>>512951951
its amazing how everyone tries to find some deep strategic reason except for obvious - people.
While security and strategic reason (crimea control) are true, the actual one is very simple - people. We dont fight for territory, we fight for Russian people on it. Russia gained least 6 to 11 mln russian speaking people and fights to secure lives and rights of russian people in Ukraine.
Russia denied recognition of DNR/LNR for 8 years and did everything so that Ukraine remain whole, even in 2022 wasnt about territories, but about Ukraine stopping shelling Donbass. Until 2014 barely anyone in Ukraine even spoke Ukrainian, every Ukrainian politician you see STILL is speaking broken ukrainian since he had to learn it after for the new larp.
>in before russians conscripted to Ukrainian army
Ukraine is down from 40 mln to 20, half of those who left - being in Russia. Defeating the Ukrainian regime, is to secure the rest remains and not forced to flee the terror regime or abandon own ethniticy and language.
The worst thing Zelenski fears is not territory loss, but actually free elections - where people are actually free to vote without threat of being disappeared in SBU cellars.