system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why is Russia seemingly bound and determined to seize control of and eventually annex Ukraine, more than other sovereign independent nations that are not part of Russia?
gpt
One of the major reasons is access to a warm water port. In order for a country to exert significant influence outside their borders it is necessary for their military to be able to move personnel and equipment out, and an air force really can't effectively do that. Look at the difficulty the UK had in defending the Falkland Islands because they lacked an aircraft carrier nearby.

So to project force a country needs military ports. But Russia is cold and water freezes, which means for an extended time they can't get ships in and out. That isn't good for the long term resupply of distant military bases. They do have a warm water port in Ukraine, conveniently the part of Ukraine they invaded and occupied. That isn't coincidence.