'Russia reacted against Ukraine eight years late,' says Miguel Borba.

Opera Mundi - In the program 20 MINUTES INTERNATIONAL This Thursday (03/03), journalist Breno Altman interviewed Miguel Borba de Sá, professor of International Relations at the University of Coimbra, who analyzed the conflict in Ukraine.

According to him, the war was predictable at least eight years ago, when the coup d'état in 2014 deposed the then-president. Viktor Yanukovych"Because they didn't want to let Ukraine make a deal with both sides [Russia and Europe]." In this sense, "the war started in 2014, but now Russia has reacted, eight years late, which has given a qualitative shift to the conflict."

“We have to understand why the war started. In 2014, Russian military support seemed justified to me because there was an attempt at ethnic cleansing with the presence of external forces, a certain privatization of the war. The current situation, I still can't say if it's a just war, because it doesn't seem to be related to that first reason. What is happening now is reckless, completely irresponsible, and the result of aggressive policies by NATO and the US that seek to implement Western supremacy and take actions that only lead to the escalation of the conflict,” the professor reflected. 

Although he understands Russia's motives, he emphasized that the war violates international law and that, even if the use of force is now being restrained, a tragedy could still occur. He believes there is still a risk of nuclear war or military involvement by NATO and the US—which ultimately gives Vladimir Putin more reason to defend himself.

“In Europe, there’s a lot of talk about peace, but war is being fueled. We need to act politically to de-escalate military actions. It scares me that people, even some reporters, have been calling for frontal entry into the war, against Russia, or in favor of arming Ukrainians for a war that nobody has the courage to fight alone and that nobody has the courage to sell against Russia. All of this is a major warning for Europe to rethink its strategies,” Borba argued.

In addition to strongly condemning the sending of alleged military aid to Ukraine, he also criticized the implementation of sanctions against Russia, stating that it constitutes an aggression that amounts to economic warfare and is illegal under international law.

Choosing a side

Critical of all sides in the conflict, Borba warned against the hypocrisy behind "choosing a side" or, specifically, the demonstrations of solidarity with Ukraine: "What is the quality of our democracy in the Western world? Banning Russian television networks and news agencies like RT and Sputnik is censorship. There is political interference in democracy in the West itself. And who are the Ukrainians in Europe? They are the workers, repressed and racialized, who take the jobs that nobody wants. Here in Portugal, a Ukrainian was beaten to death by the authorities at the airport. There was no solidarity at the time."

The professor explained that one cannot be naive when supporting solidarity campaigns and questioned the intentions of these campaigns, such as, for example, crowdfunding, to send weapons to the Ukrainians to "fight in a war that nobody wants to fight".

"Ukraine is being victimized by Western strategies that don't care about the population. A ceasefire, for example, isn't being discussed. They appeal to people's emotions to call them to fight, and this unfortunate war is being prolonged," he emphasized.

In his opinion, the demonization of Putin and the Manichean view being promoted about the conflict only contributes to its depoliticization, preventing its resolution.

Therefore, he stated that he would not attend a demonstration against Putin or against the war in Ukraine without careful consideration beforehand: “It’s good to know who is calling for the demonstration. I am in favor of peace, I would go to a peace demonstration and still wonder what kind of peace they are protesting for. Is it a demonstration more interested in provoking the adversary? This supposed pacifism must be viewed with great caution.”

Borba pointed out that wars are not uncommon and that this is not the first disruption of order. He denounced, for example, that the apartheid The attacks against the Palestinian people provoked by Israel do not generate the same commotion. He also drew attention to how many Ukrainian refugees are being welcomed with open arms in Europe, which is not happening with non-white refugees, and to the fact that non-white people living in Ukraine, who are unable to leave the country, are also not receiving the same support.

“Do white people deserve more solidarity? That reveals a lot. Are we really in solidarity? We can only fight for a political solution to all this and hope that the conflict ends as quickly as possible with the most realistic arrangement possible,” he concluded.

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