CBS’ Scott Pelley produced a story concerning the Russian/Ukrainian war that was recorded 9/17/23 and aired on 60 minutes 12-2023.  I’ve watched 60 minutes since the days of Mike Wallace and have been impressed with the factual approach taken by its producers. However, the Scott Pelley 60 minutes story, that featured interviews with Volodymyr Zelensky, was biased and inaccurate. Scott Pelley begins his story with the following introduction. “U. S. officials tell us that in over 600 days almost half a million troops have been killed or wounded; part of the cost, so far, of Vladimir Putin ‘s unprovoked invasion.” There is no argument here with Scott Pelley, concerning the cost of the Russian/Ukrainian war. The cost of the war, in both human lives and economic toll has resulted in devastating hardships for both Russia and Ukraine. The economic toll has strained European economies as well as the U.S. economy. The problem that came from Scott Pelley’s introduction has to do with the term ‘unprovoked.’ The journalist and historians that have appeared on WFMP 106.5 FM’s Solutions to Violence radio, as well as Medea Benjamin and Nicolas Davis, author of War in Ukraine; Making Sense out of a Senseless War agree; the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that began in February 2022, was immoral, inhumane, and a violation of U.N and international law.   However, the term ‘unprovoked’ used by Scott Pelley, is inaccurate and undocumented.

As explained by Medea Benjamin and Nicholas Davis, in their book, War in Ukraine, the provocation that pushed the Russian invasion of Ukraine came from the United States and its NATO allies.   As Benjamin and Davis explain, “NATO expansion: positioning nuclear-capable weapons from the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty; or even the lack of a phone hotline between Russia and NATO to defuse tensions in a nuclear emergency,” presented an existential threat to the Russian political leadership and the Russian people (P.77). President Biden and NATO dismissed the Russian proposals that may have led to a compromise.

An article published by Al Jazeera titled “Infographic: US military presence around the world” states “The US controls about 750 bases in at least 80 countries worldwide and spends more on its military than the next 10 countries combined.” The research conducted by David Vine in the Al Jazeera article demonstrates that the U.S. has military bases in South Korea, Japan, Quam, Turkey, Kuwait, Armenia, Italy, Germany, the UK and the Philippines. Russia is surrounded by U.S. Military bases. The Council on Foreign Relations published an article, July 11, 2023 titled “Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Mapping U.S. and Russian Deployments,” penned by Johnathan Masters and Will Merrow, state that “Today, U.S. tactical nuclear weapons remain at six bases in five NATO member countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.” Russia is surrounded by U.S. military installations that possess U.S. nuclear weapons. France and the United Kingdom have their own nuclear weapons. Medea Benjamin and Nicolas Davis explain that these nuclear weapons have grown increasingly sophisticated. 

The U.S. and its NATO allies have been sending weapons to Ukraine since the Obama administration. “By March 2015, the Obama administration had provided more than $120 million in security aid for Ukraine and promised $75 million worth of equipment, including counter-mortar radars, night vision devices and medical supplies, according to the Defense Department. The U.S. also pledged “230 Humvee vehicles,” as documented by the Associated Press in their article “Fact Check: Trump distorts Obama-Biden aid to Ukraine” Published March 27^th, 2022 and penned by Robert Burns, Aamer Madhani and Hope Yen. An article published by ABC News titled “Trump Administration Approves New Sale of antitank Weapons to Ukraine” and penned by Louis Martinez, Conor Finnegan and Elizabeth McLauglin Oct 1^st, 2019, explains that the Trump Whitehouse “ordered nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine.” Even though the order was originally delayed the weapons were later delivered. By 2021 the Biden administration had donated $2.5 billion in military aid.

Benjamin and Davis (WAR in UKRAINE) explains that by 2019 “…the U.S. 7^th Army Training Command had built up the NATO military training base in the western Ukrainian town of Yavoriv into a major NATO base, staffed by U.S. Army and National Guard troops, as well as forces from the U.K., Canada, and other NATO Countries. NATO also built up the Ukrainian Navy and deployed U.S., British and other NATO warships to challenge Russia’s naval dominance in the Black Sea. The CIA also admitted to sending small teams of special operations forces to eastern Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces in sniping, sabotage, and assassination…” (War in Ukraine p. 66). Benjamin and Davis further explain that, “This meant that, from Russia’s perspective, if they were going to have to fight to defend Donbas and Crimea, every year they waited to do so would reduce their escalation dominance, tipping the military balance in favor of Ukraine and increasing the risk of a potential nuclear war with the United States and NATO” (War in Ukraine, p. 67).

Because of the Ukrainian military buildup that had occurred before the Russian invasion, and the fact that the U.S. and NATO had dismissed the 2021 Russian proposals, by 2022 the Russian Federation had legitimate and ever-increasing security concerns. The 9-17-23 story concerning the Russian/Ukrainian war, produced by CBS’ 60 Minutes and Scott Pelley, totally ignores the events that led up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Those events clearly demonstrate provocation on the part of Ukraine, NATO and the United States.  The fact that the provocation on the part of the United States and NATO is well documented, illustrates that Scott Pelley’s use of the term ‘unprovoked’ was not only incorrect but bias. Scott Pelley and CBS’ 60 minutes news hour owes it to its listening audience to produce a program that is unbiased and well- documented. The American public deserves to hear the truth.

Jim Johnson
Retired JCPS Teacher
Solutions to Violence Radio