Originally Posted by
dead_pan
Depends on your perspective. It could be argued that we are where we are because of the consequences of Russia trying to re-assert their control over Ukraine. Putin had been bragging about doing this for years.
Kissinger changed his mind recently. I wonder if Mearsheimer will too?
I know you've set out your stall as a contrarian but do you honestly believe Ukraine is at fault and weren't free to make their own choices as a sovereign nation?
Mearsheimer uses 'offensive realism' as the description of international behavior, because there is no recourse to a central authority, prudent leaders try to ensure that the proximate states prefer to deal with you peacefully.
Yet the post Maidan government moved ahead with an anti Russian campaign even though about 25% of their people were primarily Russian speaking. Neighboring with Russia, that was not a prudent initiative..
I accept that as leaders of a sovereign nation, the actions by Kiev were legal, but considering there was no consent by the Russian minority to those actions, their revolt also seems legitimate to me. .
Consequently I do not see the Kiev leadership as heroes, but rather as the irresponsible instigators of this conflagration, much as the Serbian leadership helped set off WW1.
Mearsheimer writes that there is no plausible path for diplomacy currently visible, suggesting that this war will become considerably worse. His judgement has been proven correct thus far.