Consequences of the Revolution of Dignity and Putin's Revenge - 2: The Price of Betrayal.

Representatives of the Putin regime increasingly claim that Ukraine must be a country without a bloc. From their point of view, this means limiting sovereignty and submission to political-ideological control by Russia. In 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea and occupied certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions when Ukraine was without a bloc. This is a fact that our diplomats must emphasize to Western leaders.

However, Moldova's neutral status did not prevent Russia from occupying Transnistria and conducting a hybrid war against this country. There is a threat that after Ukraine, Russia will direct its aggression towards neutral Moldova.

Therefore, Ukraine's neutral status is only possible if Western partners become its allies and provide real security guarantees. Currently, our Western partners are satisfied with the situation where Ukraine is in a gray zone and serves as a buffer absorbing the main blows.

From the perspective of Western politicians, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a civil war between Russian and Ukrainian barbarians. The difference is that Ukraine should be the front line for containing the Russian Federation, while Russia itself will become the front line for the West to contain China.

For American politicians, it is most important to avoid the creation of a geopolitical axis between Russia, China, and 'old Europe', especially Germany and France. Putin's actions and military aggression against Ukraine have weakened the influence of Russia and China in Europe, reinforcing the geopolitical position of the USA.

The Kremlin tried to replicate the Iraqi scenario in Ukraine, using aggression as a means to fight everything related to Ukraine - nation, identity, culture. However, if Russia had not been hostile towards the Ukrainian people and had offered them more favorable conditions for integration and created comfortable living conditions in the occupied territories, it could have achieved its plans for Ukraine.

The death of Ukrainian prisoners of war at the hands of Russian forces indicates the inadequacy of the Russian government, which ultimately destroyed the idea of 'brotherly nations' through its own actions. Humane treatment and the creation of comfortable conditions for prisoners would have reduced Ukrainians' motivation to resist. Groundless accusations against Ukrainian warriors of betraying Russia are counterproductive for the Kremlin, as they pledged allegiance to Ukraine, not the Russian Federation.

The Kremlin had been preparing for aggression against Ukraine since 2003, so representatives of the Ukrainian elite should ask themselves what they were doing during this Time? Why did they not create projects with foreign investors under state guarantees that would protect Ukraine from Russian aggression? Why did Ukrainian politicians not cooperate with China on the implementation of the 'One Belt, One Road' project through Ukraine, which could have expanded our country's transit potential? Why did the Ukrainian elite not support holding a national referendum in 2014 on signing the Association Agreement with the EU, which was supported by the majority of the population, that could have stabilized the political situation and played the Kremlin? Why did the Ukrainian government cancel the non-bloc status, playing into Russian propaganda that the main reason for Russian aggression is the possibility of joining NATO?

Neutral status did not prevent Finland and Sweden from becoming NATO members when opportunities arose. The Ukrainian elite should have taken advantage of neutrality and created favorable conditions for foreign investors who would become defenders of Ukraine from Russian aggression. But they are selling their country and themselves to Russia and the West, turning Ukraine into a testing ground for geopolitical games.

Pro-Russian Ukrainians received 'aid' from Russia in the form of ruined cities and destroyed property. Pro-Western citizens witnessed how the West shifts onto us the geopolitical role of a bloody buffer.

Prophet Shevchenko was right when he spoke about the orientation of our hetmans towards foreign capitals. We repeat the same mistakes by choosing between a pro-Western and a pro-Russian path instead of choosing a Ukrainian rectangle and getting rid of the inferiority complex.