Russia's top chess players and, it appears, its chess federation, have appealed directly to President Vladimir Putin to stop the war as the game reels from the fall-out of the invasion of Ukraine. In an open letter published in March of 2022, a list of highly decorated players that reads like a who's who of Russian chess, said it is "unbearably painful for us to see the catastrophe that is happening".
Russia may not be the dominant force in chess it was during the Soviet era, but many very strong Russian players are now banned because of one man's stupidity. Let us hope this destructive campaign ends...soon! 😕
https://chess24.com/en/read/news/russian-chess-players-tell-putin-to-stop-the-war
Being that this isn't the appropriate forum for a detailed discussion of the subject, I'll be brief. Russia was long provoked by NATO, and residents of eastern Ukraine had been constantly attacked by Ukraine's armed forces since 2014 (as reported by Eva Bartlett at https://www.mintpressnews.com/under-fire-from-ukraine-everyday-life-in-the-donetsk-peoples-republic/262363/ ).
@fmdavidhlevin saidYou're correct that NATO has long provoked Russia.
Being that this isn't the appropriate forum for a detailed discussion of the subject, I'll be brief. Russia was long provoked by NATO, and residents of eastern Ukraine had been constantly attacked by Ukraine's armed forces since 2014 (as reported by Eva Bartlett at https://www.mintpressnews.com/under-fire-from-ukraine-everyday-life-in-the-donetsk-peoples-republic/262363/ ).
However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine had nothing to do with any NATO provocation. Russia stated their reason for invading Crimea was mistreatment of ethnic Russians. Putin's stated reason for the 2021 invasion were based on false-flag attacks where Russia claimed they were attacked by Ukrainian forces.
Again, you're correct about NATO's provocation of Russia, but NATO had nothing to do with their invasion of Ukraine.
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@vivify saidNo.
You're correct that NATO has long provoked Russia.
The other way 'round, maybe. Putin invaded Georgia without provocation, and supports the Han Dictatorship over their terror towards Taiwan. NATO has only told him not to. Is it "provocation" to tell an aggressive bully not to be an aggressive bully?
@vivify saidNATO invited Ukraine to join, which would have facilitated the country's obtaining nuclear weapons that would be aimed at Russia. This was alluded to by Ambassador Anatoly Antonov in an interview with Newsweek (https://www.newsweek.com/russias-ambassador-us-reveals-why-ukraine-war-began-how-it-could-end-1696596).
You're correct that NATO has long provoked Russia.
However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine had nothing to do with any NATO provocation. Russia stated their reason for invading Crimea was mistreatment of ethnic Russians. Putin's stated reason for the 2021 invasion were based on false-flag attacks where Russia claimed they were attacked by Ukrainian forces.
Again, you' ...[text shortened]... rrect about NATO's provocation of Russia, but NATO had nothing to do with their invasion of Ukraine.
@fmdavidhlevin saidCorrect. But that was in 2008. Fourteen years later, Ukraine is no closer to joining, mainly due to the fact that Ukraine's political and social situations don't meet NATO's standards for joining (such as corruption, treatment of minorities, etc.).
NATO invited Ukraine to join, which would have facilitated the country's obtaining nuclear weapons that would be aimed at Russia. This was alluded to by Ambassador Anatoly Antonov in an interview with Newsweek (https://www.newsweek.com/russias-ambassador-us-reveals-why-ukraine-war-began-how-it-could-end-1696596).
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_8443.htm
That's why NATO clearly said Ukraine must complete their Membership Action Plan, which Ukraine never completed.
So again, NATO had nothing to do with Putin's invasion.