Originally Posted by
etudiant
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.
I am having trouble making the connection here. Are you saying that 25% of the Ukrainian population wanted Ukraine to be part of Russia, not an independent country ?
Do you see Russia having any responsibility to end this conflict ?