The Moscow Times: “Ukraine’s Crisis is not the West’s fault”

Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of war. This fact is undisputed but who is responsible for the escalating crisis is heavily debated. 

An opinion piece by Maria Snegovaya looks into two corresponding thoughts. Firstly, she evaluates a theory posed Professor John J. Mearsheimer who claims actions of the West, specifically NATO, forced Russia to react in the way it had in recent years.

In reference to the Bucharest NATO Summit in 2008: "While speaking during a closed meeting Putin threatened that if Georgia joined NATO, Russia would be forced to create a buffer zone in between them, while Ukraine would simply "cease to exist".

However Snegovaya then goes on to discuss the flaws of his theory and uses research that questions Russia as the instigators of the Ukraine crisis in retaliation to Ukraine’s EU accession.

"Prior to the EU accession agreement, the Kremlin could count on its wealth and influence to keep Kiev from ever becoming too democratic.

But the EU accession agreement, the spark that started Ukraine's revolution, is particularly threatening in that it would lay the groundwork for further integration with Europe. This would eventually deprive Putin of the leverage he has over Kiev and expose Russia to Ukraine's more democratic sentiments.”

Read the full article here: www.themoscowtimes.com