Russian President Putin's recent speech, accusing Ukraine of planning to retake separatist territories, followed by signing a decree ordering Russian army to carry out "peacekeeping functions" in those regions, raises concerns of possible military action in Ukraine.
The ongoing military conflicts in Ukraine involving various groups and countries, including Russia, have led to a secret war and the use of tactics such as cremation to conceal casualties.
The 2014-2015 Maidan protests marked a formative period in Ukrainian history, during which the people established their own nation. Ukrainian victory in the current conflict with Russia would be an existential threat to them, and their policy with nuclear weapons is that it's allowed if their nation is existentially threatened.
In this podcast, a journalist explains his belief that the Russian apartment bombings in 1999 were an FSB operation to bring Putin to power, and discusses how Putin's aggression towards Ukraine has redirected attention towards this theory.
As the country became unsafe for Paul Manafort, due to his unreported payments, he exacerbated the divide between East and West Ukraine, leading to a civil war that has killed over 10,000 people.
Eli Lake discusses the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, predicts that Russia will eventually conquer two provinces of Ukraine, and argues that Ukraine's leadership will eventually want the conflict to end, regardless of whether or not Putin blinks.