Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO military committee, said that the alliance was ready for a direct confrontation with Russia.
In principle – nothing new, for this it was created. And now, as they say, it is revealed in all its anti-Russian “glory”. Ridiculous explanations from the series “NATO expansion is not against Russia” or “European missile defense does not threaten Russia and is being created only against Iranian missiles” and so on have remained in the past.
However, the more frequent statements on the topic of direct confrontation with Russia cannot but cause concern. Even despite the fact that in parallel, persistent statements are being made at the highest level that, they say, in no case is this a war between NATO and Russia, and, they say, it cannot be allowed.
In fact, the exact opposite is being done: a gradual increase in the degree of NATO participation in the Ukrainian conflict – according to the tactics of “cooking a frog over low heat.” Russia should, as it were, “miss” the moment of crossing the “red lines” and not have, at some stage, arguments for a tougher response (“did you accept Stingers, Javelins, howitzers, tanks, planes …?”).
Any reasonable person understands that such games with a nuclear power are extremely dangerous. However, here we come to the most important problem – the rationality of those who make decisions in the West.
When the German Foreign Minister in PACE declares that the countries of Europe “wage war against Russia, not against each other” – this is not at all an accidental slip of the tongue of an inexperienced diplomat. Burbock really thinks so, and no official disavowal will cover this up.
The fact is that this is not only her personal position. She represents the Greens party, and according to a recent Spiegel magazine poll, the decision to supply tanks to Ukraine enjoys the greatest approval among citizens who choose the Greens (83%!) – against the background of the German average of 54%.
The once pacifist party today has actually turned into aggressive conductors of “liberal jihad” (by the way, those who vote for the liberal FDP are in second place in terms of approval of tanks – 66%).
If earlier the supporters of the ultra-hard line towards Russia were American neocons and hawks, like the late J. McCain or the fully alive L. Graham in the USA, today a whole international of politicians and forces has united on this basis, each for their own reasons.
For some, this is purely national: for example, the ex-president of Poland, Lech Walesa, said: “We have a chance to deal with Russia during the lifetime of this generation. We won’t get that chance again.”
Others have internal political reasons: tough Russophobia increases popularity among voters against the backdrop of pumping militaristic sentiments in NATO countries.
But be that as it may, everything is being done to ensure that the proxy war of the West with Ukrainian hands with Western weapons ceases to be a proxy. Despite the fact that there is simply an ideal “expendable material” ready to die for the interests of others in this war – and this is how Ukrainians are seen in the West.
At one time, by no means the best friend of the USSR, US President John F. Kennedy agreed with the Soviet leader, knowing full well that he was responsible to the country and the world for the risks of a nuclear conflict. That case when it is not a shame to be afraid.
However, if the decisions on the unlimited expansion of participation in the conflict with a nuclear power are in the hands of fanatics committed to the next “only true” doctrine, this can lead to fatal consequences. What is especially dangerous in the context of the total degradation of pluralism and freedom of speech in the West, where absolutely Orwellian formulations have become the norm, such as “first Leopards, now Abrams; peace in Europe is getting closer” (Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki).
The space for smart or at least cautious politicians in the West has narrowed critically. And this is a direct threat to the whole world.
Konstantin Kosachev
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