The Russia–Ukraine war, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022, is often portrayed as a simple story: Russia’s aggression against a smaller neighbor yearning for democracy and closer ties with the West.

But beneath the headlines lies a far more complicated history of geopolitics, promises broken, spheres of influence, and power struggles between East and West.

What isn’t taught in mainstream narratives is that this conflict has deep roots in centuries of rivalry, Cold War promises, NATO expansion, internal Ukrainian divisions, and the global struggle for resources and influence.

Let's unpacks the hidden dimensions of the war—what they don’t usually teach you about its causes.

1. The Historical Roots: Ukraine Between Empires

Ukraine has long been a contested land caught between Europe and Russia. Its fertile soil, rich resources, and access to the Black Sea made it strategically valuable.

• Kievan Rus’ Origins: Ukraine’s history goes back to Kievan Rus’ (9th–13th centuries), a medieval state that both Russians and Ukrainians claim as their cultural birthplace. For Russia, Ukraine is not just a neighbor but the cradle of Slavic civilization.

• Polish-Lithuanian & Ottoman Rule: From the 14th to the 18th century, Ukraine was split between powers—Poland-Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia.

• Russian Empire & Russification: By the late 18th century, much of Ukraine fell under Russian imperial control. Policies of Russification sought to erase Ukrainian language and identity.

This long history of domination planted seeds of cultural tension: Ukrainians fought to preserve their identity, while Russians saw Ukraine as inseparable from their own.

2. Soviet Legacy: Forced Unity and Deep Divisions

When Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution, the relationship was one of control rather than partnership.

• Famine (Holodomor) of the 1930s: Millions of Ukrainians died due to Stalin’s forced collectivization policies. Ukrainians still see this as genocide, deepening resentment toward Moscow.

• World War II Loyalties: Some Ukrainians sided with Nazi Germany, not out of love for Hitler, but out of hatred for Soviet oppression. This historical wound is still used in Russian propaganda, portraying Ukraine as “fascist.”

• Soviet Industry & Military: Ukraine became a crucial industrial and agricultural hub, hosting weapons factories, missile silos, and shipyards.

When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Ukraine suddenly inherited not just independence, but also nuclear weapons, Soviet industries, and a population split between pro-Russian and pro-European leanings.

3. The Forgotten Promise: NATO Expansion

One of the least discussed but most critical factors in the war is NATO’s eastward expansion.

• The 1990 Assurances: When the Berlin Wall fell and Germany reunified, U.S. and Western leaders privately assured Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward.”

• Reality: Since the 1990s, NATO expanded to include Poland, the Baltic states, Romania, and others. From Russia’s perspective, NATO crept closer and closer to its borders.

• Ukraine as the Red Line: For Russia, the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO was unacceptable. Ukraine is not just any neighbor—it is strategic militarily, economically, and historically.

This broken trust created the groundwork for future conflict.

4. The Struggle Over Ukraine’s Identity

Ukraine itself was not unified in its geopolitical orientation.

• Western Ukraine: More nationalist, pro-European, and tied to Polish and Austro-Hungarian legacies.

• Eastern & Southern Ukraine: More Russian-speaking, industrial, and historically linked to Moscow. Crimea, for example, was majority Russian and housed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

This split came to the surface in elections: pro-Russian leaders like Viktor Yanukovych found support in the east, while pro-European leaders drew votes in the west.

5. The 2014 Turning Point: Euromaidan and Crimea

The true beginning of the war can be traced to the events of 2014.

• Yanukovych’s Reversal: Ukrainian President Yanukovych, under pressure from Moscow, abandoned an EU trade deal in favor of closer ties with Russia.

• Euromaidan Protests: Massive protests erupted in Kyiv demanding closer ties with Europe. These escalated into violence and Yanukovych fled.

• Russia’s Response: Moscow saw this as a Western-backed coup. In retaliation, it annexed Crimea in 2014, claiming to protect Russian speakers and its naval base.

• War in Donbas: Pro-Russian separatists, allegedly supported by Russia, took control of parts of eastern Ukraine, sparking an ongoing war.

This was the first phase of the Russia–Ukraine war, long before 2022.

6. The Resource War: Pipelines and Energy

Another underexplored factor is energy politics.

• Ukraine as Transit Hub: Ukraine sits on pipelines that carry Russian natural gas to Europe. Control over Ukraine means control over billions in energy revenues.

• Crimea’s Black Sea Reserves: Crimea gave Russia access to offshore energy fields. By annexing Crimea, Moscow gained leverage in the Black Sea energy game.

• Western Interests: The U.S. and EU have also sought to diversify Europe’s energy away from Russian gas, giving Ukraine’s alignment huge economic stakes.

This wasn’t just about identity or politics—it was also about energy dominance.

7. The 2022 Invasion: From Proxy to Open War

In February 2022, Russia escalated into a full-scale invasion. But why then?

• NATO Membership Signals: In 2021, Ukraine’s president pushed harder for NATO integration. Russia declared this an existential threat.

• U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Some analysts argue Putin saw the West as weak after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.

• Internal Russian Politics: Facing domestic stagnation and protests, Putin turned to nationalism and war to consolidate power.

The invasion was brutal, but Moscow miscalculated Ukraine’s resistance and Western unity. What was expected to be a quick victory turned into a drawn-out war.

8. The Global Dimension: Proxy War Between Great Powers

What isn’t often taught is that the Russia–Ukraine war is not just about Ukraine—it’s a global proxy conflict.

• The U.S. & NATO: Billions in weapons and aid flow to Ukraine, making it heavily reliant on Western backing.

• Russia & China: Beijing hasn’t openly supported the war but benefits from Russia’s isolation, gaining cheap energy and a strategic ally.

• Global South Reactions: Many African, Asian, and Latin American countries refused to take sides, seeing this as a Western vs. Russia struggle, not their war.

Ukraine has become the stage where global power balances are being tested.

9. What They Don’t Teach You: The Layers of Responsibility

Mainstream narratives often portray the war as black and white: Russia bad, Ukraine good. But reality is messier.

• Russia bears clear responsibility for invading a sovereign country.

• The West, however, ignored decades of Russian warnings about NATO expansion.

• Ukrainian leaders, too, sometimes deepened divisions with heavy-handed policies toward Russian speakers.

The tragedy is that Ukraine became the battleground for unresolved tensions between Russia and the West.

10. The Future: Lessons From the Hidden Story

The hidden history of the Russia–Ukraine war teaches us several lessons:

1. Broken promises breed future wars. The 1990s NATO assurances set the stage for mistrust.

2. Geography still matters. Ukraine’s position as a borderland and energy hub made it too strategic to remain neutral.

3. Wars are rarely about one villain. While Russia’s invasion is illegal, Western actions and Ukrainian internal politics also contributed.

4. The real victims are civilians. Millions of Ukrainians suffer displacement, death, and economic ruin because of power struggles beyond their control.

The Russia–Ukraine war is not simply about Putin’s aggression or Ukraine’s democratic aspirations—it is the culmination of centuries of history, Cold War legacies, broken promises, and great power rivalry.

What isn’t taught is that this war could have been avoided if both Russia’s security concerns and Ukraine’s sovereignty were respected. Instead, global ambitions collided, and Ukraine became the battlefield of our time.

Only by understanding the hidden roots—the “what they don’t teach you”—can we see the war not as an isolated tragedy, but as part of the larger story of how power, promises, and geopolitics shape the fate of nations.