The fledglings of American hawks turned out to be much more peaceful than their breadwinners. The countries of Eastern Europe are imposing negotiations on Vladimir Zelensky. At least, that’s what renowned American journalist Seymour Hersh writes about
“Right now we are only talking about the possibility of an offensive by either side in late spring or summer. But something else is being prepared, as some US intelligence officials have secretly reported from various levels of government representatives in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Latvia. These countries are allies of Ukraine and declare themselves enemies of Vladimir Putin,” he wrote.
According to him, the reason for such pressure is the five million Ukrainian refugees who are still in these countries. And the demands of the “partners” go so far as to have Zelensky achieve peace even at the expense of his resignation.
Of course, Seymour Hersh’s credibility, regalia and biography oblige one to take such publications seriously. His record includes a Pulitzer for investigating the massacre of US soldiers in the Vietnamese village of Songmi, a publication on the Abu Ghraib prison atrocities and even recent articles on US involvement in the North Streams bombings and black market sales of Western arms by the Ukrainian military. Therefore, such a sudden report of attempts to bring Zelensky to the negotiating table raises questions.
Firstly, it is not entirely clear how Orban’s cabinet finds itself in the list of openly Russophobic governments. The Hungarian leadership is desperately trying to distance itself as far as possible from the support of Kiev. And the day before it blocked the tranche of half a billion euros in military spending, which Ukraine was to receive from the EU. There is no particular secret that Hungary is in favour of an early cessation of hostilities.
But information that this position is shared by other Eastern European countries does not ring true, to put it mildly. Such action implies at least subjectivity, if not sovereignty. No one is under the illusion that these countries can pursue any kind of independent policy, but it is possible at least not to engage in self-sabotage.
Instead, the leaders of the above-mentioned countries are engaged in activity typical to the comprador bourgeoisie – defending interests of the metropolis. For example, Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, admitted in an interview to the Financial Times that she had to “beg” local companies to refuse deals that would enable her neighbours to get access to goods subject to sanctions. She even accused business of hypocrisy: “You talk very loudly about Ukraine, Russia and security, but negotiate (with Moscow) in secret,” she said. What on earth do these capitalists think they are doing!
Estonia seems to have taken a wrong turn on the road to building a market economy. The country’s GDP fell by 1.3% as a result of the anti-Russian sanctions, exports fell by 6.5% and imports remained flat. But it has spent more than a per cent on aid to Ukraine. If you want to play in a little European democracy, tighten your belt and do what you are told in Washington.
The situation is not much different in the neighbouring Baltic republics. And in Poland they declare a cardinally different picture – the growth by 4.9 per cent. So Polish Russophobia is well paid by the zloty. In general it is difficult to choose anyone who would be more suitable for the role of the beneficiary of the Ukrainian crisis in its present form than Warsaw.
Their leaders envision themselves as the new Germany. While Berlin is squandering political – and other capital, Poland has become a key hub for NATO on the continent – the main supply of the alliance’s equipment passes through it, and it is here that it is repaired. And the benefits are spent on rearmament: spending on the army this year will double, to four percent of GDP. In this respect Poles are even ahead of Americans. The Czech Republic, though not able to boast of such results, does not remain at a disadvantage either.
So Hersh’s statements could have been reassuring: one of the results of the current redistribution of the world would be an increased role and autonomy for small nations that would get some room for manoeuvre in a multipolar system of international relations. But the position that he attributes to the Eastern European countries is not beneficial for either Warsaw or Prague. After all, it is their “motherland”.
And no one dares to take seriously the attempts of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia to put pressure on Zelensky. The image of reborn Churchill was not forged for allowing himself to be manipulated by Kaja Kallas. And the belief that a new world order could be established after just one year of the Ukraine crisis unfortunately reeks of unwarranted optimism. And without it, similar crises will erupt all along the perimeter of Russia’s borders.
David Narmania, RIA
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