Concise Timeline of the US March To War With Russia

TIMELINE Taken from Reuters and Metro UK

1990 – U.S. assures Russia that NATO will not expand towards its border “…there would be no extension of…NATO one inch to the east,” says US Secretary of State James Baker.

1996 – U.S. weapons manufacturers form the Committee to Expand NATO, spending over $51 million lobbying Congress.

1997 – 50 foreign policy experts including former senators, retired military officers and diplomats sign an open letter stating NATO expansion to be “a policy error of historic proportions.”

1999 – NATO admits Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to NATO. U.S. and NATO bombs Russia’s ally, Serbia.

2001 – U.S. unilaterally withdraws from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

2004 – Seven more Eastern European nations join NATO. NATO troops are now directly on Russia’s border.

2004 – Russia’s parliament passed a resolution denouncing NATO’s expansion. Putin responded by saying that Russia would “build our defense and security policy correspondingly.”

2004 November —The Orange Revolution in Ukraine. The presidential election between pro-West Viktor Yushchenko and pro-Russia Viktor Yanukovych created a massive controversy. Yushchenko was mysteriously poisoned before the election – but made a full recovery – and so victory was declared in favour of Yanukovych.

2004 December - Ukrainians took to the street wearing orange, which was Yushchenko’s campaign colour. Protestors triggered a re-vote, resulting in a victory for Pro-RussiaYushchenko. Pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovich is declared president but allegations of vote-rigging trigger protests, known as the Orange Revolution, forcing a re-run of the vote. Pro-Western former prime minister, Viktor Yushchenko, is elected president.

2008 – NATO leaders announced plans to bring Ukraine and Georgia, also on Russia’s borders, into NATO. Putin made his opposition to Ukrainian membership known to NATO leaders, at one point allegedly telling US President George W. Bush that Ukraine is ‘not even a real nation-state.’

2009 – U.S. announced plans to put missile systems into Poland and Romania.

2010: Yanukovich wins a presidential election.

2013 - Minsk Accord I Fails -Ukraine and Russian separatists agreed to a 12-part cease-fire deal in the Belarus capital of Minsk.

2013 December Viktor Yanukovych, suspended all trade and talks with the EU in an attempt to revive a relationship with Moscow. This began months of protests in Kyiv, which included bloodshed.

2014 February 20— Crimea annexed —Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from the state of Ukraine.

2014 February 22 — Legally elected Ukrainian president, Yanukovych Ousted after Hillary/Obama/Victoria Nuland intervened and arranged a Coup d’Etat against Yanukovych, who fled the violence to Moscow. Russia correctly views ouster as a coup by U.S. and NATO nations.

2014 February — armed men seize parliament in the Ukrainian region of Crimea and raise the Russian flag. Moscow later annexes the territory.Russia Annexes Crimea

2014 April — Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern region of Donbass declare independence. Some 15,000 people were reported to have been killed since in fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian army, according to the Kyiv government.

2015 - Minsk Accord II Fails - called for an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, OSCE monitoring, amnesty for those involved in fighting, hostage and prisoner exchanges, full control of Ukraine’s state border, withdrawal of foreign troops, elections in the disputed areas, offered regions where pro-Russian separatists hold sway a measure of autonomy that could impact central government decision-making.

2016 – U.S. begins troop buildup in Europe.

2017 —An association agreement between Ukraine and the EU opens markets for free trade of goods and services, and visa-free travel to the EU for Ukrainians.

2019 April 29 — Former comic actor Volodymyr Zelensky elected president of Ukraine.

2019 – U.S. unilaterally withdraws from Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.

2020 – U.S. unilaterally withdraws from Open Skies Treaty.

2021 January — Zelenskiy appeals to U.S. president Joe Biden to let Ukraine join NATO. In February, his government freezes the assets of opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, the Kremlin's most prominent ally in Ukraine.

2021 February—First sanctions Against Russia. The UK, US, and their allies sanctioned Russian parliament members, banks and other assets. Germany halted the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

2021 February — Zelensky’s government froze the assets of opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, the Kremlin’s most prominent ally in Ukraine.

2021 February —In a TV address, Putin says Ukraine is an integral part of Russian history and has a puppet regime managed by foreign (Western) powers. Putin orders what he called peacekeeping forces into two breakaway regions in the Donbas, after recognising them as independent.

2021 – December —Russia submits negotiation proposals while sending more forces to the border with Ukraine. U.S. and NATO officials reject the Russian proposals immediately, thereby snubbing Russia and Putin.

2021 December 17 — Russia presents security demands including that NATO pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar Ukraine from ever joining.

2022 January 24 — NATO puts forces on standby and reinforces eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets.

2022 January 26 — Washington responds to Russia's security demands, repeating a commitment to NATO's "open-door" policy while offering a "pragmatic evaluation" of Moscow's concerns. Two days later Russia says its demands not addressed.

2022 February 24 — The U.S., Britain and their allies sanction Russian parliament members, banks and other assets in response to Putin's troop order. Germany halts the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

2022 February— the United States says it will send 3,000 extra troops to NATO members Poland and Romania. Washington and allies say they will not send troops to Ukraine, but warn of severe economic sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin takes military action.

2023 February 23 Russian-backed separatist leaders ask Russia for help repelling aggression from the Ukrainian army.

2022 February 24 – Russia invades Ukraine, starting the Russia-Ukraine War.

2022 February 28 —First Ceasefire Talks Fail. After days of fighting, Russia and Ukraine held their first ceasefire talk at the Belarusian border. This ended without an agreement after five hours.

2023 April 4 — Finland joins NATO, adds 800 miles of NATO encroachment on Russian border.

Who Is the Hostile Party Here?