The author's analysis of the origins of the Ukraine war misses a number of important details and overall it reads more like Moscow's version of events. First of all, there is no mention of the fact that Ukraine was under the rule of a corrupt dictator Viktor Yanukovich, 100% a puppet of Putin, until he was toppled by in the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Putin lost his iron grip on Ukraine at that moment. The Ukrainians wanted to be free and be part of the EU rather than under Putin's boot. Shortly thereafter, that same year Putin invaded Ukraine, in clear violation of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, co-signed by Russia, which guaranteed Ukraine's borders in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal (which Ukraine had acquired while part of the USSR). Putin invaded in a very sneaky covert way with troops not identifiable as Russian army. First was the annexation of the Crimea peninsula. After the 2014 revolution pro-Russian protests began in Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions, collectively 'the Donbas'. Armed Russian-backed separatists, composed in large part of Russian citizens crossing the border into Ukraine, seized Ukrainian government buildings and declared the Donetsk and Luhansk republics (DPR and LPR) as independent states, leading to conflict with Ukrainian forces. Russia covertly supported the separatists with troops and weaponry. It only admitted sending "military specialists", but later acknowledged the separatists as Russian combat veterans. In April 2014, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation"(ATO), later renamed the "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO). By August 2014, Ukraine had re-taken most separatist-held territory and nearly regained control of the Russia–Ukraine border. In response, Russia covertly directly sent troops, tanks and artillery into the Donbas. The Russian incursion helped pro-Russian forces regain much of the territory they had lost. According to Russian former prime minister of the DNR Alexander Borodai, 50,000 Russian citizens had fought for the separatist forces by mid 2015, exclusive of those in the regular Russian military formations that had intervened starting in August 2014.
Zelensky was democratically elected in 2019 with 73% of the vote. Russia’s 2022 invasion was meant to take over the government and install a Putin puppet, but failed. It is still Russia’s declared goal to wipe Ukraine as a country off the map. In Putin’s deranged Hitler brain, Ukraine has no right to exist.
One more thing…”Russia Gate” is very real! I recommend reading the conclusions of the bi-partisan Senate Intelligence report about Russian meddling in the 2026 election:
“We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement, directly refuting President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that Russian interference was a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats. Rubio, until just a few weeks ago was a fierce defender of Ukraine. Now that he works for Trump, he has flipped to the other side. As of Jan 20, 2025 the foreign policy of the United States is directed from Moscow.
This is part one. I will be dealing with these other matters, in parts 2, 3, and 4. That will be Orange and Maidan and the overthrow of Yanukovich. And also everyone's favorite person Victoria Nuland.
Yanukovych was corrupt, but he was democratically elected in 2010 and no more a dictator that Zelensky is now under martial law. Lots of Ukrainians approved of him.
“The Ukrainians wanted to be free and part of the EU”? Was that according to a USAID-run poll? If so many Ukrainians were so gung-ho about the EU, why did so many millions “vote with their feet” when Russia invaded full-scale in 2022? After all, Maidan was supposedly all about wanting to join the EU, and that’s what prompted Yanukovych’s overthrow in 2014 and the start of war. Surely all those pro-EU Ukrainians should have stayed and fought for their EU dream. Instead, millions left, including to Russia.
The fact is, Ukraine had a population of 52 million at the time the USSR collapsed. It probably has fewer than 35 million now. It’s not because Russia is a brute by Western standards. It’s because there’s never been a strong enough collective national identity in Ukraine to sustain a sovereign nation-state. It’s not a real sovereign country and never has been. It shouldn’t be the graveyard of the United States, no matter how brutal Russia is.
Yanukovych was more of a “dictator” than Zelensky is? I don’t remember Yanukovych governing via martial law, which is military dictatorship, as Zelensky now does. But even if he did, why is this a matter of vital national interest to the United States? Did Yanukovych threaten America in some way? Does every “dictatorship” merit a CIA-orchestrated coup d’etat followed by highly destructive and lethal proxy war? Whether Ukraine is in the EU or not is its own internal affair. We should not have intervened.
Ukraine shouldn’t be running out of manpower for its army then. How many of the millions are volunteering to go back and fight? Zilch. I was in Poland and the Baltics in fall 2022. I spoke to refugees. Men of military age don’t want to fight. So the West provoked a war that caused millions to flee and deplete the ranks of Ukraine’s eligible service personnel.
This is one big paragraph of western propaganda. Bottom line, the US poured billions into a divided Ukraine to use it as a weapon to weaken Russia. The failure of this operation is one reason we are stuck with Trump.
1991 REFERENDUM "Voters were asked "Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine? The text of the Declaration was included as a preamble to the question. The referendum was called by the Parliament of Ukraine to confirm the Act of Independence, which was adopted by the Parliament on 24 August 1991.Citizens of Ukraine expressed overwhelming support for independence. In the referendum, 31,891,742 registered voters (or 84.18% of the electorate) took part, and among them 28,804,071 (or 92.3%) voted "Yes".
here is unpopular truth trump won the 16 election and biden won in 20.russiagate was laregly to excuse hilary's loss.whatever connectioned trump and advisers/team had to russia were much smaller and didn't elect trump/people hated hilary.i believe wikileaks that podestra emails and other expose of hilary 2016 were leaks not hacks.noone despises trump more than me and i was so pissed over what happened in primary i voted trump in 16 to beat hilary first and only time i voted republican since i started voting in 1992.
with ukraine this is what dems have sold people on.zelesnky is hardly great hero of democracy.he wouldn't be president without coup in 2014.he has banned opposition.and his miltary and givernment filled with neo-nazis.i said before no good guys here.us should been trying to broker end not use ukraine for proxy war against putin.if anything russiagate and ukraine war has strengthed Putin In russia.while i support ending war i don't support trump trying to get half of ukraine's minerals/natural resources.
The author's analysis of the origins of the Ukraine war misses a number of important details and overall it reads more like Moscow's version of events. First of all, there is no mention of the fact that Ukraine was under the rule of a corrupt dictator Viktor Yanukovich, 100% a puppet of Putin, until he was toppled by in the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Putin lost his iron grip on Ukraine at that moment. The Ukrainians wanted to be free and be part of the EU rather than under Putin's boot. Shortly thereafter, that same year Putin invaded Ukraine, in clear violation of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, co-signed by Russia, which guaranteed Ukraine's borders in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal (which Ukraine had acquired while part of the USSR). Putin invaded in a very sneaky covert way with troops not identifiable as Russian army. First was the annexation of the Crimea peninsula. After the 2014 revolution pro-Russian protests began in Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions, collectively 'the Donbas'. Armed Russian-backed separatists, composed in large part of Russian citizens crossing the border into Ukraine, seized Ukrainian government buildings and declared the Donetsk and Luhansk republics (DPR and LPR) as independent states, leading to conflict with Ukrainian forces. Russia covertly supported the separatists with troops and weaponry. It only admitted sending "military specialists", but later acknowledged the separatists as Russian combat veterans. In April 2014, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive, called the "Anti-Terrorist Operation"(ATO), later renamed the "Joint Forces Operation" (JFO). By August 2014, Ukraine had re-taken most separatist-held territory and nearly regained control of the Russia–Ukraine border. In response, Russia covertly directly sent troops, tanks and artillery into the Donbas. The Russian incursion helped pro-Russian forces regain much of the territory they had lost. According to Russian former prime minister of the DNR Alexander Borodai, 50,000 Russian citizens had fought for the separatist forces by mid 2015, exclusive of those in the regular Russian military formations that had intervened starting in August 2014.
Zelensky was democratically elected in 2019 with 73% of the vote. Russia’s 2022 invasion was meant to take over the government and install a Putin puppet, but failed. It is still Russia’s declared goal to wipe Ukraine as a country off the map. In Putin’s deranged Hitler brain, Ukraine has no right to exist.
One more thing…”Russia Gate” is very real! I recommend reading the conclusions of the bi-partisan Senate Intelligence report about Russian meddling in the 2026 election:
“We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement, directly refuting President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that Russian interference was a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats. Rubio, until just a few weeks ago was a fierce defender of Ukraine. Now that he works for Trump, he has flipped to the other side. As of Jan 20, 2025 the foreign policy of the United States is directed from Moscow.
Leo:
This is part one. I will be dealing with these other matters, in parts 2, 3, and 4. That will be Orange and Maidan and the overthrow of Yanukovich. And also everyone's favorite person Victoria Nuland.
Hopefully you will mention that Yanukovich ran off to Russia into excile....mention his palace with the gold platted toilet ....Trump style
Yanukovych was corrupt, but he was democratically elected in 2010 and no more a dictator that Zelensky is now under martial law. Lots of Ukrainians approved of him.
“The Ukrainians wanted to be free and part of the EU”? Was that according to a USAID-run poll? If so many Ukrainians were so gung-ho about the EU, why did so many millions “vote with their feet” when Russia invaded full-scale in 2022? After all, Maidan was supposedly all about wanting to join the EU, and that’s what prompted Yanukovych’s overthrow in 2014 and the start of war. Surely all those pro-EU Ukrainians should have stayed and fought for their EU dream. Instead, millions left, including to Russia.
The fact is, Ukraine had a population of 52 million at the time the USSR collapsed. It probably has fewer than 35 million now. It’s not because Russia is a brute by Western standards. It’s because there’s never been a strong enough collective national identity in Ukraine to sustain a sovereign nation-state. It’s not a real sovereign country and never has been. It shouldn’t be the graveyard of the United States, no matter how brutal Russia is.
Just because he was democratically elected he can't become a dictator??? Really? Erdogan, Orban, Hitler and Trump all were democratically elected...
Yanukovych was more of a “dictator” than Zelensky is? I don’t remember Yanukovych governing via martial law, which is military dictatorship, as Zelensky now does. But even if he did, why is this a matter of vital national interest to the United States? Did Yanukovych threaten America in some way? Does every “dictatorship” merit a CIA-orchestrated coup d’etat followed by highly destructive and lethal proxy war? Whether Ukraine is in the EU or not is its own internal affair. We should not have intervened.
That's false. Millions were forced into exile because of the war. You would also take a hike when homes around you are bombed daily.
Ukraine shouldn’t be running out of manpower for its army then. How many of the millions are volunteering to go back and fight? Zilch. I was in Poland and the Baltics in fall 2022. I spoke to refugees. Men of military age don’t want to fight. So the West provoked a war that caused millions to flee and deplete the ranks of Ukraine’s eligible service personnel.
This is one big paragraph of western propaganda. Bottom line, the US poured billions into a divided Ukraine to use it as a weapon to weaken Russia. The failure of this operation is one reason we are stuck with Trump.
Thanks and I think that is accurate.
Another reader who blindly believes Russian propaganda....which is by far the most effective in the world.
1991 REFERENDUM "Voters were asked "Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine? The text of the Declaration was included as a preamble to the question. The referendum was called by the Parliament of Ukraine to confirm the Act of Independence, which was adopted by the Parliament on 24 August 1991.Citizens of Ukraine expressed overwhelming support for independence. In the referendum, 31,891,742 registered voters (or 84.18% of the electorate) took part, and among them 28,804,071 (or 92.3%) voted "Yes".
here is unpopular truth trump won the 16 election and biden won in 20.russiagate was laregly to excuse hilary's loss.whatever connectioned trump and advisers/team had to russia were much smaller and didn't elect trump/people hated hilary.i believe wikileaks that podestra emails and other expose of hilary 2016 were leaks not hacks.noone despises trump more than me and i was so pissed over what happened in primary i voted trump in 16 to beat hilary first and only time i voted republican since i started voting in 1992.
with ukraine this is what dems have sold people on.zelesnky is hardly great hero of democracy.he wouldn't be president without coup in 2014.he has banned opposition.and his miltary and givernment filled with neo-nazis.i said before no good guys here.us should been trying to broker end not use ukraine for proxy war against putin.if anything russiagate and ukraine war has strengthed Putin In russia.while i support ending war i don't support trump trying to get half of ukraine's minerals/natural resources.
Thanks Chris. Assange always said he did not get those leaks from Russia.
your welcome.I trust Assange more than government.by today's strands dems would call those who leaked pentagon papers criminals and traiters.