What Is US-NATO Up To In Ukraine? – OpEd

Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty states that “an armed attack against one or more member states in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all”—and focus on confronting challenges outside the membership.

US-NATO wish for a strong, independent Ukraine and consider it vital for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area to counter Russia. Relations between NATO and Ukraine date back to the early 1990s and have since developed into one of the most substantial of NATO’s partnerships. Since 2014, in the wake of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, cooperation has been intensified in critical areas. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, US-NATO and Allies have provided unprecedented levels of support to Ukraine as this conflict is not considered to be between Russia and Ukraine alone but with the combined West led by the US.

NATO Allies have significantly stepped up their bilateral support and provision of weapons, equipment and training, helping Ukraine to uphold its right of self-defence. Allies are also providing substantial financial and humanitarian aid, including by hosting millions of refugees. NATO Allies have agreed to step up and sustain their support for as long as necessary, so that Ukraine prevails.At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Allies agreed to strengthen the Comprehensive Assistance Package(CAP) and provide even more support to Ukraine. The strengthened CAP includes initiatives to provide Ukraine with immediate, short-term, non-lethal military assistance, as well as structures to boost NATO’s long-term support.

Ukraine Non NATO Member still Benefits: JWGDR

NATO and Ukraine cooperation in the area of defence and security sector reform is more extensive than with any other partner country. The NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR) established in 1998 is the primary focus for this area of cooperation, management of the armed forces and other security sector agencies, defence planning, development of policy, strategy and national security concepts.The JWGDR allows Ukraine to draw on Allied countries’ considerable experience and expertise, and serves as a tool through which the Allies can channel assistance. 

Ukraine would become a NATO member: When?

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg in Prague on July 7 reaffirmed that Ukraine would become a member “as soon as the war with Russia is over”. He said the alliance would discuss how to do it when the military alliance would meet at a summit  on July 11-12  in Vilnius on how to bring Kyiv closer to joining. “Our summit will send a clear message: NATO stands united,” Stoltenberg said reaffirmed his view that Ukraine would become a NATO member.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders over the past two decades as a reason for his decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.He has threatened unspecified action if Ukraine joins NATO.

2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict has given the US led NATO  an opportunity to further consider expanding and enhancing the NATO beyond  its normal range of borders to globalize the NATO.NATO  was founded in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union and the creation of the Alliance’s  was part of a broader effort to serve three purposes: deterring Soviet expansionism, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong American NATO presence on the continent, and encouraging European political integration.

US to send Cluster Munitions to Ukraine 

The US will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on July 7 , following months of debate within the Biden administration about whether to provide Kyiv with the controversial weapons banned by over 100 countries including key US allies.

There was an unanimous recommendation from the national security team, and President Biden ultimately decided, in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress, to move forward on this strategy.”Dr. Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, told reporters  that Ukraine gave “assurances in writing” that they would not use the cluster munitions in urban areas “that are populated by civilians, and that there would be a careful accounting of where they use these weapons.”

Zelensky said “There is strength in unity of NATO,” he said, adding that undecided questions over Ukraine’s future in NATO and Sweden’s pending membership were “a threat to the alliance’s strength”.The alliance is divided over how fast Ukraine should move towards membership, and some countries are wary of any step that might take NATO closer to war with Russia.Zelensky has acknowledged that Kyiv is unlikely to be able to join NATO while at war with Russia.

Russia Not a Threat but is concerned with China’s Rise

US now does not really see Russia as a major threat to its hegemony but  is concerned with China’s rise which is threatening its World Super Power status and hegemony.  China, meanwhile, is “the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to advance that objective.” US will prioritize maintaining an enduring competitive edge over the China while constraining a still profoundly dangerous Russia. Ukraine is now acting as the Eastern Front and a buffer state to fight the ‘Proxy War’ for the West and NATO to contain Russia by utilizing the European resources, manpower and military strength to counter China and Russia.  US along with the NATO and the EU want to achieve the Joint Super Power Western block status and control the world. In this game  EU  has failed to see the real challenges confronting its populace, recession and its people being hurt with rising inflation. 

US led NATO is eager to take the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an opportunity to globalize the organization.US collective partnership and new associations  are a way to win allies into the bloc to confront  Russia and China. NATO happens to be the only real Military Bloc in the present world scenario led by the US.

Wagner mercenaries rebellion

The top US diplomat has said the uprising showed “Real Cracks” in Vladimir Putin’s government and the upheaval triggered by the aborted advance on Moscow by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenaries  “We haven’t seen the last act.”The rebellion, fuelled by anger at the Kremlin’s leadership of the invasion and occupation of Ukraine, represented the most direct threat to Putin’s grip on power since he first became president 23 years ago.

Ukraine and Russia  are engaged in a huge propaganda war of lies. It is not easy to verify the claims made by both sides.Ukraine has the advantage in this war because it is backed by the Western  media which is helping the Ukrainian government to spread its agenda.It is difficult to predict the exact outcome of this war at this stage but Russians clearly have the advantage against Ukraine which is fighting a war of attrition patiently and has the capability to continue  fighting.

Both the recent statements  by the NATO Chief “reaffirming NATO membership to Ukraine” and “US to send Cluster Munitions to Ukraine” are indications of a prolonged  war. Sadly there is no effort on the part of  the UN ,US or NATO on how to bring the Russia-Ukraine War to an early end other than condemning Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. It appears the US-NATO combine is quite satisfied to prolong this Proxy war and continue to bleed Russia to be weakened along with the EU.