West could end up with much worse conflict if it fails Ukraine now - Observer
During the election campaign, US President Donald Trump avoided criticizing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and complained about the cost of military support for Ukraine. However, after his inauguration, the American leader strongly pressed the Kremlin ruler to end the war against Ukraine.
As Censor.NET informs, this is stated in The Observer's article published on The Guardian's website.
Trump said that Putin's refusal to enter into unconditional negotiations jeopardizes Russia as well as Ukraine. As Russia's economy is collapsing, and Putin must "make a deal now and end this senseless war" or face US tariffs, taxes and additional sanctions.
"Trump is likely to continue to oppose providing Ukraine with additional military aid packages worth billions of dollars. But he may find that his own rhetoric is leading him inexorably down that path. In his most recent comments, Putin rejected the threat of new sanctions and reiterated that he is open to one-on-one discussions. Putin could not resist flattery. He called Trump "smart" and "brave." Perhaps he thinks he can fool him. Perhaps he is right - which is a matter of great concern in Ukraine and Europe," the article says.
At the same time, the authors emphasize that Putin has received support from Chinese leader Xi Jinping, from the recently signed strategic partnership pact with Iran, and from North Korea, which continues to send its soldiers to their deaths.
In preparation for any peace talks initiated by the United States, the Kremlin dictator is also refining and expanding Moscow's terms. Until now, Russia has insisted on retaining 20% of the Ukrainian territory it occupies and guaranteeing the "future neutrality of a militarily disarmed, 'denazified' government in Kyiv."
Putin now genuinely believes that he is winning, and he is also ruling out an initial agreement that would freeze the conflict. The dictator says that for a ceasefire, Kyiv must first accept all of Moscow's conditions. At the same time, Putin's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, is demanding a complete restructuring of "joint security measures" in Europe to address Russia's own long-term problems.
"The conversation is no longer just about the current war in Ukraine. It is about the future war between Russia and the West. According to some indicators, this great war, undeclared and hidden, is already underway," The Observer reminds.
The incidents with the submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, as well as "an extraordinary confrontation in the sea off Cornwall between a British Royal Navy submarine and a Russian spy ship", seemingly unrelated and usually denied, are part of the ever-deepening confrontation between Russia and Western democracies. This, according to the authors, is a direct byproduct of the failure to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine.
"Putin portrays his country as involved in an escalating global struggle against the US-led international order. He and his allies are seeking to overturn it. This is the broader context in which Trump, Keir Starmer, and other NATO leaders must now swim - or sink," the article explains.
That is why, according to the authors, it is vital that the West heeds the call of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for arms supplies and peace through strength.
"Starmer was right when, during his recent visits to Ukraine and Poland, he called on allies to 'redouble' their support for Kyiv to achieve 'peace on Ukraine's terms. Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary General, is right to call for increased national defense budgets. And Zelenskyy is right to call on Europe as a whole to wake up and realize the depth of the Russian threat, to fulfill its global obligations - and to be ready, for example, to send tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine to enforce the ceasefire and deter new aggression. Even Trump may be slowly realizing that if Putin wins, there will be no peace anywhere," The Observer summarizes.
