I read David Kotz’s recent column because I disagree with him [“Understanding the Ukraine War,” Gazette, June 26]. I assume he understands the war in Ukraine as a proxy battle between the American and Russian empire. America represents the liberal democratic order where NATO secures markets for western capital. Critics, like him, argue that this “neo-liberal” model rewards corporations and investors at the expense of people. This framework sees Russia’s autocracy as a byproduct of the economic liberalization in the 1990s when the economy collapsed.
However, if one believes that Russia has a sacrosanct sphere of influence, why does it prop up dictatorships in West Africa and send warships to conduct training exercises in Cuba? Are they part of Moscow’s sphere of influence? The democratically elected leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, among others, chose to join NATO because they feared Russia. Should NATO have rejected them because of their geographical proximity to Russia? The belief that Russia will withdraw its forces from Europe if NATO dissolves is incredulous.
Empires expand or collapse. Putin is a tyrant. He ordered the murder of opposition leaders and journalists. His troops razed Grozny (1999), attacked Georgia (2008), stole Crimea (2014), and invaded Ukraine (2022). This despot views the collapse of the Soviet Union as a “catastrophe” that left Russians in foreign countries unprotected. He wants to retake these regions regardless of borders and alliances. Tragically, Putin overestimates his capabilities but underestimates NATOs. This hubris will likely be his undoing but blaming NATO for Putin’s orders is sheer folly.
Danny Torres
Amherst