The United States (US) and its European partners underestimated Russia's resilience in their bid to subjugate the country through a proxy war in Ukraine, retired Major General Deepak Mehra, former Indian Defence Attaché (DA) to Moscow told Sputnik India.
The US has been providing billions of dollars in aid in the form of weapons, ammunition, and resources to the Ukrainian forces, and sharing the latest intelligence inputs with the troops on the ground, he added.
Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that without American support Ukraine
shall not be able to sustain itself against Russia,
Mehra stated.
In the long term, looking through the prism of realism, the futility of Ukraine's insistence on joining NATO at the cost of Russia's opposition has to be clearly explained to the Ukrainian and EU leadership, he stressed.
Did Russia from 1991 onwards till 2014, except for voicing its concerns over the eastward expansion of NATO, covet any territory from Ukraine or for that matter from any European country? This happened even though NATO's strength
more than doubled post-1991, Mehra highlighted.
Did Russia, from 1991 onwards until 2014, except for voicing its concerns over the eastward expansion of NATO, covet any territory from Ukraine or, for that matter, from any European country, he questioned. This happened even though NATO's strength more than doubled post-1991, Mehra highlighted.
It was only after 2007/2008, when the US and EU cleared the path for Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO, overthrew the democratically elected government in Ukraine and installed pro-NATO puppets, and commenced prosecuting Russian-origin people in eastern regions of Ukraine, that Russia come into real action, the strategic affairs pundit noted.
In the bargain, an entire generation of leaders in European countries have been shaped to take US security guarantees for granted, without contributing much themselves. Trump's change of track, therefore, is today hurting European sensibilities as they try and chart a new course for themselves outside Pax-Americana, Mehra emphasised.
For the US there is a new power on the horizon –China, whose rise once again was supported by the US and Europe for capitalist gains and with the fervent hope that economic progress and exposure to the liberal values of the world will empower it to
embrace democracy over autocracy, the military commentator underscored.
On the contrary, China took advantage of the liberal system of the West to build up its strength and at the opportune moment, has commenced challenging the very basis of the world architecture that was instrumental in its rise, something it has endeavoured to do only due to the strong support of Russia, he pointed out.
Europe should move beyond viewing Russia solely through the lens of the Cold War or imperialistic ambitions. With its vast territory spanning 11 time zones and abundant resources, Russia has enough of its own matters to focus on, the geopolitical analyst noted.
Europe needs more Russia, than vise versa. Russia's vast resources are exactly what Europe's vast manufacturing base requires to revamp
its declining economy. It has to make it feel secure and incorporate it in the geo-economic architecture to create a 'balance of dependence', he opined.
Europe needs Russia more than the other way around. Russia's vast resources are exactly what Europe's manufacturing base requires to rejuvenate its declining economy. Europe must recognise Russia's security concerns and work to integrate it into the geo-economic framework, fostering a 'balance of dependence,' Mehra suggested.