Ukraine: Geopolitical Background
Swiss Policy Research | A brief overview of the situation in Ukraine and its geopolitical background | As predicted by SPR more than a year ago, the current US Administration and its foreign policy strategists are now continuing their geopolitical campaign in Ukraine where they left off in 2016. Russia, in turn, appears to be determined to defend ‘annexed’ Crimea (base of the Russian Black Sea fleet) as well as Russian-speaking parts of the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine (see map above). ■ To gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in Ukraine, the following resources may be of interest to some of our readers. ■ To learn more about the general geopolitical background and importance of Ukraine, read “The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives” (PDF), the classic 1997 book by former US National Security Advisor and CFR director Zbigniew Brzezinski (excerpts in the annex below). Brzezinski predicted that between 2005 and 2010, Ukraine “should become ready for serious negotiations with both the EU and NATO”. In 2004/2005, the US helped organize the successful “Orange Revolution” in Kyiv; when its results were reversed in 2010, the US helped organize the more forceful “EuroMaidan” in 2013/2014. In response, Russia took control over Crimea and supported the de facto secession of Russian-speaking parts of Eastern Ukraine. ■ To explore the many “NGOs” that helped prepare the Ukrainian revolutions or regime changes, see our extensive list of 1600 organizations (including British “Bellingcat”) funded by the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), essentially a civil society front of the CIA.