Can somebody "explain like I'm 5" the Russia/Ukraine situation?

Bad man wants land.

Ukraine was a part part of the former Soviet Union. They claimed independence and now Russia wants it back. Somewhat like if a State of the US broke away and tried to go their own way.

To expand on @RedDeerGuy1‘s answer, Putin seems to want to “reunite Soviet Union”, so he is trying to take every Eastern European country possible. It’s like the colonial time when a country thought they could get another country by invading it, except it’s the present time.

It’s not clear to people what Putin really gets out of that. Some say he has some kind of mental illness and he isn’t thinking straight when doing so. Some says he is just stupid and thinks it would be easy because he has nukes.

But yeah, the war is real and happening, although the fine details are being fabricated. Russia obviously pushes as much of their propaganda as possible, but the Ukrainians aren’t exactly honest 100% of the time either. Or maybe all the fake news don’t come from Ukraine but from some idiots from the Internet who want to add fuel to the fire. I don’t know, I just asked a question about being overwhelmed by news. I’m taking a break right now to keep myself sane.

Putin wants what was the USSR, and all of the countries it entailed, back again. After all, “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and since he became president for life, and being a former KGB agent, he has been absolutely corrupted.
Also keep in mind that as much as 50% of what is said on the internet is fake/false.

Take a good look at that answer from @Nomore Tantrums, except assume that the breakaway state is Iowa, and directly across the river from Offutt airforce base, the headquarters of our Strategic Air Command. And Iowa wants to ally itself with Russia for protection from the United States. What might you suppose the reaction might be from the United States? Of course Ukraine wants access to NATO and the EU. Every underdeveloped nation on earth wants access to the “pot of gold” that will jump start their economy as well as provide protection from the growling bear that is Russia.

Putin’s power flows from perceptions of strength.

Ukraines rise and friendliness towards the west has always challenged that strength.

Sometimes if you tell a lie long enough, you begin to believe it, and Putin seems to be unable or unwilling to admit he’s always been full of shit, so he’s going where his idiotic rhetoric has inevitably led him. Now he’s screwed.

Russia used to have Crimea a land mass that is part of Ukraine but he lost it years ago.

In the present Putin had realized that Crimea is the perfect spot to launch long range Missiels that could reach America.

Since it can’t be handed easily, he then decides to take Ukraine
( who is not a member of NATO but was decideing on this before Russia invaded).

Link: to show where Cremea is situated near Ukraine
https://www.russia-briefing.com/news/belt-road-crimea.html/

Some people try to answer this question by using what’s called an “analogy”. That’s something people who want to look smart made up out of the words anal & ology. When you grow up it sort of explains itself.

What matters is that everything in life goes better when we share, and help each other, and take turns doing what we like to do. When we don’t do that, and take away things that belong to other people, hurt each other without saying we’re sorry, and blame everyone else for the bad things that we really do, no one wants to be your friend.

What’s happening is that people called Russians are fighting and hurting people in Ukraine because the Russians won’t share or say they’re sorry, and no one wants to be their friends. Some other people want to help the Ukrainians make the Russians stop. And some people are just busy playing with their analogies. It’s all very sad.

But you’ll probably feel better after a nap.

Quite honestly, if you distill this down to just one thing it’s Putin’s mid-life crisis. This makes the situation more dangerous than many think it is.

Do you really believe that?

From what I understand, Ukraine was once a part of the former Soviet Union. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine split from Russia and had Sovereignty over Crimea. Russia illegally annexed Crimea to Russia by taking it by force.

Now he’s trying to do the same thing with the rest of Ukraine. As to what are the reasons it can be any number of things. Oligarchs still own land in Ukraine and want it back under their thumbs, or because of oil, or simply because Putin thinks reuniting his nation will make him seem great, even if they all want him dead, or because the land in Ukraine produces a lot more food than the rest of Russia because they have rich lands. Or because greedy powerful men always want more.

@Inspired_2write If Putin thought the Crimea was the best place to launch missiles to reach the United States, he was definitely looking at the wrong map. NNE of Moscow is the best place.

@kritiper
Some links to search that addresses Putins reasons for gaining Crimea.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/nuclear-propulsion-could-help-get-humans-to-mars-faster

Nuclear power uses for space travel / rockets etc.

Link to show that Nuclear power plant is in Crimea.

Link : to show Map of Crimea
Note the Nuclear Power Station on that map.

https://euobserver.com/opinion/123496

Good article on why Putin wants this land.( numerous advantages/resources)

Here is a simple story to help explain: https://ne-np.facebook.com/343203799621162/posts/heres-an-apt-analogy-for-the-ukraine-situationthe-ukraine-russia-crisisin-simple/993148104626725/

Slow it down, @HP. This question asked to have a complicated issue distilled into bits palatable to a 5 year old. Yes that answer was inane, but the goal was to make an answer a child could understand. If you don’t like the responses, at least judge them as bad kids stories, not like they are meant for adult audiences.