European Forces are Needed to Defend Siberia

The West has for decades since the end of the Cold War mismanaged the Russia file. Early on, Putin wanted Russia to join NATO and the EU but was rebuffed by the Europeans. A Swedish diplomat told me that Russia was ”too big” for EU membership. Obviously, Russian membership in NATO and the EU would have required comprehensive democratization and liberalization of Russia. The younger Putin was in favor but was rebuffed by the Europeans behaving as if they were municipal governments with no geopolitical insight. In the meantime Putin and Russia have drastically changed. What is needed is an understanding between Russia and European governments whereby Moscow gets to keep Russian-majority areas in Ukraine while all other occupied areas are restored to Kyiv. Russia will be formally recognized as eligible for NATO and EU membership and will have to democratize and liberalize in order to qualify for membership. In one form or the other European forces will be needed in Siberia and the Russian Far East as part of the international encirclement of China. Putin’s first choice was Russian membership in NATO and the EU but when the Russian bid was rejected he decided to conquer the EU so as to turn European wealth & demography into Russian military muscles so as to be able to defend Mother Russia against a China in 20 or 30 years from now bent on conquering thinly populated territories worldwide fit for Han (Sinitic, i.e. ethnically Chinese) colonization. Does Putin retain his early preference for this defense strategy? This is in Russia’s interest yes. The Europeans need to correct their previous mistake which created the appearance of an Anti-European monster in Moscow.