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Mearsheimer Why The Ukraine Crisis Is The West's Fault Summary

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In “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault,” published in the September 2014 issue of Foreign Affairs, John Mearsheimer advocates for the creation of a neutral buffer state in modern Ukraine. He argues that contrary to popular belief, Vladimir Putin is not responsible for the current crisis in the state. Instead, he blames the actions of liberal policy makers in Western states, which provoked action by Russia. According to Mearsheimer, the only path to peace in Ukraine is for Western states to stop attempting to transform the state into a liberal Western democracy. He makes a compelling case that the expansion of the NATO alliance in Eastern Europe threatened vital Russian security interests. However, Mearsheimer’s conclusions are based on a series of flawed assumptions. First, he considers the ousting …show more content…

He suggests that Western states strike a deal with Russia to turn Ukraine into a neutral state. He proposes that these actors collectively contribute resources for the economic reconstruction of Ukraine. According to Mearsheimer, “Russia also has an interest in a politically stable and prosperous neighbor” . Yet, we must acknowledge that the majority of the Ukrainian people have no interest in becoming a neutral state. Even in Russian speaking Eastern Ukraine, only a minority of the population supports becoming a part of Russia . A politically stable and prosperous Ukraine can only be achieved with ties to the European Union. Instead, Putin is interested in keeping Ukraine weak and divided. He has practiced the same strategy on many of Russia’s other neighbors, such as Georgia and the Baltic states. His annexation of the Crimean peninsula was an acknowledgement that he could no longer control the will of the Ukrainian people. He has taken Crimea but lost Ukraine. Not to mention that Russia lacks the surplus of resources necessary to construct a prosperous

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