Fact Check: ukraine started the war

Fact Check: "Ukraine Started the War"

What We Know

The claim that "Ukraine started the war" is misleading and inaccurate. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deep historical roots, but the most recent escalation began with Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. This invasion was a significant escalation of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, which had already been active since 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine (Background - Russo-Ukrainian War).

In the lead-up to the 2022 invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a series of statements that questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian statehood and identity, framing the invasion as a "special military operation" aimed at "liberating" Ukraine from its government, which he labeled as "Nazi" (Russia's War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict). This rhetoric was not only unfounded but also indicative of a long-standing Russian narrative that undermines Ukraine's sovereignty.

Prior to the invasion, Ukraine had been engaged in a defensive struggle against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region, which had resulted in over 14,000 casualties and significant displacement of people (Background - Russo-Ukrainian War). This context illustrates that Ukraine was not the aggressor but rather a nation defending its territorial integrity against external aggression.

Analysis

The assertion that Ukraine initiated the conflict ignores the extensive evidence that points to Russia as the aggressor. The timeline of events leading up to the invasion clearly shows that Russia had been amassing troops along the Ukrainian border and had already engaged in military actions in Ukraine since 2014 (Timeline: The events leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine).

Furthermore, the claim lacks credibility as it is often propagated by sources that may have a pro-Russian bias or are attempting to justify Russia's actions under the guise of historical grievances. For instance, Putin's narrative about Ukrainian identity being a construct of foreign influence is a reflection of a broader imperialistic ideology rather than a factual basis for military action (Russia's War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict).

In contrast, reputable sources such as the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies provide a comprehensive overview of the conflict, emphasizing Russia's role as the instigator of violence and aggression (Background - Russo-Ukrainian War, Russia's War in Ukraine: Identity, History, and Conflict).

Conclusion

The claim that "Ukraine started the war" is False. The evidence overwhelmingly supports that Russia initiated the conflict with its invasion in 2022, following years of aggression that began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Ukraine has been defending itself against these aggressions, and the narrative that it started the war is a distortion of the historical and current realities of the conflict.