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Highlights
- Russian president Vladmir Putin has blamed NATO for the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
- On Sunday, up to 30,000 men, women, and children took part in an anti-war march in central Berlin.
It is challenging to judge what is in the mind of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Is he following a predetermined strategy and plan focused on Russian interests by launching a war against Ukraine? No one has an idea about it.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24 and since then Moscow has been using its military might against Ukraine despite the sanctions imposed by the US and other western nations on Russia in order to put pressure on Putin on stop the war.
On Sunday (14 March 2022), up to 30,000 men, women, and children took part in an anti-war march in central Berlin, with many waving Ukrainian flags or brandishing banners with anti-Russian messages.
Also Read: What are some challenges BRICS countries face amid Russia-Ukraine war?
Putin Blames NATO for Russia-Ukraine war
Russian president Putin has repeatedly blamed NATO for the ongoing war with Ukraine. Putin and other Russian leaders have mimicked — and in some cases even quoted — American researchers such as political scientist John Mearsheimer, who claims that the current situation is "all the fault of the West."
The "blame NATO" argument is seen by many as a tale of arrogance, hubris, and tragedy. It claims that the United States squandered an excellent opportunity for enduring peace in Europe. Russia believes that Instead of consoling a defeated foe, Washington has repeatedly humiliated Russia by building a massive military alliance all the way to Russia's borders and even into the former Soviet Union. The drive of American hegemony under cover of liberal democracy eventually resulted in violent rejection.
In this interpretation, Putin's conflicts against Georgia and Ukraine are simply the logical response of a big power whose essential interests are being blatantly attacked by another.
The reasoning isn't entirely incorrect. Putin's wars are partly aimed at pushing Western influence away from Russia's borders.
What is NATO?
NATO is a military alliance made up of 30 countries, including 28 from Europe and two from North America. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and Canada are among the organization's members. However, when it comes to Ukraine, the government has long pushed on becoming a member of the powerful military alliance.
NATO's primary purpose is to ensure the security and protection of its member countries against any unexpected assaults or breaches. The forcible entry of Russian forces into Ukraine was a clear violation of NATO's standards, necessitating NATO's intervention. In a word, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is precisely the type of scenario that NATO was created to prevent.
What is NATO? What is its role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Bottom line
Russian president Putin wants Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down as Zelenskyy wants Ukraine to become a member of the NATO. It seems that Putin would not end the war without changing the regime in Ukraine. For his part, Putin has clearly said that Moscow would not allow NATO forces to set-up their base in Ukraine as this will pose a direct security threat to Russia.
Also Read: Russia-Ukraine conflict: What are economic costs of a war?
