It’s not really about the borders per se, but it is about territory. Russians feel they need land (specifically railroad) access to the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea. Russia itself doesn’t have any warm water ports—they all freeze in the winter. So, during the Soviet Union, the Crimean peninsula was developed as an international port and naval base. The infrastructure was built with taxes from all the Soviet citizens, including a lot of Russians, under the assumption that Russia, as part of the Soviet Union, would have access to that port in perpetuity. As a result, some Russians feel ownership over this naval base, even though it’s deep in Ukrainian territory.
I don’t think Putin really cares about the Donbas much, except that it can be territory to protect access to the port. It is about borders, but it’s not quite as arbitrary as you say.
Russian strategic anxiety about not having a warm water port is quite literally older than America. This is some Peter the Great-era (early 1700’s) shit. I’m not excusing any of it, but I rarely hear anyone talk about this stuff in the English language media even though it’s like. The primary reason for the war.
It isn’t about who paid taxes on what decades ago. It is all about stealing territory and the resources within them. Remember the original goal was absorbing ALL of Ukraine into Russia by force. The port is just part of it.
It’s not really about the borders per se, but it is about territory. Russians feel they need land (specifically railroad) access to the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea. Russia itself doesn’t have any warm water ports—they all freeze in the winter. So, during the Soviet Union, the Crimean peninsula was developed as an international port and naval base. The infrastructure was built with taxes from all the Soviet citizens, including a lot of Russians, under the assumption that Russia, as part of the Soviet Union, would have access to that port in perpetuity. As a result, some Russians feel ownership over this naval base, even though it’s deep in Ukrainian territory.
I don’t think Putin really cares about the Donbas much, except that it can be territory to protect access to the port. It is about borders, but it’s not quite as arbitrary as you say.
Russian strategic anxiety about not having a warm water port is quite literally older than America. This is some Peter the Great-era (early 1700’s) shit. I’m not excusing any of it, but I rarely hear anyone talk about this stuff in the English language media even though it’s like. The primary reason for the war.
It isn’t about who paid taxes on what decades ago. It is all about stealing territory and the resources within them. Remember the original goal was absorbing ALL of Ukraine into Russia by force. The port is just part of it.