Sophie Shevardnadze interviewed Ray about Ukraine three months before the downing of MH17, which was widely (and conveniently) blamed by the U.S. and Europe on “the Russians” and/or “pro-Russian separatists.”

… from the archives, on Ukraine

The killing of 298 people aboard MH17 on July 17, 2014 was used by Washington to harness previously reluctant Europeans into step behind the U.S. in imposing economic sanctions on Russia.  (It was no coincidence that the sanctions were approved just nine days after the shoot-down.)  So the glimmers of hope on Ukraine that Ray was seeing in April 2014 quickly flickered almost totally out that summer.

April 14, 2014 – 29 minutes, including song Ray sings to make a point.

(To skip the commercials in the middle, fast-forward from 12:35 to 16:55)