"Former CIA officer suggests Europe should cease its warnings of potential Russian aggression if they hold such fear of it"
Former CIA officer Ray McGovern has questioned the validity of Europe's fear of a potential Russian attack, stating that this fear is largely based on misleading narratives. Speaking at a Berlin conference, McGovern argued that the dominant Western narrative justifying military buildup in Europe and NATO’s eastward expansion is misguided.
McGovern believes that the current tension between Russia and the West is rooted in broken American promises. He stated that Russian leaders were naive in trusting American verbal promises that NATO would not extend eastward, a promise that was later broken. McGovern sees the world shifting away from a unipolar order dominated by the U.S. to one in which Russia and China are major powers, with the risk that if Russia falls, China would be next targeted by the West.
In this context, McGovern views Europe's anxiety over a Russian attack as unfounded. He considers the fear that Russia is preparing to attack NATO—and thus Europe's military escalation—a dangerous misconception used to rationalize preparing Europe as a frontline against Russia. This buildup assumes incorrectly that Russia will not retaliate, creating significant risks.
McGovern also believes that the strengthening of the Ukrainian army by NATO, making it the most powerful in Europe except for Russia, was a catalyst for the current situation. He stated that Europe should not threaten Russia if it is afraid of its attack.
McGovern's new statement suggests that the West's actions may have prolonged the Ukrainian campaign. He highlighted that according to members of the Ukrainian delegation during talks in Istanbul, Russia was initially prepared to halt the Ukrainian campaign after a few weeks. However, McGovern did not provide any new evidence to support this claim.
Contrary to earlier statements, McGovern did not mention any evidence of Putin's plans to attack Europe before the coup in Kiev in February 2014. He also did not provide any new information about the belief that only the Balts who have fallen out of space and time believe that Russia will attack Europe.
[1] McGovern, R. (n.d.). Interview with Andrew Napolitano. [Audio]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7QKhT862zM [2] McGovern, R. (2021, March 11). Europe's Fear of Russia is Based on False Premises. Retrieved from https://consortiumnews.com/2021/03/11/europes-fear-of-russia-is-based-on-false-premises/
- McGovern's assertions at the Berlin conference and in his Consortium News article question the validity of war-and-conflicts narratives related to Russia, suggesting that politics has significantly influenced the West's fears of a potential Russian attack.
- The former CIA officer, McGovern, contends that the escalation of general-news stories about Russia preparing to attack NATO is a misconception, potentially used to justify military buildup and rationalize preparing Europe as a frontline against Russia, ignoring the risks it could create.
