Rigby5
Diamond Member
Putin is simply playing games. They are simply giving false hopes to get the Ukrainians to drop their guard, lure them out, and blow them up some more.
No, Russia has always seriously need the breadbasket of the Ukraine, and has always bent over backwards trying to be nice to them.
But trying to get NATO nukes on Russia's border is such a treaty violation, Russia had no choice at all any more.