not that mearsheimer hasn't been red penned before...
In the 18th episode of the 'Understanding the War', Prof Alexander Stubb responds to the claims of Prof John Mearsheimer about what led to the war in Ukraine.
Michael Butler, a professor of political science at Clark University, wrote in The Conversation that Ukraineâs information warfare strategy has been framed around five themes: âthe inherently just cause of Ukrainian self-defense; the tenacity of Ukrainian resistance; the barbarity of Russian conduct; Russiaâs flawed military strategy and general ineptitude; and Ukraineâs desperate need for more, and more sophisticated, military hardware.â
There's mounting evidence that Russian forces in occupied areas of Ukraine have been systematically stealing grain and other produce from local farmers. The BBC has talked to farmers and analysed satellite images and shipping data to track where the grain is going.
A few dozen miles from the frontline, Ukrainian farmer Dmytro describes how the business he nurtured over 25 years was lost in four months of Russian occupation.
The BBC tried to contact more than 200 farmers whose land is now in Russian-occupied territory. Dmytro - we are not using his real name to protect him from reprisals - was one of the few willing to meet us.
R_P wrote: His whole premise is based on the assumption that Ukraine cannot win a meaningful victory over Russia. I think a lot of people here in Europe strongly doubt that point of view, starting with the Finns and moving your way down through Central Europe.
Russia is a shell, still trading on its days of empire past and is not yet ready to accept the fact (like many imperialist nations past their prime) that its days of imperialist glory have past. This whole disaster can be attributed entirely to this neo-Soviet mindset that is unwilling and unable to accept the changes that have already happened.
Not only is it moral to arm Ukraine to defend itself (which is both technically and politically feasible) it is also the moral thing to do for Russia's own sake. It has to shake off its kleptocratic government, a leadership that has its roots in totalitarian government, of ruling by oppression, and become a modern nation. IMHO of course. Unfortunately we have to pass through the threshing and thrashing of the dying throes of its sclerotic government first.
EDIT One shouldn't forget, despite the whole NATO posturing thing, it is still Russia that is the aggressor here and Putin has spoken of his desire to reestablish the hegemony of Russia over Europe. Appeasement has been proven to be the wrong strategy. Had a negotiated peace even been possible, it would only have been a staging post for further Russian expansion. An active defence policy is the only possible response in this situation. Particularly when the only existential threat playing a role here (apart from Russia's visceral threat to its neighbours) is not NATO's threat to Russia, but open democracy to Russia's corrupt regime. Note that the invasion of Ukraine began shortly after Russia managed to overturn the most recent election in Belarus and keep Lukashenko in power. It is losing a democratic election that is what Putin is most afraid of. His tactics are classic divide and rule.
