In 1999, almost a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union a weakened Russia's Putin boldly proposed Russia's support to an American led world order as a slightly junior partner and sought a political, military and economic union with NATO and EU. His goal as a true statesman was to dispel suspicion and ensure peace, harmony and prosperity for Europe. Unfortunately Russia was promptly rebuffed by an aghast America.
Putin saw but refused to accept the reality that Europe had no equitable place for Russia amongst the Europeans. He did see however that the West wanted to continue to view Russia as a weak and unstable vassal only to be exploited. They were succeeding in Ukraine but a proud Russia refused to submit.
In a formerly unipolar world an American led West dominated the world. Unfortunately a very powerful West has failed in its moral, legal, political etc. leadership. An arrogant and increasingly decadent West abused excessively both its hard and soft power over the past 3 decades (after the collapse of the USSR). As a consequence its ability to dominate and influence over global affairs has been waning by the day.
By their nature empires, are always insecure if not fearful about the loss of their power and control. That is why America, in a sense is always in a state of war with each and every entity even so called 'friends' it interacts with, perceiving them as potential competitors and enemies. Amongst its long list of foes America currently acknowledges two great dangers to its hegemony, Russia and China.
Possessing 29% of global manufacturing capacity, China is the world's factory, is being attacked commercially. Russia has been viewed by the industrial, financial, political and military class of America as a low hanging fruit, easy to snatch. The break up and plunder Russia's vast resources has always been at the top of their agenda.
America's strategy has been to use Ukraine as a springboard to achieve their objectives in Russia. A kind of Achilles heel and therefore slowly and steadily America has over the past 3 decades taken over total and remote control of Ukraine. Ukraine is also the greatest money laundry for American and Western politicians and bureaucrats etc.
Huge amounts of aid is sent to Ukraine and it flows right back to these corrupt people. For example the top donor to American lawmakers is Ukraine, (the most corrupt European country). It exceeds that of other donors by several magnitudes.
Through their belligerent proxies in Ukraine the Americans since 2008 have openly been poking and taunting the Russian bear.
Russians are anything but unintelligent, clumsy and crude as the media in the West likes to project them, including portraying them as the worlds favourite villains and criminals.
The clever, industrious, disciplined Russians weakened for more than a decade after the collapse of the USSR began to quietly but rapidly prepare itself from 2008 onwards. It began to ready itself industrially, financially, politically, diplomatically and militarily for the day when Russia could once again stand tall and proud once again as a superpower and a respected and maybe even feared world leader.
Russia which has by a lease agreement always had its naval forces based in Crimea (Ukraine) was alarmed to learn that the U.K. was in an advanced stage of legally taking over all of Crimea, which would place a great security risk to Russia and its international commerce which flowed through the Black Sea. Therefore Russia in a preemptive move mobilised its troops legally stationed in Crimea swiftly occupying it.
This infuriated the Ukrainians and the West and they imposed sanctions on Russia for both its occupation of Crimea and its support for the ethnic Russian people in Donbas who were being persecuted by the Ukrainian government.
When several NATO troops and commanders were trapped during the fighting the Western powers led by France, Germany and America, along with Ukraine under the auspices of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) signed the Minsk accords in 2014 and 2015 with Russia. The agreement promising to stop the persecution by the Ukrainian state and to allow the local people of Donbas region of Ukraine some autonomy and a voice in the decision making on policy all to be effected within the framework of the Ukrainian constitution.
From 2015 to 2022 Ukraine encouraged by the West not only ignored the numerous requests to implement the Minsk accords, it refused to even sit down and discuss the matter. Ukraine not only ignored but in gross violation of the accords and all international laws started shelling the Russian speaking civilian areas of the Donbas killing an estimated 14,450 people and maiming countless more in a reign of Ukrainian state terror.
When a State indulges in genocide of its own people and the world's powers that be, and international agencies like OSCE and United Nations turn a blind eye, Russia took unilateral action.
Every problem also throws up opportunities and on 24 Feb 2022, Russia launched its special military operations into erstwhile Ukraine at the request of the newly seceded republics of Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Donbas. Russia had secondary and tertiary goals, to formally annex Crimea, liberate and hence protect Donbas, enforce Ukrainian neutrality, along with its de-Nazification and demilitarisation.
As per reputed Constitutional and International lawyers, Russia has not broken any law. And the precedent had already been set by the intervention of NATO and America into Serbia to create the state of Kosovo in 1999. That a region can seceded from a country if the people want it.
An offended American led West went on the offensive believing they now had Russia itself had provided the West the perfect moral and legal weapon to the West with which it could bludgeon and break up Russia.
The next article will elaborate the plans of America and European Union in deepening the crisis rather than resolving it and the unintentional side effects on the three great powers in this game, Russia, America and Europe and the rest of the world.
In the meantime the people of Ukraine witness the folly of an inexperienced, incompetent corrupt actor/comedian Volodymyr Zelensky a puppet occupying the office of President of Ukraine, wreck their country and their future.
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