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Paul Craig Roberts
Institute for Political Economy
US Opens a Third Front Against Russia
US Opens a Third Front Against Russia
Paul Craig Roberts
The problem with President Putin is that he never finishes anything. He has let Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, which should have ended in three weeks go on for three years and talks about ending it with negotiations, in which he will again be deceived.
He does nothing while the US tries to overthrow the Georgian government and establish a hostile anti-Russian one.
He never finished clearing Syria of hostile forces. Consequently, he left Syria and Russian interests exposed to the current US/Israeli coordinated mercenary attack on Syria, which has overrun Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, forcing 280,000 Syrians to flee. This is a massive defeat for Syria and Russia. How is it possible that such an obvious thrust was a surprise? Has the inability to perceive threats become a Russian hallmark?
Will Putin ever understand the consequences of his inaction, his tolerance of endless provocations, of US hegemonic intentions against Russia, Iran, and China? What factual basis exists for Putin and Lavrov to think that Washington’s hegemonic intention will fade away? Is Russia’s foreign policy based on hope or on reality?
Putin’s terms for ending the conflict in Ukraine are reasonable. But if Trump agrees to them, he will be blamed for America’s defeat, for selling out the Ukrainians to Putin, for whetting Putin’s appetite for more conquests, for helping Putin rebuild the Soviet Empire. The neoconservatives and military/security complex will use the propaganda to direct political campaign contributions to anti-Trump candidates for the House and Senate in the midterm elections. To prevail in this fight, Trump would have to convince voters that victory is defined in terms of achieving peace and the end of the conflict. Can Trump achieve this with a hostile media and the warmongers he has appointed to his cabinet?
Are Putin and Lavrov aware of these constraints? Will Putin and Lavrov ever win and end a conflict before it spins out of control? There is no sign of a proactive Russia in her dealings with the West.
Putin’s inaction has convinced the West that he will not act. This belief deprives the West of a reason to stop its provocations. Putin has again validated the West’s belief by cancelling any Western restraint from lowering the threshold of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons by giving assurances that Russia is threatening no one with nuclear weapons.
Possibly Ukraine has used up its military-capable population. Possibly the collapse of the French government will prevent NATO troops being sent to Ukraine. Possibly the Georgian government will withstand the Washington-directed color revolution. Possibly this time Russia will destroy the US and mercenary forces threatening Syria and not again leave the conflict unresolved.
On the other hand, possibly events will spin out of control in Ukraine, Georgia, and Syria. The West is not demonstrating restraint, and the Russians are not proactive, which leaves the initiative in the hands of the West.