In contrast, some Westsplainers seem convinced that East Europeans are nothing but pawns moved around by jingoistic, greedy geopolitical masters. But they failed to even mention that a number of East European countries had already applied for, and energetically sought, NATO membership by that point. The acknowledgement that East Europeans shaped these dynamics is not just a matter of getting the story right. It is also a forewarning of what might happen if US and EU policymakers assume that East Europeans will do whatever they are told. Unfortunately, however, East Europeans, it is ventured, have been so traumatized by such encounters that they cannot think straight.

Source: The Guardian June 10, 2024 08:37 UTC