“... all Putin need do is proclaim that Russia has no territorial claims on Ukraine and that all Russian troops will withdraw”
Feel free to give his information any interpretation you choose too. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I don’t share yours because I have followed every bit of this intensely right from the beginning and became aware that after the West sunk the Moskva, Putin came to the realization that this wasn’t just a conflict between Ukraine and Russia over Russian speaking people in the Donbass as originally envisioned, but a deliberate US/NATO instigated proxy war to weaken Russia and create regime change.
Frankly, it appears to me, Putin was slow to catch on. Not only has this been the policy of the U.S (CIA, deep state) for many years, but in this specific instance if you read the article carefully you will see that Zelensky in 2021 put in effect a plan to retake Crimea and sent AZOV troops to the Donbass for that purpose. The author also points out that it was the Ukrainian forces (AZOV) that began intensively shelling beginning Feb. 16th (a week before Russia entered Ukraine.)
Ukraine is a puppet state that we bought and paid for with the express purpose of pressuring Russia and Zelensky does exactly what we tell him to do. Biden has specifically stated that we want regime change (though his handlers had to walk it back...he said the quiet part out loud.) Austin publicly said we want to “weaken Russia.”
After all of the above Putin changed his original plans and Russian authorities have now promised the people in the territories that Russia has “liberated” that “Russia will be there forever.”
The proxy war (both economic and military) is on. We will see how it turns out; but so far to me it looks like a catastrophic failure on our part. Russia is winning militarily and so far suffering very little economically. On the other hand, we are in the beginning stages of a freefall.
(a week before Russia entered Ukraine.)
***before Russia INVADED Ukraine.
You assert other bullshiite points but I am at the edge of online resources and time to be able to go after them.
Even in Donetsk and Luhansk, despite having Russian speaking majorities, the majority of the population is still Ukrainian. The author himself admits that the referenda and the Minsk agreements were for autonomy and not independence or reunion with Russia. Only in Crimea would I acknowledge that Russia has any valid claim.
As for Ukrainian shelling in Donbas, this would have been part of a military operation — like that of Russia — of the central government to reassert control over its territory and should not be portrayed as some sort of terrorist attack on the civilian population. This was an internal conflict within Ukraine and none of Russia's business.
And finally, as for this being a proxy war between Russia and NATO, there would have been no war at all if not for the Russian invasion. Even now, the war would end if Russia would just go home.