The Untold Story of ‘Russiagate’ and the Road to War in Ukraine "Russia’s meddling in Trump-era politics was more directly connected to the current war than previously understood." This is a very long Rutenberg article in today's NYT. Finally, now that Manafort has been pardoned from federal tax evasion and bank fraud crimes, he has apparently been willing to talk. I have known that there was an obvious connection between Russia, Ukraine and the Trump 2016 campaign, simply because it would be impossible that there not be, considering that Manafort and his Russian intelligence agent partner, Konstantin Kilimnik, were behind both the Viktor Yanukovich and the Donald Trump campaigns. The Robert Mueller and the U.S. Senate investigations filled in some of the blanks for me. Now this Rutenberg article fills in many more and paints what must be a nearly complete picture... This is a fantastic article, but not sure you can access it if not an NYT subscriber. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/magazine/russiagate-paul-manafort-ukraine-war.html
All I know about this is when the US sent Kamala Harris to Europe to solidify European resolve, Putin saw this as an All In situation. Same thing happened when Con Rice met with Saddam Hussein.
I could paste the original but it's way too long at several pages. Here's the link to get in. https://archive.ph/2022.11.02-12275...ine/russiagate-paul-manafort-ukraine-war.html
It is not surprising that a paranoid and isolated autocrat would disagree with the Western Nations' point of view and misinterpret Western intentions. "All In" will turn out to be the worst decision of Putin's life. Mr. Putin must have been encouraged by the easy subterfuge he pulled off when his "little green men" walked into Crimea during the Obama Administration. Then the welcoming arms of the Trump administration --- "I asked him if he interfered in the election. He said he didn't. I don't know why he would" --- did everything within its power, and few things not within, to weaken the NATO alliance and hand Ukraine to Putin. Although 'The Orange Donald' proved a mere apparatchik in Putin's hands; not so Mr. Biden however. The Moment Mr. Biden announced to the other NATO Nations "The United States is back!", Mr. Putin should have realized the smooth sledding he had enjoyed under a Rotund, Big Mac fueled Mr. Trump was over. Now, as a result of Mr. Putin's failure to heed the frail and stammering Joe Biden's warning, the Russian People and the democratic nations of the Earth will, before long, be giving Mr. Putin more good advice, as in "don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out."