20-03-2022, 09:05 PM
"Where will he stop?” (February 26th) portrayed the Russia-Ukraine crisis as totally unprovoked. An alternative question could be “Where will nato stop?” After the Warsaw Treaty Organisation (Warsaw Pact) was dissolved in 1991, nato, an American-led military organisation, expanded eastward four times, inching closer and closer to Russia’s border.
In 1999 nato invited the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to join, which they did two months later. In 2004 the Baltic states, Romania and three other eastern European countries joined nato. At a summit in 2008 nato invited Albania and Croatia to start accession procedures; the two countries joined in 2009. At the same meeting nato welcomed the aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia to join. At its invitation, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined in 2017 and 2020, over Russia’s strong expression of security reservations.
To further stoke Russian insecurity, in June 2021 a British destroyer, hms Defender, conducted a freedom of navigation patrol in disputed Crimean waters, apparently in a calculated move to show support for Ukraine. The display of force was followed in October by a pair of American strategic bombers flying over the Black Sea. They had to be escorted away from the Russian border by Russian jets.
Is it really fair to say that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was totally unprovoked, and nato played no part in fuelling Russian aggression?
Regina ip
Member of the Legislative Council
Hong Kong
In 1999 nato invited the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to join, which they did two months later. In 2004 the Baltic states, Romania and three other eastern European countries joined nato. At a summit in 2008 nato invited Albania and Croatia to start accession procedures; the two countries joined in 2009. At the same meeting nato welcomed the aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia to join. At its invitation, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined in 2017 and 2020, over Russia’s strong expression of security reservations.
To further stoke Russian insecurity, in June 2021 a British destroyer, hms Defender, conducted a freedom of navigation patrol in disputed Crimean waters, apparently in a calculated move to show support for Ukraine. The display of force was followed in October by a pair of American strategic bombers flying over the Black Sea. They had to be escorted away from the Russian border by Russian jets.
Is it really fair to say that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was totally unprovoked, and nato played no part in fuelling Russian aggression?
Regina ip
Member of the Legislative Council
Hong Kong