Vladimir Putin's Objective in Ukraine

Putin wanted Ukraine to commit that they would never join NATO. That's been a Russian demand since 2008 when William Byrd, current CIA director, then US ambassador to Russia, outlined the Russian position. Demilitarization, they did not want NATO infrastructure in Ukraine. They didn't want Ukraine to become a de facto extension of NATO as it had after being trained by NATO from 2008 to 2022. And you know what, if the Ukraine's had taken that deal, it would have been a good deal compared to what they have today. Now Russia has taken parisons, Zaparija, Lugans and Donetsk, all four of those territories are now part of Russia.