The Ukraine crisis and Russia’s annexation of Crimea seems to have ushered in a new era in East-West relations. Putin’s monumental speech explaining and justifying Russia’s move was awash with Cold War rhetoric and old grievances with the West. It also hinted at turning to other parts of the globe for support and alliances, most notably to China and India. Western media were quick to follow suit, stressing Russia’s many deviations from the mainstream of Western democracy and universal values.
While a lot of these notions are true, many are not. The very offence taken by Putin at the West’s actions and inaction indicates that Russia feels scorned by the family it considers itself a part of. Russians do not keep their money in Yuan or Yen. They do not dream of sending their offspring to study at Kolkata and Beijing – their sights are on Harvard, Oxford and the Sorbonne. They buy real estate in London, not in Hong Kong. They read their children tales by Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien, Astrid Lindgren and Charles Perrault. They watch Hollywood movies and British TV series; they idolize Sherlock Holmes and listen to Lady Gaga.
