Ukraine: military (Aug '14 to mid-June '15) closed

[AmericanPride]

AP--and this is what Russia "realpolitik" ----come on AP you were the one that stated "we must understand the Russia side and we must negotiate"---how did that go for you?

The U.S. is not at war with Russia - so far, so good. Now how's your "no negotiations" position working out for the Ukrainians? And since you seem to think that the closer someone is to the conflict, the better they understand it - you might have missed that the Ukrainian president himself has participated in negotiations. So it seems to be that the credibility of argument is... well, nil.

And you are still stating negotiate---have you even read anything mentioned here in the last six months?

Yes - because, as stated repeatedly, the U.S. does not have the coercive means to reverse Russia's gains in Ukraine. The implication is that any Russian reversal will be voluntary; ergo, by negotiation. You still haven't described for anyone how sanctions will be effective in reversing Russia's achievements to date. Please elaborate.

---the last time I checked the Russians do not need a buffer for the following reasons that they themselves have stated since 2012-

It's always been Russian policy to protest NATO encroachment on their borders; i.e. to protest that there is no strategic space between Russia and the West. Russia's nuclear strategy does not change this calculus since there are a range of conflicts between peace and nuclear war (as evidenced by Ukraine).

So if I threaten to use first strike tactical nuclear weapons then just why do I assume I need a buffer---does that make sense to you?

If no geographic buffer exists to create strategic space, transitioning to a position of nuclear first strike makes perfect sense. The lack of space means a contraction of time, which increases the value of a first strike. But since you insist that the Russians are in an "altered state of reality", I don't expect you to understand their strategic perceptions.