NATO to react, Putin's war will not end until the Soviet empire is rebuilt

Source: The Daily Telegraph
Translation: Telegrafi.com

It should be clear to everyone that Putin has no interest in peace, something Sir Keir Starmer reiterated at the “Coalition of the Willing” summit, where leaders discussed implementing a ceasefire.

The prime minister declared: “If Putin is serious about peace, the task is very simple – he must stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and accept a ceasefire.” But neither of these seems likely. Putin claims he is winning, so why would he stop now and admit defeat after sacrificing a million lives?

The Russian president’s demands that we address what he calls the “root causes” of the war are completely unacceptable. He wants NATO to return to its 1997 borders, that the Baltic states, Finland and Sweden leave NATO. He demands the full integration of the occupied territories into Russia and international recognition of this. He insists that there should be no NATO troops in Ukraine, and we must not forget his reasons – which he has been telling us for many years – for the illegal occupation. He demands the full reintegration of all of Ukraine into Russia and the disengagement of the US from Europe.

Putin has already largely achieved the latter, and Western intelligence agencies estimate that he believes he can achieve his main objective, especially as he advances across most of the front line. When I spoke to people close to Pokrovsky, who were facing a gas attack and forced to retreat, it was not even reflected in the news – it was silenced by all the empty statements coming from Moscow, Washington and European capitals.

Russian casualties have recently passed the one million mark, and Putin knows he will face a tough showdown with the “Mothers of Russia” once the dust of this war settles – he wants to postpone that moment as long as he can. He is well aware that it was the grieving mothers who forced the Kremlin to ignominiously withdraw from Afghanistan in 1984, after the loss of 17 Russian soldiers. He can drag out this conflict as long as Russia is at war, and ordinary people cannot travel abroad to find out the truth, but when they do, he will be in big trouble.

Britain and Europe, with or without Trump, must consider all options. Putin responds only to force. A no-fly zone over Ukraine or NATO troops on the ground could hinder Russian advances westward. Only when Putin knows that we will be fully engaged in this battle will he seriously consider peace. Most in Europe who study Putin and Russia in detail know that he will not stop at Ukraine if he takes Kiev. In fact, he wants to rebuild the Soviet Union and has said so openly to anyone who has tried to dissect his frequent speeches over the years.

President Trump's main interest in Ukraine appears to be financial gain from its rare mineral resources. However, Putin has said he can take them anyway.

Trump knows that as European nations increase their defense spending, there is a chance that American defense companies will benefit significantly, but the cancellation of several orders for F-35 fighter jets this week is more likely to push him to support Ukraine’s defense than Starmer and Macron’s calls for help. If this trend of abandoning American military equipment becomes commonplace, Trump will face a severe financial crisis that he will want to stop as soon as possible.

The “root causes” of the conflict, which Putin cites, are simply Kremlin code for NATO expansion. Moscow cannot accept that other countries have the right to decide for themselves and that NATO expansion is a response to Russia’s aggressive behavior toward its neighbors, and not a NATO plan for unreasonable expansion. Putin does not want peace; he still aims for a complete victory in Ukraine and believes he can achieve it.

We, especially in Europe, need to understand the reality of Putin's position and act accordingly. Trump is not going to pull a "magic peace rabbit" out of his hat anytime soon. /Telegraph/