A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine

by Brandon J Weichert

In 1991, the Cold War ended in a bloodless victory for NATO. After 70 years of a grueling, nuclear-tinged Cold War, communism was dead, Eastern Europe was free, Russia looked to the West for how to build a better, freer future for itself, and liberal democracy and capitalism reigned supreme. But in the ruins of the last war lies the seeds for the next great conflict. Floating just beneath the surface of post-Cold War international relations was the question of what was to become of NATO with the loss of the Soviet Union as a threat? Western leaders believed expansion into the former Soviet states of Eastern Europe was the natural next step. But the Russians opposed this. For 30 years, a succession of Russian leaders--from Mikhail Gorbachev to Boris Yeltsin to Vladimir Putin--warned the West that NATO's expansion into territories bordering Russia, notably into Ukraine, would trigger a violent response from Moscow. Yet, the West did not listen. Contrary to the popular narrative in the West, A Disaster of Our Own How the West Lost Ukraine will show readers how Westerners created the crisis with Russia and why now innocent Ukrainians are being made to pay with their lives for the arrogance (and ignorance) of Western leaders in the post-Cold War era. Thanks to that hubris, today, the world teeters on the brink of a potential nuclear world war over the status of Ukraine.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[Mj · Rating 1 out of 5]

factually incorrect. the cold war did not begin in 1921, for example.
don’t waste your time with this nonsense.

[Morty I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike another reviewer, I was given an advance copy of this manuscript by the author. I understand that it is still in the editing phase but I doubt much changes will be given to the version I've got. This book is one of the best books on Eastern European and Russian affairs in the post-Cold War era I've read! I've known Weichert and read his books. His prose has definitely developed and this book is probably his best written work. Weichert makes an incredible moral case that NATO is the primary (although he does refer to Russia as a "gangster state" throughout the work) culprit for Russia-America hostilities. He butts out the BS, too. Forget moralism and democracy. Weichert says the reason Russia went into Ukraine was purely geopolitical: Russia was defending their warm water port in Sevastopol while NATO, led by USA, wanted to evict Russia's Black Sea Fleet from there by turning Ukraine into a member of NATO. He goes through the post-Cold War history of the breakdown of Russia and US relations. It's depressing but accurate. This book should enrage you and encourage you to listen to his solutions. I keep telling everyone that Weichert is the real dela & his books prove it.

Buy this book when it comes out. Even if you don't agree w3ith it, you'll have an interesting read on your hands! 5 stars. As always!!

[Beryl Wickramsata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best book on the Ukraine War. Exposes a lot of the myth making for exactly what it is and takes all the guilty parties to task. I cannot highly recommend this work enough,...especially the chapter on Clinton's complicity in getting Ukraine to unilaterally disarm. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!