My Take | Can a top US diplomat be more (self-)deluded?
- Contrary to claims by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Nato expansion and the potential threat it represents to Russia has always been central to the European security debate since the end of the Cold War
Is it propaganda if you believe in it? I often wonder about that when listening to Washington honchos in charge of American foreign policy, who clearly believe in their nobility of purpose.
Take the latest remarks about China from US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. She takes Beijing to task for allegedly spreading disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warning that even tacit support for Moscow came with consequences.
“[Chinese] state media has parroted the Kremlin’s lies and conspiracy theories,” she said, “including absurd claims that Ukraine and Nato and the EU pose a security threat to Russia.”
“Absurd claims”? Some very eminent Americans and Brits think otherwise. Specialists in international relations also disagree over Nato’s threat to Russia. At the very least, the whole question is highly contested, and certainly not “absurd”.
Foreign Affairs recently surveyed a group of diplomats and scholars to state whether they agreed or disagreed with this statement: “Proceeding with Nato enlargement after the end of the Cold War was a strategic mistake.” Nato’s eastern expansion has been cited by Moscow as a casus belli in Ukraine.
Nineteen experts say they “strongly disagree” with the statement, 17 just disagree; seven agree and 11 “strongly agree” with it. Three are neutral on the statement.