It is difficult to agree with the utilitarian and cynical advice "on the road do not be right, be wise", but it must be admitted that it saves lives and is correct to adopt in the appropriate circumstances.
This complicated dilemma lies at the roots of the Ukrainian crisis and tragedy, even before the outbreak of the war.
Russia has made serious mistakes and has not acted wisely in its widespread invasion of occupying Ukraine, but it is right in its legitimate and historic security claims.
However, Putin could have achieved his goals if he had contented himself with biting parts of Ukraine, such as joining the two eastern republics in the Donbestos region plus expanding his conquests in the Crimean peninsula and more to create a security buffer zone.
Russia's grave mistake is that by occupying all of Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe and its center, with 40 million inhabitants, it could sink into deep mud as happened to it in Afghanistan, from which it was forced to withdraw.
Its apparent success in preventing Georgia from falling into the Caucasus from NATO and the West (2008) and its achievements in the Crimean Peninsula (2014) may have made Putin think this is what will happen in Central Europe, too, in Ukraine.
But as mentioned, Russia claims that Ukraine will be a buffer state between it and its rivals in the West, and that NATO will not spread towards its borders - logical and just (even before its historical affiliations). About 30 years ago the Soviet bloc disintegrated, "And they took advantage of the situation and got really close to Russia's borders in the countries that were previously under its auspices.
No wonder, then, that Russia saw this as a major potential threat.
The opposite side, the United States and the West, are also right but act unwise.
Western hubris, which did not heed Russia's demands not to expand to Ukraine as well, humiliated the Kremlin and pushed Putin into a corner.
The US administration, well aware of Russia's intentions ahead of time, could have known that the attack would be brutal, as Russia's way in the wars, and would lead to a Ukrainian tragedy.
And most of all, it was not wise for the United States to push Putin into a situation that would raise the level of deterrent nuclear preparedness, a move that has a clear and dangerous meaning, such as a nuclear confrontation threshold.
The Ukrainian Crisis brings to mind the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) in the context of wisdom and justice.
The Soviets placed threatening missiles on the United States there, and the world was in danger of a nuclear confrontation. Few may remember that the missiles in Cuba were placed precisely after the U.S. had previously deployed threatening missiles, in close proximity to the USSR, Turkey. The crisis was resolved.
The current crisis could have been avoided if the arrogant West had acted more wisely, and came to the Kremlin with the promise that NATO would not expand into it. The powers.
Were we wrong?
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