These maps explain why Putin is invading Ukraine

I kind of liked the blending of practical visual aids with digital overlays. That was a nice change of pace. Well presented.

I am from Slovakia. I've grown up under our Main Carpathian Mountains that we proudly own. My grandparents always says that we have advantage of not being directly affected by the war for generations and now it only proved me more safe then ever.

Wish everything CNN put out was this concise, polished & visually interesting. Excellent video.

This is incredibly insightful. Topographic maps reveal so much more than regular maps. In Pennsylvania, you'd think the two largest cities are somehow culturally, economically, etc. very similar. But a topographical map shows Appalachia separating them into being parts of two very different regions of the country. In Philly, I've met more people from Derry, Ireland or Budapest Hungary than I have Pittsburgh.

If you think about it, if Russia started in Kiev, then it's actually not Ukraine that belongs to Mother Russia, but rather Russia that belongs to Ukraine.

This war was NEVER about defending Russia from NATO aggression! Vladimir Putin was a Communist party member and trained KGB officer. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union left a deep scar of humiliation within Putin. His desire is to go down in history as being the man who established a New Russian Empire, beginning with the former 'bread basket' of the old Soviet Empire, Ukraine. If defense was his purpose, he would not be bombing and murdering his 'fellow Russian brethren' in Ukraine, but rather courting and urging Ukraine to become a willing ally of Russia. His intentions are purely expansionist! Stay Strong Ukraine!!!

If Ukraine is Russia’s “mother,” why would Putin destroy it? Historical buildings, monuments and all. It’s more about him, I say.

Tim Marshall explained it very well in just a few minutes. Fantastic!

I wish this was a little bit longer.

One issue most people don’t address is the OIL discovered in Ukraine. It would give them massive oil reserves, and they would become Europes major supplier instead of Russia. Russias economy would collapse, and Ukraine would become a thriving western backed democracy on their border.

The argument to the Russian "history" of Ukraine being Russian was well argued by the Ukraninans, who pointed out that Moscow was forest while Ukraine was developed long ago.

So clearly he will attack Moldova next. And Sweden & Finland need to join NATO very soon.

What kind of a psychopath would want to bomb the hell out of the city where his civilization originated from?

I think I get why Russia wants Ukraine. I understand at least some of it. But none of that matters to me because Ukraine doesn’t want to be a part of it.

GREAT video- short, unbiased, highly informative. Give this man a cigar!

This isn’t even covering the most major issue, which is literally another war for oil and gas. In 2012 it was discovered that off the Ukrainian coast line, and in their eastern and western regions is enough natural gas and oil to make them the 14th largest producer. Starting in 2012 with the Ukrainian overthrough of their Russian oligarchical poppet and pro-Russian leader western companies were working with Ukraine to develop these, while at Ukraine sought entry into the EU and NATO. This would mean that Ukraine could become the supplier of choice to the EU instead of Russia, who relies on its oil and gas exports for a larger portion of their microscopic economy. In effect, spotting Ukrainian oil and gas as an existential threat Russia funded “proRussian groups in the eastern NG a area called Dombast and Luhaunst, and took over Crimea in 2014. Effectively cutting off half of Ukrainians potential for development of oil and gas. While there is a potential for military defense, this is way more about Russia killing off a competitor in the fossil fuel market for Europe, than anything else.

Can we all remember that hitler invaded Austria to “bring the Germans living there back to Germany” this is the same thing

0:24 - Russia does not feel nervous about NATO. If you don't even understand that very basic concept, what good could the rest of this video be? Russia CLAIMS to feel threatened. What they really feel is that they can invade Ukraine but not Estonia or Lithuania. THAT is all that Putin feels.

Excellent report and analysis, thank you.

That is a very insightful presentation; thank you!