Ukraine: a history of constant changing borders and a graveyard of empires.

 IN MODERN TIMES UKRAINE HAS BEEN THE BUFFER FOR RUSSIA FROM EUROPEAN ENEMIES

A HISTORY OF RULE BY OTHERS FOR A THOUSAND YEARS

Ukraine which means "borderland" has been under various rules in the history of the region. It was invaded by the mongols and Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Later it was incorporated into Lithuania, Poland, the Ottoman empire, Sweden and of course back and forth with Russia. It has been disputed territory for its entire existence, most of the time it has not been officially an independent state, although it has had an independence movement for centuries.

In modern times it has been mostly under the rule of Russia, it has become in a way the other "Graveyard of Empires " when it pertains to Russia and Europe. The invasion of Russia by Napoleon needed to go through Ukraine, a long supply route and harsh winter eventually destroyed Napoleons quest and soon lead to his defeat.

In WW1 Ukraine sided with Germany and Austria and after the war the region was divided between Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the eastern portion the then Soviet Union. Poland has been whispering that it would gladly incorporate western Ukraine into Poland.

In WW2 the western Ukraine region allied with Germany and fought for the Germans, the eastern part was on the side of the Soviet Union. Again Ukraine became the graveyard of the German Army, after quick victories and territorial gains it was again defeated by long supply routes and a devastating winter that witnessed mass death from starvation and freezing. It was the beginning of the end of  the German army.

The Soviet Union and modern Russia have long viewed this region as a buffer from European expansion, a protective buffer much like that enjoyed by the U.S. by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Post WW2 Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 when it was granted independence. Ukraine was granted jurisdiction over Crimea while the Russia navy leased its facilities from Ukraine. Crimea was seized from the Ottoman empire in 1783.

While today's conflict is portrayed as a assault on Ukraine it is in effect a Russia/USA and NATO conflict. Ukraine is the present military battleground of the economic and political conflict that has been going on for at least 25 years. 

Russia has been consistent in its opposition to NATO expansion since 1997, when it went from 12 nations to now 30. It has been clear that it considers this expansion as an existential threat to the security of their nation. A proposal was offered to make Ukraine an independent and neutral country with protections for the Russian population in the east and guarantees on sovereignty of its borders.

A proposal that could have made Ukraine the most prosperous country in Europe.

This proposal was negotiated by Ukraine and Russia in Turkey.  Germany and France would have been on board, but it was squashed by the Biden administration, with the language that not one inch of compromise would be given to Russia.

Of course this a brief summary of this history, Eastern European history is a vast subject in itself, rarely taught in western schools, maybe that is why the lack of understanding of the Russian point of view.

Where we are now in a crossroads in that history, will it be the hoped for death of Russia as we know it, or will it be a modern day version of the demise of Napoleon's and Hitler's battle in Ukraine.