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Synopsis. This is too long. I might repost a shorter version later.

· The war’s provocations started ~30 years ago

· Gorbachev unilaterally decided to disband the Warsaw Pact Alliance

· Gorbachev decided to make a peace pact between Soviet Union and the West (US & Europe)

· The US and Germany sincerely (at the time) made it clear the West would not take advantage of the Soviet Union’s unilateral action and would NOT expand the US military alliance eastward —Sachs says this is NOT a myth, it is hard fact that it was sincere.

· 1992, the US began taking the view it was a US unipolar world and the US could do whatever it wanted and it would aim to do what it wanted(my note: this is obviously the beginning of the clinton/hillary reign)

· Authors of this new policy were both parties: R=cheney, wolfowitz, rumsfield; D=hillary, victoria nuland, biden and others.

· This doctrine is Neo-conservatism=US exceptionalism and unipolarity(my note: the exceptionalism implied here is not a national pride in one’s country, but the exceptionalism of power of the unipolarity -my opinion)

· The aim of this US doctrine is ‘full spectrum dominance=military, technological, economic US dominance in every major region of the world.

· In the mid 1990s huge fight inside the US gov’t between those who said “Don’t expand NATO you will wreck relations with Russia” and those who said “We’re the United States, we do whatever we want”.

· In the end clinton went with “We do what we want”

· Expansion of NATO starts with Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary(my note: the begining of disaster)

· Sachs highly praises George Kennan as outstanding diplomat of US -Russian relations; 1997 Kennan said “this will lead to a new cold war.” Sec. of Def.

Bill Perry considered it a basic violation of promises and a provocation toward Russia.

· Sachs says this first expansion was taken badly but did not lead to this war.(my note: huh?)

· Next step 1999, NATO bombs Serbia 48 straight days to break Serbia in two and break Kosovo outside of Serbia. Sachs:It was disgraceful, 1st war in Europe since ww2, not Ukraine, directed at Russia’s ally, meant for regime change, and to break Serbia.

· 9/11 Putin offers cooperation to help.

· 2002 US walks out of ABM(anti ballistics missle treaty) = US will have 1st stike capability against Russia.

· 2003 unprovoked ‘phoney’ Iraq war for regime change.

· 2004 US expands NATO 7 times: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia. <-surrounding Russia and Black Sea.

· 2007 Putin says stop you are threatening our core security.

· 2008 US response: NATO will expand to Ukraine and Georgia. Surrounds Russia in Black Sea. Putin warns don’t do this.

· 2011 Obama, CIA approve and go ahead with plan to overthrow Assad in Syria using a mercenary army. No war if US had not started it.

· 2012 UN negotiated end to war —rejected by US because must have regime change. Sachs: will not find this in media because by now the media has stopped reporting truths.

· 2014 US helped overthrow Ukrainian gov’t: recorded conversation 2 weeks BEFORE overthrow victoria nuland tells US Ukrainian ambassador Peter Piot who will be the leaders and cabinet of the new gov’t.

· Maidon Revolution. US pays for coup and violence from Ukrainian side –Sachs says he knows “first hand” about this. US overthrow of Ukraine gov’t.

· Maidon Revolution, Sachs “this is the first shot of this war”.

· Maidon Revolution reason: Pres. Yanukovych wanted neutrality and no expansion of NATO in Ukraine, so US/CIA overthrows gov’t and puts in nationalist anti-russia gov’t. New gov’t ends neutrality; trys to pass law outlawing russian language.

· 1 month after revolution, Russia retakes Crimea.

· Further aftermath, some Ukrainian military forces split off with their equipment and start insurrection in Donetsk.

· 2014-2021 US sends billions of dollars for equipment to fight insurrection and to build up/modernize Ukrainian armed forces and fortifications/defenses.

· Sachs says: None of this history in the media, politics, or discussions . Sachs says media promotes unprovoked, Putin thinks he is Peter the Great, imperial expansion.

· Sachs: Media saying war started Feb. 24 2022 is a lie, it goes back 30 years.

· End of 2021 Putin 3 demands: 1.neutrality(Ukraine), Crimea remains part of russia, Minsk agreement to be implemented as promised since it had been reneged on.

· US refuses Putin demands. Sachs talks to people in DC and they say it is a long standing project to expand NATO.

· Sachs says the history he is telling is not to justify and invasion and the killing, Sachs says he tells it to show the way to end war is to stop expanding NATO and tell the Russians that NATO will not expand. Sachs says he could be wrong, but it should at least be tried, so as to end the war and save Ukraine. Sachs says he is not pro Putin, he is pro Ukraine and wants to stop the killing.

· Sachs says the world leaders he talks to know this is a war of NATO expansion and that it is a proxy war between the US and Russia.

· Sachs says if he is wrong the US has the most failed diplomacy in the whole world or it is duplicity.

· Sachs says neoconservative group has been in charge of policy since 1992 and it is an abject disaster has brought the Ukraine war and maybe ww3 because of East Asia and shipping arms to Taiwan because same policy is being used.

· Sachs: the world outside of the US and Europe outnumber the US and Europe and often outvote US/EU, and the rest of the world including Russia can trade and work without the west.

· Sachs: US/EU West policy absurd and unfathomable.