Reading

📘 Mearsheimer (2014) – Why Ukraine is the West’s Fault

🧠 1. Overall argument

• The West (US + Europe) is mainly responsible for the Ukraine crisis

• Root cause:
  👉 Trying to pull Ukraine into the Western orbit

• Key claim:

  • Russia’s actions are defensive, not aggressive

👉 “The taproot of the trouble is NATO enlargement”

🧱 2. NATO enlargement & EU expansion (Russia’s view)

NATO enlargement:

• Expanded eastward (1999, 2004, etc.)

• Promised Ukraine & Georgia future membership (2008)

Russia’s view:

• Seen as a direct threat

• Fear:

  • NATO on its borders

  • Loss of buffer zone

EU expansion:

• Seen as:

  • A “stalking horse” for NATO

  • Expanding Western influence

👉 Russia saw BOTH as encroachment into its sphere of influence

🔥 3. Events that sparked Crimea (2014)

1. Ukraine negotiating EU deal

2. President Yanukovych rejects it → chooses Russia

3. Mass protests (Euromaidan)

4. Violence + instability

5. Feb 2014: Yanukovych overthrown (“coup” in Russia’s view)

6. Pro-West government takes power

👉 Russia responds:

• Seizes Crimea

• Supports separatists

🛡 4. Why Putin cares about Ukraine

• Ukraine = critical buffer state

• History:

  • Invasions of Russia came through Ukraine

• Fear:

  • NATO military presence

👉 Classic realist logic:
Great powers won’t tolerate threats near their borders

⚖ 5. Liberal vs Realist views on NATO expansion

Liberals:

• NATO expansion spreads:

  • Democracy

  • Stability

• Believe:

  • Russia wouldn’t see NATO as a threat

Realists (Mearsheimer):

• NATO expansion = provocation

• Great powers:

  • Care about security & spheres of influence

👉 Key contrast:

• Liberals = ideals

• Realists = power politics

💸 6. Mearsheimer on sanctions

• Sanctions won’t work

• Why:

  • States tolerate pain for core interests

👉 Russia will not back down over Ukraine

🧩 7. His solution to the crisis

• Make Ukraine:
  👉 Neutral buffer state

• Key policies:

  • No NATO membership

  • No EU integration pressure

  • Limit Western influence

  • Joint economic support (West + Russia)

👉 Model:

• Like Austria during Cold War

🚫 8. View on Ukraine joining NATO

• Strongly opposed

• Reason:

  • Not worth risking war with Russia

  • West wouldn’t actually defend Ukraine anyway

👉 “Height of folly” to admit Ukraine

📕 Kagan (2023) – Ukraine & American Interests

🧠 1. Overall argument

• The US must defend Ukraine

• Why:
  👉 It is about defending the liberal world order

👉 Not about direct US security

🏛 2. Foreign policy approach

• Liberal internationalism / neoconservative

• Belief:

  • US should actively defend global order

🔁 3. Two US foreign policy views (oscillation)

1. Isolationism / restraint

   • Focus on domestic issues

   • Avoid foreign entanglements

2. Internationalism

   • Engage globally

   • Defend liberal order

👉 US historically swings between these

❌ 4. Which approach does Kagan criticize?

• He criticizes:
  👉 Realism / isolationism

• Why:

  • Too narrow (only focuses on direct threats)

  • Ignores importance of global order

🌍 5. WWI & British liberal order

• Before WWI:

  • UK maintained liberal order

  • US was a free rider

• When it collapsed:
  👉 US had to step in

• Result:

  • Shift toward internationalism

✍ 6. Finish the sentence

👉 “The defense of Ukraine is a defense of the…”

→ liberal hegemony / liberal world order

🧠 7. Do China & Russia act as realists?

Kagan says:
👉 NO

• Realists assume:

  • States act rationally for security

• But:

  • Russia & China act based on:

    • Nationalism

    • Pride

    • Ideology

    • Resentment

👉 Example:

• Russia was already secure → still invaded

• China risks war over Taiwan → not rational security logic

🎁 Key takeaway:

👉 Global politics is about ideas + identity, not just security

📗 Hounshell & Askarinam (2022) – Isolationists vs Hawks

🏛 1. Which party?

👉 Republican Party (GOP)

⚖ 2. Foreign policy approaches discussed

1. Isolationism (“America First”)

   • Avoid foreign wars

   • Focus on domestic issues

2. Hawkish / interventionist

   • Strong military stance

   • Support allies

   • Confront adversaries

🧍‍♂ 3. JD Vance’s position

• Isolationist

• Quote idea:
  👉 Doesn’t care about Ukraine

• Focus:

  • US domestic issues (immigration, economy)

🧍‍♀ 4. Jane Timken’s position

• Hawkish / traditional Republican

• Supports:

  • Ukraine sovereignty

  • Sanctions on Russia

📺 5. Tucker Carlson

• Fox News host

• Influential conservative voice

• Position:

  • Anti-intervention

  • Ukraine not important to US

  • Russia not main enemy

⚔ 6. If Ukraine divides Republicans, what unites them?

Two key issues:

1. Opposition to Biden

2. Concern about China

👉 China = shared threat across party

🧠 Big Picture Connections (VERY exam useful)

• Mearsheimer vs Kagan = perfect contrast

  • Mearsheimer → realism (security, spheres)

  • Kagan → liberal order (values, ideology)

• Turner + Ikenberry (your previous notes) fit in:

  • Global South = avoiding both camps

  • World = moving toward multipolarity