What are the origins of the war in Ukraine? Contrary to popular opinion, the conflict is ultimately not between Russia and Ukraine but between Russia and the West. Neither did it begin with Russia's invasion in 2022, nor the Maidan revolution in 2014. Providing a wealth of documented evidence, Terry Boardman shows that the roots of the hostility date back to the geopolitics of the nineteenth century, when Britain and Russia engaged in the so-called Great Game of controlling the 'heartland' of central Eurasia. With colonial supremacy at stake, the British ruling elite stoked hatred of the 'Russian bear'. In addition to conventional political motivations, the author identifies a little-known, esoteric dimension. Within the leadership of the Anglo-American West are initiated groups who understand that world guidance is destined eventually to move to the Slavic East. With the aim of maintaining control, the West has been seeking, pre-emptively, to suppress Russia's influence. Surveying the 'hot' and 'cold' wars of the twentieth century, the collapse of the USSR and the continual enlargement of NATO, Boardman reveals the hidden strategies employed in realizing the above goal, which has culminated in militarization, exploitation and mass death in Eastern Europe. Can we become aware of the subliminal, oppressive methods of our ruling elites? If we are to become free, we need at least to understand them. With political, historical and spiritual perspectives, this short book is a worthy primer.