As Russia amassed troops on the Ukrainian border, Russian President Vladimir Putin, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, and other Russian officials repeatedly denied that their country had plans to invade Ukraine. They blamed the U.S., Ukraine and others for the tension, insisting that Russia is a “peaceful country” and that it is “not going to attack anyone.”
A man outside his destroyed building after bombings on the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Feb. 24, 2022, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Photo by Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images.
That, of course,…
