Posted on 02/11/2023 5:53:56 AM PST by Chunga85
This article by Whitney is a good place to start.
Promises were made to Russia that NATO would not expand eastward and those promises were irrefutably broken. The US govt. is the ramrod behind this effort to arm Ukraine directly on their border and they have stated very clearly they consider that a threat to their security.
It doesn’t matter anymore what we think or what we say. Russia is ready to fight. The shoe is not on the other foot but if it were, so would we.
The hypocrisy is fantastic.
The CIA backed led Maidan protest in 2013 started it.
Once the elected President was ousted by an undemocratic mob, the sovereignty of Ukraine became a moot point.
Absent constitutional order, Eastern Ukraine had a natural right to self determination and Donbas militias were formed to resist the western backed fascists in Kiev.
In 2015 the Donbas militias defeated the Kiev regime and the Minsk Accords codifying their autonomy an reintegration into Ukraine were signed.
However the Kiev fascists along with their deceitful Western partners never intended to implement Minsk, but rather use the ceasefire to build/train a better equipped army.
On the eve of 2022 it became clear that the Kiev fascists had massed another Army and with western backing were about to mount another all out assault on Donbas in contravention of Minsk.
The Russians quickly granted protection status to the Donbas and Ukraine dramatically increased its shelling of Donbas in response, which led to the decision by Russia to attack on Feb 23, 2022.
We all should have listened to Pat Buchanan a long time ago.
Absent constitutional order, Eastern Ukraine had a natural right to self determination and Donbas militias were formed to resist the western backed fascists in Kiev.
Supplementary.
Crimea declared independence, was recognized by Russia, requested annexation, and was annexed by Russia in 2014.
The LPR and DPR declared independence in 2014 but were not recognized by Russia until 2022. Russia entered into a mutual assistance (defense) agreement with both the DPR and LPR. Upon further belligerent actions by Ukraine, Russia entered with military force pursuant to the mutual assistance (defense) agreements.
Crimea has existed independent of Ukraine for going on nine years. If LPR and DPR successfully establish their independence, it will date back to 2014.
http://duma.gov.ru/en/news/53516/
February 22, 2022
Members of the State Duma at the plenary meeting unanimously supported ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Lugansk People's Republic and the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Donetsk People's Republic.The Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier submitted those treaties to the State Duma following signing orders on DPR and LPR recognition.
“A coup d'état took place in Ukraine exactly eight years ago. This is the root of the problem which had caused a conflict in the Donbass. Both presidents, Poroshenko and Zelensky, had all opportunities and time to implement the Minsk agreements. But nothing has been done. They care more about holding on to power than about the citizens of the country,” the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin posted on his Telegram channel.
“All those years after the collapse of the USSR, Russia has done a lot to help Ukraine to become a sovereign state: it paid off the Soviet Union’s debts, supplied energy resources at reduced prices, and much more,” he stressed.
“The decision to ratify the treaties is the only way to protect people, stop the fratricidal war, prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and bring peace,” emphasized Vyacheslav Volodin.
“Those agreements are concluded for a period of 10 years and maybe automatically extended for subsequent five-year periods, if none of the contracting parties declares their desire to terminate it by written notification no later than six months before the expiration of the next period,” says one of the articles of the Treaty between Russia and the DPR. A similar article is included in the text of the Treaty with the LPR.
There was introduced an amendment for the second reading, according to which both documents would come into force on February 22.
A week ago, members of the State Duma appealed to the Russian President to recognize Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics as sovereign and independent states.
Good grief. This is like attributing Hitler’s attack on Poland to the Poles being mean to Germans. Putin has long aimed at subjugating Ukraine as an essential step toward reviving the Russian empire. Saying that Russia was “provoked” is simply buying into the usual thug narrative that they were justified in beating a target into bloody submission.
"I have a feeling the British public are growing nervous and worried about where it may lead them. And we would all benefit from a far more open debate. It is not healthy for any country to suppress disagreement. When the British establishment is totally united, it is almost always wrong.
The scenes of general adulation of Volodymyr Zelensky in Parliament last week reminded me of the last time the whole country was agreed – the Covid panic. And most thinking people are beginning to learn that our response to the virus was a series of dangerous mistakes, which wounded the economy, badly hurt the NHS, ravaged education in schools and universities, caused much needless personal misery and gravely undermined the national work ethic.
At that time, it was very hard to oppose what was going on. Those who did were called ‘deniers’ and accused of callous disregard for life.
Now, if you have doubts about the Ukraine war, you will find yourself falsely accused of being a defender of Mr Putin, or of being a ‘denier’ of war crimes."
The only thing I'm sure about regarding this whole Ukraine situation is no one benefits from telling the truth.
The only thing I'm sure about is when anyone uses "denier" they're grouping/linking you with people that ostensibly "deny", the Holocaust.
That links you to whatever they wish to link you with but basically assigns you to the "nut" class.
SIX million Jews and others were exterminated by the Nazis, its a proven fact. There are the pictures, the gas chambers, the piles and piles of shoes to prove it. The cattle cars.
Climate Change, Racism, the LGBTQ crowd, MAPS? the whatever, you call someone a denier? Case closed. Your thoughts are to be ignored, unevaluated, undeserving of contemplation.
You are a nut case to be dismissed. Your opinion, your voice is of no import.
Completely sick form of argument. I would delete the term "Denier" and I believe in free speech but still I detest people who use their free speech to deny others their rights and to use a term that denies their existence.
Cancelled by label.
The whole Russia/Ukraine war - I have no idea. Its one side or the other. Forty years of diplomatic wisdom says don't put Ukraine in NATO. Obama and his crowd forced out a Russian-friendly president of Ukraine - I forget if that was before the Russian takeover of Crimea.
Really late but I do know that Ukraine had lots of biowarfare labs that might have made the Russian nervous and forced them to try to do a quick "take out the problem" exercise (special operation?) or whatever they called it.
Now it's a horrible mess, no countries suggest peace, my thoughts are that Russia wants a defensible border, a warm water port in Crimea and a land link to it. Most of Eastern Ukraine are Russian peoples, President Trump thinks he could cut a deal in a day or two.
I don't know about that. I do know that Obama, the Clintons, & 10% Joe were in on the Ukraine takeover.
I also know that whoever is running our country (and its not Joe or Kamala) can run a war, using our "industrial military complex" (a term a guy named "Ike" coined) warning against what we have seen for years and years and I believe even today, to make lots of military companies happy but think they can keep things just not quite leading to World War Three.
All might go OK but there's a guy in the Oval Office with a temper (ask anyone) and he does have the nuclear football and even if he didn't contemplate using it he might force Putin to use his button.
Duck and cover - things look iffy out there to me.
So? WWIII? I called it. Hope not. I've got family.
IMHO.
good article,thanks
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.