One of my friends said that he was impressed with the way Ukraine has fought the war against mighty Russia. My immediate response was whether this was Ukraine’s war. My friend was a bit surprised and then asked me, “Whose war is Ukraine fighting?”
No country ever wants a war. Many have their security concerns and always want to solve those either through diplomacy, dialogue and even military posturing. Russia’s security concern is the NATO expansion which is very clearly expressed to the World.
The Role Of The U.S. And EU
Since 2010, Viktor Yanukovych has shown his pro-Russian approach because he understands that nothing can be done to annoy a superpower neighbour.
The Ukraine-Russia relationship was not good during the tenure of Viktor Yushchenko as Ukraine President. Then Russian President Dimitry Medvedev’s comments on 11 August, 2009 against the anti-Russia position of the then Ukraine administration headed by Yushchenko made a great impact in the 2010 Ukraine presidential election.
Medvedev even said that he wouldn’t send an Ambassador to Ukraine until there’s improvement in their ties. In this context, Victor Yanukovych won the 2010 election. The poor relationship between Russia and Ukraine during Yushchenko’s tenure had an American hand.
WikiLeaks revealed a U.S. cable where American U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor was quoting ambassador of Ukraine to Russia Kostyantyne Hryshchenko that Kremlin leader wanted a subservient person in charge of Kyiv and that Putin hated Yushchenko. That proves the American hand in triggering the difference between Russia and Ukraine.
During Yanukovych’s tenure, the EU (European Union) and Ukraine initiated an association agreement. But later, the EU said that the agreement couldn’t be ratified unless conditions were satisfied. Although conditions look general, the EU wanted Ukraine to be free of “Russian influence”.
This became the basis of the Euromaidan movement against president Yanukovych for not associating with the EU. The agitation started on the night of 21 November, 2013 just after the Ukraine government’s decree suspended the preparations for signing the agreement of association with the EU.
The revolution soon took place as riots which resulted in Yanukovych’s resignation and fleeing from Ukraine on 22 February, 2014. Initially, only 49% of people from Ukraine supported the EU association, but later the support increased. Then the question of NATO membership started in enmity to Russia.
The Present War
Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine’s borders was there for weeks. Russia’s posture was to intimate its security concern. A summit level dialogue between America or even by European countries and Russia could have aborted the war had Russia been promised that NATO wouldn’t extend its borders.
But both the U.S. and EU, in fact, provoked the dispute. They propelled a perception that Russia was the villain. All gave the word of support to Ukraine president Zelenskyy that they would support in case there was an invasion.
But when Russia attacked Ukraine, neither the EU nor the U.S. has really intervened. Sanctions never work instantly and never stop a war after it starts. So, all the sanctions are for the long-term, which works in favour of the U.S. and the EU in weakening Russia.
What’s the benefit for Ukraine? Nothing, because it’s being decimated at the moment. The real war is between Russia and the U.S. and the EU and Ukraine became the battlefield. Zelensky may be satisfied that world powers talk to him and give their solidarity, but his country and his people are suffering some irreparable losses.
I don’t know whose idea it was to arm the civilians. No soldiers ever want to attack any civilian in any context. But if you arm the civilians with rifles and rocket launchers, will they remain civilians or hostile elements to the soldiers? Russia is at war now. If it’s soldiers being attacked from civilian zones by so-called armed civilians, won’t there be a counterattack?
You can picture Putin as a killer of innocent people, but questions must also be raised as to why civilians are armed in the first place. Arming civilians is a handy tactic by the U.S. and its allies. The result everyone knows. Just see what happened to Afghanistan when arms were supplied to civilians against Russian occupation. Afghanistan became a terrorist haven which even America had to flee.
Syria, Bosnia and many African nations that were armed by the U.S. are suffering from internal conflicts. The weapon business of America and NATO countries is flourishing. But what’s the human cost involved in this type of inhuman business?
Ukraine should declare neutrality and force Russia to stop the war. This was never Ukraine’s war. It became a victim of the rivalry of international superpowers. If the U.S. and the EU wanted to support Ukraine, then they should have intervened militarily or they could have given diplomacy a priority instead of doing deadly politics against Russia, making Ukraine suffer.
You can’t change your neighbour. This should be understood by both Russia and Ukraine. The sooner they realise, the better it would be for both countries. They both will pay for third parties benefits.