"The Soviet Union continued Russia’s expansionist, opportunistic policy, using victory in 1945 to create an Eastern European empire and dependencies in Mongolia and North Korea. Only American military commitments prevented further Russian expansion west, south, and through the Korean peninsula.
That’s a long trip to make the point that Putin’s aggression in Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2014 and 2022) are entirely normal within the sweep of Russian history. Also normal are civilian massacres, co-option of local elites, mistreatment of POWs, and efforts to “Russify” the population — all tactics exercised in tandem with Russian expansion since the 16th century and completely unappreciated by the West.
And this is the fatal error by the West. The Ukraine war does not stem from some contrived grievance over alleged NATO aggression but from the failure of the Western foreign policy cognoscenti to understand that Russia is different from the West. Russia follows its own history and interests. The sacred “rules-based order” cuts no ice with the Russian security state. It is not the addition of NATO members that invites Russian aggression; it is the strange combination of Western intellectual arrogance, cultural/historical ignorance, and shrinking at the use of force that encourages aggression."
Fool.
Deep breaths Chad...USA working with the Russians:
-Jim Robinson"
I think that the article is on its firmest ground in pointing out the demographic crisis that Russia faces, even though that line of analysis clashes with other contentions. Oddly, Russia’s domestic economic distress is ignored.
OK Karen...errr I mean OK Chad.
You might have put it all in capital letters to better make your point.
Oh and I like how you scream and yell at everyone and engage in calling them Putinistas. Shutting them up. It's a well recognized rhetorical principal. Right out of 1984 you are.
It seems every self-styled expert on all sides of the conflict with Russia is really just pushing his or her own pre-conceived agenda and hammering away at whatever round peg in a square hole. Instead of falling in love with their own prejudices, personal values, and intelligence, perhaps it is time to drop the blinders and understand history and reality.
So, Mearsheimer and Kennan are just "self-styled" experts. Not only do you engage in ad hominems. This non-expert on anything Russian, just blowed himself up as a self-styled expert when all he is is slimey political operative.
Every Single Member of NATO has invaded Russia. Some have invaded Russia multiple times. The USA, Greece and Italy have all invaded Russia. That is why Russia cannot abide having NATO on their borders.
We forget. The Russians never do.
My latest reports from both Russia and Ukraine.
People go out to dinner and their lives are 95% back to normal.
Not terribly different from the behavior of other empires throughout history. Expansion drives aren’t active all the time. Whether they express themselves or not depends on whether or not there are restraining forces and whether or not they pursue wise policies. Talk of expanding NATO triggered this invasion, as it triggered the earlier Russia-Georgia War. We are not innocent bystanders or the virtuous heroes of the story.