Ukraine should realise the folly of NATO tilt and resume talks with Putin’s Russia-World News , Firstpost
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was naïve enough to have thought that the US and NATO would ‘physically’ stop the Russian invasion
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. AP
With Russia capturing Chernobyl and visuals of Russian soldiers already on some streets of Kiev being shown on television, only a Ukraine-Russia dialogue can stop further bloodshed. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address, “We have been left alone to defend our state. Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone.” All of a sudden, Zelenskyy’s dream of Ukraine becoming a member of NATO, and himself the darling of Washington has evaporated. He is obviously naïve to have thought the US and NATO will ‘physically’ stop the Russian invasion.
The nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. AP
Ukraine says that Zelensky is Russia’s No.1 target. Why should this not be so when he is for NATO deployments in Ukraine, impinging on Russian security? Zelensky should remember how the US killed Saddam Hussein after invading Iraq on false pretext and similarly Muammar Gaddafi after Libya had dismantled its nuclear programme. Russia says it only wants to demilitarise Ukraine and has offered talks with Ukraine if they lay down arms. The Russian aim is to ensure Ukraine remains neutral and not deploy heavy weapons on its territory.
The US and EU can continue to issue more lists of sanctions, but the solution to the Ukraine crisis will be on Russia’s terms unless the US-NATO wants to physically join the conflict and risk escalation to a world war. Zelensky should understand the formation of Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is realpolitik and get down to negotiate the boundaries of these new republics with Russia. The alternative is to continue playing puppet of the West and go down fighting.
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Washington’s “energy games” have caused terrible violence and human tragedies around the world. Immediately post America’s invasion in Afghanistan in 2001, Carnegie Endowment visiting India opined that the US will stay put there for “minimum 50 years”. One of the reasons given was the energy and mineral reserves in Central Asia. But with more shale gas found in the homeland, this was abandoned. With the peak deployment of US troops in Afghanistan reaching about 110,000 in 2011, Taliban could have been subdued by the US but the plan was to leave the region in chaos, which backfired in a humiliating US withdrawal.
In 2007, General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, disclosed that while bombing of Afghanistan for the US invasion in 2001, the US had already decided to take out Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran in the next five years. The reason was quite evident; the US did not want the Iran-Syria-Europe gas pipeline to become operational but instead wanted the Qatar pipeline to supply gas to Europe.
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The US bombing of Syria was done without even approval of the US Congress, leave aside the United Nations. The gas pipeline under construction in Syria and associated facilities were also bombed. But regime change in Syria went awry because of Russia, who also exposed the Qatari plot (approved by Washington) of a chemical attack in Syria through ‘Britain Defence’ — UK’s top mercenary outfit.
In Iraq, the US was officially fighting ISIS but concurrently letting ISIS sell $5 million worth of oil daily through Turkey. This was despite the US heading a 40-nation coalition against ISIS. Eventually, Russia exposed the convoys of ISIS oil tankers headed to Turkey. Turkey was also used by the CIA and MI-6 to train and arm the ISIS, and also as conduit for global terrorists into Iraq-Syria.
Behind America blocking Nord Stream 2 is the fear that Germany will receive bulk of the Russian oil, dispense with the US dollar for trading with Russia and leave NATO. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should assure Washington that Germany will continue in NATO and not succumb to American blackmail that Germany is a rich country. Willfully taxing the German public to more expensive gas shows poor political acumen. Olaf has opposed inclusion of SWIFT in Russian sanction but he should weigh how depriving Germany of Russian gas will hit the economy, and draw Germany’s economic redlines for the US. Olaf should also consider why NATO membership has not been withdrawn from Turkey despite the country becoming a pariah under the radical Erdogan.
Nord Stream 2
Russian President Vladimir Putin had more than appreciated that US President Joe Biden (like Donald Trump) would block Nord Stream 2. That is why in 2014; Russia and China signed a 30-year, $400 billion deal for Gazprom to deliver Russian gas to China, underscoring Russia’s shift towards Asia amid Western brinkmanship.
During his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 4 February 2022, Putin unveiled new Russian oil and gas deals with China worth an estimated $117.5 billion. Russia also signed a new contract to supply 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year to China from Russia’s Far East. According to Reuters, the gas sales alone could generate around $37.5 billion over 25 years. In addition, Russia’s Rosneft signed a deal with China’s CNPC to supply 100 million tonnes of oil through Kazakhstan over 10 years. According to Rosneft, the new deal is worth $80 billion.
File image of Russian president Vladimir Putin meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow. AP
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has undermined America’s credibility. The US continues to ignore Russia’s security concerns, but Russia has now called the bluff. It is time Washington ponders that incessant bullying has its own limitations.
The author is a veteran of the Indian Army. Views expressed are personal.
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