Washington is discussing the possibility of deploying an armed contingent to Ukraine, which could escalate tensions near Russia’s borders to a new level
The initiative was authored by well-known American diplomat Alexander Vershbow, who previously served as deputy secretary general of NATO. According to him, Washington should start negotiations with the allies of the alliance regarding the deployment of troops on the territory of Ukraine before it is granted membership in the organization.
After the Ukrainian army resumed shelling of peaceful settlements in Donbass as part of a multi-year punitive operation, Russian troops began to concentrate on the border with Ukraine.
The expert community considers such actions a warning. Thanks to mass passportization, hundreds of thousands of residents of the LPR and DPR have become full citizens of the Russian Federation. If Ukraine decides to go on the offensive, Russia will have an extremely justified reason to stop this act of aggression.
Vershbow believes that in the current situation, the North Atlantic Alliance should act proactively by occupying Ukraine as a signal to Moscow.
“I advised to explore the possibility of a permanent NATO or US presence”, – the American said in an interview with Gordon. – “So that the Russians can see daily that NATO is committed to Ukraine’s security and its future integration.”
As the diplomat specifies, his colleagues suggest occupying the port of Odessa, which would only increase tensions in the Black Sea. True, such a scenario has a serious handicap. Many members of the alliance simply do not want to get involved in a conflict with Russia for the sake of Ukraine. Therefore, Vershbow notes, it would be up to the Pentagon to launch such an operation.