Is Putin evil?

In July of this year I pointed out that Angela Merkel and Putin had secret talks at which Merkel conceded Ukraine Crimea to Putin in exchange for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Merkel and Putin

It would now seem that two members of the Brookings Institution, Michael O'Hanlon and Jeremy Shapiro (Washington Post : December 7, 2014) have come to the same conclusion, amongst others, as did Angela Merkel viz. that

• "Russia can make its historically based claim on Crimea but would have to accept a binding referendum under outside monitoring that would determine the region’s future, with independence as one option." (ibid O'Hanlon and Shapiro) (my emphasis)

Apparently they argue that this is in keeping with some of the ideas of Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski regarding the current situation between Ukraine and Russia. 

Jeremy Shapiro

Besides succumbing to Putin's propaganda about Russia's historical claim to Ukrainian Crimea,  they also claim that Putin's invasion of Ukraine, his annexation of Crimea, and his support for the separatists in the rebel-held territories of eastern Ukraine does not involve making a moral judgement about his actions.  

Shapiro and O'Hanlon should be reminded of the words of Alexander Motyl. On July 25, 2014, Motyl stated that,

"Is Putin evil? His actions certainly are, if by evil we understand behavior that willfully, consciously and purposely destroys human life. Perhaps we can call his actions undeniably evil and Putin himself "evil enough." Evil enough for what? Evil enough for condemnation by people of good will."

He further stated that,

"Such countries as France and Germany, which have extensive economic relations with Russia, face a difficult moral choice. They must ask themselves whether Putin is evil or evil enough. If they decide his killing spree in eastern Ukraine is neither evil nor evil enough, they must explain -- to themselves and to the rest of the world -- just why they believe the destruction of Ukrainian, Russian, Malaysian, Dutch and other lives is not a form of evil behavior." (ibid Alexander Motyl) (my emphasis)

It really would seem that neither Shapiro or O'Hanlon would regard Putin's actions over Ukraine as evil. If so, would they regard Hitler as having being an 'evil' man?

If not so, then that famous comparison of Hilary Clinton, a former Secretary of State just like their idols Kissinger and Brzezinski, that 

" ...... Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine [are akin] to actions taken by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler outside Germany in the run-up to World War II", is a false comparison since Putin's actions in Crimea are simply NOT evil.

But perhaps the most critical assessment of the recommendations of Shapiro and O'Hanlon regarding the war between Putin and Ukraine comes from Paul R. Gregory. He correctly states that,

Paul R. Gregory

 "They offer a “compromise” that concedes Crimea to Russia, deprives Ukraine of its sovereign choice of economic and security arrangements, refuses to arm Ukraine, and weakens NATO in return for Russian “promises” of good behavior. O’Hanlon and Shapiro admit that “many Western voices will view any such effort as rewarding Russia and Putin,” but their approach is “designed not as a reward but to protect Ukraine’s security—and our own.” I agree their proposal rewards Putin, but I contend it weakens both our security and Ukraine’s." (ibid Paul R. Gregory) ( Forbes : Dec. 11, 2014)  (my emphasis)

He concludes his article with a pertinent question to Shapiro and O'Hanlon viz.

"I would ask them: How could anyone be worse than Putin, who, among other things, turned Russia into a kleptocratic state (See Karen Dawisha’s Putin’s Kleptocracy), annexed territory by force, attacked sovereign neighbors, closed down opposition media, jailed ordinary protesters, and does not hesitate to lie to foreign leaders?" (ibid Paul R. Gregory)

In other words, how can you NOT make a MORAL judgement about Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and his subsequent actions in Crimean and eastern Ukraine?

(to be continued)