Ambitious Russia and a preachy West - A recipe for disaster
India Today
With no signs of de-escalation, there is a blame game on between both sides of the sphere with them trying to smear mud on each other.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches its 15th day, the divide between the ‘East’ and the ‘West’ has only increased. With no signs of de-escalation, there is a blame game on between both sides of the sphere with them trying to smear mud on each other. The issue isn’t as simple as is being projected, both; the West’s imposition of its hegemony and the civilizational aspiration of Russia, are responsible for the War, with Ukraine ending up being a mere bloody battleground of conflicting ideas where the common citizenry faces the brunt.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization or Nato, was formed in 1949 when a dozen of European and North American countries signed a treaty “countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union” as the Nato website lays out. The treaty binds all the countries in a manner such that an attack on one member is perceived to be an attack on all the members.
Ever since 1949, Nato has expanded rapidly, even after the fall of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The anti-Soviet alliance has now reached the gates of Russia, which still dwells on its Soviet Ideals and this is something which the Russian President, Vladamir Putin finds problematic.
It’s not the case that Russia was always aversive to Nato. In fact, in December 1991, the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin was keen to join the alliance. Arguing in favour of Russia’s Nato membership, Yeltsin wrote “This will contribute to creating a climate of mutual understanding and trust, strengthening stability and cooperation on the European continent.” However, this letter did not lead to anything concrete as this was met by fears of dilution of Nato, as expressed by member countries.
Russia’s wish to join Nato was also expressed by the current President Vladamir Putin back on 5th March 2000, with his interview with David Frost on BBC. On the question of Russia joining Nato, Putin responded, “I would not rule out such a possibility - but I repeat - if and when Russia's views are taken into account as those of an equal partner”. He, in the interview, emphasised his stand against isolation. George Robertson, the then Nato head, says that Putin genuinely wanted to join the alliance and be a part of the “prosperous West”.
However, this fairy tale soon came to a crashing end with Ukraine’s Orange Revolution in 2004, which bought a pro-western Viktor Yushchenko to power. Vladamir Putin became suspicious of the west and blamed it for fanning the protests.
On 26 April 2007, Nato Russia relations reached a new low when Putin announced that he would be suspending the treaty of conventional arms with the alliance while voicing his anger over Nato’s expansion towards Russia and its new defence missile system in Europe.
