Quote (Prox1m1ty @ 11 Jan 2023 11:47)
Russian demands left zero room for NATO to negotiate. Accepting almost any of those terms would have essentially been Russia dictating how the alliance operates i.e. non negotiable.
Not to mention Russian troops massing at the Ukraine border before December 2021.
This was a clear disingenuous act by Russia to appear like they would negotiate. The decision to invade Ukraine was made long before then. Acting as though they would negotiate served only as a pretext and pillar of the narrative.
This cannot be stressed enough. Throughout 2021, Russia had deliberately let European gas storages run low (by only supplying the contractually obligated minimum) in a clear preparation of the war. In fact, they had spent almost two decades hooking Europe on their cheap gas. In the summer of 2021, they completed the final tests of their new Kinzhal hypersonic missile which ensured that nuclear deterrence would be upheld for at least some time, no matter which secret missile-defense systems the West might possess. Gas prices soared to the highest levels since 2014 during the 2021/22 winter. Nord Stream 2 was completed in early 2022, and mere days later, the invasion began.
If anyone thinks all these events lining up so perfectly was a pure coincidence, that Russia was still open to good-faith negotiations in late 2021 and that foolish Ukrainian refusal to compromise is the cause of the war, I have a bridge to sell him.