I can imagine the upcoming meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meetup will probably be held somewhere in Europe. It seems logical to assume the sit-down will start with something like, “Okay, we both hate each other’s guts. So, what kind of deal can we hash out that will satisfy all concerned?” If we take world news at face value, global thermonuclear war may be the only compromise that will do.
Forget the fact that every western think tank, media outlet, propaganda channel, and corporate banking entity needs Putin to be gone. And pretend that Joe Biden is the guy running the show in America. There’s not much these two leaders are going to be able to agree upon. That is, in case the American president can manage not to trip on something on his way up or downstairs to the meet spot.
Can’t you imagine it? I see Biden demanding that Russia give up on Crimea and allowing NATO into all Russia’s bordering nations, on top of relinquishing all mineral rights to the liberal world order! And Putin says – Nyet, nyet, and hell nyet. Putin should ask for Mexico in return or offer to trade a barrage of RS-28 Sarmat “Satan II” for whatever world-ending nuclear horror America has. The publicity on the new missile says it can eradicate either Texas or France, whichever comes first. Yes, expectations for this 21st century US/Russia summit are just that low.
In the run-up, we have CNN now blaming Putin for COVID misinformation. Western media laments the petering out of Alexey Navalny’s support, reflecting the horror of no more ten-person rallies in Vladivostok. Elsewhere, the narrative from the west is now based on the previously established Russophobic propaganda that got us here in the first place. What I mean is, every journalist typing a news report or opinion is relying on misinformation supplied (more or less) by the US State Department. What we’re looking at is Radio Free Europe (1960s style) amplified by 50,000.
There is no middle ground, probably not even where a new SALT treaty is concerned. The curious thing for me is that Biden and Co. calls Putin a “killer” and worse, sanctioning Russia in Hollywood fashion and stomping the globe like Godzilla. And Putin’s Russia is just idling along in defense mode? Seriously. Even if every American believed everything Russia and Putin are blamed for, it would amount to “spying,” and that’s it. Russia must pay for doing what America does! I know you get it. Let’s end the world, or at best rekindle a Cold War because a country protects its interests.
As I said, expectations are meager for the coming Putin-Biden meetup. And do you want to know why nothing is going to change? Because the Jamestown Foundation frames the current situation with “Putin Pauses, but Russia’s Propensity for Trouble-Making Persists.” The report is a laundry list of craziness. As a conclusion, author Pavel K. Baev criticises Vladimir Putin for daring to maintain Russia’s military calling the modernization a “costly exercise”. The Norwegian who makes his living advising on security, has been with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) almost 30 years. Clearly, his ideas and deep research have not worked, since no matter how hard Putin tries, he cannot be at peace with Norway or Washington. I know you get my meaning here.
Nothing is going to change, not until the American people demand a truly peaceful world. I know the Russians are more than ready for this. Time for some new thinking on these matters.
Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, he’s an author of the recent bestseller “Putin’s Praetorians” and other books. He writes exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”
