American media outlets characterize Russia's invasion of Ukraine as, variously and concurrently, the bloodthirsty act of a Hitlerian madman, part of an attempt to reconstitute the former Soviet Union and, predictably continuing the silently debunked Russiagate narrative of the last six years, an assault on the concept of democracy motivated by President Vladimir Putin's supposed fear that his own people might get jealous of the freedom next door. Sen. Marco Rubio even implied that U.S. intelligence officials believe two years of COVID lockdown drove Putin nuts.
Any, some or none of these explanations born of pure speculation may be accurate. None of them is as likely as something simpler. The fall of the Soviet Union was followed by three decades of nearly constant provocation and encirclement by the United States and its Western allies. Putin decided enough is enough; here's where we draw a line on the steppe.
Frenemies fighting the common threat of Nazi Germany, World War II concluded with Europe divided along the lines where the Allies and the Red Army met in 1945, with Germany divided between the two.
Proxy conflicts in which the Soviets took sides in Turkey, Greece and Czechoslovakia prompted Western European nations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a U.S.-run collective-security arrangement formed in 1949 under President Harry Truman. Famously, an attack against one member is considered as an attack against all. Weirdly, no one was bothered by the fact that World War I began in large part because of a similar set of entangled alliances.
The USSR retaliated by grouping the Eastern European countries under its domination under the Warsaw Pact. This 1955 alliance was structured as a direct response to NATO and organized the same way except that all major decisions were controlled directly by Moscow, whereas NATO theoretically required unanimous consent by its members.
The Soviet Union was disbanded in 1991. Russia, economically devastated, politically demoralized and militarily emasculated under the incompetent and corrupt presidency of alcoholic pro-Western President Boris Yeltsin, became merely the largest of 15 now-independent former Soviet republics. Russia has three-quarters the land mass and half the population of the old USSR.
The Warsaw Pact went away. Yet NATO lived on.
NATO's website explains: "NATO endured because while the Soviet Union was no more, the Alliance's two other original if unspoken mandates still held: to deter the rise of militant nationalism and to provide the foundation of collective security that would encourage democratization and political integration in Europe. The definition of 'Europe' had merely expanded eastward," toward Russia.
Russia focused inward, transitioning into capitalism. Yet the West and NATO acted as though the Cold War had never ended.
In 1991, NATO was far away from Russia. The post-communist Russian Federation was separated from NATO territory by Eastern Europe plus the former Soviet republics of Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, also former republics of the USSR. That soon changed.
Over the next 20 years, all of the former Warsaw Pact nations of Eastern Europe joined NATO, shrinking an 800-mile buffer zone by half. The Baltics signed up in 2004.
Moldova's constitution guarantees neutrality so it will never join NATO, but its geopolitical status as a buffer state is relatively inconsequential. Belarus remains a staunch Kremlin ally -- which brings us to Ukraine.
If Ukraine were admitted to NATO, Russia's buffer zone would vanish. In its place would appear a vast open corridor between Russia and Europe. Ukraine, the same route Nazi Germany used to invade the Soviet Union in 1941, resulting in the deaths of 27 million Soviet citizens -- the same place where many Ukrainian locals greeted advancing German forces as liberators -- would fall under the control of the NATO alliance. Russia's enemy would be at its border.
The current Ukrainian government wants to join NATO. It came to power as the result of a U.S.-backed coup d'etat. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, democratically elected and pro-Russian, was deposed in a 2014 covert operation carefully orchestrated by the Obama Administration. "The United States had no right to try to orchestrate political outcomes in another country -- especially one on the border of another great power," Ted Galen Carpenter of the Cato Institute commented in 2017.
Adding to Russian anxiety, right-wing extremists, including neo-Nazis, played an outsized role in the 2014 Maidan uprising.
Now notorious anti-Semitic paramilitary groups like the swastika-wearing Azov Battalion have become an important component of the official Ukrainian military. As the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting notes, however, American media consumers are not being told about this. FAIR reports that a "crucial case of propaganda by omission relates to the integration of neo-Nazis into the Ukrainian armed forces. If the corporate media reported more critically about Western support for the neo-Nazi-infested Ukrainian security services, and how these forces function as a front-line proxy of US foreign policy, public support for war might be reduced and military budgets called into greater question."
The BBC reported back in 2014 that "ultra-nationalists, and their extreme right fringe, are a small part of the overall campaign -- a subgroup of a minority." But the leaders of the new government "have at various points seemed unable, unwilling or even afraid to rein in the radical right, who are mostly concentrated in an umbrella organization called Right Sector."
Azov has grown since 2014. It has now become a movement with its own politicians, newspaper, even children's camps.
Another far-right extremist group, C14, now controls Ukraine's police and National Guard, according to Reuters. The Trump Administration considered declaring Azov and the Ukrainian National Guard a terrorist organization. Now, The New York Times reports, alt-right militants from France, Finland and other European nations are flocking to fight Russia alongside the Azov Battalion, whose ranks include soldiers wearing Nazi insignia.
Though Jewish himself, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned a blind eye to the neo-Nazis within his own government. So have his American allies. Sam Biddle of the Intercept reported last week that "Facebook will temporarily allow its billions of users to praise the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi military unit previously banned from being freely discussed under the company's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy."
For Americans, an enemy of an enemy is always a friend. Unlike Russia, Americans don't live next door to a country that welcomes Nazis into its military.
NATO repeatedly provoked Russia over the past few decades, most notably planning to place ballistic missiles in the former Warsaw Pact nation of Poland. "From what we have seen in recent years -- the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO -- we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength," then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev observed in 2008.
Until last August, NATO and the U.S. had fully occupied Afghanistan, which borders the former USSR, for 20 years.
The United States portrays itself as a critic of aggressive militarism carried out by Russia. At this writing, however, Russia has one military base outside the former Soviet Union, in Syria. The United States has over 800 around the world. After the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the Bush Administration rented military airbases from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia along Russia's southern border, which it claimed it needed in order to wage airstrikes and deliver materiel inside U.S.-occupied Afghanistan.
The U.S. took over the Khanabad base in three former Soviet republics bordering and near Russia: Uzbekistan, Bishkek airport in Kyrgyzstan, and the airfield in Kulob, Tajikistan. NATO forces set up a base at Termez, Uzbekistan, and outside the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
The U.S. troop presence in former-Soviet Central Asia ended in 2014. But maintaining American military forces within striking distance of southern Russia is clearly still on American officials' minds. In April 2021, the new Biden Administration reached out to the governments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan about using bases there.
None of this is to justify all of Russia's actions in Ukraine. Still, it is impossible to accurately assess the current crisis in the far reaches of Eastern Europe without considering Russia's motivations. After years of encirclement in a one-sided Cold War directed at Russia, a Ukraine that is anything less than at least neutral (or ideally an ally) is simply too close for Moscow's comfort.
Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, is the author of a new graphic novel about a journalist gone bad, "The Stringer." Order one today. You can support Ted's hard-hitting political cartoons and columns and see his work first by sponsoring his work on Patreon.
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28 comments:
Is this propaganda a fucking joke? Whose side are you on?
"Encirclement in a one sided Cold War directed at Russia". BS.
NATO is wholly defensive. "Russian Anxiety" and supposed neo-nazi Ukrainian niche groups are weak crutches to support this argument insinuating that neighboring democracies threaten Russia.
Zellenskyy himself and some of his administration are Jews, for one thing and the whole world has now had an intimate look at the president and other fighting heroes of Ukraine, from college kids to mothers and girls to all brave fighting men from 18 to 60.
As well, we have seen Russia's Nazistic, indiscriminate bombing, even cluster bombing of hospitals, civilian homes and apartments in Ukraine. Putin has attacked Nuclear sites. These atrocities are war crimes.
Ted Rall usually sounds like a closet communist, and his nice history lesson was likely cut and pasted for him. But in this commentary, he's touching on a fact.
America's largest export to the world is bohemian, anything goes, no accountability for anything "freedom" cloaked in some high-minded bullshit about democracy. Diplomacy is dead, because America is now bankrupt and weak in every functional aspect - financially, morally, militarily. So - Russia is only the first that will flex their muscles to assert a new hegemony over varying different regions throughout the world.
800 military bases don't mean squat if you are morally corrupt as a people...which is what most of the world believes now about America, and it's hard to refute. Either that, or American's are so weak that they let a cabal of corporate criminals successfully carry out a coup against a sitting president, without firing a shot. America is an embarrassment in incompetence at present, and yes, I love my country the USA.
The Ukraine today is poor. How poor---poorer than Mexico? Way poorer. Poorer than the Dominican Republic? Not even close. Poorer than Brazil, poorer than China, poorer than Turkey and Panama and Malaysia and Uruguay and Argentina and more than a hundred other countries. Ukraine and Russia started out at about the same place 30 years ago and Russia has more than twice the GDP per capita today. Ukraine's government is corrupt beyond description. Zelenskyy is corrupt, too; he's an actor who used to play the president on television (really!) and is a stooge of an oligarch named Kolomoisky, who fleeced Ukraine for billions a few years back. I'm not saying Russia is much better, but at least Putin will take one every three dollars the people of Ukraine make instead of the current two.
Faux news from a pro-Putin wannabe commie, right comrade?
The people in the U.S. let the news media pick the president. Like most things they do it was a failure. The U.S. has a weak president and someone else besides him calling the shots.
The news media first started out trying to tell people Ukraine was winning. Anyone with common sense would know better than that. The news media will probably keep telling the sheep the same thing. After all just look at how they fooled all of them in the last election.
The U.S. is in for some tough times. Other countries are becoming stronger and we are becoming weaker. Will we let a weak president destroy our country? Probably
If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine Europe is next.
"[I]t is impossible to accurately assess the current crisis in the far reaches of Eastern Europe without considering Russia's motivations."
Dear Ted,
If you want some insight into Putin's motivations, other than your presumption that this is the fault of the United States, I suggest you start with the following article, which was published on this blog two days ago:
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-enemy-mind.html
If Rall is going to give history lessons, he really should
start hundreds of years earlier. It's a tad bit more complex than WWII or the collapse of the USSR.
(His brief history) was goofy as Kamala Harris'explanation.
To paraphrase VP Harris:
'Ukraine & Russia are two countries in Europe.
Russia is bigger.
Russia is acting like a bully.
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish".
If Kingfish would be a journalist instead of ALWAYS copying the redundant narratives of others then he'd understand the reason Putin invaded Ukraine in the first place. Russia wants to build a pipeline from Russia to China via Ukrainian land. I would tell you the purpose of the pipeline but nope.
Russia and China are two of the key players in overthrowing the American dollar. This is the only thing Americans need to focus upon. Why? Cause once the dollar is no good overseas America will have no choice but to nuke Russia. Those imposed sanctions won't mean anything.
@4:13 PM
No one reads this blog. Not one.
Every country in Europe especially Germany has anti-semites and neo-nazis and they are mostly free to organize. What's special about Ukraine? Certainly nothing that would shock Russia. And Nato did not simply dissolve because of the dismemberment of the USSR as Rall seems to suggest they should. The question becomes: What has Russia done to make NATO totally unnecessary? Invade Ukraine that's what. So if there must be a NATO why should countries threatened by Russia not become members. If Russia does not want NATO near, don't threaten your neighbors. Isn't that what the USSR said to the U.S. when they came to the aid of Cuba after the Bay of Pigs invasion? Rall?
I see the folks who rely on the mainstream media for their daily propaganda are commenting on here and attacking the author of this piece based on their cartoonish view of the Ukraine situation.
Rest assured that if the mainstream media and the US federal apparatus are encouraging a certain view on most any issue, but especially on war, they are lying and you need to question their motives.
It’s a wonderful feeling when you get swept away into the storyline not even noticing the puppet strings or the masters that manipulate them. Simon says think with your heart.
"Russia wants to build a pipeline from Russia to China via Ukrainian land."
Dude, look at a map. Google is your friend.
Russia is a bad actor. Ukraine is a corrupt country. The US is complicit in that corruption (Biden father and son; CIA meddling; McCain, et al, support of revolution). War is bad.
All these things are true at the same time.
Ted Rall? Really? Is this Kingfish being balanced? So countries want to be a part of NATO and the EU. Guess what, if Russia modernized, got rid of Putin, and formed a real democracy, they could probably be in the EU and NATO too. Russia MAKES themselves the enemy. Rall conveniently ignores this HUGE fact. They won’t think of getting rid of any of their six thousand nuclear warheads. These countries want to be in NATO because Russia is a constant threat to them. And we are all now witnessing why. Kingfish, bless your heart.
Ted tells a good story. If you like stories in the first place. Teddy left out the misery that Stalin forced onto the Eastern Bloc of Europe. After the war Stalin promised free a fair elections in the occupied counties. He lied and instead installed puppet governments that robbed the people of any dignity whatsoever. The absolute despair and poverty pushed on the people by communists left millions dead. So asking why Eastern European jumped at the chance to get from underneath the boot of Russia misery machine shows a lack of brain matter between two ears. The people saw a chance at freedom and jumped. The reasons was Russian aggression from the beginning. Whatever the Ukrainians allowed in their country is none of Moscow’s business!
Hey, Ted! They want to be a part of the defensive organization that is unified against the country run by the maniac with six THOUSAND nukes! And you’re saying that they’re part of the problem BECAUSE of that? Ok, Ted. Kingfish, you’ve been hanging out with Prince too long.
Help me! I consider myself fairly intelligent, but after reading all these opinions I don't know who or what to believe! It seems that a lot of people have ideas about what is going on, but no one seems to be able to pull this whole situation out of the quagmire and make any sense out of it!
to the know it all redneck who maybe has a 9th grade education, at 2;13....tell us some more about the dominican republic
Obama/Biden installed the current Ukranian leadership. A known actor for the soul purpose of pissing Putin off. It's straight out of the DEM playbook. Proxy wars or whatever.......4 DOLLAR gas enriches our leadership idiots ! DEMS blaming war even though gas started rising DAY ONE of Bidens turn at the wheel.
8:44, The world does not revolve around Purim’s feelings. You misunderstand the majority of the people of the United States if you think the only thing we care about is a dollar.
Russia is a paper tiger folks and easily defeated IF that was the actual goal. It's clear to me now more than ever that 90 % of the people on this rock are simply dumb and unaware of history and their surroundings. Connect the dots is a childs game !! Consider this to help you connect the dots : Russia(USSR) NEVER RECOVERED from WW2 and has been the ultimate pawn for our own government all these years. Putin coming to power was unexpected and because our leadership have grown stupid.......
9:44 : WTH are you talking about ? Don't be obtuse . Unless of course you are on board with the DEMS and some Reps. making sure bullets are always flying in the third world to enrich themselves.
9:53 : Great, another one who has to have a dollar to eat and drive claims they don't care about it. Unless you are sitting on a pile..get back with me when the wife can't fill up the SUV to go get her nails done after fuel goes past 6 a gallon.
@11:52 AM
Mix water with your gasoline to make it last longer. Two gallons of water to every gallon of gasoline. Vrooooom. Engine purring like a baby.
This is nothing but bullshit. I agree with the person who said NATO is defensive. I remember just a few weeks ago Kim Wade was defending Russia doing his normal “The best of Sambo” routine. I said this in 2014 that the enemy was going to take this country without firing a shot.
It is madness that an American would even think about siding with a Russian Communist.
RUSSIA IS NOT OUR DAMN FRIEND!!
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