Russia - Ukraine

RUSSIA Just read this: Historian Nikolay Starikov: Ukraine was Conceived as Anti-Russia, Just Like Pakistan was Anti-India Found the concept of imperialists pulling out and creating 'anti-states' (eg Pakistan and Taiwan) an interesting one.   Guess that another example would then maybe be Israel, as an anti-state in the Middle Eastern region, because when the British pulled out of Palestine, Israel was created.   That's just my take.  Starikov didn't mention Israel. Wonder if Hong Kong could be considered one of those anti-states? If I understand correctly, Putin gained presidency in 2011 and the West lost control of Russia  (which was on the verge of coup). The next part is difficult for me to understand, because anti-territory Ukraine seems, to me, like this was always on the cards rather than a response to the West pulling out of Russia in 2011. Ukraine has what the West wants:  regional strategic advantage.  Think I read somewhere that it is the equivalent of Afghanistan.  Can't remember in what way.  Think it may have been something along the lines of being a buffer territory.  Yes, I think that was it.   Raked over what I've been looking at recently and found out I'm mistaken.  Not Afghanistan and not 'buffer'.  It's Iraq and it's -- umm, I forgot again.  It's some kind of strategic territory.  Transit.  Yes, it is a transit territory.  Oil or gas, I guess.   Not going into that now or I'll be here forever reading about Iraq, when I should have been asleep ages ago. I'll just conclude that Ukraine is Europe's Iraq, as it is a transit for gas and it is also a buffer region, as in a buffer between NATO and Russia (or that was supposed to be the case, but may not be so if the West has its way). Anyway, I disagree with Starikov:  Ukraine was 'it' -- the target or prize -- not matter what.  It's not a pull-out job like Pakistan and Taiwan, in my opinion (but, bear in mind, my knowledge is limited).  Even so, that's what I believe and I'm sticking to it until I'm convinced otherwise.   Ukraine is the pipes -- the gas transit.  It's a way of blocking Russia out of European gas markets and causing all sorts of problems for Russia, via Ukraine (and backed up with US sanctions against Russia (as well as the Arab oil producers maintaining output (along with booming fracking oil in USA, keeping oil prices down by something like 50% at the moment and sending Russia (and Venezuela) broke), to turn the screws on Russia economically and, more to the point, weakening Russia (who may have to deal with conflict on two fronts?).   Now I've gone off track.   Once the US has its missiles pointed at Moscow from Ukraine, you'd think this would be the end of it and that some kind of stability would be achieved. But the writer is talking about a war between Ukraine and Russia in the making (with the West profiting). It sounded crazy at first, as I didn't look beyond the US wanting Ukraine & pointing some US missiles at Russia and Iran ... oh, and the European gas market (and whatever it is they want in terms of energy markets in the Middle East). Now I'm sort of coming around to the idea that, yeah, maybe they do want a war on Russia's western border, as well as it's its southern.  And why not?  The benefit for US bankers and corporations would be enormous; Russia would be the next Azerbaijan US oil company bonanza. That's something to think about, I suppose.  Or maybe it's completely off track.  Don't know yet. [Forever having to edit things with apostrophes, as I type them in as a reflex, without thinking.  Annoying.]