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NATO Wales Summit Gives Dark And Limping Hopes

By Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava

08 September, 2014
Countercurrents.org

NATO has used Ukraine to expand its sphere of influence in and around Russia. The strategy was well thought in the wake of dissolution of USSR after the end of cold war. The western powers led by USA were well convinced that Russian Federation will emerge one day to challenge the unilateralism of USA and will seek an important role in the global politics due to its earlier experience and status of being the other world power during the 1945-1991. The end of communism did not end the ideology, it also did not end the ambitions of some pragmatic leaders to find a role in the newly changed world politics. US and its western allies were correct as in last few years Russia emerged and has come to stand as an obstruction to USA in carrying on its policies against Syria, Iran.

The NATO was an important instrument in the policy of containment. USA and other European countries had inkling that Russia will emerge, hence encircle it since start. Thus encircling of Russia was initiated not only by political alignments but by military alliance system. NATO came closer to Ukraine particularly after 1997 when NATO and Ukraine signed a charter for partnership which led to establishment of NATO-Ukraine Commission. This relationship was further strengthened in 2009 in the background of Russian emergence. In April 2014 NATO Secretary General Rasmussen is of the view that Ukraine must possess a modernized and strong armed force system. He was in fact echoing the old philosophy of its creators that Russia needs to be contained. Thus containment of Russia with encirclement is a well designed policy of USA and its allies. NATO is its expression. For Russia this development is a serious national interest challenge at its boundary. The current crisis requires neo realistic perspective to understand it.

NATO’s viewpoint is that ‘Ukraine is the kernel of the Russian civilization. More practically, Russian defense industry is partly based in Ukraine.’[The future of NATO and European defence: ninth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence,Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee,The Stationery Office,2008]

NATO believes that Russian attachment to Ukraine is too close due to psychological factors. NATO has learnt that it would be therefore very difficult to capture Ukraine in its fold because Russia can not allow it to happen. NATO’s strategy is therefore tempered due to this fact and its primary aim is to link Ukraine to its operational structure. It wants to move inside Russia, wants to stay there in due course without direct fighting the Russia but indirectly severally affecting the Russia’s vital interests.
This is thus unexpressed war preparations by the USA and its allies. They are fearful of emergence of Russia in the contemporary time where besides terrorism, Chinese and Russian impact are major threat to the global leadership of USA.NATO-EU are twin instruments for the containment of Russia militarily and economically by these. Western countries are now planning to apply economic sanctions on Russia, a strategy which they have applied on their arch enemies in previous time.
NATO has followed a systematic policy to limit Russia within its periphery. Last year in November it had carried on Exercise Steadfast Jazz in which besides 28 NATO member states, Ukraine along with other partner nations Sweden, Finland had also participated. It was conducted near Russia with clear objective. Participation of Ukraine and its location have hidden meaning.

This thinking of NATO is reflected in its just concluded Wales Summit where it has classified the terrorist threats equal to Russian activism. The Wales declaration states that “We face serious crises which affect security and stability to NATO’s east and south. These include Russia’s illegal self-declared “annexation” of Crimea and Russia’s continued aggressive acts in other parts of Ukraine and the spread of violence and extremism in North Africa and the Middle East.” Further joint statement of the NATO Ukraine Commission published on 4th September 2014, in Wales states that ‘We will further strengthen our cooperation in the framework of the Annual National Programme in the defence and security sector through capability development and sustainable capacity building programmes for Ukraine. In this context, Allies will launch substantial new programmes with a focus on command, control and communications, logistics and standardisation, cyber defence, military career transition, and strategic communications.’ The message is clear from NATO that it is going to bolster the Ukraine which will act as major control structure with support of NATO of Russia.
Russia is thus their arch enemy. NATO countries have looked the Russia as a threat to Europe. They have brought the cold war psyche where isolation of communist countries was imitated and USSR was their main enemy. At that Warsaw pact was there to counter and deter such threats but now Russia is alone. It has to deal NATO- EU-USA-EUOPEAN combination alone. It is not in a position to forge an alliance system as it did during the cold war age. Neither it has any strong ally with it in its possible confrontation with this combination. India and China two capable countries to a certain extent will not come with Russia. India for its policy of opposition to alliance system and China due to its different objectives will not be keen to come with Russia.

Western powers are not limited in their thinking as they are keen to increase the sharpness of already imposed sanctions on Russia. USA and EU have placed sanctions on many Russian bureaucrats Russian firms etc. which in their opinion are weakening the Ukrainian sovereignty.

European countries, NATO, EU and USA must reflect why such situation was reached that Russia had to adopt such hard posture. They collectively worked against the Russian interests. They knowingly evolved a policy of undermining Russia and encircled it with their powerful structures. USA has done similar mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq where now monster of terrorism has entrenched so sharply that whole world is under threat and fear. For USA and its allies not Russia but Putin is major threat. Putin has brought Russia to a strong status. They need to refashion their policies otherwise world can witness new cold war very soon. Dialogue and negotiations are solution not the military might at this juncture.

Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava has twenty years University level teaching experience, presently Assistant Professor in CSJM Kanpur University[affiliated college],Vice Chairman CSSP, email: [email protected]


 




 

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