Why Ukraine... why now?

While listening to the words coming out of the mouths of a succession of political figures this morning as Ukraine faces up to the threat of a Russian invasion, I find my agitation levels rising.

I have Ukrainian friends and I will be praying for them and their families. Real hardship and loss await if the reports coming out of the country are anywhere near true. But rather than spout streams of anti-Russian propaganda, which seems to be the norm these days, I would prefer it if our politicians, from the Prime Minister down, explained to us why these terrible events are unfolding – and why now?

I am not interested in who is to blame for this calamitous state of affairs. All I want to know is how this situation has happened. My simple brain tells me that if we understand this, we will be a lot closer to identifying how to bring this conflict to a close.

ON THE MOVE: after massing on the border, Russian tanks are now crossing into Ukraine.

Not for one minute do I think it is because Vladimir Putin is some expansionist monster. His previous track record as Russia's President and Prime Minister would suggest he is not, albeit I do accept he probably isn't the kind of fella you'd put in charge of children's nursery or invite to a cosy dinner party!

Everything I am hearing and seeing tells me something else is at play here – one the west doesn't want us to examine too closely.

At times like these, it is very easy to have a short-term memory and demonise people and countries we are in conflict with. That, in my humble opinion, is a real mistake.

WEAKEST LINK: President Joe Biden's foreign policy has been nothing short of disastrous.

Let's turn the clock back to the early 1990s when the US and UK governments defied the United Nations and marched into Iraq and toppled the dictator, Saddam Hussein. Why were we right to ignore the views of the international community?

Fast forward to the current century and turn the microscope onto Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt and several other countries in the Middle East. The west – principally the UK and the US – either bludgeoned its way into these states or used its influence to grossly destabilise these sovereign nations and topple regimes that were not sympathetic to the west's agenda and values. Were we right to do this?

SEEKING SUPPORT: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) meets his German counterpart.

For as long as I care to remember, NATO and the European Union have been doing their very best to undermine Russia by deliberately provoking Putin and the Kremlin. Indeed, within the last five years, NATO has attempted to persuade Poland to site missile sites that targeted Moscow!

And then we have everything that has been going on in Ukraine in recent years, with the west using this country of 25 million souls to prod, poke and antagonise the Russian Bear. I know little about bearbaiting, other than if it bites you are in big trouble!

CHURCHILL MOMENT: Boris Johnson has now got more turbulence to deal with.

Presiding over all of these things have been our politicians, who, by any standards, are weak and something akin to a rabble that's low on wit and clout on the international stage. If Putin was going to show his hand, he couldn't have chosen a better time.

What the Russian President has done is wrong. Fact. But when you look at the bigger picture, it is understandable. When bears get angry, they lash out. The west has done it. And now Russia is following suit, and the UK, US and EU has to take a significant dollop of responsibility for everything that is about to unfold.

When we do that and desist with the bearbaiting, maybe Putin will be prepared to sit down and negotiate. I pray it is so, and I pray the moment arrives sooner rather than later.

Tony Yorke is the Deputy Editor of Sorted.