Bernie Sanders blames Putin for the Ukraine crisis, but says the US is 'hypocritical' to dismiss Russia's security concerns

• Bernie Sanders in a new op-ed blamed Vladimir Putin for the Ukraine crisis.
• But Sanders also said Russia has "legitimate" concerns when it comes to NATO expansion.

Sen. Bernie Sanders in a new op-ed for The Guardian warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to "the worst European war in over 75 years," calling on the US to "do everything possible to try and find a diplomatic solution to what could be an enormously destructive" conflict.

The independent from Vermont explicitly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crisis, but also said Moscow had "legitimate concerns" about NATO's eastward expansion towards Russia and that the US was "hypocritical" to dismiss their concerns.

"We should be clear about who is most responsible for this looming crisis: Vladimir Putin," Sanders said. "Having already seized parts of Ukraine in 2014, the Russian president now threatens to take over the entire country and destroy Ukrainian democracy."

Beyond annexing Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin since that year has supported rebels in a war against Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region.

Sanders said the US should "unequivocally" support Ukrainian sovereignty and "make clear that the international community will impose severe consequences on Putin and his associates if he does not change course." Along these lines, the Biden administration has warned that Russia would face major economic sanctions if it invades.

But Sanders went on to express concerns about hearing "the familiar drumbeats in Washington" amid the tensions with Russia over Ukraine, warning against "bellicose rhetoric that gets amplified before every war."

The Vermont senator, among the most influential figures in Washington following two high-profile presidential campaigns, said that recognizing the "complex roots of the tensions" in the region was key to fostering a peaceful resolution to the present crisis.

For years, Russia has opposed NATO expansion in Eastern Europe and the addition of countries formerly part of the Soviet Union into the alliance. Moscow is especially opposed to Ukraine joining NATO, viewing this prospect as an existential threat. NATO was originally founded in the wake of World War II to protect Western Europe against the Soviet Union.

"It is good to know some history...Invasion by Russia is not an answer; neither is intransigence by NATO," Sanders said. "It is also important to recognize that Finland, one of the most developed and democratic countries in the world, borders Russia and has chosen not to be a member of NATO."

"Putin may be a liar and a demagogue, but it is hypocritical for the United States to insist that we do not accept the principle of 'spheres of influence,'" Sanders went on to write.

Over 1,400 miles of Ukrainian territory border Russia. Northern neighbor Belarus is a close Russian ally that's currently hosting joint exercises with Russian troops amid the build-up. Ukraine borders multiple NATO allies that are south and west of its western region.

The senator then pointed to the ways in which US foreign policy has long been influenced by the Monroe Doctrine — the idea that the US is the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere and can act accordingly — including it being employed to justify undermining or overthrowing "at least a dozen governments."

Sanders said that even if Russia wasn't ruled by "a corrupt authoritarian leader" like Putin, the Russian government "would still have an interest in the security policies of its neighbors."

"Does anyone really believe that the United States would not have something to say if, for example, Mexico was to form a military alliance with a US adversary?" Sanders asked.

"Countries should be free to make their own foreign policy choices, but making those choices wisely requires a serious consideration of the costs and benefits," Sanders added. "The fact is that the US and Ukraine entering into a deeper security relationship is likely to have some very serious costs – for both countries."

Since late 2021, Russia has gathered roughly 130,000 troops on Ukraine's border. The Kremlin has said Russia is not planning to invade, but recent history has made Western leaders skeptical of this assertion. Russia has also refused calls to pull its troops back in order to lower the temperature, while blaming NATO for the contentious dynamic.

Amid diplomatic efforts to prevent a new war in Europe, Russia has made demands for binding security guarantees from the West. This includes permanently banning Ukraine from NATO. The alliance and Washington have repeatedly dismissed this demand as a non-starter, contending that countries should be free to choose their own allies.

Ukraine has sought to join NATO for years, and maintains a strong partnership with the alliance. Many NATO members, including the US, have provided Ukraine with military aid. But NATO has not put Ukraine on a path toward membership, and it's unlikely to join the alliance any time soon.

The Biden administration has also given vague answers on the question of Ukraine's NATO ambitions. And given Ukraine is not a NATO member, President Joe Biden has ruled out sending US troops to defend it if Russia invades. That said, Biden has deployed several thousand US troops to NATO member countries in the region as a show of support to the alliance amid the stand-off.