After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine became independent. But Washington didn’t see Ukraine as just another new country—it saw it as a tool to weaken Russia.

The US and NATO promised Mikhail Gorbachev that they wouldn’t expand “one inch eastward.” That was a lie. NATO quickly swallowed up Poland, the Baltic States, and much of Eastern Europe, bringing its military presence right up to Russia’s borders.

Ukraine was the big prize. If NATO could pull Ukraine into its orbit, it would deal a devastating blow to Russia’s security. Moscow made it clear—Ukraine joining NATO was a red line. But the West didn’t care.

Instead of letting Ukraine develop as a neutral state between Russia and the West, Washington started pouring billions of dollars into the country, funding pro-Western political groups, media outlets, and NGOs. Their goal? To turn Ukraine against Russia and bring it fully into the Western camp.

In 2004, the CIA and State Department backed the so-called “Orange Revolution,” a Western-funded uprising that overturned an election result that had favoured a Russia-friendly candidate. That was their first attempt to hijack Ukraine’s government.

part 4