Why ignore the historical context of the war in Ukraine?

December 15, 2025

The historical contexts of the current war in Ukraine are simply ignored in this article as if they don’t exist.

First, there is a complex web of centuries-old shared cultural, linguistic, religious, social, economic and strategic interests between Russia and Ukraine.

Second, Russia will never forget that Operation Barbarossa by German forces against the Soviet Union in 1941 targeted Ukraine as a major strategic objective.

Third, the US, France, UK and Germany made security assurances throughout 1990-91 to Gorbachev that NATO would not expand “one inch” further after the USSR endorsed German reunification, which led Gorbachev to dissolve the Warsaw Pact.

Fourth, Gorbachev later noted that NATO expansion was “a violation of the spirit of the statements and assurances made to us in 1990.”

Fifth, Putin regards Gorbachev’s failure to insist on binding written agreements in 1990-91 re NATO expansion to the borders of Russia as a grave mistake, which he is not going to repeat.

Sixth, since 2014, Maidan, Minsk, Donbass, Zelensky…

Putin’s distrust of the West in anything less than a long-term treaty which ensures Ukraine can never be a member of NATO and/or host weapon systems which threaten Russia, won’t allow compromise.