Book Talk - Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability

The war in Ukraine has radically reshaped US, Western and Russian policy, and international relations in general, and its long-term effects are incalculable, but likely to be immense. To discuss the origins of the war and its course and impact to date, Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute is joined by Michael Kimmage, author of the just-published and highly-praised book Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability (Oxford University Press 2024). According to Kirkus Reviews, “Political maneuvering rarely begets a page-turner, but Kimmage’s insightful account is just that”.
Download the full webinar transcript here:
quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/w...

[@rezakarampour6286]

' Why Is Ukraine the West's Fault - Featuring John Mearshemir '

[@yourbestguess]

To what extent is Kimmage engaging in projection, I wonder. He seems to believe Moscow has the same kind of motivations as Washington, maybe true. Kudos to him for being honest that his opinions are not based on evidence.

[@yttean98]

Mr Kimmage's explanation about NATO expansion is so convoluted that it would make hairs standing on end, or perform my Convoluted maths transforms a few times.

[@novorossian2279]

The war in Ukraine originated in decisions to incorporate Ukraine into NATO and the EU. Russia's interests were totally ignored as during the period these decisions were made Russia was weak. In essence the war is due to the complete lack of foresight by the western powers in regard to how Russia would react and, in general a completely cavalier attitude to any Russian interests if any thought was given to them. Not that people in high places in the West were not aware of the effect these decisions on Russia, there were many, including the man who is now CIA director, Mr William Burns. Also well aware was George Kennan. Those who made these fateful decisions quite irrespective of their effect on Russia are 100% to blame. Alongside them we have those who pushed Russia into the war by engaging in the sham Minsk process. Every wrong turning that could be made was made, always pressuring Russia into its very last possible course of action to secure its borders from the NATO encroachment to them and the making of Ukraine into a de facto NATO state.

[@rezakarampour6286]

video watch : ' Ukraine Crisis - What You're Not Being Told . '

[@stuartwray6175]

There's an interview with Michael Krimmage on The Council on Foreign Relations channel. A particularly congruent and well disposed context for his account of the Ukraine conflict. I found his "narrative" to be infuriatingly skewed.

[@stuartwray6175]

Indeed, very stimulating questions, however, I certainly won't be rushing to buy the book. Lol

[@justingoretoy1628]

I had a conversation with a Ukrainian nationalist once about Minsk. He said to me that fulfilling Minsk 2 obligations would be tantamount to surrender. Basically they lost the civil war twice and didn't want to accept the L and the conditions they viewed as humiliating. And this dude takes on faith that Russian objectives were the capture of the whole of Ukraine, the evidence doesn't point to that.

[@Larkinchance]

I was in Berlin in Dec89. The Wall was coming down and all over Europe there was a great sense of relief. Perhaps the only people were the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon. Gentlemen... A common response in the US is, “Well Russia (Putin) really shouldn't have invaded” My comment is, “What if he didn't?” My guess is that Ukraine would have joined NATO, Russia's lease for the naval base at Sevastopol would have been suspended, missile bases would have been placed at the Eastern border and Putin would have been replaced. NATO would have control of the Black Sea leaving Russia, a nuclear armed adversary, vulnerable and exposed. Is this what you want? Once bases were installed, it would have been too late. Gentlemen, how do you sleep at night?

[@Dumpsteret1]

Perhaps someone can explain to me, even if Ukraine caved into Rebel-Russian interpretation of Mink sequencing how that would have altered the purpose of the agreement, to reintergrate Donbas back into Ukraine and avoid war? And how in a Federal system could the Donbas minority be able to highjack Ukraine foreign policy and be Putin's Trojan Horse as so many claimed? Neither did the Minsk Agreement propose any such possibility.

[@justingoretoy1628]

Allegedly they were going to ethnically inflate/cleanse/dilute the pro-Russians and hold elections "at the barrel of a gun" and all that. Obviously we can't know that, it speaks to both sides' mistrust.

[@michaelg659]

Apparently prospects for peace in Ukraine seem pretty unlikely in the near term, barring a collapse of the Ukrainian army (which is distinctly possible). Professor Mearsheimer's view that Russia will likely stop with the more Russified Western half of Ukraine seems the most likely outcome as going further would mean incorporating a completely hostile area with endless guerrilla warfare. With the ongoing progress the Russian army is making in terms of capturing territory (albeit sparsely inhabited) even if they don't take Kharkov the presence of Russian troops on the Dnieper would send a signal that Ukraine needs so accept a different reality.

[@yourbestguess]

The statement ‘Obviously Putin started it’ should be questioned in my humble opinion. Take Zelensky’s decree of March 2021 to retake Crimea. Then there was the civil war in Donbas. I understand why Anatol feels the need to say this, else he would be smeared. But without greater accuracy in the debate, what hope is there of finding a workable peace?

[@4rmDEC2FRE]

they say they aren’t left or right, but that sly statement suggests otherwise.

[@cornellencar]

When talking about Minsk, MK forgets that Crimea was the main cause of Western Sanctions on Russia and less about the support provided to Donbas ethnic Russians.

[@douggylas4299]

Life’s not so simple, it takes many ingredients to make a cake.

[@stuartwray6175]

What particular point are you addressing in your statement?

[@mhenkelmann11]

Ja wirklich schwer zu erklären. Werden wohl nie die Timeline nachvollziehen können? Haha, Guter Märchen-Onkel.

[@user-ev9to4xx2o]

Review.alvin.tuffeler.book.future .shock Review.alvln tiffelar Book..future.shock it revenant.to what the u s a is.experenceing now.❤❤❤