  "I know that when I am gone, they will put a heap of garbage on my grave, but the wind of history will blow it away mercilessly." 

Mestiza

Incentives. Why does Ukraine and others want to join NATO in the first place? People and nations respond to incentives. NATO is good for Ukraine because it's a step towards closer integration with the West. And the West has the standard of living that people in Ukraine desire.

 

Give Ukraine a good enough scare and it won't join NATO although will keep wanting it still. Give Ukraine some healthy economic incentives to seek closer ties with Russia and some political respect and it will not seek to join NATO.

 

Very simple J

 

But no, respect to “orange” leaders?! Treat this under-state as an equal! What's next? Respect to Estonia? Treating Belarus as equal? Better build more tanks and give them all a good scare.

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Jedem Das Seine.