John Batchelor interviews Stephen F. Cohen

Once again John Batchelor and Stephen F. Cohen step back from the details of the Ukraine Crisis and discuss why this civil war is seen as an existential threat to Russia. This involves a delving into a horrendous history suffered by Russians during WW2 from the German invasion, made much more poignant when Cohen compares the costs of this war to Russia as compared to Great Britain and the United States.
The Russians lost 27 million people in the conflict, some 14% of their whole population – whereas Great Britain lost 0.6% and the USA about 1/2 that – and huge infrastructure losses, to Russian towns and cities as well. Cohen continues to put this into perspective in that high school boys at 18 years were conscripted for combat, and out of 100 of these people sent to the fronts, only 3 came back….This is just some of the background Cohen gives – and again to add perspective, compares the USA version of V.E. day – which is no longer celebrated – to the coming May 9th Russian V.E. event which is seen as THE most important event of all for Russians. That the E.U. and Washington is seen by Russians as attempting to vandalize and boycott their most sacred national event is a "grave insult, and will not be forgiven or forgotten for a very long time". Cohen equates this behavior from the U.S. (and other leaders) as a "failure of leadership" on a large scale.
But the Russian experience in WW2, Cohen states, is important as it pertains to Ukraine Crisis as well. Russians look upon the extremist government, with its Nazi traits, as a kind of continued "occupation" from the Second World War; the horrendous damage that Russia suffered then has given the Russian citizen a very strong appreciation for seeing to their national security – and the predatory behavior of NATO encroaching on its borders to the west and south is seen (correctly) as an existential threat. Cohen pointed out that the average Russian, although not happy with the tyranny of the Soviet system, was fully in agreement with the state in regards to national security. We might contrast that statement with the 86% approval rating enjoyed by Putin from his citizens today.

This post was published at John Batchelor Show