The decisions made by American securocrats in the 1990s, particularly regarding NATO expansion and the exclusion of Russia, laid the groundwork for the current confrontation between Russia and the West. It wasn't the eastward expansion itself that caused conflict, but rather the way this expansion sidelined Russia from the integration process with the West, fostering resentment and leading to Putin’s aggressive stance.
The idealism and ineptitude of the early Russian leadership after the USSR’s dissolution led them to believe in the inevitability of integration with the West. This misplaced belief, combined with the actions of American securocrats, led to a series of decisions that alienated Russia and eventually catalyzed the current crisis, most notably evident in the violent conflict in Ukraine.
One of the most significant missed opportunities for fostering a more cooperative relationship with Russia came with the Partnership for Peace initiative launched in 1994. This program aimed to facilitate NATO's integration of Eastern European countries while including Russia in the process, but it ultimately failed, leaving a major rift and setting the stage for decades of tension.
As President Biden’s term nears its end, his leadership has been seen as a nadir in U.S.-Russia relations, which could mark a historical turning point if his successor learns from the mistakes of the past. The next administration has the potential to address and possibly reverse the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy that has contributed to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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