Ukraine: The Road to War Pt. I

1991-2009: Western Promises, Pristina, NATO Expansion, Russo-Georgian War

Since February 2022 Americans have been told that Russia is a backwards, pseudo-fascist state led by a paranoid psychopath who, in a bid to restore the Soviet Union, has launched an unprovoked and near suicidal assault on a Western democracy. After several years of anti-Russian rhetoric from politicians, diplomats, and media outlets, many have bought this narrative. This narrative is not only ahistorical, but baffling to anyone who is even remotely familiar with the timeline of decisions made in Washington and Brussels and their impact on Russo-Occidental relations.

We seem to have forgotten that not long-ago Russo-Occidental relations were sunny, warm, and both sides looked forward to era of cooperation and interoperability. Even Vladimir Putin was viewed as the man of the hour, the man Russia needed to emerge from its post-soviet chaos. While the events we will cover do not justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they shed important light on the culpability of NATO which must be recogn…