As Russian troops have re-invaded southeastern Ukraine, it is important to note that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions are larger than Ukraine.
Look no further than Putin’s rant on Monday against Ukraine. According to Putin, “Russia assumed obligations to repay the entire Soviet debt in return for the newly independent states giving up part of their foreign assets.”
This sounds like someone who wants to put back together the Soviet Union. A Union that dominates the affairs of those who are part of the bloc. “At the same time, they [NATO] try to convince us over and over again that NATO is a peace-loving and purely defensive alliance, saying that there are no threats to Russia,” said Putin. “Again they propose that we take them at their word. But we know the real value of such words.”
Putin obviously views NATO as a threat. After all, NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union’s aggression and today is an alliance against the major geopolitical threat that is Russia. Finally, there’s this excuse for dominating Ukraine.
“And who is the main enemy for the U.S. and NATO? We know that too. It’s Russia.”
Were Russia able to successfully take over Ukraine, it would be empowered to take over Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and other NATO countries. History has taught us that taking over one piece of land usually doesn’t end with just that piece of land.
Jackson Richman is a journalist in Washington, D.C. Follow him @jacksonrichman.
