JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is the problem Putin’s Russia or Mother Russia?” – The Hill: Alexander J. Motyl
“Analysts of Russia differ about … the roots of Russia’s ongoing aggression. One side argues that Russian history and political culture are to blame …. The other side argues that the causes are … typical of … certain kinds of states, regimes, societies and leaders. … How can this vicious circle be broken? Since Russian history is [that of] of imperialism and imperial political culture, breaking that circle won’t be easy. Ideally, Russia would experience a humiliating total defeat in its war against Ukraine … discredit[ing] the regime and its policies and begin[ning] to chip away at the culture that made war possible. …
Short of total defeat, a partial defeat might help, though the regime and many Russians would likely claim that their survival is testimony to the duplicity of the West, [Ukrainian] Russophobia …, … temporary failings of Russian policymakers and the ultimate necessity of an imperial mindset and an imperialist policy. Most of Russia’s immediate neighbors understand that Russia’s imperialist inclinations won’t go away anytime soon … covet[ing] territory and endeavor[ing] to acquire it. The likelihood of imperialism persisting in Russian minds and politics therefore means that, unless the West is willing to pursue total victory, it will have to settle for second best: containment. …”
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