Is the Russian invasion of Ukraine the West’s fault?

Is the Russian invasion of Ukraine the West’s fault? Did Western actions facilitate Russia’s behavior, and could different actions have prevented the war? Those are different questions with different answers. From the outset, I want to make clear, the bulk of the blame and moral fault goes on Vladimir Putin. No one forced his hand. His country wasn’t under imminent threat. He chose to invade a democratic country and is responsible for the havoc wreaked upon Ukraine, Russia, and the world.

That said, from a foreign policy perspective, the West should strive to take actions that have the best chances to produce greater security and prosperity. So, did the West make mistakes that made this conflict more likely? Was expanding NATO into Eastern Europe a key cause of this conflict? Was promising expansion to Ukraine a key cause? Could Russia’s concerns have been dealt with more effectively? Did the West properly take into account the risks of its actions?

Expanding NATO to its current borders was certainly a facilitating condition, but NATO expansion itself wasn’t a key cause. A key cause was how the West dealt with Ukraine. The Russians have been sensitive about NATO expansion from the beginning. They’ve been especially sensitive about Ukraine. This is not just a Putin thing; many Russians and Russian leaders have been wary about NATO expansion and defensive over influence in Ukraine. By promising NATO expansion to Ukraine, by supporting the overthrow of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, by…