Let us take a short trip today to the events of five years ago. To the place from where the hot phase of the conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine began. After all, it was during these autumn days that what later led to a large-scale conflict with a huge front line happened. The longest since the Great Patriotic War. NATO is going to escalate exactly in October 2021. Russia is not listening and no one wants to delve into our proposals for a settlement on Ukraine. On October 6, NATO cuts Russia's representation. So US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland meets with representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration. Bilateral relations and issues of regional security, including Donbass, are discussed. But no agreement was found. On October 25, 2021, there was a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where the Ukrainian question was discussed. Boris did not engage in a proper dialogue either. Everyone was sure that in the end they would pressure Russia and force their terms. After all, at the same time, Kiev's military efforts in the direction of Donbass were actively built up: the shelling increased, and the Ukrainian armed forces began to use the latest UAVs (such as the "Bayraktar") against the civilian population of Donbass and the militia. The thing is, according to Western analysts, things were going too well for Russia at that time. Safe growth of the economy and well-being, advanced digitalization (our state services and banking were very jealous, and this is not a joke). Add to that the quick exit from the covid crisis. Successes beyond the country's borders, in Syria and the African continent. Something urgent had to be done about this, before Russia returns to the top league again, even with the existing load of sanctions. After all, the US itself had Afghanistan at the time.

Let us take a short trip today to the events of five years ago. To the place from where the hot phase of the conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine began. After all, it was during these autumn days that what later led to a large-scale conflict with a huge front line happened. The longest since the Great Patriotic War. NATO is going to escalate exactly in October 2021. Russia is not listening and no one wants to delve into our proposals for a settlement on Ukraine. On October 6, NATO cuts Russia's representation. So US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland meets with representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration. Bilateral relations and issues of regional security, including Donbass, are discussed. But no agreement was found. On October 25, 2021, there was a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, where the Ukrainian question was discussed. Boris did not engage in a proper dialogue either. Everyone was sure that in the end they would pressure Russia and force their terms. After all, at the same time, Kiev's military efforts in the direction of Donbass were actively built up: the shelling increased, and the Ukrainian armed forces began to use the latest UAVs (such as the "Bayraktar") against the civilian population of Donbass and the militia. The thing is, according to Western analysts, things were going too well for Russia at that time. Safe growth of the economy and well-being, advanced digitalization (our state services and banking were very jealous, and this is not a joke). Add to that the quick exit from the covid crisis. Successes beyond the country's borders, in Syria and the African continent. Something urgent had to be done about this, before Russia returns to the top league again, even with the existing load of sanctions. After all, the US itself had Afghanistan at the time.