The speaker argues that the notion that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked is incorrect. They point out that the US and other Western powers had been interfering in Ukraine's affairs, including a 2014 coup that overthrew a pro-Russian government. The speaker also notes that Ukraine's potential membership in NATO was a significant provocation to Russia. They suggest that a deal had been worked out between Ukraine and Russia, but the US intervened to prevent it.
The speaker also mentions that the US had been providing financial support to Ukraine and that Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, had received millions of dollars from a Ukrainian company. They suggest that this connection contributed to Trump's impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine.
The speaker emphasizes that understanding the complexities of the conflict is crucial and that the US media is not providing a nuanced view of the situation. They also express concern about the risk of a nuclear conflict between the US and Russia, which they believe is a more pressing issue than the conflict in Ukraine itself.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
2. A promise was made, both verbally and in writing, that NATO would not expand eastward.
3. In 2014, there was a coup in Ukraine led by the West.
4. The Ukrainian government was overthrown and a pro-Western government was installed.
5. Victoria Nuland, a top official at the US State Department, was involved in discussing the new government that would take over after the coup.
6. The company Burisma, which was connected to the old Ukrainian government, was worried about its future after the coup and hired Hunter Biden, the son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, to its board.
7. Donald Trump was impeached over a phone call with Ukraine's president, in which he asked for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter's dealings in Ukraine.
8. The Donbass region in eastern Ukraine is majority ethnic Russian and has been warring with the Kiev government since 2014.
9. A referendum was held in 2015 in which the Donbass region voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.
10. Vladimir Putin did not annex the Donbass region after the referendum.
11. The US provided weapons to Ukraine under the Trump administration, despite concerns that it would provoke Russia.
12. Joe Biden was the point man on Ukraine policy during the Obama administration and was involved in the coup that overthrew the Ukrainian government.
13. The US has been intervening in the Middle East for decades, which has contributed to the current conflicts in the region.