Xinhua News Agency, Chicago, April 30 (Reporter Xu Jing) John Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency recently that the root cause of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was the expansion of NATO. Respond to this.
As a world-renowned scholar of political science and international relations, Mearsheimer believes that the United States and its European allies want Ukraine to join NATO and the West, which is categorically unacceptable to Russia.
"The West's attempt to make Ukraine a bulwark on its border with Russia poses an existential threat to Russia and is the source of this crisis."
Mearsheimer pointed out that both the United States and Russia are determined to win, and in this case, it is difficult to reach some kind of peace agreement, and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict "has no end in sight."
He also believes that NATO expansion will largely be confined to Europe.
Although it is difficult to predict what impact the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will have on the international system, Mearsheimer still pointed out that the conflict may trigger a food crisis and affect the U.S. policy of containment in East Asia.
"There is no doubt that this conflict will have a really significant impact," he said. "When we look back in 20, 30 years, we will understand that this conflict is a major turning point."
When it comes to the future development of the world, Mearsheimer said that "the situation is grim".
"The relationship between the US and Russia is really bad, and hopefully it doesn't get worse."