Ukraine – a beginner’s guide

The Author of this Dorset Eye article, Ukraine – a beginner’s guide, says:

“In 2014, the journalist and writer John Pilger wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘In Ukraine the US is dragging us towards war with Russia’.[i] Eight years later, in 2022, this prediction came true when Russia invaded Ukraine. Readers should be aware that I am anti-war, and therefore not in favour of any country invading any other. This article is to help readers understand why Russia invaded Ukraine.

A peaceful outcome is possible if negotiators from the US, Ukraine, Europe (particularly Germany and France) and Russia are able to sit down and agree a solution. Negotiations have to deal with two sets of connected problems. The first is about how different regions in Ukraine are governed. The second is about the role that Ukraine plays internationally.  “

I have watched Ukraine closely since 2013/2014 (the democratically elected government was overthrown in a coup in February 2014) and think the author is completely correct. One cannot understand the current war unless one understands the problems Ukraine has with ethnic differences and what this means for local government and language/cultural rights. We also need to acknowledge the rise of extreme and often violent ultranationalism and the way Ukraine has been used in the geopolitical struggle between the USA and the Russian Federation.

I think the article is a little bit simplistic – but certainly not as simplistic and biased as the information our mainstream media subjects us to.

There is just so much ignorance about this war, the reason for it and the lead up to it. We are bombarded with so much biased and fake news and disinformation. But this article provides a good introduction (and it is well referenced) for anyone wishing to understand what is really going on.