A proxy war is a war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved.

Since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine eight months ago, the Kremlin has denied any direct involvement, including sending Russian troops. But there are Russian fighters on the ground who are proud to announce their presence - and to discuss their ideas of "holy war".

Ukraine’s top general is contradicting allegations by the Obama Administration and by his own Ukrainian Government, by saying that no Russian troops are fighting against the Ukrainian Government’s forces in the formerly Ukrainian, but now separatist, area, where the Ukrainian civil war is being waged.
The Chief of Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, General Viktor Muzhenko, is saying, in that news-report, which is dated on Thursday January 29th, that the only Russian citizens who are fighting in the contested region, are residents in that region, or of Ukraine, and also some Russian citizens ... who “are members of illegal armed groups,” meaning fighters who are not paid by any government, but instead are just “individual citizens”... General Muzhenko also says, emphatically, that the “Ukrainian army is not fighting with the regular units of the Russian army.”

Despite repeated claims that Russia has engaged in a full-scale invasion, even Ukrainian Colonel-General Viktor Muzhenko, chief of the general staff, recently admitted that there is no Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Yes, there are Russian volunteers fighting alongside the DPR and LPR. That is no surprise, given the extent of historical, cultural, ethnic, religious, political and economic integration between Russia and Ukraine, but it's worlds apart from the Russian government actually sending troops and hardware across the border.

On the question whether or not our military is in Ukraine, I am telling to you directly and clearly: there are no Russian troops.

Russia is now fighting against Ukraine, in Ukraine. Russian troops and Russian tanks are attacking the Ukrainian forces. And while talking about peace, Russia has not made one single step to make peace possible. Instead of de-escalating the crisis, Russia has only deepened it.

Officials in Washington have floated the idea of sending lethal aid to Kiev for the fight against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve a $1 billion aid package for Ukraine, but Congress’s near unanimity on its modest package of aid and sanctions on Russia masked deep divisions on what the government should do next to confront President Vladimir V. Putin.

Once again the US State Department, NATO, and the western press made complete fools of themselves.

This is a horrific, tragic, completely unnecessary war in eastern Ukraine. In my own judgment, we have contributed mightily to this tragedy. I would say that historians one day will look back and say that America has blood on its hands.