Russia and Ukraine are suddenly once again being mentioned in the same breath by people across the world. Tensions in Ukraine’s eastern, rebel-controlled province are rising. In what comes as perhaps the first deviation from the July 2020 ceasefire reached upon between Russia and Ukraine, four Ukrainian soldiers were killed last Friday by a mortar attack. As reported by the Joint Forces Operation, the attack in the hamlet of Shumi was the most significant violation this year of the ceasefire — under which fighting has declined dramatically. The global airwaves are replete with chatter that Russia is all set to launch an unprecedented offensive against Ukraine in the coming weeks.
However, why would Russia do so? Of course, it could be a way of pressuring the Biden administration and flexing muscles before it. But then, Putin has already owned Joe Biden many times over. Launching an offensive against Ukraine by no stretch of the imagination would be a wise call to be taken by Kremlin at this juncture. So, what is causing the spike in tensions in Eastern Ukraine? Is it Russia, which is provoking Ukraine – although it officially denies having any involvement in the country; or is it the U.S. under Biden administration orchestrating yet another crisis in the region?
We think with much confidence that it is the latter. Russia simply cannot afford to invite upon itself another round of global isolation, an exacerbated bout of sanctions and a diplomatic onslaught for its aggression against Ukraine. Joe Biden, on the other hand, has a lot to benefit out of the same. By triggering a conflict and a breakaway from the 2020 ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, Biden can woo NATO and resuscitate its sinking fortunes. NATO can once again be made relevant, as Russia is exposed for being a land-hungry country by the Biden administration, although the reality is that the simmering crisis in the region appears to be the handiwork of the American deep state.
Under former President Donald Trump, the Ukraine-Russia tensions were largely forgotten, and violence was greatly reduced between Ukrainian forces and rebel insurgents, which the U.S. and Europe believe to be backed by Russia. Effectively, the Ukraine issue was dead the world over. Yet, ever since Joe Biden has taken over as the U.S. President, there has been a visible uptick between Russia and Ukraine, first in terms of rhetoric and now, militarily as well. It must be remembered that the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia did not go down well with NATO, which seemed visibly defeated. The ceasefire only further led NATO and Russia-obsessed European nations down the path of irrelevance.
Now, Joe Biden has made no secret of his deep love for NATO and mindless anti-Russia activism. Biden’s aims from the very first day have been those of making NATO stronger than ever before and ensuring that Russia kneels before the formidable ‘Western’ alliance. In accordance with what seems to be a masterplan being orchestrated by the Biden administration and the deep state, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been taking multiple anti-Moscow steps and also cracking down on pro-Russia sentiments in the country. Obviously, Vladimir Putin will not be a mute spectator to the same.
In fact, Zelensky might just have stretched his luck too far this time. The Ukrainian government has been cracking down on media and businessmen, who exercise their rights as free citizens to air opinions freely, which at times, appear to be pro-Russia. Armed with the blessings of the Biden administration, on February 2, Ukraine’s government took a dramatic first step to shut down many of such media outlets, alleging that they were on the payrolls of Moscow. In the following weeks, Ukraine strengthened its crackdown by freezing the assets of the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician – Viktor Medvedchuk, who controls many of the now-outlawed channels and websites.
On February 26, Joe Biden reinvigorated the issue of Crimean annexation by Russia, saying, “The United States does not and will never recognise Russia’s purported annexation of the peninsula, and we will stand with Ukraine against Russia’s aggressive acts. We will continue to work to hold Russia accountable for its abuses and aggression in Ukraine.” It is almost as if the U.S. wants hostilities to rise in Eastern Ukraine. Shortly after the upswing in aggressive rhetoric by Ukraine and the U.S., it was revealed that four Ukrainian soldiers were killed last Friday by alleged pro-Moscow rebels. It would not take anyone an extraordinary genius to begin joining the dots now.
Domestically also, Zelensky faces pressure following the arrest and conviction of a popular far-right leader Serhiy Sternenk, who has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison and has had half of his property confiscated. On his birthday recently, protestors rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Saturday, protesting against Zelensky for his rather motivated decisions of provoking a conflict with Russia.
On March 29 alone, NATO jets scrambled 10 times to respond to an unusually high number of Russian fighter and bomber flights near allied airspace. The keyword here is ‘near’, and not ‘in’. Russian fighters can do whatever they want, as long as they do not violate the airspace of other countries. Russia flying its aircrafts near allied airspace is nothing new. What is new, however, is for NATO to scramble 10 fighter jets to ‘take on’ Russia. It is almost as if the U.S., NATO and Ukraine are in perfect sync to take on Russia even while it has made no aggressive manoeuvres in the region, yet.
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U.S.’ Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin said while speaking to his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Taran, that Washington would “not leave Ukraine alone in the event of escalating Russian aggression.” All of that is perfect, but where is the Russian aggression? The summers are kicking in after a pinching winter, and a country as vast as Russia cannot even redeploy its troops and military hardware without being accused of preparing to invade Ukraine?
But then, sanity has no place for a selfish front that seeks to gain a lot out of triggering hostilities and conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In order to spice it all up, the U.S. has also accused Russia of election meddling and hackings. The Biden administration has vowed action against Russia for an alleged attack that compromised software by Texas-based Solarwinds Corp., affecting at least 100 U.S. companies and nine federal agencies. According to Politico, Biden has also recently approved an additional $125 million worth of lethal aid to Ukraine to defend its borders with Russia. Voices are raising from within the U.S. government saying that action will be taken against Russia in the ‘coming weeks’ for its cyber-attacks against America. How coincidental it is, that Ukraine too is expecting a Russian offensive against it in the coming weeks. This entire orchestration of events passes of the stench of being a game plan of the American deep state.
