The Kremlin’s decision to invade Ukraine has been primarily driven by the threat of NATO’s expansion along Russia’s border. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, a chorus of government officials, academics, commentators, and retired bureaucrats and diplomats has dismissed all links between the crisis and the decades-long NATO expansion. In reality, the Kremlin’s conduct has been primarily driven by the threat of NATO’s expansion along Russia’s border. If anyone—including prominent scholars like John Mearsheimer and Jeffrey Sachs—blames NATO expansion for the Ukraine crisis, they instantly arouse anger and suspicion about their motives. Why are today’s opponents of NATO expansion treated with contempt and derision?
