Thank you to the few who brought original thoughts to this thread.
ATC Watcher great insight and still very valid today. Nato creeping ever closer to Russia's borders, is only amplifying this feeling.
Other posters are simply regurgitating the old cold war era lines: the commies are coming, the commies are coming!!!" Now it is just the Russians are coming... Repeating it over and over again does not make it true, although many will believe it. Goebbels would be so proud! So no point in wasting time with such age old trope.
As for new posters, I assume
Asturias56 is speaking of me. Last time I checked, I have been a member of this forum, far longer than he has. Number of posts does not make you new...
Anyway back to the topic: Nato and the West calls for Russia to de-escalate are a bit rich.
As stated before:
1. Ukraine moved forces to the contact line, long before Russia started mobilizing.
2. Ukrainian forces are at the contact line, for their spring offensive on Donbas, the majority of the Russian forces are in known training areas.
3. Ukraine has not implemented the Minsk agreements.
4. Neither Germany nor France has held Ukraine accountable for the breach of the Minsk agreements.
So to de-escalate rests on Ukraine and the west, not on Russia.
Implement the Minsk agreements and peace will reign within and with Ukraine.