Putting some perspective on the deliberately misleading narrative eddieboy is trying to establish regarding the CIA and Ukraine.
The CIA was a response to the Soviet occupation of Europe after WW2.
The Soviet occupation was the brutal terrorism for much of occupied Europe at that time, the CIA was an attempt to counter that brutal often genocidal occupation.
To try to paint the picture that the Soviet system was welcomed by occupied Europe and that the CIA's attempts to counter that occupation as being the malign and destabilising force is simply a grossly inaccurate attempt to deliberately deceive and mislead.
This is eddiboys objectives in almost all of their posts, the summary below shows how the Soviet regime were the malign and destabilising, while being a brutal oppressive mass murdering regime, and the CIA was a response to that and attempted to work with occupied countries to end Soviet occupation.
The CIA promoted democracy, provided uncensored information and helped Ukrainian groups resist Soviet occupation and the Kremlin murdered and victimised millions of Ukrainians.
The reader can decide who's meddling was detrimental to Ukraine.
Soviet and Russian Meddling in Ukraine:
Soviet Era (1917–1991):
1. Forced Russification: During Soviet rule, Ukraine underwent a process of "Russification," where the Russian language and culture were promoted over Ukrainian, especially under Stalin. This was intended to suppress Ukrainian national identity and integrate Ukraine more closely into the Soviet Union.
2. Holodomor (1932–1933): The Great Famine, known as the Holodomor, was a man-made famine caused by Soviet policies, including forced grain requisitions. Millions of Ukrainians perished, and was as an attempt by Stalin to suppress Ukrainian nationalism.
3. Suppression of National Identity: Ukrainian dissidents and nationalists were harshly repressed. After WWII, Ukrainian nationalist groups like the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) were crushed by the Soviet secret police (NKVD). Ukrainian cultural, political, and religious life was tightly controlled by Moscow.
4. KGB Operations: The KGB regularly infiltrated Ukrainian organizations, particularly those in the diaspora. It worked to prevent the rise of pro-independence movements in Ukraine, and to maintain Soviet influence over the population through surveillance, propaganda, violence, and arrests of dissidents.
Russian Interference Post-1991:
1. Political Interference: Russia has tried to exert political control in Ukraine since the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia supported pro-Russian candidates, most notably Viktor Yanukovych, who became president in 2010. Moscow used economic leverage, like gas pricing and trade restrictions, to influence Ukrainian politics.
2. Information Warfare: Russia has long waged information warfare in Ukraine, spreading propaganda and disinformation. Russian media outlets target Ukraine to shape public opinion, particularly in the east and Crimea, by promoting pro-Russian narratives and discrediting the West.
3. Annexation of Crimea (2014): Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after staging a controversial referendum. This was preceded by Russian "little green men" (unmarked soldiers) who took control of key infrastructure. Russia then supported separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, leading to an ongoing war.
4. Support for Separatist Movements: Russia has backed separatist movements in eastern Ukraine by providing arms, funding, and intelligence to pro-Russian militias and separatist forces. Moscow also supplies mercenaries, like those from the Wagner Group, and has orchestrated cyberattacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
5. Full Scale War (2022): Russia launched a full scale war on Ukraine which marked a significant escalation of meddling in Ukraine via an act of war resulting in widespread destruction, humanitarian crisis and significant casualties.
CIA and Western Activities in Ukraine:
Cold War Era (1945–1991):
1. Support for Ukrainian Nationalists: During the Cold War, the CIA supported various Ukrainian groups, particularly anti-Soviet insurgents like the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). These groups were involved in guerrilla warfare against Soviet forces post-WWII. The CIA provided limited assistance, but Soviet infiltration of these groups made the operations largely unsuccessful.
2. Propaganda and Psychological Operations: The CIA and other Western agencies, like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, broadcast anti-Soviet messages and news into Ukraine and other parts of the Soviet bloc. These broadcasts aimed to provide uncensored information and encourage resistance to Soviet control.
3. Operation Aerodynamic: This was one of the CIA’s covert operations aimed at supporting Ukrainian nationals in exile and using them to undermine Soviet occupation. The CIA tried to use different nationalist factions to weaken Soviet influence in Ukraine but had limited success due to KGB counterintelligence.
Post-Soviet Era (1991–Present):
1. Democracy Promotion: After the Soviet Union's collapse, the CIA's role shifted to promoting democratic governance and market reforms in Ukraine. The U.S., through various agencies, provided aid to Ukrainian civil society groups, anti-corruption efforts, and independent media to build a stronger Ukrainian state aligned with Western values.
2. Support for Orange Revolution (2004): The U.S. supported democratic forces in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution, which erupted after widespread electoral fraud in favor of the pro-Russian candidate, Viktor Yanukovych. Western-backed NGOs and civil society organizations played a role in mobilizing protestors. However, direct CIA involvement in the protests remains unclear, though Russia accused the West of orchestrating it.
3. Support for Euromaidan (2013–2014): Similar accusations were made by Russia after the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests that led to Yanukovych fleeing Ukraine and abandoning the presidency. The U.S. provided strong political and financial support to pro-democracy groups and the post-Maidan Ukrainian government. There were allegations from Russian sources that the CIA was involved in coordinating the protests, but evidence of direct, even indirect, CIA operational involvement remains entirely speculative.
4. Military Assistance (2014–present): Since 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. has provided significant military aid to Ukraine. This has included intelligence-sharing, military training, and the supply of weapons systems, which helped Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.
Comparison:
1. Soviet/Russian Interference: Moscow’s meddling in Ukraine has been far more intrusive, long-lasting, multifaceted and murderous. The Soviet Union repressed Ukrainian nationalism through forced collectivization, famine, and widespread political repression. Post-Soviet Russia has used both soft and hard power—ranging from economic leverage and propaganda to military invasion and occupation (Crimea, Donbas)—to exert control over Ukraine.
2. CIA/Western Influence: The CIA and the West's involvement has been more focused on democracy promotion, intelligence operations during the Cold War, and support for civil society rather than direct military or economic coercion. While the U.S. supported nationalist elements during the Cold War, the West has since been involved in bolstering Ukraine's sovereignty and supporting reforms, largely within the context of countering Russian aggression.
3. In summary: Russian meddling, both during the Soviet era and under Putin, has been more aggressive, sustained, violent, murderous, aimed at controlling Ukraine’s political trajectory and suppressing its sovereignty. U.S./CIA activities, while influential, have focused more on promoting democratic processes and countering Soviet/Russian influence, especially in the post-Soviet period.
