Russia fears the expansion of NATO. Despite written and verbal assurances in 1990 by U.S. and German officials that this would not take place, every president since George H.W. Bush has sought to expand NATO. A Ukraine membership represents Russia's worst-case scenario for NATO expansion. The nation borders Russia and represents either a security buffer, given a neutral or pro Russian government, or a dangerous threat to Russian security if the Ukraine is firmly aligned with the West
The Ukrainian riots broke out when its president reneged on a deal for an alliance with the European Union, the initial step of that nation joining NATO.
The riots resulted from Western aid to anti-Russian Ukrainian political groups through NGOs plus Ukraine's history of corrupt governments (regardless of the ruling faction). Non Government Organizations (NGOs) are private foundations that receive much of their money from the U.S. government and some support from private foundations. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a key NGO. This page lists $3.5 million in ongoing funds to groups in the Ukraine sympathetic to Western interests. The Mott Foundation, Coca Cola Foundation, and the Omidiyar Network Fund account for another $5.0. This is just a fraction of the money spent to achieve regime change friendly to the EU and U.S.
The Russians, particularly President Putin, are keenly aware of U.S. and EU efforts to create a Ukrainian government aligned with the West and hostile to Russia. They are aware of the broken commitments by the U.S. and German officials to respect Russian security by not expanding NATO to Russia's border. They're also aware that the U.S. public could care less about foreign intrigue or the manufactured theatrics of violent demonstrations.
Moving to secure the Crimea and other parts of the majority Russian speaking sections of the Ukraine represents an act of protection by Russia brought on by the incessant and willful meddling led by the United States.
When will the (s)elected rulers of the
United States think of citizens first rather than the income of the war
profiteers in the defense industry?
When will they recognize that
the country is broke, broken, and in need of repair and renewal? Do
they even care? Of course not! They'll do just fine however this turns
out.
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