Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Alexander J. Motyl: Five fatal flaws in realist analysis of Russia and Ukraine
A residential building allegedly destroyed during shelling stands empty in the frontline city of Pervomaisk, on March 3, 2015, in eastern Ukraine.
The standard realist narrative regarding the Russo-Ukrainian War generally runs something like this. The West - the United States, the European Union, and NATO - attempted to expand its influence into Eastern Europe and wrest control of Ukraine from Russia. In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by defending his country's vital security interests by seizing Crimea and attempting to annex eastern Ukraine.
