Russia is not our enemy
Russians resent American and Western hegemony. We have been getting more and more nations of Eastern Europe to become part of NATO. We’ve placed more nuclear missiles recently in countries bordering Russia with the excuse that the missiles are meant for Iran. Russia correctly sees all this as a threat. We have made Russia paranoid.
The U.S. is presently considering giving Ukraine membership into NATO. Russians consider Ukraine as their ancestral homeland. It’s an insult to Russians to bring Ukraine into NATO and it is totally unnecessary for the security of the U.S. and Western Europe.
Ukraine and Russia are historic siblings. They are united culturally, historically, linguistically, and ethnically. We have no business pitting Ukraine against Russia by seeking to incorporate Ukraine into NATO.
If Russia invades Ukraine it’s because we pushed them into doing so! We Americans have a next-to-nothing understanding of other people’s cultures and history, and this ignorance can be dangerous when dealing with a nuclear superpower such as Russia.
There’s no more need for NATO. Russia is no longer the former communist Soviet Union. It is Russia that gave Ukraine and others in the former Soviet bloc their freedom. We have slapped sanctions on Russia for crimes a lot less than what we have committed!
Yes, Russia did invade and annex Crimea only because Crimea is a majority Russian region and the Russians there were discriminated against by the central Ukrainian government. That doesn’t make what Russia did right, but Russia is not interested in further expansion. Again, remember, that it is Russia that gave the Ukrainians their sovereignty and independence in the first place.
Russians were in Syria at the invitation of the Syrian government and the Russians were doing the nasty job of fighting Islamic terrorists who have also been a threat to Russians.
Russia has been an ally of Syria for decades. Who are we to tell Russia to get out of Syria or to tell them anything? We go all over the world invading countries that are no threat to us (i.e. We invaded Iraq even though Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11). We destroyed Libya and now the Islamic State controls huge swaths of Libya.
Let’s stop this madness of provoking Russia because if we want World War III we will certainly get it!!
— The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, of Boyertown, has his bachelor’s degree with concentrations in theology and biology and has been recognized for his writings on religion and science in the 24th edition of Marquis “Who’s Who in The East.”