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https://theconversation.com/no-the-west-is-not-to-blame-for-russias-war-in-ukraine-why-this-myth-and-others-are-so-difficult-to-dispel-226306>
"It is no surprise the second anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
war against Ukraine generated so much commentary. What is surprising, though,
is that Kremlin propaganda remains so prevalent in what purports to be
analysis.
This week, the ABC was forced to defend a documentary it aired on the conflict,
which quoted Russian soldiers justifying the country’s invasion. Ukraine’s
ambassador to Australia said it repeated “blatant lies” coming from the
Kremlin.
But this is not the only example. Among the other Russian assertions frequently
repeated by commentators are that the West is at fault for the war and the root
cause lies in “NATO expansion”. Proponents of this line recycle the tired
narrative that the West does not understand Russia’s world view and has failed
to accommodate its “legitimate security interests”.
Another persistent line is that the West’s failure to understand Russia’s
thinking is to blame for the tensions that have marked relations between the
two sides for the past 20 years.
On the contrary, Putin has been clear he is intent on recovering Russia’s
“historic lands” in his war with Ukraine, in the process wantonly breaching
security guarantees Moscow had given Kyiv twice in the 1990s.
There is no misunderstanding Putin’s threat-infused nostalgia for “the legacy
of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences” of 1945, either. This was when the US, UK
and Soviet Union carved up the territories of the vanquished following the
second world war and demarcated their respective spheres of influence, denying
tens of millions of people any say in their own future.
Accusing the West of sowing democracy on Russia’s doorstep today ignores the
reality that, freed from 50 years of Moscow’s repressive domination, the
countries of eastern Europe unequivocally saw their future security and
prosperity as part of the European Union and NATO."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
