Eurasia Press & News
The NATO military alliance of 30-country regional security coalition post Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in becoming stronger and is on the verge of a further expansion. Sweden and Finland are seeking immediate induction into NATO. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is not a confrontation between only Ukraine and Russia, but between US led NATO and Russia.
NATO appeared to have weakened over the years and especially during the administration of former US President Donald Trump, who frequently threatened to exclude any member states that did not pay enough. A further blow came when US withdrew from Afghanistan, a NATO military mission, more or less unilaterally. Russia has been against NATO’s eastward expansion over years. Russia had steadily been upping the ante against NATO since the late 2000s and since its annexation of Crimea in 2014, threatening further territorial expansion into Ukrainian territory.
A Joint Declaration by NATO-EU
A Joint Declaration by NATO-EU was signed on Cooperation at Brussels on 10 January 2023. However, what is seen from the Joint Declaration is that it is more about wanting to achieve the Joint Super Power Grouping status along with the US and control the world indirectly through the Western US led hegemony. “NATO’s mutually reinforcing strategic partnership contributes to the foundation of collective defence for its Allies, essential for Euro Atlantic security and there is a need for a stronger and more capable European defence and transatlantic security. Will further mobilize the combined political, economic or military, to pursue common objectives to the benefit of our one billion citizens.”
The Joint Declaration also condemned both Russia and China. Russia for the aggression of Ukraine for violating international law and the principles of the UN Charter and exacerbating a food and energy crisis affecting billions of people around the world. China for its growing assertiveness and policies which present challenges that needs to be addressed.
NATO No Relevance Without a Russian Threat
Without hyping the so-called threat from Russia, NATO would have no relevance. Therefore, the NATO chief needs to consider how to prolong the alliance’s life. NATO finds a way to justify its existence by setting up targets, including Russia. In almost all NATO’s strategic concept documents, the Soviet Union or Russia has been labeled as its enemy. The NATO 2022 Strategic Concept listed Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area,”
No matter how much NATO-US hypes up the Russian threat to Europe, it is impossible for many Western nations to sacrifice their own interest to become active participants in NATO’s plan to defeat Russia. Only time will tell. The Europeans, however, still regard China as “a partner for cooperation and negotiation, an economic competitor and a systemic rival,” and do not fully support US to use European nations against China. German chancellor Scholz’s visited to China, the first by a major Western leader after the elevation of Xi by the 20th Party Congress. This reflects a break with the Coalition Agreement.
France and Germany, opposed a confrontational attitude toward China, and believed that a more balanced strategy should be adopted, and more European interests must be taken care of. Germany has crept up in support of Ukraine despite earlier concerns.
The war has strengthened NATO
If Finland joins NATO it would add another 800 miles to the military alliance’s eastern flank with Russia. NATO then would control key areas in the Baltic Sea, including Sweden’s Gotland island that is not so far from Kaliningrad, Russia’s enclave in Europe.
NATO will find itself militarily stronger as President Biden has announced a surge of forces toward the bloc’s eastern flank, with US military deployments that included a permanent headquarter in Poland, while Stoltenberg promises to build a new NATO rapid reaction force of 300,000. The number of NATO member states that actually spend the target of 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense has significantly increased.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has also made the Europeans understand that binding their own interests to the interests of the US will make them suffer heavy losses, and the Europeans need to have their own security and economic policies.
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, the rift between the US and some European countries is also likely to grow around major issues like energy and food prices.
From The Joint Declaration it is evident that NATO will firmly adhere to the anti-Russia strategy, which has long been the alliance’s essential position. The Joe Biden administration, since the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia, has continued to provide Ukraine colossal military aid to Ukraine. US based arms manufacturing companies are reaping benefits of the Russia-Ukraine war as and shares of these companies have been rising since the war started.
Let’s say “NO!” to this avoidable continued Russia-Ukraine war. But we have No say in this war it is the US and NATO who have to end this war by stopping arms supply and initiating negotiations. Both are not interested in peace as the Russia-Ukraine war is making NATO stronger and the US arms manufacturers are making fast bucks. The hyped prospects of growing military threats to the world and the US, West in particular from both China and Russia is driving bipartisan support for a surge in Pentagon spending, setting up a potential boom for weapons makers that is likely to extend beyond the war in Ukraine. So this approach indicates that the US and NATO simply don’t want to see peace between Russia and Ukraine before they have completely weakened Russia.
