The Russia-Ukraine border is the focus of attention. However, what is more intriguing is the global context of the issue.
The Russian administration repeated it has no intention of invading Ukraine; no Russian leader has made such a threat.
On the other hand, the American government already assigned a date to the imminent attack; the US military alerted NATO partners that Moscow was preparing to invade its neighbor on February 16.
Is a genuine war on the horizon? Who stands to benefit from escalating regional military tensions?
True Intentions
From the start, one of Russia’s continuous calls has been for NATO to halt its eastward advance, not for Ukraine’s hostility or occupation.
However, the US coalition led by Biden long ignored this demand, insisting instead on an open-door approach for membership.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO has grown from 17 to 30 members, some of them having previously been members of the Warsaw Pact.
The United States and our European and NATO allies all support sanctions to deter Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Putin has to know that war is not an answer. pic.twitter.com/D9pNC7YtcB
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) February 13, 2022
This undoubtedly increased the Russian government’s worry level. To compound matters, the Biden administration officially supported Ukraine’s NATO membership and pledged millions in military aid to Russia’s neighbor.
Despite Moscow’s repeated assurances it has no plan to attack Kyiv, the US positioned thousands of troops on standby. NATO has bolstered its military posture in Eastern Europe.
True, Russia’s authorities sent soldiers to the border region. However, Washington’s unrelenting lobbying for NATO expansion provoked Russia’s equivalent steps, resulting in the Ukraine conflict. So far, Moscow issued no military threat to Ukraine.
Russia’s demand has been unequivocal from the start: a stop to NATO expansion. This was countered by the West’s behavior being the polar opposite.
Then, in reporting on the escalating tensions, leftist media outlets began exaggerating Russia’s military buildup and motivation against its neighbor, rather than emphasizing NATO’s expansion.
Economic Consequences
Ukraine, another actor in the West-framed drama, also does not want war or any public perception of impending conflict.
"We understand all the risks," President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said Saturday, as he continued to play down U.S. warnings of an imminent Russian invasion. There has been "too much information in the information space," Zelensky said. https://t.co/S1pmtZSDcr
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 12, 2022
The West stirred up such a frenzy that Ukraine’s already begun to face the economic consequences.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s hryvnia has edged closer to more than one-year lows. Intensifying military fears naturally frightened investors, adding another layer of uncertainty to the Ukrainian investment climate.
The West expresses its solidarity with Kyiv. However, its propaganda machine is turning the country into a victim.
Faced with a slew of domestic problems and dwindling global influence, Washington is in desperate need of a war to resolve its issues.
Heightening tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border would effectively drive a wedge between Moscow and NATO, unifying the allies and making them more dependent on the U.S.
Additionally, Washington has long used the Ukraine crisis to bolster its regional clout.
Even if there isn’t a real war, the US can still make the West angrier with the Russian government by causing tensions in the region and exaggerating how much Russia is building up its military.
Russia and Ukraine are not interested in a conflict. However, the US is eager for one and already embarked on a full-fledged propaganda effort to support it, once again, under the guise of peacekeeping.
