Those who reject this as propaganda may be correct. I have an open mind.
However, Putin’s ideological forebearers Lenin, Stalin, and Brezhnev have poor track records against other countries when invading them unprovoked. Russia/USSR screwed the pooch trying to take over Poland in 1919, Finland in 1940, and Afghanistan in 1979.
Russia does a lot better when attacked first, and when its life is on the line. Napoleon and Hitler found that out the hard way...
There is a dozen Russian propagandists undercover here on FR pretending to be American Patriots. Not many, but still. They are triggered every time there is bad news for Russia in this war.
This is my message to them :
We have not much in common except our mutual disdain for woke culture.
Just bring your troops back to Russia. So we can continue to work as economical partners in the future. Russian people are our allies, but some Russian politicians are not.
You failed to mention that Poland was an aggressor in 1919 and her attack was repelled, in 1940 Finland has lost the war, and I have no idea where the myth that the Soviets lost in Afghanistan comes from. They certainly didn’t run away from the Embassy in helicopter.