Does the West provoke escalation of the Ukrainian crisis?

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In March I published an article dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Ukrainian “revolution”, where I wrote a little about the activities of Western politicians in the initial period of Euromaidan.

But I believe that the role of these politicians in the emergence and escalation of the Ukrainian crisis deserves a more thorough study.

Spoiler

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At the end of 2013, Western politicians constantly emphasized the allegedly peaceful character of Ukrainian protests, although the occupation of the central square of Kiev by Maidanists and the installation of tents there was illegal.

In January 2014, the opposition began to use force more widely. During an attempt to force their way to Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, the Maidanists used “Molotov cocktails” – which are incendiary weapons - sticks, etc. In the same month, a policeman was stabbed to death by a Maidanist in Kherson.

But these facts did not cause any criticism from Western politicians. At the end of January 2014, US President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address:

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Violence in Ukraine continued after the coup d'etat had taken place in February 2014. In early May 2014, about 50 people were killed during clashes in Odesa in just one day – the most of them were burnt to death. But when the new Ukrainian rulers met with Western politicians, these politicians, as far as I know, never demanded to conduct an investigation of the above-mentioned Odesa tragedy; see e.g. a report on the meeting of B. Obama with Ukrainian President P. Poroshenko in early June 2014.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the “investigation” of this tragedy has been lasting in Ukraine for the second decade.

Before the start of the Special Military Operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the Russian leadership asked the West to provide guarantees that Ukraine would not be accepted into NATO, but this request was given a negative response.

And after the start of the above-mentioned Military Operation, British Prime Minister B. Johnson - according to the head of the presidential faction in Ukrainian Parieament - called on the Ukrainian leadership to wage the war; see a quote and video below:

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We can conclude from the above that Western politicians, at the least, did not prevent the escalation of violence in Ukraine before the start of the Special Military Operation of the RF and are still provoking an escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.

Source

 

There seems to be a line of thought that suggests that anything that can be interpreted as a provocation is an automatic justification for any response by the provoked party, no matter what form it takes.

It is an understandable line of thought to grasp on to when one is otherwise incapable of justifying illegal and immoral acts by the provoked party, but that’s all it is: a desperate reach to find reason to the unreasonable. To shift blame where it doesn’t belong and to second guess and undermine every current action in light of what it may or not “provoke” in the future.

I find it thoroughly non compelling.