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A considerable chunk of Donetsk and Luhansk wanted to leave and backed their words with force of arms.
Is this meant to be any kind of statement about the legitimacy of Ukrainian or Russian government there? If so how? A 'significant chunk' of those in Ulster wanted to leave and backed their words with force of arms, hardly makes British rule illegitimate or not worth fighting to preserve.
The legitimacy of the Ukrainian and Russian govts isn't really important. We shouldn't be interfering in other people's messy problems. It would be inappropriate for the Soviets to send guns and munitions to Ulster or London.
The fracking USA sent guns to Ulster.
Rep Peter King (IRA-NY) suffered no adverse political consequences for being a terrorist fundraiser, and was allowed to be Grand Marshall of the NYC St Patrick's Day parade (despite provoking a boycott by the Irish embassy) and Chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security (I suppose he did have relevant experience given the main project of the committee under his leadership was investigating terrorist financing). He remained unrepentant until Sinn Fein irritated him by opposing the Iraq war, and continued to befoul Congress until retiring in his late 70's.
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Except it isn't messy. Russia invaded a sovereign nation without provocation - indeed they were the ones already being provocative with their support of separatists. If foreign support isn't justified now then when is it?
We invade or attack sovereign countries all the time without provocation, under novel ideas like 'responsibility to protect' or Bush's 'pre-emptive strike'. Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yugoslavia... The Russians had the good grace to mostly stay out of the way and not flood these countries with MANPADs or other weapons directly aimed at our troops. They mostly stayed out of our way and we stayed out of theirs. This is how we avoid WW3.
What were we doing in Syria if not supporting separatists? What are US troops doing on the ground there?
If we undermine the broad strokes of international law like 'don't attack people without Security Council approval' we shouldn't be surprised if others do the same thing. If we start sending tanks, aircraft, missiles to Ukraine, why shouldn't the Russians send weapons to anyone who causes problems for us? Shouldn't the Chinese decide 'well if they'll all fight us anyway - let's open the floodgates and pump Russia and everyone else full of arms'.
Raising the energy level of these conflicts is bad for everyone.
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