The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for some time, and many people don't understand, why is Russia fighting Ukraine?Russia is already the largest country in the world, why is it not yet satisfied?Can't Russia live in peace with Ukraine?Can't Russia withdraw its troops and return home and end the war?
The answer is no.
For Russia, this war is a war about national fortunes. If it loses, Russia will lose the opportunity to rise in the next half century or even a century. Although Russia has vast land, most of it is a cold desert with no economic value. Russia's grain production and industrial output are far behind those of China and the United States. Russia also has a small population and is concentrated in several large cities in the west, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Far East of Russia, sparsely populated and with untapped resources, ** in order to attract the population, even land was given away for free, but no one wanted to go.
If Russia wants to develop agriculture and industry, it must have fertile land and good ports. And all this, Ukraine has. Ukraine has one of the four major black soils in the world and is the breadbasket of Europe. Ukraine also has a well-developed heavy industry, which was the industrial base of the Soviet era. Ukraine also has more than 20 ice-free ports, located on the coast of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, which are important routes for Russia to Europe and the Mediterranean.
These territories of Ukraine were actually fought down by Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, and were later given to Ukraine by the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian port of Odessa was founded by Catherine, the empress of Tsarist Russia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited the international status of the Soviet Union, but lost the core territory of the Soviet Union. Russia, deep down, considers itself the successor of Tsarist Russia, and not the successor of the USSR. If Russia wants to revive the glory of Tsarist Russia, it must regain the territory of Ukraine.
Russia cannot become a powerful agricultural and industrial country without Ukraine. Russia will remain backward and isolated. Russia will continue to be ostracized and sanctioned by Western countries. Russia will always be in danger of collapse.
So, Russia must fight Ukraine, this is Russia's life-and-death battle. Russia will not give up Ukraine easily, even at a huge cost, to include Ukraine in its sphere of influence. The Russia-Ukraine war is just the beginning, and there will be more to come. Russia wants to revivenation, and Ukraine is the place to fight. Generation after generation of Russians will fight for Ukraine.