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Opinion

Ukraine war shows West's declining understanding of the world

Ignorance especially evident in much of the discourse about China

| Europe
Russian tanks during military exercises in the Leningrad region, Russia, pictured on Feb. 14: many in Europe willfully refused to believe that Russia would invade until those tanks crossed the border. (Handout photo from Russian Defense Ministry)   © Reuters

William Bratton is author of "China's Rise, Asia's Decline." He was previously head of equity research, Asia-Pacific, at HSBC.

One of the more frustrating aspects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is how Vladimir Putin's actions have so shocked the West. The anguished refrain, repeatedly expressed, is that Russia's decision to wage war is neither "rational" nor "logical."

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