Putin Vs. Zelensky: The Next Big Move In Ukraine

Putin is dug in. Will Ukraine go big for Crimea? Can Russian forces hold the 18% of Ukraine that they control until the West tells Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal? Dr. Matthew Schmidt gives his analysis and insight (Recorded July 20, 2023).

The conflict did not simply begin with Russian tanks rolling across the border into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as so many media and political outlets lead us to believe. It was not necessarily spurred by Ukraine’s attack on civilians in separatist regions during the first stage of the Russo-Ukrainian war which had been occurring since 2014 under President Petro Poroshenko. This is a fight that has been brewing for decades - since the collapse of the Soviet Union (and even before). In fact, as then-Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden assured Ukrainian officials that a major conflict would not involve tanks in the streets but the assault that Russia would bring on Kiev would be merely economic (see link below). However, the tentacles of war come from many different angles and participants. They mirror those that actually bind the populations, as well, be they historical, territorial, idealogical, social, economic, corporate, geographic, philosophical, or imperial ambitions, traditions, and greed. The situation reached a boiling point in 2013 when a leader (Vicktor Yanukovych) promised ties to the West yet felt loyal to the East and reportedly accepted massive bribes in order to help his decision making. Yep, playing the middle ground is ‘no man’s land.’ This scandal in a long line of scandals caused protests and an eventual coup. Ukraine has had 7 presidents since 1991 independence. Identity of the nation has been a game of tug-o-war that has led to a modern civil war amongst ‘brother’ people. Some of those leaders leaned towards loyalty to Moscow. Others leaned towards the EU and Washington. NATO expansion and the glances of China loom. Growth has been hard for one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Corrupt….and Blessed! Blessed with the world’s most fertile farmland and most valuable natural resources. I feel strongly that this, deep down, is the major prize that all sides are so eager to exploit and sacrifice loyal, patriotic young men over. Ukrainian men are being used to push NATO east, in my opinion, while the carrot of acceptance is dangled in front of their leader. However, that is a for a later discussion.

On July 20, 2023 I had a very educational, insightful, and informative conversation with an expert who has visited Ukraine many times. He has even served as an election monitor. I truly appreciate the national security, political science, and personal perspective of Dr. Matthew Schmidt of the University of New Haven.

This interview aired on WCBM Radio in Baltimore on July 23, 2023. I hope you enjoy. I hope it clears up some details for you and spurs your interest in researching other details on your own. As you will hear - this is a very complex issue. May God have mercy on us all for what is happening under our watch.

Kevin Battle
Host
WCBM Radio

Joe Biden speaking on Russia/Ukraine at the Council of Foreign Relations on 1/23/2018: https://www.cfr.org/event/foreign-aff...

Weapons provided by the US: https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-...