yeah, russia operates rationally, but you have to understand its logic from *their* perspective. they see themselves as a major power that needs to secure its borders and maintain influence in regions like eastern europe. a lot of their moveswhether its in ukraine, syria, or dealing with natomake sense when viewed through that lens. from their standpoint, natos expansion toward their borders feels like a threat, and theyre trying to push back before it becomes something they cant control. on top of that, russias economy depends heavily on energy exports, especially to europe. securing pipelines, ports, and friendly governments is a key part of keeping those cash flows going. a lot of their foreign policy decisions are tied to maintaining that stability. its easy to write off their actions as reckless or irrational, especially in western media, but if you look closely, theres usually a strategic reason behind them. theyre not just stirring things up for funtheyre responding to what they see as existential threats. it might not align with western logic, but from their point of view, its about survival and maintaining influence in a shifting global order.
United States