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Russia & Ukraine: In-Depth
Get a Deeper Understanding of the Crisis

 LAST UPDATED: Feb 1, 2025 

The Back-Story to the Current War in Ukraine

WHY THE U.S. & U.K. ARE INVOLVED

Discover the story of how Ukraine became the third-largest nuclear power on earth, and the dramatic steps it took to rid itself of its nuclear arsenal to ensure their future as an independent nation. In exchange for giving up their nuclear weapons, the U.S., the U.K., and Russia promised to always support Ukraine's sovereignty.

Ukraine signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1991 and the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances in 1994—decisions that are often questioned by Ukrainians today. The country was obliged to eliminate the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal.

Why Doesn't Ukraine Have Nuclear Weapons?
March 2022 | 10 min | NBC News

Why Did Ukraine Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons?
March 2023 | 13 min | Simon Whistler

Ukrainian Report in English
The Shocking Reason Ukraine Gave Up Its Nuclear Power: The Budapest Memorandum
July 2024 | 20 min | United24 Media (Ukraine Gov)

Could Ukraine Really Get the Bomb?
Oct 2024 | 14 min |  Simon Whistler

History of Russia & Ukraine

A Brief History of Modern Ukraine
Feb 2022 | 4 min | BBC

A Brief History of Ukraine
(And Why Russia Wants to Control It)
March 2022 | 18 min | History Hit

Why is Russia So DAMN BIG?
March 2021 | 17 min | Johnny Harris

Why We Are in Conflict with Russia? The Background.

Understanding the Former Russian Empire & The Soviet Union
In order to understand Russia of today and it's hostile military actions against Ukraine and other neighboring countries, we must dig back into the history of the former Russian Empire called  The Soviet Union (1922-1991). Understanding the 20th Century (1900s) of Europe, including World War 1 and 2, also sheds light into Russia's historic tensions with "The West" - i.e. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a military alliance of most countries in Western Europe and the North Atlantic including Canada and the United States.

[ Summary in Maps ]
History of the Former Soviet Union
(1922-1991)
24 min | Geo History

[ Summary in Maps ]
History of The Cold War in Europe:
Western Bloc (NATO) vs Eastern Bloc (Warsaw Pact)
16 min | Geo History
28min Long Version of this video

Why Russia wants to restore the old Soviet Union Borders
17 min | Caspian Report

The Entire History of Russia
Nov 2023 | 18 min | This is History

Why did Nikita Khrushchev Give Crimea to Ukraine?
April 2023 | 13 min | Knowledgia

The U.S. Saves Russia During their Greatest Famine (1921-23)

1921 poster saying "The Gift of the American People" in the Russian language.

The U.S. comes out of World War 1 as a superpower, sends food aid to recovering Europe. In 1921-22, Russia suffers their greatest famine ever, losing 5 millionThe people of the United States responded with their greatest ever relief effort: a two year food aid campaign (200 million in 1921 dollars) to help Soviet Russia in their greatest hour of need. That's 3.4 trillion in 2023 dollars with half coming from private donations and the other half from the Russian Famine Relief Act passed by Congress.

At its peak, the campaign organized over 19 thousand food kitchens and was feeding an estimated 11 million Soviet citizens every day. It established seed grain planting efforts to end the famine and provide for Russia's future.

The famine resulted from the combined effects of economic disturbance from the Communist Russian Revolution, the Russian Civil War, and the government policy of war communism (especially prodrazvyorstka).

PBS - The Great Famine

Trailer: The Great Famine
April 2011 | 5 min | PBS
[ WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY ]

The Holodomor ("Death by Starvation") Ukraine's Greatest Famine (1932-33)

Russian (Soviet) Orchestrated Genocide of 7-10 Million Ukrainians

Zelenskiy Commemorates Holodomor Victims
Nov 2024 | 5 min | DRM News

How Stalin starved Ukraine
The Missing Chapters
March 2022 | 15 min | Vox

Holodomor: How Millions of Ukrainians Died of Starvation During Stalin-Era Mass Famine
Nov 2019 | 2 min | Radio Free Europe
See also: Report on Secret Photos Taken during Famine

Holodomor Survivor tells His Story
Nov 2019 | 4 min | Kyiv Post (English News Service)
Vasyl Tsyba at the Holodomor Genocide Museum (wikipedia)

The Ukrainian Holocaust the New York Times Ignored
July 2020 | 11 min | FEE | About Gareth Jones
Mr. Jones (2019) Movie | IMdb | Watch Online

Mr. Jones (2019) Movie Trailer
About Gareth Jones | IMdb | Watch Online

The Black Sea

The Black Sea is south of Ukraine & Russia and north of Turkey (a NATO ally). The Black Sea is Russia's only warm-water port and it seeks to control the Black Sea. NATO, the U.S., and the U.K. seek to keep freedom of travel on the Black Sea for all in effect and actively patrols the Black Sea against threats from Russia.

NEW
Russia’s New Naval Base Could Drag Georgia into the Ukraine War
Feb 1, 2025 | 6 min | Wall St Journal

NEW
Russia wants to take over Black Sea Ports
Interview with Georgian President
Jan 19, 2025 | 8 min | Fox News

Geopolitics of the Black Sea
April 2020 | 17 min | Caspian Report

NATO-Ukraine Black Sea drills
Russia makes its presence known
July 2021 | 2 min | DW News (German Public TV)

Russian Troops in Georgia

(Georgia in the Caucus Mountains just south of Russia)
Russia Invaded Georgia in 2008 and currently Occupies 20% of the Nation
Wikipedia Article  |  About the Country of Georgia  |  The 2008 Russo-Georgian War

Protests continue against Government after suspends talks in joining the European Union
Dec 1, 2024 | 7 min | DW News (Germany)

Dec 1, 2024 | 4 min | Sky News Australia

The Invasion Russia Doesn’t Want You to Know About
Sept 26, 2024 | 1263 min | Johnny Harris

Russia's "quiet invasion" in Georgia
Oct 30, 2023 | 13 min | 60 Minutes

The 'Ghost Borders' Of Georgia
March 2021 | 5 min | Radio Free Europe

Interview with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili
May 2022 | 13 min | DW News (Germany)

Inside Russia's Cold War with Another Neighbor: Georgia
Feb 2022 | 6 min | Vice News

Russian Troops in Moldova

Russian Troops in Transnistrian Eastern Region of Moldova
Wikipedia Article 
CNN: How Transnistria, a Russian-backed region in Moldova, is getting pulled into the war in Ukraine

What is the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova where tensions are rising?
Apr 2022 | 7 min | FRANCE 24

DOCUMENTARY
Moldova: In the Shadow of Putin’s War
Aug 2023 | 42 min | DW News (German Public TV)

Russia will be a 'source of instability' for years to come - Moldovan President Maia Sandu
June 2023 | 14 min | DW News (German Public TV)

Russian Military Actions in Syria

Russia has supported the Assad Government of Syria against various factions of insurgents (local fighters).
Wikipedia Articles on: Syria, Syrian Civil War (2011-2024).

ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT
In March 2011, popular discontent with the Ba'athist government led to large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. Numerous protests were violently suppressed by security forces in deadly crackdowns ordered by Bashar al-Assad, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and detentions, many of whom were civilians. The Syrian revolution transformed into an insurgency with the formation of resistance militias across the country, deteriorating into a full-blown civil war by 2012.

Syrian and Russian Jets launch Airstrikes after Rebels seized Aleppo in shock offensive
Dec 1, 2024 | 3 min | Sky News UK