MY TURN

By PATRICIA GREENE

Greenfield Recorder, February 1, 2022

I hear many of my friends upset over the Russia/Ukraine kerfuffle and assuming Russia is doing something very wrong by putting troops on the Ukrainian border. I want to say that I visited both Russia and Ukraine years ago when I worked at Traprock Peace Center.

At the time we established a Greenfield student exchange and sister city relationship with Poltava in the eastern Ukraine. I have wonderful memories of the whole town coming out to the train station at 6 a.m., many in traditional dress, to greet our American delegation with gifts, music, dancing and great joy. We were the first Americans they had ever met.

I think it is essential to look at this in a larger and less self-centered context. The United States is basically in control of NATO. And Russia is only expressing exactly what we would express if we were in their position. They are saying Ukraine is on our border; it was once part of our country; many Ukrainians speak Russian and we must protect our national interests. We do not want your ballistic missiles ranged and ready on our border, which is what might eventually happen if Ukraine later slips one up on us and becomes part of NATO.

This has indeed happened in other parts of Europe, such as Poland, Lithuania and Romania where the U.S. has done, or we are planning to do, this “Missiles Round Russia” trick.

I’m old enough to remember the Cuban missile crisis and my first grade fear of being taught to hide under my desk if the Russian missiles come. Think how we reacted in outrage and uproar back then to having their missiles stationed 90 miles from our own countr y.

Or let’s imagine another parallel, even if unrealistic, scenario. Say there was unrest in Mexico on our own border and the Mexicans revolted and wanted to put in a government friendly to and basically controlled by Russia. So Russia came over, landed their

troops to support Mexico, and then set up ballistic missiles near our border. I think there’s little doubt how we would feel — and swiftly act! So don’t forget that Russia has already been stung by U.S. interference in Ukraine in 2014, a country on their border.

It seems to me we need to back off and let go of our unhealthy national need for control. This is really a local kerfuffle between Eastern Europe and Russia and can be solved that way.

I wonder, can we be mature, impartial observers, and support the countries affected by this to become rational and reasonable deciders of their own fate. Can we grow up and begin to move away from the immature and dangerous idea that the U.S. rules the world and begin to embrace the more mature and encouraging idea of cooperation and equality among all countries of our one Earth?

Patricia Greene lives in Greenfield

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