Furthest from Ukraine Frontline, Washington is Most Eager for War: Global Times Editorial

By Global Times

Feb 07, 2022 12:28 AM

US troops deploy for Europe from Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on February 3, 2022. Photo: AFP

US President Joe Biden recently approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to the eastern part of Europe. The first batch has arrived in Germany and Poland. This is an eye-offending move the US made after it withdrew its troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon previously announced that 8,500 US troops are placed on heightened alert to possibly deploy to Eastern Europe. In addition, NATO defense ministers will discuss further reinforcements at their next meeting on February 16 and 17. Although these troops are not deployed directly in Ukraine, the move has de facto made people think Eastern Europe is on the brink of war. 

Washington, it must be noted, is furthest away from the Ukrainian frontline but it is most eager for a war, while both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly announced they have no intention of going to war or solving their problems by force. Ukraine's president and defense minister publicly stated that the situation is not as tense as the US has portrayed. But Washington, which is far away from the region, has been hyping that war is on the verge of breaking out. US media Bloomberg has even released fake news that "Live: Russia Invades Ukraine." The US has not only fanned the flames of public opinion, but also provided arms to Ukraine and enhanced military deployment around the European country. The US' intention is to urge Ukraine to "hold on" and not "fall behind" in its confrontation with Russia. 

Washington intends to instigate wars, in a bid to increase the legitimacy of NATO's existence and the bloc's internal cohesion to tie Europe - which has shown some signs of departing from Washington - more tightly to the US. Some other analysts say the US can take the opportunity to sell arms - a reasonable suspicion based on history. 

In short, the US is trying to hit various birds with one stone, but it is playing an immoral and dangerous game. The New York Times reported that "even many reliably hawkish voices in both parties show no appetite for seeing US troops fight and potentially die for Ukraine." The US is pushing Ukraine into the firing line, but it itself has jumped aside to avoid being implicated.

One of Washington's aims is to make Russia feel uncomfortable, but Ukraine is very likely to become the victim. Anyone with a discerning eye can figure out that the last thing Ukraine really needs is arms. The US' donating or selling weapons to Ukraine cannot change the military balance between Russia and Ukraine. What Ukraine does need is a peaceful and stable internal and external environment. The country has to focus on developing its economy, improving people's livelihoods, and easing tensions with Russia. If the US "stands with Ukraine" as it has claimed, it should have provided Ukraine the necessary and substantial help in these fields. It needs to be underlined that the most difficult thing for Ukraine to withstand right now is to add fuel to the fire, but Washington has repeatedly "created" opportunities to escalate the situation between Russia and Ukraine.

In this context, the latest joint statement that China and Russia has released also triggered the US' scruples. White House press secretary Jen Psaki "warns" Beijing that if an armed conflict breaks out between Russia and Ukraine, it "would impact China's interests all over the world." The US' such move is like nitpicking with China. This China-Russia document covers broad consensus and common demands on economy and trade, security, regional situation and global order, and it does not even mention Ukraine. Washington's vision is clearly too low to see the real landscape of today's world. It is now more like a "class representative" of old thinking, proudly flaunting its lies with an old trumpet from the last century. They believe they are smarter than everyone else, but they are giving themselves too much credit.

In fact, the China-Russia joint statement stated clearly: "Peace, development and cooperation lie at the core of the modern international system… and the international community is showing a growing demand for the leadership aiming at peaceful and gradual development." 

Against this backdrop, Washington still intends to impair other countries and maintain its hegemony by instigating wars. This is a staggering geopolitical daydream. To wake up from such a pipe dream, the bunch of political elites in Washington should carefully read this joint statement and understand how to make the US conform to the trend of the times and become a truly responsible power.