What we talk about when we talk about the Minsk peace agreement.
Ukraine
In the days after the 2004 Orange Revolution, when protesters in Kyiv overturned rigged presidential elections, I made my first trip to Ukraine. From my base in Moscow, I frequently returned. Ukraine was poor and shabby by comparison, but its citizens were also freer and less afraid of their government than Russians were.
After the first mass shootings during the Maidan protest in February 2014, I flew to Kyiv expecting to stay a couple of days. Instead I ended up covering Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the beginning of a conflict that has torn Ukrainians and Russians apart.
Vladimir Putin Is Not Planning Annexation of Ukraine Enclaves, But Diplomacy Is Flailing
The problem with the Minsk agreement is that Russia plays a double role — as a disinterested observer on paper and an active party to the conflict in the field.
Why This Ukrainian ‘Revolution’ May Be Doomed, Too
Most Ukrainians wanted their country to be different by now. Even those who didn’t support the Maidan were fed up with living in Europe’s most corrupt country.
Kremlin TV
Putin takes perverse pride in revealing the details of the secret mission to bring Crimea “home.” He gloats in the big lie and invites Russians to join him.
How War in Ukraine Led to Russian Opposition Leader Boris Nemtsov’s Death
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia isn’t about ethnicity or language — it’s about the kind of country that people want to live in.
Debaltseve Debacle Puts Ukraine’s Leader in Jeopardy. That Suits Vladimir Putin Just Fine.
If another government-held city falls, say the port of Mariupol, Petro Poroshenko will have to be just as concerned about the home front as the front line.
Putin Wins Again
Vladimir Putin determines who and what crosses the border into Ukraine until he is satisfied the Kiev government has genuflected deeply enough.
Signs of Desperation in West’s Latest Moves to Halt Ukraine Crisis
The European Union, with Germany at its head, sleepwalked into the Ukraine crisis.
From the Battlefront: A Ukrainian Tank Commander’s Act of Mercy
“We just had to push a button in our tank, and all that would have been left of them would have been a memory of our sinful world,” Alexei Chaban wrote. “We didn’t kill them. We let them go.”
Ukraine’s Ceasefire Has Become a Farce, with Vladimir Putin the Author
Russia isn’t formally a party to the conflict but a concerned neighbor. The de facto double role of warmonger and peacemaker puts all the cards in Putin’s hands.
