re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Russia was always the worst off country in the Soviet Union, living standards-wise, and it never caught up.

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Ukraine had the most powerful communist party, and it received a lot of state funding, likely because of that, but the Russian SSR was the economic engine of the Soviet Union. The Soviets used Russia to bankroll the other republics. Ukraine was unfortunately looted after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and was effectively run by criminal syndicates who were interested in personal profit and made few investments in the country. You can see the difference now for example when you compare the quality of the roads on either side of the border. There was a basic lack of investment. Russia gets a bad rap for corruption, but the issue is actually more serious in Ukraine. Even during the war, it's the number one issue for Ukrainians.


*The Baltic states were the most developed part of the Soviet Union though.

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This war is Vladimir Putin’s fatal mistake. Not because of economic sanctions and not because of the huge losses of troops and tanks but because Mr. Putin’s soldiers are from some of the poorest and most rural regions of Russia. Before this war, these men were encouraged to believe that Ukrainians lived in poverty and were culturally, economically and politically inferior.

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Service is very popular in the countryside, especially the poorer and more traditional areas. Fighting is seen as honorable and you can earn very good money in the army right now.