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Are We the Baddies, Part 2: US Meddling in Ukraine and Crimea
I’ve been holding out on you since September when this issue of Hillsdale’s Imprimis came out: Complications of the Ukraine War, by Christopher Caldwell, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute. Now that I have time to clear out my tabs, you get to learn what I did back then.
If you had to give a one-word answer to what this Ukraine War is about, you would probably say Crimea. Crimea is a peninsula jutting out into the middle of the Black Sea. It’s where the great powers of Europe fought the bloodiest war of the century between Napoleon and World War I. It is a defensive superweapon. The country that controls it dominates the Black Sea and can project its military force into Europe, the Middle East, and even the steppes of Eurasia. And since the 1700s, that country has been Russia. Crimea has been the home of Russia’s warm water fleet for 250 years. It is the key to Russia’s southern defenses.
I admit, I’m not following events in Ukraine as closely as many here on Ricochet. But, as I understand it, Ukraine is committed to fighting not just to repel the Russian invasion, but to recover Crimea. This is a solid guarantee for the prolongation of the war indefinitely. Russia simply cannot — will not — let go of the all-important strategic peninsula of Crimea.
Much of the turmoil began under the Bush 43 administration — surprise! — with US election interference, and exacerbated by the Obama administration — surprise, surprise!! — by meddling in the trade deal negotiated between Ukraine and the EU, and vehemently opposed by Russia.
The previous year (2013), Ukrainian diplomats had negotiated a free trade deal with the European Union that would have cut out Russia. Russia then outbid the EU with its own deal—which included $15 billion in incentives for Ukraine and continued naval basing rights for Russia—and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich signed it. U.S.-backed protests broke out in Kiev’s main square, the Maidan, and in cities across the country. According to a speech made at the time by a State Department official, the U.S. had by that time spent $5 billion to influence Ukraine’s politics. And, considering that Ukraine then had a lower per capita income than Cuba, Jamaica, or Namibia, $5 billion could buy a lot of influence. An armory was raided, shootings near the Maidan left dozens of protesters dead, Yanukovich fled the country, and the U.S. played the central role in setting up a successor government.
The other tidbit that stands out in this piece is this:
In a referendum in January 1991, 93 percent of the citizens of Crimea voted for autonomy from Ukraine. In 1994, 83 percent voted for the establishment of a dual Crimean/Russian citizenship. We’ll leave aside the referendum held after the Russians arrived in 2014, which resulted in a similar percentage but remains controversial.
As long as Ukraine insists on controlling Crimea and even the Russophilic eastern Ukraine, I don’t see a possible resolution to the conflict. I oppose another (Bush) forever war and believe if the US meddles further, it should be to force Ukraine to the negotiating table. For its own sake, as well as ours.
Published in General
A primer for the geostrategically illiterate
Are you saying that just war excludes self defense? Or that just war requires those in self defense to use proportionate means?
If you are saying the first, I do not believe you are interpreting just war correctly. If you are saying the second I am in agreement.
From Wikipedia on just war:
OK, I can understand a futile cause if it is just suicidal, but defensive battle is actually quite sustainable even when substantially outnumbered.
Ultimately I don’t understand the point. Ukraine is not fighting a futile cause. Indeed they are actually winning. Nor are they using disproportionate means. The only side that is fighting an unjust war is Russia.
Self defense is an upheld Catholic right. Maria Goretti tried to defend herself. Her sainthood is based on her struggle to keep her purity and her forgiveness of her murderer, not on openly being sacrificed. She did not do that.
Never fear my follow righteous Ukraine War supporters -there those truly evil conspiracy theorists here who want to look at those so-called “revelations” at Twitter and apply those wholly unfounded accusations to the support for the Ukraine War!
These People! They want to say this alleged boogeyman Intelligence Agency/Military/Big Media /Big Tech/Woke Corporatist America/Deep State Leviathan is using everything at their disposal to not only surveil and censor our every move but to enslave us as well. And now ,OMG! They are saying those are the same people that are the driving force behind the Ukraine War?
They are saying ridiculously again that our wonderful Authotitative Media is feeding us some lines of absolute bull crap like they said that they fed us about thr 2020 election, the Russian Hoax, J6, the origins of COVID, the Pandrmic lockdowns, ivermectin, the health benefits of the Jab , the 2022 Election and soon the coup de grace – the mandatory digital currency con to finally enslave us all-; no they wouldn’t be feeding us the same nonsense about the Ukraine War; would they?
I mean look how our Supreme Leader laid out for us in exacting detail and impenetrable logic the strategic benefits of this war and exactly what our goals were? OK, well maybe not, but isn’t stumbling towards a nuclear war for some nonsensically defined reason a good thing?
Just look at the benefits of this war besides making Ukraine a living hell, we finally as Klaus wanted , shredded that stupid post Breton Woods Trade and Financial architecture that benefited not only us but billions around the world for over a half century, it we also finally jettisoned so many silly Allies like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and so many others creating a rival trading bloc making things like energy and food so much more expensive happily impoverishing billions, we are making great progress destroying the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, impoverished much of Europe and soon America,and finally we have cut America’s stature, influence and trustworthiness down to size several really big notches. Quite the accomplishment I would say according to the Right People! Oh! Klaus and Georgie Soros are so pleased.
But our job is not yet done! We haven’t totally destroyed Ukraine – you we have to destroy it to save it ya know- and we can still start a nuclear conflagration!
Yes there is still work to be done!
I have liked Caldwell in the past, but here I am completely off the train. Why? His big authorities, “experts” are 1) George Kennan, the most overrated foreign policy “guru” of the 20th century who opposed every Reagan decision RE the USSR with every fiber of his Foggy Bottom being; 2) John Mearsheimer, the anti-semitic pro-Russia prof who has been wrong about every issue since 1990; and 3) William Burns, Biden’s CIA hack, who is Thomas Friedman’s favorite State Department hack.
When I see a KGB guy carping non-stop about needing lebensraum to his South and committing genocide to help achieve it, then the latter-day Charles Lindberghs join in the isolationist chorus, I get concerned that we are repeating the 1930’s in just as stupid a fashion.
Moderately intelligent pundits like Tucker Carlson and Lee Smith have lost their minds, I will modestly and conservatively assert. Put me down as a dissident to the thesis of this post.
Let’s ask Ukraine, since the Clinton Foundation was deeply in bed with them.
What can I say, I hate “country-last” globalists.
Nah, a primer for complete destruction of the economy.
Oh, Ukraine was about to attack Russia? I hadn’t heard that.
What happens if Russia is hollowed out, financially unstable and destitute after this? I fear a Russia in chaos more than I fear their military. It seems the total victory types just want to see vengence on Putin, but they don’t have any strategies of how we would handle a potentially chaotic situation in Russia which would make the world less safe. We need to remember these people have nukes they could sell to some very bad people.
Well, the US certainly didn’t.
Yeah they just think you overthrow something and Democracy blooms. Democracy isn’t even hot or worthwhile here at home. People voting to make fully formed babies executable and to cut off their kids penises. This is just what Russia needs. It’ll be such a beautiful world when a scumbag like Putin is replaced by a scumbag like any typical western leftist. It’ll be all sugar and rainbows for the world.
This war is spinning out of control
80 percent of the Kiev area had no power while Ukraine braces for more missile and drone strikes on it’s power infrastructure.
oh ya we’ere winning don’t you know?
Mesnwhile Zelensky struck deep inside Russia with our wespons., even the NATO Allie’s are running out if armaments.
This was never about protecting Ukraine but about attacking Russia……..so Russia sees this conflict as an existential fight for their own survival and you clowns think we are going to win that fight.
Your lunacy has apparently no bounds but of course our Media , Big Tech, FBI /CIA / Military /Deep State Complex who s a much bigger enemy to the American People than Russia ever will be is thoroughly brainwashing you so I guess weak minds will have difficulty resisting their mind control.
oh ya we weren’t meddling in Ukraine affairs – those 36 bio weapons labs bought to Ukraine by the Biden Crne family along the Russian border were just peaceful coexistence. In action and certainly no provocation.
I’ve been around awhile. Drew is always responsive and considers other points. You are always dismissive with a heavy dose of appeal to shame.
I see an easy end to the conflict.
Russia troops in Kiev putting up what ever parts 0f the Ukraine government that hasnt fled to their estates in Miami against a wall and shooting them.
Russia is mobilizing close to a million men, and has millions more. They are outshooting the Ukraines in artillery ten to one. They have an industrial economy that is largely self sufficient and what they cant get, they get from China. They are making hundreds of cruise missiles a month. Meanwhile the USA struggles to double Himars production from 250 to 500 a year!
The same people who lied to you about Iraq, Afghanistan, Covid, Russia and Trump. Are lying to you about the Ukraine war.
By this time next year Russia will occupy the entirety of the country, and what will the liars say then?
If by this time next year Russia is not occupying the entirety of Ukraine, will you admit that you got it wrong?
There’s always the year after that.
So you think Russia winning will help the US-that is clearly delusional.
The Bioweapons lab is complete FSB bull droppings. No credible person believes it.
You lost it at Russian troops in Kyiv…..
You need to learn logic.
Well, this thread went downhill slow. I disagree strongly with many aspects of WC’s point of view, but we aren’t calling each other names AND I’m not carpet-bombing the thread with my by now well-known opinion every time somebody says something I don’t like.
Kayfabe in Kiev
If Russia enjoys the large advantages that you refer to here, why did Russia abandon Kherson and other parts of Ukrainian territory?
Why didn’t Putin mobilize this million man military before the invasion if this is what he would ultimately need to win the war? Did Putin think that the Russian military would conquer Ukraine in blitz attack?
If you are “encouraging” anything you are intervening where you don’t belong.
I don’t think our providing weapons is necessarily encouraging them to fight on. If they are saying we want to fight on but we need weapons…and providing those weapons benefits us then, no. But if we are dangling them as a carrot or withholding them as a stick then it is.
And if the Ukrainians didn’t want to fight, it wouldn’t matter how many weapons we sent them.
Sending weapons and funds empowers one group of Ukrainians and disempowers another group. It’s not like they all have the same opinion on EU/Russia.
Maybe those who wish they were Russian – and who may have come from Russia to start with, as part of a program of slow-capture – should just go (back) to Russia.
And it’s not just there, either. Mexican “immigrants” to the US who think the US should be more like Mexico, should just go back to Mexico.
It’s not necessary for all Ukrainians to have the same opinion on EU/Russia for the US to provide weapons to the legitimate government of Ukraine. Unanimity is too high of a standard.
Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861):
The US can provide aid to anybody it wants. Including minorities in other countries.