New York Times: Getting Ukraine Wrong

To avoid further expansion of Russia, Washington should move Ukraine out of Moscow’s orbit and integrate into the West. This opinion was expressed by John J. Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago. His opinion column was published on the New York Times online edition on March 13.

Mearsheimer stated Georgia and Ukraine were not just states in Russia’s neighborhood, but they were on its doorstep. He said Russia’s forceful response in its August 2008 war with Georgia was driven largely by Moscow’s desire to prevent Georgia from joining NATO and integrating into the West.

To achieve those goals, the United States should emphasize that Georgia and Ukraine will not become NATO members. It should make clear that America will not interfere in future Ukrainian elections or be sympathetic to a virulently anti-Russian government in Kiev. And it should demand that future Ukrainian governments respect minority rights, especially regarding the status of Russian as an official language. In short, Ukraine should remain neutral between East and West.

Read the full article on: www.nytimes.com