Ukraine war: For everything, there is a limit, and once you cross that limit, it’s all over. A human needs to implement this quote into their daily life if they intend to live their lives with mental peace. However, our global leader definitely doesn’t follow the suit.
The modern-day dictator of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky doesn’t know his limits today. According to him, Ukraine is a winning war machine and Putin’s days in Moscow are numbered. However, if you give him a reality check, you will find out that the Ukrainian leader has lost 30% of Ukraine, 50% of its people, and 100% of his sane mind. Today, Western leaders know very precisely where they stand and what is Ukraine’s chance of winning are. They might be providing blind aid to Ukraine; however, someone is ignoring their subtle advice to Ukraine. Quit Fighting!!
West’s advice to Zelensky
Last week was a red-letter day for the globe as the Munich security conference returned to discuss the mounting issues of the globe. However, this year, the focus was solely on Ukraine, with almost every other nation of the world expressing solidarity and promising more aid for the war-torn nation. Similar calls were also made by NATO’s outgoing chief, Jens Stoltenberg, at the Munich Security Conference. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that one year after Russia’s complete invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv Stands strong.
Since President Putin was absent from the conference, as he was not invited, Stoltenberg did what he does best- War- Mongering. The NATO chief said that Russia is not planning for peace but rather for more war. Therefore, the world must give Ukraine what it needs to win and prevail as a sovereign, independent nation in Europe. On the surface, everyone clapped at his speech and declared full support for him. However, the underhanded conversations between Western leaders suggest that the reality is quite different.
The private remarks
According to a media report by Zero Hedge, public rhetoric and private conversations between two Western leaders differ significantly. Today, there are doubts among politicians in the U.K., France, and Germany about Ukraine’s ability to expel the Russians from eastern Ukraine and Crimea, which Russia has controlled since 2014.
There is a belief that the West can only help sustain the Ukraine War effort for so long, especially if the conflict settles into a stalemate, officials from the three countries say. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Zelensky to consider peace talks with Moscow at an Élysée Palace dinner earlier this month, according to the Journal. The newspaper quoted Macron as telling Zelensky that “even mortal enemies like France and Germany had to make peace after World War II,”. According to the newspaper, Macron advised Zelensky that although “he had been a great war leader,” “he must shift into political statesmanship and make difficult decisions.”
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Even the new Czech President Petr Pavel echoed these statements. Petr Pavel, the Czech Republic’s president-elect, and a former NATO commander, said “We may end up in a situation where liberating some parts of Ukrainian territory may result in more loss of lives than society can bear. There might be a point when Ukrainians can start thinking about another outcome.”
A ‘Not So’ NATO proposal
Another interesting development in this story is that France, Germany, and the UK have proposed a NATO treaty for Ukraine. However, this proposal will not make Ukraine a NATO member, which is surprising because previously only France was against Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the proposal will give Ukraine access to cutting-edge NATO weapons. Rishi Sunak has also advocated for future fighter aircraft deliveries to Ukraine. While increased access to NATO’s arsenal would be beneficial for Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Germany-France-UK proposal would not provide Article Five protection to Ukraine. In short, Ukraine will not receive the Article 5 protection it desires at any cost.
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No American Reaction!
Interestingly, this may sound music to your ears, but, the US has kept a complete schtum on these reports and proposals. Regarding the Wall Street Journal’s report on the peace talks-for-arms proposal, Washington has not made any comments. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with The Washington Post about arming Ukraine in the war.
However, he subtly conveyed a message to Ukraine during his speech at Munich conference. Blinken said, “We have to be thinking — and we are — about what the postwar future looks like to ensure that we have security and stability for Ukrainians and security and stability in Europe.”
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The Stakes and Ukraine’s call
The stakes for peace are now too high. Not to mention, Russia is raising the stakes for nuclear escalation, both by suspending the New START treaty and by claiming to have deployed new ground-based strategic nuclear weapons systems. The New START treaty was the only remaining nuclear treaty between Russia and the US; its suspension raises the possibility that Russia could resume nuclear tests and increase its already massive nuclear arsenal.
Whereas, the Ukrainian side is also not hesitant to provoke Russia. The recent attack on Belarussian airbase which is allegedly done by Ukrainian drones prove so. Western leaders have a sense of realization that staying into the Ukraine War for too long is now turning disastrous. There is an increasing sentiment that getting entangled in the war for an extended period of time could have disastrous effects. This realization is partly caused by the region’s worsening violence and instability, which is also straining relations between the West and Russia on the diplomatic front.
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As a result, Western leaders are now giving a clarion call for peace talks to Volodymyr, recognizing that such talks would benefit all parties involved and de-escalate the situation. In the end, it is hoped that these leaders can pave the way for a more stable and peaceful future for Ukraine and the region as a whole by recognizing the dangers of protracted conflict. However, for that, Zelensky’s insanity needs to be quelled.