Gearing up: Ukrainian reserve officers, called up during the fourth wave of partial mobilisation, take part in military exercises in the Army Training Center near the village of Desna, Chernigiv region. – AFP
To be sure, those advocating Ukrainian membership in Nato consider such a deal naive. They point out that Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014, and that the current crisis arose because Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border, threatening a new invasion. From the Kremlin’s perspective, Nato’s presence in Ukraine would pose a direct threat to Russia’s security. Much of Soviet statecraft was designed to create a geographical buffer between Russia and the Western powers. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has vociferously opposed Nato’s enlargement into the former Soviet bloc. Yes, Putin’s reasoning reflects a continuation of the Cold War mindset; but that mindset remains active on both sides.
Of course, Russia also has pursued regime-change operations. In 2004, it meddled in Ukraine to assist Yanukovych through voter intimidation and electoral fraud. These actions were eventually blocked by Ukraine’s own institutions and mass protests. Russia also continues to impose or prop up friendly regimes in its near periphery, most recently in Kazakhstan and Belarus .
Neither side can claim innocence at this point. Rather than trying to pretend that one side is a saint and the other a sinner, everyone should be focused on what it will take to achieve security for both sides and the wider world. History suggests that it is best to keep Russian and Nato forces geographically separated, rather than confronting each other directly across a border.
Tidak mungkin seseorang mengetahui peristiwa masa depan dengan tepat seperti mimpi Muhammad Qasim dan mimpinya yang lain mengenai akhir zaman. Ini meyakinkan saya bahawa dia adalah Imam Al-Mahdi yang kita tunggu! Cari atau tonton