Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and NATO
A look at the ongoing tension between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine. Who's the aggressor? Should Ukraine join NATO?
Over the last few months, the Biden Administration with the aid of the corporate media has been insisting that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent (however, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has recently said they will stop using that particular word when discussing this situation). It should go without saying that I’m no fan of the Russian government, but I’m also aware that our own government has lied to us about every war that has taken place within and before my lifetime. So when that same government tries to convince us that we need to interfere with other countries’ disputes, you understand my skepticism. It may be true that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine, however, the evidence supporting this claim is not as strong as pundits and politicians want to suggest.
The current situation started last spring when tens of thousands of Russian troops, as well as military equipment, were deployed to the Russia-Ukraine border in what was claimed to be a training exercise. Not long after that, Russian President Vladimir Putin withdrew some of the troops but he moved them back shortly after and they remain there to this day. As concerning as that is, it’s not proof that Russia intends to invade and it’s also not a reason for a nuclear-armed nation to heighten tensions with another nuclear-armed nation. Ukraine and Russia have a long and complex history and we shouldn’t be so quick to involve ourselves in regional disputes that have little to do with our own national security, especially when doing so could have severe consequences.
The U.S. as well as other countries like the U.K. claim they have gathered intelligence that suggests Russia intends to invade Ukraine in the near future, but Putin has consistently denied these allegations. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked President Biden to tone down the rhetoric, claiming that it’s causing panic and implying that the threat of a Russian invasion isn’t as severe as it’s being made out to be. There have also been claims that Russia intends to stage a false flag attack in order to create a pretext to invade. The audacity of such a statement is not that the Russian government is unwilling to do such a thing, it’s that the U.S. government has attempted to and has successfully staged false flag attacks before. It’s also ironic because those who have questioned official narratives in the past or have suggested false flags exist have been met with ridicule for thinking such events take place, but now that the concept of false flags helps to further embolden the military-industrial complex, suddenly, it’s an acceptable talking point.
To be clear, Biden has not made a commitment to respond militarily if Russia does invade Ukraine. Instead, the U.S. and other NATO member states have threatened sanctions on Russia if the invasion actually takes place, and weapons, equipment, and financial aid have been sent to Ukraine from several different countries. However, in a controversial move, Germany refused to send weapons and instead sent military helmets; an action which was viewed by Ukrainian officials as less than satisfactory. Germany has an incentive to avoid conflict with Russia, namely the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a natural gas pipeline between the two countries. With energy prices currently skyrocketing across Europe, it makes sense that Germany would want to see that pipeline operational and stay on decent terms with Russia.
Although Biden hasn’t explicitly committed the U.S. to engage Russia militarily, his actions suggest that it’s still a possibility. Recently the Biden Administration has moved 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe in an attempt to deter a Russian invasion, but to Russia, that move could be seen as a provocation. The Biden Administration has also recently put 8,500 troops on high alert in case the situation escalates further in the coming weeks. Both Biden and Putin have sought diplomatic solutions thus far and both leaders seem willing to continue to do so, but as of now, tensions remain high.
Even with diplomacy remaining on the table, Putin has stated that the U.S. and NATO have ignored Russia’s concerns about NATO’s eastward expansion. Considering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was first established as a way to counter the Soviet Union, it makes sense that Putin would view NATO expanding onto Russia’s doorstep as a threat. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO right now and most likely won’t be anytime soon, the idea of Western weapons and influence making its way into one of Russia’s neighboring countries could understandably cause concern for Russia especially since the U.S. promised NATO wouldn’t expand eastward in 1990, which is a promise that has since been broken. For reference, consider how concerned the U.S. was about the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War when the Soviet Union placed weaponry in Cuba, 90 miles off of our coast.
This isn’t the first time the U.S. has involved itself in Ukraine’s relationship with Russia. Back in 2014, the Obama Administration supported a coup to overthrow Ukraine’s democratically elected, pro-Russian government by backing far-right neo-nazi militia groups in the country. The situation was essentially a proxy war, with the U.S. supporting one side and Russia backing another, which ultimately led to Russia annexing Crimea, which at the time was a region in Ukraine. The U.S. has also been supplying Ukraine with weapons for years. In fact, the first attempt at impeaching former President Donald Trump was due to his withholding of military aid to the country.
Clearly, the current situation is more complicated than our government or the corporate media want to suggest. While it may be true that Russia intends to invade, it’s also true that the U.S. has been interfering in conflicts that are not our own. Russia and Ukraine should be allowed to settle their own disputes — disputes that do not concern the U.S. — without the U.S. and other NATO allies getting involved, especially considering Russia and China’s recent unofficial alliance. Historically, when powerful countries begin to form into opposing blocs, deadly consequences follow. And given that the Soviet Union has been disbanded for 30 years as of last December, the idea that NATO needs to keep expanding to counter a no-longer-existing threat seems dubious, to say the least.
This conflict is currently ongoing and doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. Let’s hope that in the end, cooler heads prevail and a global conflict can be avoided.
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