Mearsheimer's fundamental failure of understanding in geopolitics is that he does not countenance "peaceful co-existence" or "collaboration". Everything for him is conflict and war, one state seeking hegemony. He is blinded by his own culture.
US pushes for peace in Europe? By all accounts Trump/US is continuing to back the war in Ukraine but through backdoors:
1. The UK's GCHQ is now the conduit for US intellligence (as it's always been);
2. France, the UK and other EU countries acting as conduits for US weapons supplies.
It's all smoke and mirrors, thank goodness Russia doesn't appear to have been taken in by all the propaganda bullshit, designed obviously, for public consumption.
🇺🇸🇺🇦🇬🇧 The US isn't cutting arms to Ukraine, it's simply rerouting them through Europe.
Just announced is a deal to send drones from US company Anduril via the UK destined to Ukraine.
Same goes for US intel supposedly cut off from Ukraine but shared with the UK and easily forwarded to Ukraine.
This is precisely what the US did regarding its proxy war in Syria beginning under the previous Trump administration and continuing under Biden which obviously continued, successfully overthrowing the Syrian government at the end of last year...
This discussion doesn't address some of the issues from a european point of view. Look at the map.
Its not that europeans think that Putin is going to invade western europe. But Russia is an extractive imperialist state and will impose its interests upon countries within its sphere of influence to the extent that it can. If Putin takes over Ukraine altogether, then Russia is in a position to threaten Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Putin will control the Black Sea. The baltic states look very isolated.
The position of Ukraine is as existential for europe as it is for Russia because of the nature of the Russian state. If Russia was a
proper democracy, this wouldn't be a problem. As it is, letting Ukraine go is to sacrifice the principle of economic and political self determination much more widely. It is sacrificing Ukraine and the then proximate states to Russian pressure and interference. The US was meant to stand up for this democratic principle. Now it appears it no longer does.
The europeans would really want to confine Russia to eastern Ukraine and ensure Russian doesn't just re-arm and push further. This is the point of security guarantees.
The consternation in europe is that absent such guarantees, there is no settlement available that preserves european interests. Europe does not want to let Putin win as it represents a big reverse and creates significant future problems. Europe would still need to re-arm to resist Russia, but in many more countries.
Its quite an impasse. But the presentation of the issue as the europeans simply being paranoid and unreasonable is not accurate.
",,,But Russia is an extractive imperialist state and will impose its interests upon countries within its sphere of influence to the extent that it can...."
I mean last I checked..... its the Europeans who have traversed the planet and committed genocide and colonized and enslaved the people there.
That is not past tense either. RIGHT now, even as we speak, the people of much of western and central africa are struggling to break off the shackes of current day French and American economic colonialsm and exploitation:
There no "The Europeans". The US neocons who once had control of Russia and wish to break it and control it again, have control of the political mis-leaders of most of Europe. Those mis-leaders are doing what the neocons tell them and have managed to brainwash some of their populations. When they say Russia is about to invade, what they actually mean is THEY are arming up to attack Russia in the future.
But I know many people in Europe who dont believe in thise mis-leaders, and are more concerned about the broken economy in Europe, and are not at all in support of adopting the US model of burning money on weapons while overseeing a broken society at home.
Are the UK, Germany, Romania proper democracies? What about other European countries. When you have the citizens are censored, it seems to be pointing to authoritarian.
A proper democracy is a country where the government can be changed further to a free and fair election.
I see a lot of JM's commentaries and he is a good commentator. But what is never discussed is the implication of strategic realism that the aspirations of peoples to be free are sold out and this is a complication that goes to the heart of many of these debates.
The fact that people are unable to see the nature of the Russian state and the manner in which Russia has no meaningful
democracy compared to europe is also a problem in these debates.
What the so called westerners call "democracy" is places where they can HIJACK electins and install their puppers and call it "free and fair. When elections dont go their way then suddenly its not free and fair.
2) You didnt like the fact, so you go trying to point fingers abroad.
3) You then resort to cartoon level talk: "Putin".
Not fooling anyone with this. Go back and try harder. The US aint a democracy itself, and its no surprise they dont support real democracy abroad - only puppet shows.
Your methods are a lesson my friend. Use the cynicism, whether of the left or right, to attack narratives contrary to the line. Sow moral confusion. Divert comments into dead ends. Drown the debate in confusion and negativity.
So Ukraine is a proper democracy? Was South Vietnam? Was Afghanistan a "proper democracy?" But the point is that the European states are NOT proper democracies. When you start banning free speech, and open discussion, democracy is over. In some respects, Russia has tolerated more discussion than in the West where even TV channels are suppressed (C8 in France.). It looks increasingly like the COVID lockdown in some states was a dress rehearsal for the imposition of authoritarian solutions to those who "disagree." So let's add the USA in the doubtful democracy list. The winning candidate was the object of no less than 2 assassination attempts as well as endless prosecution in the lawfare courts.
The Europeans and in particular France are bankrupt. Macron, as the stooge for the EU bureaucracy is following the globalist line: do everything, lie your head off so the EU will issue Euro-bonds. There is nothing more behind his puffed up arrogance. The press is muzzles and even a TV channel called C8 (belonging to the giant Canal+ empire) has been shut down. Trump and Vance are right - thereis NO freedom of opinion in mainstream media here.
How can the EU even be seen as a respectable endeavor any more. It looks like a malevolent organization; antihuman.
No decent European respects
the EU warmongers.
Mearsheimer's fundamental failure of understanding in geopolitics is that he does not countenance "peaceful co-existence" or "collaboration". Everything for him is conflict and war, one state seeking hegemony. He is blinded by his own culture.
US pushes for peace in Europe? By all accounts Trump/US is continuing to back the war in Ukraine but through backdoors:
1. The UK's GCHQ is now the conduit for US intellligence (as it's always been);
2. France, the UK and other EU countries acting as conduits for US weapons supplies.
It's all smoke and mirrors, thank goodness Russia doesn't appear to have been taken in by all the propaganda bullshit, designed obviously, for public consumption.
🇺🇸🇺🇦🇬🇧 The US isn't cutting arms to Ukraine, it's simply rerouting them through Europe.
Just announced is a deal to send drones from US company Anduril via the UK destined to Ukraine.
Same goes for US intel supposedly cut off from Ukraine but shared with the UK and easily forwarded to Ukraine.
This is precisely what the US did regarding its proxy war in Syria beginning under the previous Trump administration and continuing under Biden which obviously continued, successfully overthrowing the Syrian government at the end of last year...
Source:
UK gov, March 6, 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/advanced-attack-drones-for-ukraine-in-new-deal-struck-by-uk-government-and-anduril-uk
This was a great show, well worth watching.
EU Elites are aligned with Hegseth military strategy
https://t1p.de/jd5fd
https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4064113/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-ukraine-defense-contact/
This discussion doesn't address some of the issues from a european point of view. Look at the map.
Its not that europeans think that Putin is going to invade western europe. But Russia is an extractive imperialist state and will impose its interests upon countries within its sphere of influence to the extent that it can. If Putin takes over Ukraine altogether, then Russia is in a position to threaten Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Putin will control the Black Sea. The baltic states look very isolated.
The position of Ukraine is as existential for europe as it is for Russia because of the nature of the Russian state. If Russia was a
proper democracy, this wouldn't be a problem. As it is, letting Ukraine go is to sacrifice the principle of economic and political self determination much more widely. It is sacrificing Ukraine and the then proximate states to Russian pressure and interference. The US was meant to stand up for this democratic principle. Now it appears it no longer does.
The europeans would really want to confine Russia to eastern Ukraine and ensure Russian doesn't just re-arm and push further. This is the point of security guarantees.
The consternation in europe is that absent such guarantees, there is no settlement available that preserves european interests. Europe does not want to let Putin win as it represents a big reverse and creates significant future problems. Europe would still need to re-arm to resist Russia, but in many more countries.
Its quite an impasse. But the presentation of the issue as the europeans simply being paranoid and unreasonable is not accurate.
And this bit is like "what"?
",,,But Russia is an extractive imperialist state and will impose its interests upon countries within its sphere of influence to the extent that it can...."
I mean last I checked..... its the Europeans who have traversed the planet and committed genocide and colonized and enslaved the people there.
That is not past tense either. RIGHT now, even as we speak, the people of much of western and central africa are struggling to break off the shackes of current day French and American economic colonialsm and exploitation:
https://aidarends.net/2022/06/03/mali-ejects-the-french-military-mr-online/
https://mronline.org/2024/04/04/the-sahels-axis-of-resistance/
Completely wrong.
There no "The Europeans". The US neocons who once had control of Russia and wish to break it and control it again, have control of the political mis-leaders of most of Europe. Those mis-leaders are doing what the neocons tell them and have managed to brainwash some of their populations. When they say Russia is about to invade, what they actually mean is THEY are arming up to attack Russia in the future.
But I know many people in Europe who dont believe in thise mis-leaders, and are more concerned about the broken economy in Europe, and are not at all in support of adopting the US model of burning money on weapons while overseeing a broken society at home.
Europe is NOT united at all in mindset.
Are the UK, Germany, Romania proper democracies? What about other European countries. When you have the citizens are censored, it seems to be pointing to authoritarian.
A proper democracy is a country where the government can be changed further to a free and fair election.
I see a lot of JM's commentaries and he is a good commentator. But what is never discussed is the implication of strategic realism that the aspirations of peoples to be free are sold out and this is a complication that goes to the heart of many of these debates.
The fact that people are unable to see the nature of the Russian state and the manner in which Russia has no meaningful
democracy compared to europe is also a problem in these debates.
"A proper democracy is a country where the government can be changed further to a free and fair election...."
Wrong.
A democracy is a country where the government responds to fulfiul the needs of the people.
The US govenment changes all the time. But its not a democracy. Its an oligarchy:
https://archive.org/details/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc
What the so called westerners call "democracy" is places where they can HIJACK electins and install their puppers and call it "free and fair. When elections dont go their way then suddenly its not free and fair.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/venezuela-while-us-politicians-call-fraud-american-election-observers-endorse-results/288010/
A benevolent dictatorship such as Mr Putin operates?
Ah,so lets unpack this kindergarten level manipulation.
1) You didnt address the point I made. I said the US is itself not even a democracy. With proof. oligarchy https://archive.org/details/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc
2) You didnt like the fact, so you go trying to point fingers abroad.
3) You then resort to cartoon level talk: "Putin".
Not fooling anyone with this. Go back and try harder. The US aint a democracy itself, and its no surprise they dont support real democracy abroad - only puppet shows.
Your methods are a lesson my friend. Use the cynicism, whether of the left or right, to attack narratives contrary to the line. Sow moral confusion. Divert comments into dead ends. Drown the debate in confusion and negativity.
But be frank, do you support Mr Putin or not?
From Russian perspective, your points are delusional.
Ukraine is the linchpin of the World Island; Brzezinki already stated.
The Russians can and will not allow it to be controlled by the west.
Black Sea would become a NATO-lake.
Will never happen.
Is the U.S. an imperialist state?
So Ukraine is a proper democracy? Was South Vietnam? Was Afghanistan a "proper democracy?" But the point is that the European states are NOT proper democracies. When you start banning free speech, and open discussion, democracy is over. In some respects, Russia has tolerated more discussion than in the West where even TV channels are suppressed (C8 in France.). It looks increasingly like the COVID lockdown in some states was a dress rehearsal for the imposition of authoritarian solutions to those who "disagree." So let's add the USA in the doubtful democracy list. The winning candidate was the object of no less than 2 assassination attempts as well as endless prosecution in the lawfare courts.
Please provide a description and example of a "proper democracy". TIA
The Europeans and in particular France are bankrupt. Macron, as the stooge for the EU bureaucracy is following the globalist line: do everything, lie your head off so the EU will issue Euro-bonds. There is nothing more behind his puffed up arrogance. The press is muzzles and even a TV channel called C8 (belonging to the giant Canal+ empire) has been shut down. Trump and Vance are right - thereis NO freedom of opinion in mainstream media here.
But...but...but Macron is WEF-Approved.