this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2023
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I'm not going to bother to link, you could easily Google it, but the West know Ukraine is a red-line going as far back as the 2000's, when the British government under Tony Blair even questioned Ukraine's place in the world. One adviser thought Ukrainians are not European enough and that the country is in the realm of Russia. Ukraine at the time also told the West not to trust Putin and that they had "too rosy view" of the Russian president, when at the time the West was on friendlier terms with the Putin. Ukraine did not trust Russia from the very beginning. So, even before 2014, the foundations have been already been set for a geopolitical powder keg.
Also, why the heck do people act as though the Ukrainians do not have their own autonomy to decide for themselves? Do armchair political analysts, living outside of conflict zones, typing comfortably on their computer while sipping a glass of wine, ever asked the Ukrainians what they want? They revolted in 2013 against then Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych when he reneged on a deal with the EU, only to sign a deal with the Russians at the last minute. It is very improbable that Ukrainians were somehow brainwashed to align with the West and "coup" their own government, unlike what Russian propaganda often repeats like a mantra. It is though as if Ukrainians cannot decide for themselves! After all, Ukraine is usually pejoratively referred to as "little Russia", as though Ukrainians are little siblings who can't take care of themselves.