Sat Jan 18 15:39:09 UTC 2025: ## Biden’s Legacy: A Missed Opportunity for Peace with Russia?
**Washington/Moscow** – As President Biden’s term ends, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine casts a long shadow, highlighting what some analysts see as three decades of flawed Western policy towards Russia. While Russian President Vladimir Putin bears ultimate responsibility for the invasion, a new analysis suggests that the groundwork for this confrontation was laid by US policymakers in the 1990s.
The article argues that the expansion of NATO and the European Union, coupled with the exclusion of Russia, created a rift between Russia and the West, ultimately fueling Russian resentment and the rise of Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime. Key figures like Daniel Fried, Alexander Vershbow, and Richard Holbrooke, dubbed “the pro-expansion troika,” are cited for pushing aggressive NATO expansion, disregarding Moscow’s concerns. Even President Biden, then a Senator, is criticized for his dismissive attitude towards Russian anxieties.
The article highlights the missed opportunity presented by the Partnership for Peace program in 1994, designed to integrate former Warsaw Pact countries into NATO while maintaining Russian cooperation. This initiative, the authors claim, was undermined by the very securocrats who favored expansion.
Furthermore, the author contends that President Zelenskyy’s shift towards a more confrontational stance towards Russia, including pursuing NATO membership and escalating tensions, coincided with Biden’s presidency. This, they argue, was influenced by factors like Azerbaijan’s success against Russian-backed Armenia and domestic political considerations within Ukraine.
The culmination of these actions, the article asserts, led to a dangerous escalation, including the deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and ultimately, the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The devastating consequences of the war—including massive Ukrainian losses and a humanitarian crisis—are presented as a stark failure of the aggressive containment strategy.
The piece concludes by suggesting that a lasting peace in Ukraine might necessitate a compromise, potentially involving Ukrainian neutrality and territorial concessions to Russia. While not excusing Russia’s aggression, the authors call for a reassessment of Western policy towards Russia, advocating for a gradual rapprochement to de-escalate tensions and prevent the further strengthening of Putin’s regime. The article emphasizes that this is not about absolving Putin, but about addressing the root causes of the conflict.
First Piper 