Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, 72, asked NATO and the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE], for a definitive response on the Russian Federation’s demands for a security guarantees in Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, asked that the U.S. and NATO offer legally binding agreements that Ukraine and Georgia not be granted NATO membership and that NATO scale back its involvement to 1997 levels. While not everything asked of NATO or the OSCE may be realistic, Putin still wants to see negotiation in good faith. So far, 79-year-old President Joe Biden and 59-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken have told Moscow to pound sand. Lavrov made clear that without some reasonable response, there would be repercussions, but not the fake news scenario of an outright Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Western nations, led by the U.S., have accused Moscow of plotting an invasion of Eastern Ukraine, where Russian-speaking separatists, wanting no part of the Kiev government, have waged their own war for the past eight years for independence. Putin has no vested interest in annexing more Ukrainian territory after seizing the Crimean Peninsula March 1, 2014. Western nations and the press refuse to acknowledge that Putin seized Crimea after an illegal CIA-backed coup toppled the duly elected, Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych. Not one government official or news outlet acknowledges the CIA-backed coup that threatened Russia’s naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea. When the coup took place Feb, 22, 2014, Putin was busy hosting the Sochi Winter Olympics. Once the games ended Feb. 23, 2014, Putin acted swiftly annexing Crimea March 1, 2014 leaving Western countries flatfooted.
Unlike 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea, Putin has nothing to gain by invading the Donbass region of Eastern Ukraine. While it’s true that many pro-Russian speakers in Donbass would like Putin to annex the territory, it’s also true that Putin doesn’t want to take on the financial obligation of managing a new region. U.S. and EU officials insist that Putin’s military build up inside Russia near the Russian border is for an imminent invasion. But if you ask what Putin gets out of an invasion, the answer is obvious, he gets only headaches. Putin’s military build up is for one purpose, to get the U.S. and NATO to stop supplying Ukraine lethal weapons. Putin wants the U.S. to take seriously his request for legal guarantees that they will stop supplying Ukraine with offensive and defensive weapons. Lavrov asks the Western alliance to take seriously Putin’s request for legal security guarantees.
Putin has been demonized in the West as a reckless authoritarian who preys on weak countries to seize territory. But if you look at the circumstances of the Feb. 22, 2014 CIA-baked Kiev coup, Putin protected his Sevastopol naval base. If the CIA-backed coup never took place, Ukraine would still hold the Crimean Peninsula. But if you ask any Western powers, Putin engaged in naked aggression seizing Crimea. When you look at the situation today, there’s no logical reason for Putin to annex the Donbass region, other than retaliating against the U.S. and NATO. Biden said Dec. 6, 2021 that the U.S. would not put troops in Ukraine. So Putin knows, whatever happens, the U.S. and NATO will not commit troops to protect Ukraine. When it comes to assuring peace, the U.S. and NATO must take seriously Putin’s request for legal guarantees to stop more NATO encroachment in Eastern Europe.
Biden thinks he can spurn Putin’s request for security guarantees about NATO encroachment in Ukraine, with members of the alliance feeding Kiev with offensive and defensive weapons next to the Russian border. So far, the U.S. has shown no willingness to negotiate a peaceful solution, believing they hold leverage over Putin. “Today, through the Foreign Ministry, we are sending an official request to our colleagues in the Alliance and the OSCE, urging them to explain how they intend to implement [their] commitment no to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others,” Lavrov said. Lavrov knows that Putin finds it unacceptable that the U.S. and NATO have ignored his requests for security guarantees and, at the same time, continue to give Ukraine lethal weapons. Russian views current NATO actions as a provocative threat to the Russian Federation.
U.S. and EU officials have it wrong that Putin wants to invade Ukraine for the second time. When he annexed Crimea March 1, 2014, it was specifically in response to a CIA-backed coup that toppled the Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych. Putin knows there’s nothing in it for Moscow invading Ukraine for the second time. All the troops amassed on the Ukrainian border send a loud message to the U.S. and NATO that encroaching on Russian national security must stop. “If they do not intend to do so, then the should explain why. This will be a key question in determining our future proposals, which we will report to the Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Lavrov said. U.S. and NATO officials can’t simply ignore Moscow’s demands without consequences. Putin wants the U.S. and NATO to put into writing why they’re not honoring Putin’s request for security guarantees.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, 72, asked NATO and the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE], for a definitive response on the Russian Federation’s demands for a security guarantees in Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, asked that the U.S. and NATO offer legally binding agreements that Ukraine and Georgia not be granted NATO membership and that NATO scale back its involvement to 1997 levels. While not everything asked of NATO or the OSCE may be realistic, Putin still wants to see negotiation in good faith. So far, 79-year-old President Joe Biden and 59-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken have told Moscow to pound sand. Lavrov made clear that without some reasonable response, there would be repercussions, but not the fake news scenario of an outright Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Western nations, led by the U.S., have accused Moscow of plotting an invasion of Eastern Ukraine, where Russian-speaking separatists, wanting no part of the Kiev government, have waged their own war for the past eight years for independence. Putin has no vested interest in annexing more Ukrainian territory after seizing the Crimean Peninsula March 1, 2014. Western nations and the press refuse to acknowledge that Putin seized Crimea after an illegal CIA-backed coup toppled the duly elected, Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych. Not one government official or news outlet acknowledges the CIA-backed coup that threatened Russia’s naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea. When the coup took place Feb, 22, 2014, Putin was busy hosting the Sochi Winter Olympics. Once the games ended Feb. 23, 2014, Putin acted swiftly annexing Crimea March 1, 2014 leaving Western countries flatfooted.
Unlike 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea, Putin has nothing to gain by invading the Donbass region of Eastern Ukraine. While it’s true that many pro-Russian speakers in Donbass would like Putin to annex the territory, it’s also true that Putin doesn’t want to take on the financial obligation of managing a new region. U.S. and EU officials insist that Putin’s military build up inside Russia near the Russian border is for an imminent invasion. But if you ask what Putin gets out of an invasion, the answer is obvious, he gets only headaches. Putin’s military build up is for one purpose, to get the U.S. and NATO to stop supplying Ukraine lethal weapons. Putin wants the U.S. to take seriously his request for legal guarantees that they will stop supplying Ukraine with offensive and defensive weapons. Lavrov asks the Western alliance to take seriously Putin’s request for legal security guarantees.
Putin has been demonized in the West as a reckless authoritarian who preys on weak countries to seize territory. But if you look at the circumstances of the Feb. 22, 2014 CIA-baked Kiev coup, Putin protected his Sevastopol naval base. If the CIA-backed coup never took place, Ukraine would still hold the Crimean Peninsula. But if you ask any Western powers, Putin engaged in naked aggression seizing Crimea. When you look at the situation today, there’s no logical reason for Putin to annex the Donbass region, other than retaliating against the U.S. and NATO. Biden said Dec. 6, 2021 that the U.S. would not put troops in Ukraine. So Putin knows, whatever happens, the U.S. and NATO will not commit troops to protect Ukraine. When it comes to assuring peace, the U.S. and NATO must take seriously Putin’s request for legal guarantees to stop more NATO encroachment in Eastern Europe.
Biden thinks he can spurn Putin’s request for security guarantees about NATO encroachment in Ukraine, with members of the alliance feeding Kiev with offensive and defensive weapons next to the Russian border. So far, the U.S. has shown no willingness to negotiate a peaceful solution, believing they hold leverage over Putin. “Today, through the Foreign Ministry, we are sending an official request to our colleagues in the Alliance and the OSCE, urging them to explain how they intend to implement [their] commitment no to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others,” Lavrov said. Lavrov knows that Putin finds it unacceptable that the U.S. and NATO have ignored his requests for security guarantees and, at the same time, continue to give Ukraine lethal weapons. Russian views current NATO actions as a provocative threat to the Russian Federation.
U.S. and EU officials have it wrong that Putin wants to invade Ukraine for the second time. When he annexed Crimea March 1, 2014, it was specifically in response to a CIA-backed coup that toppled the Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych. Putin knows there’s nothing in it for Moscow invading Ukraine for the second time. All the troops amassed on the Ukrainian border send a loud message to the U.S. and NATO that encroaching on Russian national security must stop. “If they do not intend to do so, then the should explain why. This will be a key question in determining our future proposals, which we will report to the Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Lavrov said. U.S. and NATO officials can’t simply ignore Moscow’s demands without consequences. Putin wants the U.S. and NATO to put into writing why they’re not honoring Putin’s request for security guarantees.
