Ukrainian politicians very eagerly speak about February 2022 when the Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine started. These politicians also like very much to remind of spring of 2014 when the Crimea joined Russia and fights in Donbas began. But Ukrainian politicians never mention that Ukrainians were setting up barricades in their country already in 2013 during the so-called Euromaidan (please see here and here). And this article deals with the Ukrainian answers to the question: What Ukrainians have been fighting for since 2013? Spoiler 1. In 2013, Ukrainians were supposedly outraged because Russia allegedly controlled Ukraine In November 2013, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who was the leader of the largest opposition group in the Ukrainian Parliament at that time - and who had been the Chairman of this Parliament earlier - declared that Russia had allegedly allocated billions USD for falsification of the next Presidential Elections in Ukraine in March 2015 (please see here). And Vitali Klitschko - who was the leader of the second largest opposition group in the Ukrainian Parliament at that time - alleged in a mass-meeting in December 2013 in Kiev that it had come to his knowledge that Russia had allegedly taken Ukrainian aircraft construction factories, machinery construction enterprises and probably its gas-transport system as a security for a Russian credit of 15 billion USD (please see here). However, after in February 2014 the former opposition leaders had come to power - e.g. Yatsenyuk had become the Ukrainian Prime Minister - they did not present any evidence of their above-mentioned accusations against Russia. But such large-scale actions as preparations of falsification of the Presidential Elections or transfer of property for 15 billion USD inevitably had to leave at least some kind of traces. For example, a preparation for falsification of the Presidential Elections in Ukraine, whose population was abt. 45.5 million in 2013, would have required involvement of many people in such an action. Therefore, this preparation could not have been unnoticed. But from February 2014 nobody has been sentenced in Ukraine so far for his involvement in preparation for falsification of the elections. The only “evidence” of preparation for falsification of the elections etc. remain talks of Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian President, with the Russian government about credit granting. But Ukraine constantly had taken credits before Yanukovych too. You can see in Internet that by December 31, 2009 the Ukrainian National Debt amounted to 39.684 billion USD. Were all these debts made for falsification of elections too? But Ukrainians, who had allegedly been outraged, did not react at all to the fact that the accusations against Russia were not proved. Therefore, I conclude that Ukrainians had not believe in these groundless accusations from the very beginning. There was a statement too, that before 2014 Ukraine allegedly was a colony of Russia. But only the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United Nations has the right to define what country is a colony. And this Committee never defined Ukraine as a colony since this country gained its independence in 1991. 2. In November 2013, Ukrainians were allegedly outraged because their government suspended a signing of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement But the Yanukovych’s government could suspend signing the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement only to March 2015, i.e. to the end of Yanukovych’s Presidency. If this Agreement had not been signed by that time, Ukrainians could have elected another President who would immediately have signed this document. Therefore, I don’t believe at all that somebody could be outraged because of suspension of signing of the above-mentioned Agreement. 3. In November 2013, Ukrainians were allegedly outraged because police had chased protesters away from the Maidan square And I don’t believe at all that somebody could be outraged because on the night of November 30, 2013 police had chased protesters away from Maidan, the Kiev’s central square where they had made a tent camp which prevented installation of the annual Christmas tree. Nobody was killed or crippled by police and all detained persons were released several hours later. But opposition politicians and their media declared at once that there had allegedly been children among protesters on that night and those children had allegedly been severely beaten by police (please see here). Although every sane person would have asked very concrete questions - What are the names of these beaten children? Where are pictures of these beaten children or of their parents weeping at traumatology departments of hospitals? And so on. Nobody ever saw the above-mentioned information about those children but everybody in Ukraine allegedly believed suddenly that this story was true. 4. In 2013, Ukrainians were allegedly outraged because there was supposedly a massive corruption in Ukraine In the past, everybody in Ukraine and in the West accused the President Yanukovych and his entourage of corruption; even Barak Obama personally named Yanukovych a corrupt ruler (please see here). But after Yanukovych’s unconstitutional removal from power in February 2014 the universal indignation at his corruption was immediately replaced by universal full indifference to this subject (please see examples below). The charges, which were brought against Yanukovych in court in 2017, did not include accusations of corruption at all. Yanukovych was charged of events which had taken place after his removal from power, e.g. that the Crimea had joined Russia in March 2014. And by the way, the Ukrainian court acquitted Yanukovych of Crimean charge. And such unwillingness of present Ukrainian rulers to prosecute Yanukovych for corruption was absolutely indifferently taken by everybody in Ukraine. Under the first post-Maidan President Poroshenko was also closed the criminal case against Yuri Kolobov, the Yanukovych’s Finance Minister. And this fact too was taken by Ukrainian people with total indifference. Alexander Efremov, the former leader of the Yanukovych’s group in the Ukrainian Parliament, was initially arrested on corruption charges. But later these charges were changed and after several years in a pre-trial jail Efremov was released in 2019 without any court verdict. And once again, everybody in Ukraine was absolutely indifferent about this fact. Raisa Bohatyriova, the Health Minister under Yanukovych, was charged with corruption too. When she returned to Ukraine in 2019, she was even arrested for one day, but afterwards she was released and now she lives in Ukraine without being sentenced. And once again, everybody in Ukraine is absolutely indifferent about this fact. The above-mentioned examples dealt with top officials of Yanukovych’s “regime”. And it’s needless to say that no universal indignation was seen at full absence of criminal prosecution of less important figures - governors, deputy ministers, city and town mayors, heads of districts etc. And since a universal indignation cannot disappear without a trace, I conclude that from the very beginning there was no universal indignation at all. A statement must be mentioned too, that under Yanukovych his fellow city men from Donetsk allegedly took businesses from Ukrainians unlawfully. But if it had been true, then after February 2014 – after Yanukovych had been removed from power - some chains of supermarkets, some big banks, some highly remunerative factories etc. would have been given back to their legitimate owners. But there weren’t such facts in Ukraine. Now is the time for my personal answer to the question: What have Ukrainians been fighting for since 2013? In my opinion, all Ukrainian answers to this question are deliberately untrue. And in my opinion, by 2013 a large part of Ukrainian elite decided that there was an opportunity to permanently get much money from the USA and Western countries if Ukraine would carry out an extremely anti-Russian policy. Therefore, the fable was invented that Ukraine was a Russia’s colony etc. – please see the items above. And I believe that this elite was supported by a large part of Ukrainians who hoped to gain from this anti-Russian policy too. Already in 2013, the Ukrainian elite wanted to fight in order to demonstrate for the West that it was fighting against Russia. Source
Pardon me but even as an outsider I can see Ukrainians are fighting to not become Putin's slaves. And after he enslaves them he strips them of all their natural resources too. That's why Ukrainians are fighting to the death and we need to support them.
In what way could Ukrainians become Putin's slaves in 2013? Have you understood the first post of the thread at all?
I understand a bully when I see one and Czar Vlad Putin the First is one of the worst dictators of the 21st century. The Russian people will wake up and depose him soon enough.
While I hope so, I doubt it. Rallying the population behind nationalism is a classic move of failing regimes, and it has a good track record of working right up until final defeat. There is a minority that don't like militarism, but the majority usually gets right behind that sort of thing. The thinking goes something like "yes I'm poor, the economy sucks, we're pariahs on the international stage, but we're Russian and that's enough." Opposing your country is a hell of a commitment, one which not many people take up, even in the worst of times. Counterintuitively, people will rally behind the state.
We certainly understand turd polishing for a thug dictator like putin. Regardless of what was going on inside Ukraine, Russia has no business invading another country. What part of that can't you understand?
I'm sure Putin has several safe havens set up for himself for when the the walls start closing in and the Wagner army comes looking for him.
What actions of Putin in 2013 moved Ukrainians to initially set up barricades and then to burn and kill during the so-called Euromaidan?
I can’t understand, why the U.S. has the right to invade Iraq (6 197 miles away from the U.S.) or Afghanistan (6 930 miles away from the U.S.) and Russia has no right to start a military operation in Ukraine which borders Russia.
They have been fighting for YOU! So YOU don't have to worry later because an expansionist dictator took over half the planet. We need to be grateful with Ukraine because they're the ones putting the dead in this fight for YOU.
They question is why YOU believe the U.S and Russia have a right to invade countries that pose no threat to them.
So what? I can't understand how the US has managed to set up so many military bases all around the world and countries have let them, but there you go. None of that has anything to do with excusing putin for invading Ukraine, as you are so assiduously trying to do. I don't wasting time talking to propaganda farm bots.
Crimea did not join the Rusian Federation. It was taken by the Russian Federation. The people of Crimea did not have a choice. The Ukraine did not have a choice. Fighting in the Donbas took place because the Russian Federation was supplying weapons rebels there and promoting civil war. I do not recall Ukrainians attacking the Russian Federation.
But nobody of you has answered my question, please see below. What actions of Putin in 2013 moved Ukrainian protesters to initially set up barricades and then to burn and kill during the so-called Euromaidan?
