The situation in Ukraine, which had been escalating for months as Russia built up a force of over 150,000 troops along its borders, is now rapidly deteriorating politically. Last night, Russian military forces were ordered into and seen entering the eastern part of the country in two breakaway regions. The EU and the US have announced sanctions to respond to that incursion, but the full range of sanctions available to them have not yet been deployed, despite some calls to label it an invasion and pull the trigger.
For all those saying, "Why should we defend Ukraine - it's always been part of Russia," remember that if Mexico ever decides it wants Texas back - after all, it was originally part of Mexico until Houston et al decided to rebel against it.
Jay - does this conflict possibly go even further back to 1988/1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the total collapse of the Soviet Union when President G. W. Bush, German Bundeskanzler Kohl, Prime Minister Thatcher and others promised Russian President Gorbachev that NATO would not expand further East? I am not at all condoning Russia's current or past aggressions towards Ukraine and am in favor of sanctions to stop Russia's illegal invasions. I am only wondering about this circa 1990 promise to Russia by the US and Allied Forces to limit NATO's expansions.
The current crisis goes back at least to 12/5/1989 when a certain KGB Officer in Desden was isolated by the collapse of the East German Stasi and "Moscow is silent".
For all those saying, "Why should we defend Ukraine - it's always been part of Russia," remember that if Mexico ever decides it wants Texas back - after all, it was originally part of Mexico until Houston et al decided to rebel against it.
I found this interesting: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/munich-security-conference-chamberlain/622872/
Anne Applebaum is always worth reading. Anne has written books on Ukraine and currenly lives in Poland.
Jay - does this conflict possibly go even further back to 1988/1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the total collapse of the Soviet Union when President G. W. Bush, German Bundeskanzler Kohl, Prime Minister Thatcher and others promised Russian President Gorbachev that NATO would not expand further East? I am not at all condoning Russia's current or past aggressions towards Ukraine and am in favor of sanctions to stop Russia's illegal invasions. I am only wondering about this circa 1990 promise to Russia by the US and Allied Forces to limit NATO's expansions.
Thomas Friedman has a good piece today explaining the US's role in creating the current crisis.
The current crisis goes back at least to 12/5/1989 when a certain KGB Officer in Desden was isolated by the collapse of the East German Stasi and "Moscow is silent".
Yes, it was Putin in 1989 at his last assignment in Dresden, East Germany
Russia is behaving toward Ukraine like an abusive, gaslighting boyfriend. “Why don’t you appreciate all I’ve done for you?”
Thanks for including the map. Complicated region, complicated issues. But Putin is certainly a complete jerk.
Sudetenland.
Chechnya, Syria, Georgia, eastern strip of Moldova, now Ukraine.