Most Definately A Greater Russia Is One of My Concerns
Read the whole thing:
[. . .]
So, how did we get to this remove? Not all of it can be levelled at a paranoid Russia. Had the West mounted a serious attempt to aid Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we might have had a better chance of a democratic Russia. Instead, Washington was intent on never allowing Russia to emerge again as a major power. The expansion of NATO up to the Russian borders, including basing NATO planes in Lithuania, NATO activity in the Caucasus, and the prospect of the Ukraine joining the EU and NATO, may turn out to be a fatal step in the history of the 21st century.
President Putin has made it clear that Moscow should not allow this erosion of Russia's geopolitical space. The Chief of the Russian General Staff has written: "A powerful military stationed at our borders with no declared objective poses a threat to any non-NATO country. Sensible leaders would realise this and prepare to counter the threat."
The problem is that Russia, after 400 years of autocracy, has never felt its independence threatened in this way before from European hegemony. The forthcoming elections in Ukraine may just provide Moscow with the pretext it requires to assert control over what it sees as vital geopolitical space.
[. . .]
So, how did we get to this remove? Not all of it can be levelled at a paranoid Russia. Had the West mounted a serious attempt to aid Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we might have had a better chance of a democratic Russia. Instead, Washington was intent on never allowing Russia to emerge again as a major power. The expansion of NATO up to the Russian borders, including basing NATO planes in Lithuania, NATO activity in the Caucasus, and the prospect of the Ukraine joining the EU and NATO, may turn out to be a fatal step in the history of the 21st century.
President Putin has made it clear that Moscow should not allow this erosion of Russia's geopolitical space. The Chief of the Russian General Staff has written: "A powerful military stationed at our borders with no declared objective poses a threat to any non-NATO country. Sensible leaders would realise this and prepare to counter the threat."
The problem is that Russia, after 400 years of autocracy, has never felt its independence threatened in this way before from European hegemony. The forthcoming elections in Ukraine may just provide Moscow with the pretext it requires to assert control over what it sees as vital geopolitical space.
posted by Am I Conservative or Lil' Libertarian? | 2:45 PM
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