Imagine that a presidential candidate and his team work very hard to win an election at least partially on the promise of ending a very dangerous war. They succeed, but in the intervening few days when they are still to take control and the outgoing government is still to leave, some very powerful persons in the outgoing government try to pre-empt and disrupt the peace prospects by taking highly escalatory and provocative steps, entirely ignoring the extreme human costs of this.
This is exactly what appears to be happening in the context of ongoing US policy decision making on Ukraine war, as the risks of a major escalation loom large with the Biden administration allowing Ukraine to use American longer-range missile systems, guided by US expertise, intelligence and satellites, to be used for deeper attacks into Russia.
The very fact that this had not been allowed so far in the prolonged war is proof enough that this is a very dangerous move that increases the chances of a direct confrontation between the USA and NATO on the one side and Russia on the other side. As several experienced statesmen and experts have been arguing, if there is one confrontation that needs to be avoided above anything else, it is a direct confrontation between Russia and USA/NATO, as the two sides have nearly 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads.
As the Ukraine war has for some time been the biggest flashpoint for the possibility of triggering a nuclear war and World War 3, all people who value peace and human life had heaved a big sigh of relief when in the wake of the US presidential election results, things appeared to be moving in the direction of early peace and settlement. However in a most shocking violation of democratic norms as well as the most shocking lack of concern for world peace and safety, the Biden team has been taking actions aimed at escalating the war in such ways that the peace process later becomes even more difficult.
Secretary of State Blinken has stated, “Every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door (to Ukraine) between now and Jan. 20 (Trump’s inauguration date).” (Quoted by Patrick Basham of Democracy Institute in The Times of India November 20).
If this funding is to be made, then please use this, or even more, for meeting humanitarian needs or for helping the rehabilitation of those people of Ukraine devastated by war. No one will object to this. However the problem is that the so-called ‘help’ for Ukraine is being offered in ways that will escalate war and lead to the avoidable loss of many more Ukrainian lives ( as well as loss of human life in other countries if the war spreads or weapons of mass destruction actually get used).
At least at this stage the Zelensky government in Ukraine should have been able to see that the safety and security of the people of Ukraine is best achieved by preparing for early peace. Unfortunately he has continued to go with the agenda of those US policy makers who have been claiming all the time to ‘help’ Ukraine in ways that have actually only brought ruin and devastation to Ukraine and its people.
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While several serious violations of democratic norms in the USA have shocked people in the past, this latest example of an outgoing government going all out to sabotage the peace agenda of the incoming government relating to at least one very crucial front is even more shocking as this also endangers world peace and safety. Hence all forces of peace everywhere but particularly in the USA must firmly oppose this.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, Earth without Borders and A Day in 2071.
