Western countries have found themselves in a difficult situation since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. Almost all of their governments condemn the “invasion of Ukraine” by Russian troops. I am convinced that the current situation in Western countries is very tense and aggressive.
However, a fact-based analysis of the situation is hardly possible, as the debate is conducted extremely emotionally. This would be more understandable if we had not seen a coup d’etat in Ukraine in 2014 and a civil war that continued for almost eight years.
The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics proclaimed their independence from the Ukrainian central state in 2014, after in April of that year Kiev’s military launched its so-called “Anti-Terrorist Operation” against them. Then, this February, almost eight years after the start of the civil war, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize the two republics as independent states. While people in Donbass were asking why the recognition had taken so long, Western states and governments were outraged.
Putin did not take his decision to recognize the two republics lightly, because he did not want to jeopardize the Minsk agreements of 2014. But when it became clear that the negotiations between Russia, the US and NATO, hinted at in December 2021, would be fruitless and all signs were pointing to a major offensive by Kiev against Donbass, Russia felt compelled to act.