I’ve tried to search for opinions on what’s going on in Ukraine, but most posts are incredibly old. I’m not too educated on the matter myself (well, aside from keeping up most of the time with what cities are under whose control and all of that). I haven’t really heard much about the geopolitical side of things, and it’s hard to know what’s disinfo or not; That’s why I’d like to ask: What is your stance on the Ukraine war?
The war is a proxy war between NATO and Russia that started in 2014 after the Maidan coup. When NATO threatened to allow Ukraine to join, it was a major escalation that demanded a response from Russia. In that sense, their SMO is an act of self-defense. I unequivocally support Russia on this, not because I agree with the Russian government’s domestic policy or long term vision for the world, but because NATO is the greater evil, and if they successfully contain Russia, then China is next, and we may never see a free world in our lifetimes.
There was no such thing. Yanukovich broke his election promise regarding starting the EU association process, protests happened, snipers shooting at protesters and this law happend, which resulted in his impeachment and new elections.
Even if you consider his impeachment to be sus (the Rada played it fast and loose but has the power and had the votes) ordinary elections were held soon after, legitimising the following president (Poroshenko).
First off, There was never a point in time where Ukraine wasn’t allowed to join in principle. Membership is generally open.
Secondly, regarding European geostrategy, NATO is irrelevant in this case as Ukraine wanted to join the EU and the EU, too, is a defensive alliance.
Escalation of what? Russia’s inability to re-constitute parts of its empire?
See, this is what really annoys me as a European: All these “NATO is threatening Russia” takes are incredibly Seppo-brained. Also, displaying the worst part of brainrot coming out of geostrategic Realism: They’re predicated on the idea that the only states ever having any agency are the US and Russia (because “superpower”) and everyone else is their pawn.
What possible reason could have countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have to join NATO? Might it have something to do with being invaded, time and time again in history, by Russia and treated as colonial subjects?
Russia has been conquering its neighbours before the US even existed. Or do you seriously think a continent-sized country comes along naturally, without conquest?
(Side note: You should look at the Soviet opinion on geostrategic Realism. They called it a fig-leaf for imperialism, which is a completely fair point – and Russia, and anyone else using this “big player and a bunch of chesspieces without will of their own” model, is guilty of the same thing.)
NATO is a fucking joke in this conflict. For one, the US has to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing anything. Turkey is being… Turkey. Even more, for many members it’s a moderating force: If you ask Poles we should immediately put boots on the ground, march to Moscow, not worry about nukes it’s more important Russia gets dismantled than us not getting glassed. That’s the kind of attitude Russia has, over the centuries, imprinted in its neighbours.
On balance I’m in favour of dismantling NATO, with the caveat that without Europeans in the mix, the US might get worse. But that’s a general point, “NATO good” or “NATO bad” doesn’t really play into whether Russia is in the fault here. And it is: It violated the territoriality integrity of Ukraine, of borders it itself very much agreed to not so long ago.
What kind of precedent does that set, saying “Here, give up your nukes and we’ll respect your borders” and then violating those very borders? When you go by “the purpose of a system is what it does” then boycotting nuclear non-proliferation seems to be what Russia is intent on doing because who is ever going to give up nukes if the result is getting invaded by a nuclear power.
Last, but not least: How can it be a bloody proxy war if Russia is participating directly. And Ukraine is fighting as a proxy for… Ukraine? Do words have meaning?
Colonialists gtfo
So we’re just gonna ignore that the US admitted to installing Porochenko lol okay
read more lenin ☝️☝️☝️
You might want to heed your own advice, and throw some Stalin in too.
I know exactly what you mean behind your innocent-looking comment. Do you think lenin was stupid? If lenin was here now i’m pretty sure he would recognize the obvious: The contradiction between usa, and the world’s continued existence.
I must be gullible, because I thought that person’s comment meant that we should read Lenin’s work regarding imperialism. Like how we should want both imperialist countries to weaken as much as possible so that the workers can find a chance to take power. Only issues is that the true imperialist nations that have an interest in this war, NATO/US, don’t have much to lose if Ukraine fails.
Any chance you could write out a deeper analysis on how this situation deviates from Lenin’s writings on wars between imperial powers? Or at least point me to a source that talks about it more? The only things that really jump out to me are what I wrote about in the first paragraph.
Difference is, Russia is not imperialist, so it is not an interimperialist war but a national bourgeoisie country resisting the global imperial hegemon (which didn’t exist yet in the time Lenin wrote that book), so it would also require reading Stalin’s later clarifications and Mao’s about contradictions.
Seriously, Lenin would be furious if he knew all those dogmatics interpret his work totally ignoring the conditions.
Thank you for the sources, i’ll be sure to check them out. I’m still new to reading theory and all that.