Boris Johnson's misguided view on Russia: Blind spot in Western politics

Putin, at the very least, clearly understands that his empire is still alive, which is why he fights desperately for its survival.

Boris Johnson, on the other hand, operates on the widely-held but utterly misguided Western presumption that Russia within its 1991 borders is no longer an empire and only becomes one when it starts encroaching on neighboring territories.

This very assumption has been, and still is, the primary "blind spot" in Western politicians' perspectives on Russia.

As a result, their policies toward Russia remain fundamentally flawed and are guaranteed to fail in achieving the outcomes they desire.

However, they fundamentally refuse to see things as they are because: a) it is too inconvenient, and b) it shatters their long-established worldview.

Source

About the author. Oleksii Panych, philosopher, member of the Ukrainian Center of the International PEN Club, blogger.

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