Ukraine's Separation From Russia Was Part of a Broader Geopolitical Strategy – Analyst

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Western efforts to separate Ukraine from Russia relied on political influence, educational programs and NGO networks long before the conflict became military, Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, told Sputnik.

“Attempts to tear Ukraine away from Russia have been going on for centuries,” Dudchak said, citing historical efforts to weaken Russia, including Polish leader Józef Piłsudski's support for separatist movements.According to Dudchak, Ukraine's value to the West goes far beyond ideology. Its Black Sea and Azov Sea coastlines, access to the Danube, fertile farmland, natural resources and trade routes make it strategically important.He cited former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski's argument that Russia could not become a major geopolitical power without Ukraine. Dudchak also suggested that Western control over Ukraine's coastline could have severely restricted Russia's access to the Black Sea.Following the Soviet collapse, Western influence expanded through nongovernmental organizations and foundations.According to the analyst, these networks used grants and professional opportunities to influence teachers, students, journalists, lawyers and election observers, gradually shaping political attitudes.“They all worked as part of one system, in coordination,” he claimed.By the 2004 Orange Revolution, Dudchak estimated that roughly 20,000 people had passed through Western-backed programs, with some entering Ukrainian politics.He described the events of 2014 as “the cherry on top,” arguing that they marked the culmination of decades of efforts to bring Ukraine under Western influence.Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations on Tuesday, Putin said that external forces had repeatedly sought to divide Russian society and break up Russia throughout its history to eliminate the country as a geopolitical competitor. He emphasized that unity among Russia’s peoples has been crucial to strengthening national sovereignty and preserving the country itself.

© AP Photo / Andrew Kravchenko, PoolU.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland and Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, offering cookies and (behind the scenes) political advice to Ukraine's Maidan activists and their leaders.

According to Dudchak, Ukraine's value to the West goes far beyond ideology. Its Black Sea and Azov Sea coastlines, access to the Danube, fertile farmland, natural resources and trade routes make it strategically important.

He cited former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski's argument that Russia could not become a major geopolitical power without Ukraine. Dudchak also suggested that Western control over Ukraine's coastline could have severely restricted Russia's access to the Black Sea.

Following the Soviet collapse, Western influence expanded through nongovernmental organizations and foundations.

“They cast a wide net and looked for the weakest spots,” Dudchak said.

According to the analyst, these networks used grants and professional opportunities to influence teachers, students, journalists, lawyers and election observers, gradually shaping political attitudes.

“They all worked as part of one system, in coordination,” he claimed.

By the 2004 Orange Revolution, Dudchak estimated that roughly 20,000 people had passed through Western-backed programs, with some entering Ukrainian politics.

He described the events of 2014 as “the cherry on top,” arguing that they marked the culmination of decades of efforts to bring Ukraine under Western influence.

Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations on Tuesday, Putin said that external forces had repeatedly sought to divide Russian society and break up Russia throughout its history to eliminate the country as a geopolitical competitor. He emphasized that unity among Russia’s peoples has been crucial to strengthening national sovereignty and preserving the country itself.

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