> What do you call the illegal coup in 2014? It removed the representation of everyone in Crimea and Donbas right? What about NATO expansionism? The aggressor i

> What do you call the illegal coup in 2014? It removed the representation of everyone in Crimea and Donbas right? What about NATO expansionism? The aggressor isn’t very clear. I would argue that the 2014 coup and efforts to suppress Russian ethnic people in Ukraine was an act of aggression that eventually led to this conflict. If you dont know what youre talking about please dont bring up ridiculous bits of propaganda. The only illegal coups in Ukraine were in Crimea where unmarked Russian soldiers surronded the regional parliament made them appoint a random criminal from a minor party as the leader and hold an undemocratic "referendum" to join russia. No free speech was allowed by many ukranians (of russian, ukranian, tatar, and other ethncities) who opposed the russian coup. Russian backed criminals and neonazis and scam artists backed by russian soldiers also commited coups in parts of Donbas. Sadly they were unable to vote in elections or speak freely and were basically under control of corrupt warlords in the following years. The rest of Ukraine including most of the Donbas held several fair free elections. In the last presidential election which was fair and free Zelenskyy crushed the incumbent including getting a super majority in the part of Donbas which was still able to particapate in free elections. Russia could care less about the rights of "ethnic russians". Its killed thousands of them in their assualt on Ukraine (probably a dispraportionate share of civilans they have killed considering where most of the fighting has occured). There was no effort to "supress" ethnically russian Ukranians. They are a well integrated part of Ukranian society, the commander in chief of the army is an ethnic russian born in Russia who onpy moved to Ukraine in his teens. Also I'm guessing youre under the mistaken impression that most of the Donbas area was ethnically russian when it was actually only about 1/3. As for NATO expansionism thats another bit of propaganda. There was never an agreement to not include parts of eastern europe in nato(former soviet leader Gorbachov hinself admitted this in interviews with russian media), countries like Poland begged to be let in and wore down existing nato members. Most imporantly Ukraine was not seeking to join nato in 2013/2014 before russia invaded and everyone knew there was no chance of them getting in in 2014 when russia started the war or 2022 when they expanded it(too many members of nato were opposed). Now after the expansion of the war it seems inevitable. America has done a lot but Ukranian victory and a russian loss is clearly in Americas best intrest.