Negotiating? Raise the stakes!
By Nico Cost for GlobalSouth.co
There are signs that the West suddenly wants to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine. The first question one then asks is who is actually authorized to negotiate, after all the West is only a supplier and not a principal or executor, right? The only one who can negotiate is Ukraine itself.
Then when Russia does face the West at a negotiating table, other negotiating points come into play compared to those addressed to Ukraine. Russia’s goals were clear, namely that Ukraine in particular would be demilitarized, stripped of Nazism, and given neutral status.
However, now that the West appears to be at the table soon, Russia may expand its negotiating stakes. Demands can be made of that West. Apparently, then the West will play a role, so, that will be negotiated.
A key demand from Russia may be the elimination of NATO. That organization has had its day and, after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, is actually past its prime. The name also long ago no longer covers the content, because apparently, NATO thinks it should go beyond North Atlantic and also it has little to do with defense anymore because it is constantly attacking.
If Russia wants to secure its future and keep the area called Ukraine free from aggression, the three main goals mentioned above towards Ukraine are not enough. Like those Minsk agreements, it will again be a stay of execution. Of course, the underlying problem has long been clear and the implementing organization is NATO, which must therefore be disbanded.
If that is not negotiable, and my guess is that the West and their NATO do not want to talk about that, then the West does not need to appear at the negotiating table. In my opinion, disbanding NATO is the most important condition for a more peaceful future throughout the world. But of course that is not going to happen for the time being. First, the West will have to collapse, especially financially, after which such organizations will be untenable. Mutual quarrels will accelerate that process.
But I would therefore raise the stakes. Especially now.
What is “the West”? I am not so sure. In the 1940’s all these countries were devastated, and when rebuilt, they became dependent on America, (which was highly augmented by the war). Now such a large percentage of their economy is western focused, that they can’t risk any fence-sitting, (neutrality). The Eastern bloc was… Read more »
Hi DestinationUnknown Your comment is dense and it is impossible to attend to it all without reams of writing. So, allow me to comment on this one only: “I DONโT THINK THE WEST HAS TO COLLAPSE. That is also a counterproductive goal. It will be damaged though. Maybe it is… Read more »
Hello Amarynth, thanks for the insight. Dozens of civilizations arose, did their thing for 1,000 or thousands of years and disappeared. That is the way of the world. You could say China and Persia have been around a long time, but they have been through catastrophic changes, and are rebirths. Just because you can… Read more »
The West (aka, America) is getting its ass kicked by the Russians in the Ukraine Proxy War, so they are hoping that they can sucker the Russians into another Minsk Accord-style scam, in which the Russians stupidly “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” And America can salvage Ukraine as… Read more »