I was a lib back when it happened and didn’t pay attention, and I know I can’t trust natopedia for any sort of accurate telling of history.
So like, what happened? I see that there were some protests, and then chunks of Ukraine broke off like some mapgames shit, and Russia is involved somehow but also Ukrainian Nazis? I’ve heard of Azov because they train American Nazis, but they were involved in this somehow right?
I want to make sense of whatever is happening over there, but I’d rather hear it from someone whose grandfather didn’t murder Jews, if you know what I mean. Where to start?
Parenti has a short primer.
Maidan put pro-west, anti-Russian fash sympathisers in charge. The population of Crimea, being ethnically and historically Russian, said ‘fuck this’ and left, then joined Russia.
There was various degrees of US support to Maidan and Russian support to Crimean independence.
Geopolitically, the annexation of Crimea was a response to the west’s pulling of Ukraine into its orbit. The Russian preference would have been to keep a Ukrainian govt sympathetic to Russia. But when that proved impossible, taking only the pro-Russian portion of Ukraine was the next best choice.
My understanding is that, historically, Crimea was Russian, and was transferred to Ukraine as a gift during the USSR era.
Don’t forget Donetsk and Lugansk breaking away and still trying to be independent, which even Russia won’t formally recognize.
To clarify: pro-west, anti-(Russian), fash sympathizers, not pro-west, anti-(Russian fash sympathizers)