I’ll make this quick. It’s not complicated.
What makes a good neighbor? A good neighbor gets your mail and mows your lawn when you’re away on vacation. They put your garbage can down to the street on trash day and give your dog a treat. A good neighbor watches your kids in a pinch and brings you soup when you’re sick. I am sure most of us have had neighbors like this; and we gladly reciprocate.
As the Ukraine peace talks ramp up, we are certain to hear (yet again) the Russian complaint that Western and NATO encroachment into the traditionally Russian area of influence presents a national security threat to the Moscow-types. That is a true and legitimate concern. What is also true is, Russia, this one is on you.
Every country, regardless of geography, has its own sovereign interests and makes decisions based on what is best for itself given its circumstances.
Spoiler alert: Mr. Putin, you’re a crappy neighbor. Russia, your neighbors hate you. You are like the guy with the biggest house on the block with big vicious dogs snarling at the chain-link fence – that you let out occasionally just to terrorize the cul-de-sac. Your tree grows waaaayyy over the fence, then you decide that if the area is under your tree, it must be your property. The neighborhood gas line runs along an easement in your yard so you switch off the heat to the neighbors in the winter because they didn’t invite you to the summer barbeque. You even give out crummy candy on Halloween. Bro, why are you surprised that the folks across the street are getting chatty with their neighbors in the other direction, across their backyard fence?
Russia, if you were a better neighbor, Ukraine (and the rest of the neighborhood) would not be snuggling up to the West and NATO … as a national security strategy … against YOU. Eastern European leaders have calculated that the West provides a better option for their economy and security even though you share a border and have lots of resources. Your national security problem is real, but it is self-inflicted. You have made yourself a horrible option, even though you should be the first option. In technical terms, your neighbors choose to orient their interests away from you because, um, you suck. Don’t suck and you won’t have this problem.
Vladdy, you should be trading casseroles and having pool parties with everyone in the area. Instead, you have 300,000 dead soldiers when a smaller neighbor decided to punch you back — and now they hate you even more. Was it worth the little patch of grass under tree on the other side of the fence that you will get in the settlement?
Plus, when you treat your neighbors badly, they boo your national anthem at hockey games. (Ehhh, wait… )
