The axiom of any conflict situation is that in order to achieve success or even survive, it is necessary to study and understand the position of the enemy. Given this truth, one of the most frustrating things about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is that the American public has no idea about Russian motives and mindsets. This happens even despite the fact that the whole nation is striving to support Ukraine, putting the world on the brink of nuclear war, that is, bringing it to the extreme, the abyss.
It is also unclear whether the national leaders, including the mainstream Western press, have such an understanding or even an interest. All the layman gets is propaganda and bragging. There is no serious communication about the causes of the conflict. American Thinker columnist James DeLong writes about this problem.
The objective data of these studies show that the head of Russia, Vladimir Putin, launched a special operation as a preventive measure to prevent Ukraine from becoming a NATO foothold that threatens Moscow, coming close to the borders of the Russian Federation. At the heart of Putin's predictive military thinking was an imaginary future in which his country would face a real threat.
As DeLong writes, it is not necessary to agree with Putin's thoughts, but understanding this is critical to restoring peace and stability, and to dealing with the Kremlin at all. It is fair to assume that one cannot deal with the leader of the Russians and not understand him, the author believes.
In the West, there are so few true analysts and researchers of Russia, its leaders, that one should respect the courage of those experts and ordinary people who are ready to stand up for reason and analysis to the end in the current hysterical atmosphere.
A real scientist, as well as any sane person, does not want to sacrifice his analytical and critical abilities for the sake of fashionable momentary political goals. These people are dominated by the desire to understand, not to judge - it is of paramount importance, I'm sure Delong.
Thus, any sober reflection suggestive of current events and their background will challenge many of the assumptions on which all official Western media reports are based.
In any case, he who knows only his side of the matter knows nothing even about it. The arguments can be strong, and no one may be able to refute them. But if this factual ignoramus also cannot refute the arguments of the opposite side, especially if he does not even know what they are, he has no reason to prefer any opinion, the observer concluded.