Germany remains more nuanced toward Ukraine: Russia and NATO
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kyiv (Kiev). However, the leader of Ukraine, similar to President Joe Biden of America, who sought to pin Scholz into a corner, the leader of Germany is taking a more nuanced approach. Therefore, the Russian Federation will note the words of Scholz when he visits this country later today.
President Vladimir Putin will meet Scholz later today to discuss the demands of the Russian Federation concerning the expansion of NATO and other security-related issues. The leader of the Russian Federation understands that France, Germany, and other European Union nations – including Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Spain – are more neutral and seek a way out of the crisis.
The political and military elites in the Russian Federation expect little from America or the United Kingdom apart from taking military and propaganda postures. Hence, the meeting between Germany and the Russian Federation is important – similar to the meeting between the Russian Federation and France when Putin and Macron met. Therefore, despite differences between France and Germany with the Russian Federation over the Ukraine crisis, Macron and Scholz seek a way that considers the concerns of the Russian Federation while addressing the concerns of Ukraine.
Ukraine is pushing Germany to send military weapons and cancel Nord Stream 2. However, Scholz isn’t intent on pandering to Biden or Zelensky. Instead, the leader of Germany is weighing up the bigger picture and waiting to see what happens on the ground before making a firm commitment. It could be that Scholz abandons Nord Stream 2 if the Russian Federation enters Ukraine – if so, he will do this because of the interests of Germany and not America.
Modern Tokyo Times recently said, “The Biden administration seeks to spread further international discord – just like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama went to war. Hence, knowing that Germany seeks to strengthen its energy supplies via Nord Stream 2 with the Russian Federation, Biden arrogantly dictated to the leader of Germany.”
Biden arrogantly said, “There will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it. I promise you we’ll be able to do that.”
TASS News reports, “Berlin has been against supplying weapons to Kiev but Germany is under strong pressure from its European Union partners, primarily Poland and the Baltic countries, and the United States, which demands Berlin send clear signals to Moscow.”
The Russian Federation is alarmed that America and the United Kingdom – and others nations – are sending more military supplies to Ukraine along with military training. This concerns the crisis between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Thus nationalists in Ukraine are being emboldened on the one hand – while America and the United Kingdom have no intention of sending their armed forces directly to the battlefield. Therefore, Ukraine should negotiate with the Russian Federation – and honest brokers – rather than nations that involve themselves in wars irrespective of the continent (former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Vietnam, Syria, supporting right-wing death squads throughout the Americas, and so forth).
Vladimir Chizhov, the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the European Union, said, “We will not invade Ukraine unless we are provoked to do that… If the Ukrainians launch an attack against Russia, you shouldn’t be surprised if we counterattack. Or, if they start blatantly killing Russian citizens anywhere – Donbas or wherever.”
Russian nationals need protection in Donbas and other regions in Ukraine. Thus talks of Ukraine joining NATO should be off the agenda for many decades (events will naturally change) because this in itself will create internal convulsions – along with external. Therefore, mutual guarantees – in all directions – are needed to solve the complexities that exist.
The Guardian (Simon Jenkins), concerning the late Boris Yeltsin pleading with NATO powers not to move to the borders of Russia, reports, “The west blatantly derided the advice. Nato leaders feasted on victory, recruiting members eastwards through Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Baltic states. Pleas from Russian moderates were ignored, while London opened its doors to Russia’s stolen wealth. The result was predictable. In 1999, Vladimir Putin took power on a populist, patriotic ticket. To Britain’s former Moscow ambassador, Rodric Braithwaite, Putin was a master of articulating “the sense of humiliation Russians felt after the collapse of the Soviet Union”. He exploited Nato’s aggressive expansionism for all it was worth. When in 2008 America’s George W Bush backed extending Nato membership to Georgia and Ukraine (a move that was vetoed by Germany and France) Putin seized land in both.”
It is disingenuous of America, the United Kingdom, and NATO to claim that the endless expansion of NATO isn’t a threat to the Russian Federation. After all, how would America like it if neighboring nations and countries in South America were all attached to a military bloc aimed at America?
American military bases are also based in Japan and South Korea. Both countries are geographically close to the Russian Federation, with Japan being of particular concern because of its pro-Washington stance concerning many issues. Therefore, from Europe to Northeast Asia, the Russian Federation notes the intrigues of America in all directions.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/20/britain-russia-ukraine-border-dispute
https://tass.com/world/1403105
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