Ukraine’s offensive derails secret efforts for partial cease-fire with Russia, officials say
Washington PostAUG 18 2024
The Russia-Ukraine War
The Facts
FIGHTING: The Russo-Ukraine conflict has been ongoing since 2014. Prior to 2022, fighting occurred primarily between Kyiv government forces and pro-Russia separatists — supported with arms and irregular fighters from Moscow — in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. The conflict escalated on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine in what it termed a "special military operation," sparking an all-out war and what many have deemed the most dangerous international conflict since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
CASUALTIES & ATROCITIES: According to the UN, as of July 31, 2024, over 11.5k civilians have been killed and nearly 35k injured since the start of the invasion, though the true numbers are likely higher. Between 2014 and 2021, there were over 3k conflict-related civilian deaths — including over 2k in 2014 alone — and more than 7k civilians injured. Meanwhile, both sides have been accused of war crimes, including executing prisoners of war, targeting civilians and shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
ORIGINS: The origins of the conflict can be traced back to Ukraine's Euromaidan revolution. After pro-Russia Pres. Viktor Yanukovych backed away from an EU association agreement in November 2013, protesters — many financed and supported by the US — took to the streets calling for his removal. Over several months, clashes with police turned increasingly violent, leading to dozens of deaths, and protesters began to overrun government buildings — prompting events which ultimately led Yanukovych to flee while lawmakers voted to impeach him.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Putin's invasion of Ukraine was an egregious violation of international law. His ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution a "coup." This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history. The West has a moral obligation to support Ukraine in securing a crippling defeat that will prevent Russia from ever again invading its neighbors.
Establishment-critical narrative
Putin may have launched the war, but responsibility for provoking it lies squarely with the West. The US and NATO have ignored Russia's security concerns and broken their promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and shoud have been taken seriously. In its hegemonic attempt to bring Ukraine closer to the EU and make it a pro-America democracy, the West has created an extremely dangerous situation.
Cynical narrative
While the West purports to want to help Ukraine, in reality it is simply using it as a sacrifical pawn on its imperial chessboard. The "support" provided to Kyiv is nothing more than the latest attempt in the US' long history of trying to draw Russia into gruelling conflicts that use up its military firepower while decimating it financially and isolating it politically. The ultimate goal is to prolong the war to weaken Russia and hurt its geostrategic interests, not save Ukraine.