April 9 — Following the regime change coup in February 2014 which toppled the elected government of Ukraine — which could not have occurred without the open support of the United States and governments in NATO — Russian leaders repeatedly warned that the entry of Ukraine into NATO was a "red line," which Russia could not allow. The steady eastward expansion of NATO, following the peaceful disbanding of the Warsaw Pact military alliance in 1991, broke pledges given to Soviet leaders that there was no intention to move NATO forces closer to the borders of Russia.It is for this reason that the signing of presidential decree number 117/2021 by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 24, 2021, which proclaims the official policy of Ukraine is to take back Crimea from Russia, led to a dramatic increase in tensions, which may have been the intention of this provocation. When there was a movement of Russian troops into the border area, which the Russians said was part of scheduled training maneuvers, and a reinforcement of Russian forces in Crimea, the U.S. raised the alert status of its military forces in Europe to the highest level. Skirmishes broke out between Ukrainian forces and the military units defending the Luhansk and Donetsk "breakaway republics", which included Ukrainian forces launching shells into Donbas, along with unconfirmed reports of the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers, breaking a shaky ceasefire. Tensions soared again after U.S. President Biden told Zelensky that he is affirming the United States' "unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea." Biden's talk with Zelensky was followed by a series of discussions by administration officials with their Ukrainian counterparts, including calls from Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Adviser Sullivan, Defense Secretary Austin and the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley. At the same time, Zelensky exhibited a flight forward mentality. On April 5 and 6, he spoke about the crisis, and Ukraine's desire to be accepted into NATO, with the U.K.'s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canada's P.M. Trudeau, and with NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg. In his discussion with the latter, a report from his office stated that he called for a greater NATO presence in the Black Sea, which would be a "powerful deterrent to Russia," which he accused of continuing "the large-scale militarization of the region" and action which "hinders merchant shipping." He responded to the request that Ukraine carry out military reforms in order to qualify for membership by insisting that they are committed to making reforms, "but reforms alone will not stop Russia. NATO is the only way to end the war in the Donbas." Accepting Ukraine's NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP), he added, "will be a real signal for Russia."
