Chomsky's arguments are really poor here. I think he realizes this when he says "provocation is not justification" when he is using it in exactly this manner. He tries to thread the needle but fails. Why is Ukraine associating with the world "provocation"? The unspoken reason is because Russia is a major power with a sphere of influence in which it has a right to do what it wants. I reject that thinking outright. I'm shocked that Chomsky is promoting it. By invoking USA's misdeeds as justification for Russia's he is accepting the system and discounting his own opposition to the USA's wrong doing in history. I'm surprised so many on the left who I though opposed aggression and violence from major powers on principle are instead simply expressing ingrained anti-americanism. How hard is it to simply denounce Putin and his invasion as fascist and acknowledge the agency of the Ukrainians to associate with who they want without reservation? So so so disappointed with Chomsky.