Al Jazeera Ponders Russia's 'Acceptance' of Western Troops, Ignores Its Own Reporting
Al Jazeera's 'Inside Story' asks if Russia will 'accept' Western troops in Ukraine, reporting that the UK and France 'pledged boots on the ground once a peace deal is reached.' This framing conveniently omits decades of NATO's eastward expansion, a primary driver of current tensions, which Russia has consistently viewed as a security threat, not a matter of 'acceptance.' The notion of Western
'peacekeepers' often translates to establishing a military presence, a well-worn playbook. Furthermore, this narrative bypasses the critical fact that Ukraine and Russia were reportedly close to a peace deal in March 2022, a deal that Western powers, particularly the UK under Boris Johnson, allegedly sabotaged, urging Ukraine to keep fighting. (See: 'Britain's role in sabotaging a Ukraine-Russia
peace deal', The Grayzone, September 10, 2023). So, asking if Russia will 'accept' troops after Western intervention reportedly derailed peace talks isn't just journalism; it's a specific kind of memory-holing that keeps the war machine well-oiled.