West Should Stop Dragging Ukraine into NATO - Gorbachev

[newthinking]

This is worthy of posting - unfortunately it is not being printed in the US press so I have to use the RT link.

Be sure to read the entire writeup. Gorbachev presided over and reflects on the period when the USSR was broken up, the arguments that occurred even then about the boundaries of Ukraine, and why this issue threatens to potentially cause great damage to the region if it is not well resolved diplomatically.

http://rt.com/politics/185308-gorbachev-ukraine-crisis-dialogue/

[font size=2]West Should Stop Dragging Ukraine into NATO - Gorbachev

Excerpts:

However, according to Gorbachev the main role in the settlement must be played jointly by Russia and the United States. These nations stand out because they are permanent members of the UN Security Council and can wield significant influence on the organization. The jointly prepared resolution could become a powerful factor with the potential to reverse the negative course of events.

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The ex-president again repeated his opinion that the roots of the current turmoil lie in the hasty breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. He added that back then the Ukrainian authorities sabotaged the process of the peaceful transformation of the USSR, despite Gorbachev’s best efforts.

“They did not listen to my suggestions and warnings. They forgot that relations between peoples always require extreme caution and attention to the consequences of every step. Some people might say that this is a thing of the past. But the past is connected with the present by many threads and it again and again reminds us of politicians’ mistakes,” the ex-Soviet leader writes in his book.

In March this year, Gorbachev wrote about the Ukrainian turmoil on his website and called for mass media to stop adding to the tension in order to prevent what he called “a tragic schism between two brotherly nations.” At the same time, Gorbachev stated that he would prefer not to get personally involved in any talks and diplomatic contact.

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[KoKo]

1. It's good to hear what Gorbachev says. Recommend...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. Actually, invading them makes them lean towards NATO.

[longship]

3. Love Gorby!

He had a much more easy methodology in mind to unwind the Soviet Bloc than what happened. Do it easy -- culture does not change overnight. Unfortunately we got a fracture of the system instead of the orderly unwinding which would have served both the world, and Russia, better. And Gorby knew that.

[pampango]

4. Agree about not dragging Ukraine in, but should NATO block Ukraine out?

Gorbachev writes that in his view the Ukrainian conflict can only be settled through dialogue, both inside the country and at an international level. He points out that leading nations were largely to blame for the current dire situation, as from the very beginning they were testing Ukraine’s integrity. EU countries, and first of all Germany and France, have already understood this and are taking steps to de-escalate the crisis, which is a good thing, the ex-president says.

Gorbachev also emphasized that good relations with Russia must become a priority in Ukraine’s foreign policy and this should also be understood and accepted by Western nations. Leaders of these nations should stop dragging Ukraine into NATO because these attempts would result in nothing but strife between Ukraine and Russia.

I imagine that Ukrainians understand that it is important to have "good relations with Russia". (If they did not understand that before, they should now.) The question is: Can Ukraine be a fully sovereign country and still have "good relations with Russia"? In most of the world 'full sovereignty' and good international relations are not mutually exclusive.

Are there countries that NATO has blocked out, telling them they can never join even if they want to?

[SidDithers]

5. RT. LOL...nt

Sid

[jeff47]

6. He's got that backwards.

NATO isn't drawing in Ukraine. The anti-NATO parts of Ukraine are trying to leave. And thus no longer participating in the government (for example, Crimea).

Just like if the South left the US again, Congress would suddenly become much more liberal. Not because of anything the liberals did, but because most of the conservatives would have left Congress.

[joeybee12]

7. #1, the RT is garbage, that said I'm sure Gorby said this..

Remember how he was removed from office...of course he's going to tow the Putin line...this article is meaningless.