#UkraineRussianWar @RavikanthS_
drsravikanth.com
HOW THE UKRAINE PAID FOR THE WEST IGNORING THE RUSSIAN RED LINES
drsravikanth.com
HOW THE UKRAINE PAID FOR THE WEST IGNORING THE RUSSIAN RED LINES
Russian President Vladimir Putin had been subjected to a series of sophomoric psychological profiles that trivialized Russian national concerns as little more than the psychotic whim of a troubled individual.
The caricatures that emerged of the Russian state and its leadership colored the analysis of Russia’s oft-stated concerns over what it viewed as its legitimate national security.
This blinded the West to the reality of what was transpiring.
This blinded the West to the reality of what was transpiring.
Because no one took Russia seriously, no one could imagine a large-scale ground war in Europe. So everyone was taken by surprise when such a conflict broke out.
Ever since Nato had opened the door to membership for Ukraine and Georgia during the 2008 Bucharest summit, Russia has been making its vehement opposition known.
William Burns, the former US Ambassador to Russia and now director of the CIA, captured the Russian sentiment in a February 2009 memorandum: “Nyet means nyet: Russia’s Nato enlargement red lines.”
Russia, Burns noted, viewed “farther eastward expansion as a potential military threat,” giving rise to Russian fears that “the issue could potentially split the country [Ukraine] in two, leading to violence or even, some claim, civil war, which would force Russia to decide…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
