Putin threatens former Soviet republics

 Telegraph:

Former Soviet countries are part of Russia’s domain and risk Ukraine’s fate if they go up against the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin has insinuated.

The Russian president made the remarks while on stage with Kazakhstan’s leader, with experts interpreting them as a “clear threat” against the neighbouring country.

His comments were in response to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev saying on live TV at an economic forum in St Petersburg on Friday that he did not recognise two pro-Russian rebel regions in the Donbas.

Putin sat still, sucking in his lips before hitting back: “What is the Soviet Union? This is historic Russia.”

He went on to calmly praise Kazakhstan as a brotherly nation before adding in a thinly veiled threat: “The same thing could have happened with Ukraine, absolutely, but they wouldn’t be our allies.”

One observer based in Nur-Sultan, the Kazakh capital, said that Mr Tokayev had “humiliated Putin in front of his supporters” and that the threat was real, adding: “He’s making him aware that Kazakhstan may be Russia’s next prey.”

Another commentator, based in Almaty, said: “He’s saying that if you are good neighbours, that’s fine. But if you step out of line and go pro-West, we can conquer your land because it is ours.”

Maximilian Hess, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said Mr Tokayev was especially vulnerable because he had relied on Putin’s support in January to defeat rivals in a fight for power in Kazakhstan.

“This is a clear threat,” he said of Putin’s comments. “Tokayev has no power base domestically and knows since January he is dependent on Putin.”
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Putin is an imperialist threat to world peace.  His delusion of greater Russia is a direct threat to neighboring countries.