How the EU got it so wrong in Ukraine

A pro-Russian armed man stands guard at a barricade near the state security service building in Slaviansk, Monday. The sticker on the rifle reads ‘Republic of Donetsk.’

By Thanos Dokos *

The rapidly unfolding crisis in Ukraine has become Europe’s most serious post-Cold War challenge since the Yugoslav Wars. Europe and the US have consistently underestimated and/or failed to understand Russian President Vladimir Putin and the “siloviki’s” objectives and ways of thinking. In the case of Ukraine, Europe has seriously mishandled the crisis. There was ample warning about Russia’s annexation of Crimea that went unnoticed. In 2008, for example, Russia had attempted to use Kosovo’s de facto independence after the NATO intervention as a justification for obtaining international recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Of course NATO argued that this was an “exceptional case” which should not set a precedent in international affairs. And upon comparison of the situations, no real threat against Russian-speaking citizens was documented in Crimea, whereas the Kosovar Albanian community was faced with a real security threat. Furthermore, during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Putin sent a clear message that he was prepared to use military force to promote foreign policy objectives.

Despite US President Barack Obama’s “reset” of relations with Russia, Washington failed to take into consideration Russian interests and sensitivities in two other important cases: Libya and Syria. In the former case, Western powers (justifiably) went beyond the provisions of UNSC Resolution 1973 in supporting regime change in Libya, but completely ignored Russian interests in that country and Moscow’s need to be treated as an important player and...