PHUKRAINE CAN'T WIN, US ADMITS
The US doesn't expect Ukraine to "win" against Russia, America's war chief admitted yesterday. The conflict will end at a negotiation table, Secretary for Defence Lloyd Austin said at a press conference on Friday.
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"I think eventually this conflict will be resolved at a negotiation table, but when that point comes, it's hard to predict, Phil," he said, in answer to a question from Phil Stewart of Reuters.
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"So we're going to continue to work to put Ukraine in the best possible position that it can be in when and if that day comes in the future."
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END OF THE ROAD
The openly defeatist tone at his remarks at yesterday's press conference in Ramstein, Germany, moves the discussion back where it was on March 29, 2022.
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"Yesterday, the Kyiv authorities, for the first time in all of the previous years, declared their readiness to reach agreements with Russia. They gave us the written principles of a possible future agreement," said Russia's Vladimir Medinsky – and began organizing a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war.
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However, after an 5 April visit from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, representing NATO, Ukraine withdrew from the peace plan, the western media churned out a torrent of stories of "atrocities" and "genocide", and the conflict was instead stepped up. This has led to more than 100,000 deaths, by conservative estimates.
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ADVANTAGES OF CONTINUING
What was the advantage of continuing the war? None to Ukraine, but a big one for the US. Many US war hawks, including Bloomberg columnist Hal Brands, have long admitted that Ukraine was fighting a proxy war to weaken a country America sees as an adversary, and the governments of the US and UK have increasingly echoed the argument.
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In April of this year, at a joint press conference US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the UK foreign secretary David Cameron told the press: “I argue that it is extremely good value for money for the United States and for others. Perhaps for about five or 10% of your defence budget, almost half of Russia’s pre-war military equipment has been destroyed without the loss of a single American life. This is an investment in United States security.”
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UNREALISTIC GOALS
Two questions need to be examine here.
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First, why was Ukraine ever told it could "win"?
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Because it is standard policy in US-backed conflicts to give foreign proxy fighters impossible goals.
.
In 2019, NED-financed anti-government groups in Hong Kong making arson attacks on train stations were repeatedly told that their protests were the right way to achieve independence for the city. This was clearly untrue.
.
In 2020, NED-financed anti-government groups involved in street battles in Thailand were told that they could overthrow the monarchy. This was equally impossible.
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POINTS OF NEGOTIATION
Second, what are the parameters of the negotiations that will end the war? By reviewing the numerous previous commentaries on this subject, it is easy to list the key points.
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1. The long-held pledge that NATO will not move to Russia's borders will be revived and all sides will agree to respect it, this time.
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2. Ukraine will return to being a peaceful trading partner with Russia, and will no longer countenance plans to allow itself to be turned into a base for NATO nuclear weapons pointed at Russia.
.
3. For the sake of peace, multinational military drills on the borders of Russia will henceforth only go ahead after getting agreement from parties in the region, which would include Russia.
.
4. People in Ukraine, particularly in the east of the country, who were Russian-speaking or culturally Russian, would henceforth have their rights respected.
.
5. Disputed areas on the eastern side of the country should from now on be discussed peacefully, and borders (or non-militarized zones) arranged to the benefit of all residents of those areas.
.
.
.
PREVIOUSLY AGREED
These will inevitably be among the discussion points in the negotiated end to the conflict of which Austin.
.
The tragedy, of course, is that all five points and others were agreed between Ukraine and Russia by 29 March, 2022.
.
That means that a huge number of young men in both countries have lost their lives needlessly.
.
Meanwhile, the top three US arms-makers, and their investors, have enjoyed their best years ever.
.
Source: The transcript of the remarks is on the US Department of Defence website.
The US doesn't expect Ukraine to "win" against Russia, America's war chief admitted yesterday. The conflict will end at a negotiation table, Secretary for Defence Lloyd Austin said at a press conference on Friday.
.
"I think eventually this conflict will be resolved at a negotiation table, but when that point comes, it's hard to predict, Phil," he said, in answer to a question from Phil Stewart of Reuters.
.
"So we're going to continue to work to put Ukraine in the best possible position that it can be in when and if that day comes in the future."
.
.
.
END OF THE ROAD
The openly defeatist tone at his remarks at yesterday's press conference in Ramstein, Germany, moves the discussion back where it was on March 29, 2022.
.
"Yesterday, the Kyiv authorities, for the first time in all of the previous years, declared their readiness to reach agreements with Russia. They gave us the written principles of a possible future agreement," said Russia's Vladimir Medinsky – and began organizing a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war.
.
However, after an 5 April visit from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, representing NATO, Ukraine withdrew from the peace plan, the western media churned out a torrent of stories of "atrocities" and "genocide", and the conflict was instead stepped up. This has led to more than 100,000 deaths, by conservative estimates.
.
.
.
ADVANTAGES OF CONTINUING
What was the advantage of continuing the war? None to Ukraine, but a big one for the US. Many US war hawks, including Bloomberg columnist Hal Brands, have long admitted that Ukraine was fighting a proxy war to weaken a country America sees as an adversary, and the governments of the US and UK have increasingly echoed the argument.
.
In April of this year, at a joint press conference US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the UK foreign secretary David Cameron told the press: “I argue that it is extremely good value for money for the United States and for others. Perhaps for about five or 10% of your defence budget, almost half of Russia’s pre-war military equipment has been destroyed without the loss of a single American life. This is an investment in United States security.”
.
.
.
UNREALISTIC GOALS
Two questions need to be examine here.
.
First, why was Ukraine ever told it could "win"?
.
Because it is standard policy in US-backed conflicts to give foreign proxy fighters impossible goals.
.
In 2019, NED-financed anti-government groups in Hong Kong making arson attacks on train stations were repeatedly told that their protests were the right way to achieve independence for the city. This was clearly untrue.
.
In 2020, NED-financed anti-government groups involved in street battles in Thailand were told that they could overthrow the monarchy. This was equally impossible.
.
.
.
.
POINTS OF NEGOTIATION
Second, what are the parameters of the negotiations that will end the war? By reviewing the numerous previous commentaries on this subject, it is easy to list the key points.
.
1. The long-held pledge that NATO will not move to Russia's borders will be revived and all sides will agree to respect it, this time.
.
2. Ukraine will return to being a peaceful trading partner with Russia, and will no longer countenance plans to allow itself to be turned into a base for NATO nuclear weapons pointed at Russia.
.
3. For the sake of peace, multinational military drills on the borders of Russia will henceforth only go ahead after getting agreement from parties in the region, which would include Russia.
.
4. People in Ukraine, particularly in the east of the country, who were Russian-speaking or culturally Russian, would henceforth have their rights respected.
.
5. Disputed areas on the eastern side of the country should from now on be discussed peacefully, and borders (or non-militarized zones) arranged to the benefit of all residents of those areas.
.
.
.
PREVIOUSLY AGREED
These will inevitably be among the discussion points in the negotiated end to the conflict of which Austin.
.
The tragedy, of course, is that all five points and others were agreed between Ukraine and Russia by 29 March, 2022.
.
That means that a huge number of young men in both countries have lost their lives needlessly.
.
Meanwhile, the top three US arms-makers, and their investors, have enjoyed their best years ever.
.
Source: The transcript of the remarks is on the US Department of Defence website.
