ABSTRACT
The nodal points of the 2010s include the Ukrainian crisis of 2013–2014, the annexation of Crimea, and the ensuing war in east Ukraine. Again, the key issue is whether internal developments or interactions in the context of the world economy and world time are decisive. For TF, the re-election of Putin in 2012 solidified the power of a security services clique. There were anti-government protests in Russia in 2011–2013 in support of free elections, democracy, and civil rights. These were suppressed by force and restricting civil rights. “If Russia acts like this with regard to its domestic opposition, it makes the decision to wage war on other sovereign states more understandable”. For TF, “the sin of the West was omission, while Russia’s sin was commission”. HP agrees about developments inside Russia, but sees the internal/external dynamics as more complicated. Nationalist populism has risen in many countries due to political economy developments; securitisation tends to mean de-democratisation; and the euro crisis and policies of austerity hit instigated conflicts within Ukraine and between Russia and the West. In this chapter we also deepen our discussions on “whataboutism” and methodological nationalism versus globalism.
