There are several East/West confrontations; perhaps the most fraught is the contentious lands between Russia and the Ukraine. They’re not up for debate in law, of course, they are part of the Ukraine. But, in practice, the eastern part of Ukraine; Russian in language and character, lies within the control of the Ukrainian government.
Whilst it is an urban myth that Russia has military forces in the Ukraine, it is undoubtedly true that blood is thicker than water, and there is a developing bond between eastern Ukraine and Russia.
Into this tangled web, the United States secret state puts in some hard work, too – sometimes it all reads like a Cold War drama from the 1950s.
We invited security expert Mark Sleboda on board Sputnik to try and disentangle the many strands.
