The fight over Ukraine’s fate started even before it had pulled out of the Soviet Union —

 and, behind closed doors, divided the administration of George HW Bush. 

As the Soviet Union was crumbling in 1991, US defence secretary Dick Cheney advised his boss that Washington should do everything possible to accelerate that collapse. 

The US secretary of state, Bush’s old friend and tennis doubles partner James Baker, disagreed vehemently. Baker argued that it was essential to keep the Soviet Union in one piece, because otherwise its arsenal of 35,000 nuclear weapons would fragment in dangerously unpredictable ways.

As its senior figures fought over what to do, Ukrainians forced the matter by holding a referendum on December 1 1991 on whether to become an independent state. The result was lopsided: with 84 per cent turnout, the vote was over 90 per cent in favour of independence.

Mary Elise Sarotte FT 25 February 2022

https://www.ft.com/content/742f15fc-675a-4622-b022-cbec444651cf