Waging war: the Ukraine deception

The United States has a phobia of communism originating in the early 1900s through McCarthyism, J. Edgar Hoover and beyond the World War II (WW2) eras. In my opinion, this is part of what gave rise to the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), post-WW2.

Instead of trying to develop and maintain a system of lasting security for the democracies that survived the Great War, NATO was conceived as a means of expanding western democracy and at the same time ensuring that defeated Germany could never return to its past.

In its heyday, NATO proved a powerful tool of US influence. European countries enjoyed unprecedented peace, as did Russia, at the end of the Cold War. Russia, however, remained wary of western expansionism.

Russia, other communist and some democratic states traditionally opposed US expansionism. It saw the US as a threat to its existence and viewed their steady withdrawal from post-WW2 Armament Treaties, which helped maintain the peace, as a sign of growing hostility towards the motherland. They saw the treatment being meted out to their allies such as Iran and have become extremely alarmed at the rapid democratisation of former allies of the Soviet Union which became NATO members, some under questionable circumstances. Geographically, this represents NATO’s encirclement of Russia.

Ukraine’s intent to join NATO is therefore seen as a direct threat which will allow NATO to place weapons on its doorstep. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 comes to mind. What is not very well reported in the Western media is that Russia placed its missiles in Cuba as a result of the US placing missiles in Turkey, which were in striking distance of Moscow. The agreement for the withdrawal of the Cuban missiles also involved the removal of missiles in Turkey. Russia could be trying to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

DISUNITY IN NATO

Armaments in the militaries of today are so advanced that they can destroy the world as we know it, literally at the press of a button. This reality is not lost on the leaders in question, hence the war on words that presently obtains.

The US is no longer the power it used to be and its involvement in any conflict today is the subject of rising public opinion against such actions, especially after their recent experience in Afghanistan.

The NATO Alliance is not as resilient as before; it does not have the clout it had previously. It has been adversely impacted by years of perceived peace, a lack of foresight and immense damage suffered as a result of its treatment by the US over the period 2016 to 2020. This has led to disunity.

The absence of an Angela Merkel, at a time when strong diplomacy is needed, is being sorely felt. France, in the form of Emmanuel Macron, has been trying to break the deadlock in talks and appears to be the most successful to date. US and UK leaders continue to engage Russia in a war of words, insisting on an imminent invasion. These are political ploys to take pressure off themselves at home. Russia continues to insist that it has no designs for war.

Russia under Putin has not wasted time. In some ways it has displaced the US. It has steadily forged trade relationships across EU countries and with Ukraine. EU countries now have easy access to products they need. The Nord Stream natural gas pipeline project is one such Russian investment.

The lack of trust in the US does not allow NATO members to forgo lucrative trade agreements. Ukraine has large deposits of minerals; however, it enjoys good trade and cultural relationships with Russia and they want to maintain this. This is probably why President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is adamant that the NATO and its allies not use Ukraine as a diplomatic football for their own designs, especially by constantly insisting that Russia is poised to invade.

THE DECEPTION PLAN

Ukraine seems to be the deception plan of the US to satisfy their long-standing phobia about communism. In waging war, they have drawn the EU, UK and other European countries into the fray. Not surprisingly, Belarus, ostracised by the international community for alleged election fraud, numerous human rights violations and the hijacking of the Ryanair Flight (23 May 21), has sided with Russia but this is for the survival of its ruling regime.

In my mind, despite the show of force and political diatribe, no party has the desire to go to war, least of all the NATO Alliance which seems to be making the most noise.

It’s high time that we learn to respect each other’s views and ensure that we abide by the provisions of treaties and agreements, making use of our established institutions for resolution, such as the UN. If the latter fails then scrap it and focus energies on putting something workable in place.

War is no longer the answer to any problem; it can only be a means to hasten the destruction of mankind. Is that what we want?

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