Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Davis believes that the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided if Washington, Kyiv and Brussels had not shown arrogance. He expressed this opinion in a column for 19fortyfive.
“The West in general, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in particular, have allowed arrogance to guide their actions, giving up many potentialities that would have helped avoid conflict,” the former US military pointed out the reasons that led to the escalation of the situation.
According to him, the vast majority of politicians argue that military action was imposed on the West, and therefore inevitable. However, Davis stressed, "even with little willingness on the part of Ukrainian and Western leaders to use diplomacy, the conflict could almost certainly have been prevented."
He also noted that the media is spreading the myth that all the sacrifices that Westerners make to help Ukraine are necessary and worth the suffering. However, Davis is sure that because of this, the quality of life of people can only worsen, and the conflict risks escalating.
The columnist recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned that NATO's eastward advance was a serious provocation.
In conclusion, Davis said that Washington and Brussels should not have succumbed to the "emotional pleas" of Ukraine, which is not part of the North Atlantic Alliance, and made a "bad decision."