The Missing Half: How Russian Choices Shaped the Path to War in Ukraine

The current war in Ukraine has generated intense debate about its origins, with many Western analysts focusing on NATO expansion and American foreign policy decisions as primary drivers of the conflict.

While this perspective captures important elements of how tensions escalated, it risks overlooking a crucial dimension: Russia’s own strategic choices and the worldview that shaped them.

Understanding the full picture requires examining not just what the West did, but what Russia chose not to do and why those choices made conflict increasingly likely regardless of NATO’s specific actions.

The Missing Half: How Russian Choices Shaped the Path to War in Ukraine