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Wednesday, March 02, 2022

Explaining Russian aggression of Ukraine not an endorsement



Explaining Russian aggression of Ukraine not an endorsement



From P Ramasamy


This is in reference to my comments in a news portal on why Russia invaded Ukraine.

Some criticised me for endorsing Russian aggression and not being sympathetic to the concerns of Ukrainians.

I think the comments were based on a misunderstanding of the situation, hasty and incorrect.

Those who criticised me jumped on the popular bandwagon of opposing Russian aggression.

In my article, I was merely explaining why Ukraine was invaded by Russia from the limited perspective of realism.

It was not meant to endorse Russian aggression in Ukraine or to sidestep the issue of US provocation.

Explaining the present crisis in Ukraine leading to the Russian invasion is not the same as endorsing the aggression.

As far as I am concerned, there was no need for the invasion, but Russia invaded.

From a normative perspective, such an aggression must be condemned.

A simplistic normative perspective of just condemning the Russian invasion hardly explains why there was invasion in the first place.

Condemning Russia without understanding the situation might unwittingly spare the US of its devious role in the crisis.

I don’t think that the Russian president just woke up and decided that Ukraine should be punished.

Yes, naked and unprovoked aggression should be condemned severely.

But there is a need to understand the situation in Europe, the role of the US and its allies, and why Russia was unduly concerned about Western enlargement in the states near the borders of Russia.

I don’t think that any country in the world wants war. But, unfortunately, wars are useful to some.

But why do nations go to war with one another? Is it because of the nature and implications of power relationship between nations?

Theoretical perspectives are merely guides in understanding international conflicts, aggression and invasions.

There are competing theoretical perspectives on understanding conflicts. No one perspective holds the ultimate explanatory power.

My article was about understanding the Russian invasion from the perspective of realism.

This is something that many US academics think might explain the genesis of Russian thinking and why there is an imperative to invade Ukraine.

Realist thinking postulates that security and well-being of nations are common denominators in explaining International relations.

However, if the security of nations is threatened, there will be a natural tendency on the part of some to correct the situation by engaging in diplomacy or even going to war.

Liberalism, on the other hand, thinks that liberal world order is the best thing that can happen to the relations between nations.

Creation of a liberal order means belief in free trade, opening up of markets and, not the least, the promotion of democracy.

The US foreign relations are guided by the tenets of a liberal order. It is nothing wrong for the US foreign policy to be predicated along the lines of liberalism.

If there is no opposition, it is fine. But the US, in imposing the liberal order, met with opposition from the Russians.

The expansion of Western hegemony in the former states of the now defunct Soviet Union was not something of an endearment to Russia.

Although Russia was not too bothered about the enlargement in the smaller states of Eastern Europe, the US expansion was an issue in Ukraine.

The coup that removed the pro-Russian president in 2014, the subsequent Russian annexation of Crimea and, later, the eastern provinces in Ukraine, were tell tales of Russian disquiet with Western enlargement.

It was just a matter of time before the war started.

While liberalism might explain the US moves in Eastern Europe, it fails to explain why Russia was annoyed.

The realist thought tells us that it was the security and defence concerns of Russia as to why it vehemently opposed US enlargement in Ukraine.

Russia was afraid of the Western encirclement of the country. It could not just tolerate a possible Nato base in Ukraine.

There is a need to understand why Russia adopted the war option and not the way of diplomacy.


P Ramasamy is a Penang deputy chief minister.


5 comments:

  1. When the Soviet Union dissolved on December 21 , 1991, Ukraine retained control of all the USSR nuclear weapons on its soil.

    The December 5, 1994 Bucharest Agreement - in writing, and registered with the United Nations,
    Ukraine agreed to destroy all its Nuclear weapons, sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty in return for guarantees of Ukraine's security, independence and sovereignty by Russia, USA and Britain.

    Palani Ramasamy and other Putin mouthpieces seem to be ignorant of this, or conveniently ignore it.

    Russia has completely reneged on the Bucharest Agreement and decided to destroy Ukraine as an independent nation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Come AGAIN!

      What has Russia completely reneged on the Bucharest Agreement?

      "The furor over President Donald Trump’s sordid bid to extort the president of Ukraine into investigating his potential 2020 political opponent raises an obvious question: Why should the United States care so much about Ukraine, a country 5,000 miles away? A big part of the reason is that U.S. officials told the Ukrainians the United States would care when negotiating the Budapest Memorandum on security assurances, signed 25 years ago this week."

      Wakakakaka…

      Aren't the UK and the US legally bind to defend Ukraine in case of an attack from Russia, according to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances?

      Where is the fulfillment of that Security Assurances NOW?

      US & UK r talking air now by vomiting diarrhea in economic sanctions.

      Meanwhile that comedian president is leading Ukraine to its grave while shouting sore for US/UK military interventions!

      Yr idols of US & UK have completely reneged on the Bucharest Agreement in defending Ukraine as an independent nation!

      Ooop…

      What about the non eastward expansion of NATO clause that was never incorporated into this Bucharest Agreement of 1994?

      Wakakakaka… 2x

      Keep parading yr know-nothingness by quoting the Ukraine crisis parabol from that fart filled well. Mfer, u r doing very fine!

      Delete
  2. Watch:

    https://youtu.be/JrMiSQAGOS4

    & then think & understand geopolitics of human race!

    Better still watch the two passionate pledged speeches of Putin before he launched the special military operation into Ukraine.

    Only a thinking leader, who loves his country very deeply, would think & plan so far into the future for the continued existence of Russia.

    The special military operation into Ukraine is Putin's present necessary war to end a future NATO encirclement that would eventually lead to Russia, in his current form, to be transmogrified into a Yankee lead demoNcratic serfdom!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Talk Geopolitics and the perspective Realism.

    Don't come and cry about heartless Yankees in 6 months time as the Yankee and EU Economic War launched this Monday destroys the Russian currency and leads to deep misery in Russia.

    I know the usual Leftie Zombies at that point will be screaming for an end to "Inhumane Sanctions" against Russia. There WILL be starving babies in Russia...akan datang....

    It's just Yankees playing Geopolitics and Realism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wakakakakaka…

      Too early for u to fart about the destruction of the Russian currency and leads to deep misery in Russia.

      Rather the very real threat is the crippling oil & LNG prices - which directly lead to higher heating/electricity bill all-over Europe! Don't forgetting too the runaway inflation in US.

      These economic overhanging sword WOULD take 6 months to crash into the heads of EU/US.

      Ooop… don't forget the wheat prices too!

      Delete