cross-posted from: https://biglemmowski.win/post/6224801
Michael Gloss, 21, was the son of CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation Julianne Gallina Gloss, and Iraq war veteran Larry Gloss.
Before arriving in Russia on August 13, 2023, Gloss was travelling around Europe. On his Vkontakte page bio, he wrote: “I ran away from home (and) traveled the world. I hate fascism.”
On April 4, 2024, he was killed, likely during a Russian offensive near Bakhmut, however, his burial in the U.S. did not take place until December 2024, Important Stories reports.
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Even if that were true, what does that have to do with Ukraine?
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But of course! Those poor Russians just had to do a whole invasion, entirely out of self defense!
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Ukraine is the country being invaded. Russia is the one invading. That is as simple as it is. You invade = you are the aggressor = you are the evil one.
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This is true in most cases. Unless you’re the invader. There will never be an excuse to initiate an invasion.
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NATO does not expand (invade to grab land), it is based on voluntary membership application (although it is not truly volunteer since they are being forced, antagonized to join due to russia expansionism). New members are only accepted through vote. “NATO expansion” is well known as putin/FSB propaganda meant for a certain naive audience.
NATO borders with russia are the most peaceful with the low number of russian troops. Internally, Russia is not concerned about NATO, a defense alliance since Russia has the highest number of nukes.
In the media, they will use NATO expansion propaganda because there are naive clowns and useful idiots who will believe in NATO expansion propaganda. Do remember russia was fine with Ukriane joining NATO, they saw they can use it as propaganda to justify russia expansionism. http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/21598.
Ukraine public support for joining NATO was in the minority before the war, and only after invasion it became majority. Even after Ukraine said they won’t apply to NATO, russia didn’t not stop its expansion because russia expansion has nothing to do with NATO.
In fact due to russia aggressive expansion even more countries applied to join NATO. Putin knew that russia expansion will encourage more to submit application to join NATO. Putin was warned to stop russia expansion as that just cause more to apply for NATO membership, it is open to anyone. Furthermore note that expanding russia territories just bring russia closer to NATO, increasing russia border with NATO. Clearly it is not about NATO.
Even, without using NATO, putin will come up with a new reason like nazis, terrorists or LGBTQ or WMDs or security issues ( a country with the most nukes in the world has a security issue? only naive clowns will believe that) or restoring empire/imperialism (which he admitted in interview with carlson) or all of the above each for a different audience. Whatever it takes to get crimea and its warm water ports, and later Donbas for a land bridge and to secure Crimea water supply. Eventually going all the way to Transnistria.
You think things are so simple as poor top nuclear powered russia who is scared of evil tiny Ukraine, for suggesting sending in membership application form to NATO. You are being naive at best. War does not work like a superhero movie.
NATO was created to protect small countries from russia expansionism and stop russia from antagonizing its neighbours.
Russia was even member of G8 until russia antagonized G8 members by invasion of Crimea. The only way a massive nuclear powered russia sees NATO as a “threat” is that NATO prevents russia from expansionism… from expanding russia territories.
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Expansion (invasion to increase territories)? I think it is pretty clear that it is putin that is pushing for the expansion of russia empire, empire building into new territories.
The puzzling thing is why is Putin pushing/forcing more countries to sign up as NATO member instead of joining his own CSTO. Why is putin increasing its border with NATO and going closer to NATO, while spreading propaganda about NATO “expansion” when everyone clearly know that NATO is a voluntary membership system anyone can apply to join even russia.
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I’m almost positive that widespread interest in Ukraine joining NATO spiked in popularity AFTER the invasion started and wasn’t even taken seriously until then. So… Russia really created their own problem in that regard.