WSJ recreates events leading up to

invasion based on interviews with 30 policymakers.


hoped to integrate Putin into post-Cold War order

when that failed, US&Allies didn't return to containment


led the EU’s big bet on peace through commerce ->energy dependence

NATO said in 2008 that Ukraine & Georgia would one day join but never followed up

West had limited reaction to Russia's invasions of Georgia & Ukraine, encouraging Putin

Russia saw Orange Revolution as a threat, in 2005 launched campaign to contest perceived US influence

To

, Putin told demise of USSR was greatest geopolitical tragedy

to W Europe, he said "Cold War is over" & presented himself as a democrat, opened pathways for lucrative trade,made friends with Schröder & Berlusconi

2007: Putin grew more aggressive towards West

2008: at Bucharest summit, Bush pushed to give Ukraine requested NATO membership plan; Berlin&Paris were against

Merkel said NATO invite for Ukraine & Georgia would provoke Putin and that countries would bring no benefit to NATO

"Compromise" resolution left

in gray zone

Next day, Putin described

as "made-up country," questioned transfer of Crimea

4 months later, he invaded Georgia

Putin said 2011 Russian anti-election fraud protests were incited by US embassy, started crackdown on opposition

Putin's fears grew with Arab Spring

“[Putin's] great anxiety was that Ukraine could become economically and politically successful and that the Russians would eventually ask themselves ‘Why are our brothers doing so well, while our situation remains dire?’” - advisor to Merkel

Pro-W

President Yushchenko lost elections in 2010, successor Yanukovych could not balance declared "friendship with both EU & Russia" course


called EU-Ukraine trade deal "major threat to economy,"

suspended talks on deal citing

pressure

Euromaidan Revolution

Feb 2014:

FSB General Sergei Beseda, dispatched to Kyiv to quell Euromaidan, advises Yanukovych to deploy army & crush protests. Instead, Yanukovych flees Kyiv

Putin sees Euromaidan as a US coup, in all-night meeting decides to annex Crimea

Invasion of Donbas

Moscow sought to regain lost political leverage in Ukraine through Minsk Agreements that Ukraine signed under duress

Low-intensity war until 2022

In 2014, Merkel realized Putin would never reconciliate with West yetcontinued to support commercial cooperation with Russia

US Obama administr & some NATO allies started program to train

Army, but with limited support to not provoke

Trump expanded aid to Javelins but blackmailed Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on Biden

Russia tried to stop US military aid by hinting at tradeoff with Venezuela

2019: Zelenskyy wins presidency, rejects Russian interpretation of Minsk. Observers thought Putin loathed new

President

Macron seeks rapprochement with Putin

2021: Biden sets goal for "stable, predictable relationship with Russia" as he focused on China

Sept'21: US gives Ukraine $60mn in limited military, non-offensive support

27 Oct'21: US Intel Director warns Russia could invade by end of Jan'22

Nov'21: US prepares $200 mn package but puts it on hold, calculating it wouldn't deter Putin & could provoke him


DefSec Austin opted for cautious approach, with paramount goal to avoid confrontation btw

&

Dec'21:

issues NATO&US ultimatum to revise post-Cold War security order

27 Dec'21: Biden allows more arms shipments to

9 Jan'22:

General Mingus attempts to dissuade Russia from invading, saying it would be a quagmire, to no reaction

European leaders don't believe

Intel re: invasion

mid-Jan'22: CIA director Burns warns Zelenskyy in Kyiv that

would attempt to seize Hostomel airfield

Macron&Scholtz make last attempts to talk Putin out of invading

. Putin complains of

"historical grievances," Scholtz warns of severe sanctions

19 Feb'22: Scholtz tells Zelenskyy

should renounce NATO aspirations & declare neutrality as part of W-Russia security deal