UKRAINE: WHAT MEARSHEIMER GOT WRONG AND WHAT HE IS STILL MISSING - critical review article
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Course
LYX093M10 (LYX093M10)
Institution
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RuG)
This is a critical review of the article “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault. The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin” By John J. Mearsheimer.
Inter alia, it is argued John Mearsheimer has been observing the world from his ‘realpolitik box’ for a very long time now. He reads...
International Relations and International Organization
LYX093M10 (LYX093M10)
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Assignment 2
Critical Review Article
“Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault.
The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin”
By John J. Mearsheimer
1
, UKRAINE: WHAT MEARSHEIMER GOT WRONG
AND WHAT HE IS STILL MISSING
Introduction
John J. Mearsheimer is a well-known Professor of Political Science at the University
of Chicago, a prominent scholar of international relations in general, and international
security in particular. Being deeply affected by Kenneth Walts’s bible of neorealism «Theory
of International Politics” (1979), Mearsheimer at the early stage of his career put himself into
a ‘realpolitik box’, and never left it ever since. Frankly, I too was influenced by both
previously mentioned authors so much, I even dedicated many hours to my humble attempt to
prove the existence of Russia's hegemonic pursuit, based on Mearsheimer’s “The tragedy of
great power politics” (2001). Luckily, I did complete my Theory of International Relations
101 later and realized that there is more to international politics than great powers’ power
games, and there is more to the international structure than just anarchy.
In his “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault. The Liberal Delusion That
Provoked Putin” (2014) Mearsheimer did anticipate a further escalation of a so-called
Russian-Ukrainian crisis in case of little policy change from the Western side. Having the
privilege to observe the ongoing activities of 2022 while reviewing the article dated 2014,
one now can claim that Mearsheimer’s predictions did come true. However, it is not always
the case, that there is only one logic that could possibly lead to such a result. Thus, although
Mearsheimer’s predictions regarding the exacerbation of hostilities in Ukraine were indeed
right, I strongly disagree with his argument that it is only Western big strategy “to move
Ukraine out of Russia's orbit and integrate it” which lies in the core of Russia's ongoing war
in Ukraine (ibid, p.77 ). On the contrary, it is a Western poor answer to the situation in 2014,
which has led to what we, unfortunately, are observing now.
Considering all stated above it might seem that this essay is aimed to tear into shreds
Mearsheimer’s structural realism and his view on Ukraine. However, this is not the case.
While agreeing with him on many points, I simply want to convey to the reader what, in my
point of view, Mearsheimer got wrong and what he is still missing, that is the role of the U.S.
manipulation and Putin's ultimate motives.
West’s fault: true, but not completely
As mentioned above, according to the article, Mearsheimer’s one and only argument
about what could possibly be a reason for what was happening in Ukraine in 2014 was the
West trying to convert Ukraine into its stronghold right on Russia's doorstep. The iron logic
2
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