President Putin’s victory in the recent elections intensified the anxiety of the United States and its European allies. Most of the Western countries have refused to accept the Russian elections. The reason is that the West desired to witness an ineffective president in Russia to manifest its ambitions of expanding NATO eastwards. However, Putin’s re-election has shattered all such dreams of the Western countries. In his maiden speech, after the re-election, Putin said that the conflict between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance would bring closer the likelihood of a third world war, in which no one is interested. Behind Putin’s remarks were the recent warmongering endeavors and statements of the Western leaders. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has augmented the most serious conflict between the West and Russia. With this conflict, Ukraine has now joined the club of countries that underscore the toll of the United States’ military madness along with Gaza, Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Haiti, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Kosovo, and North Korea.
The West’s ambition to expand NATO eastwards resulted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both countries attempted to resolve the conflict through peaceful negotiations in the past. Oleksiy Arestovych, a Ukrainian negotiator, stated that this conflict could have been the shortest one in history if Biden had endorsed the agreement, which was already being celebrated in Kyiv, seeking peace and neutrality negotiated in Turkey in 2022. The West, especially, the United States and NATO, sought to prolong the war in Ukraine. This not only depicts the Russian desire for peace at its eastern border but also exposes the Western hypocrisy about the alleged human rights violations in Ukraine.
Many NATO member countries are fueling the incessant Russia-Ukraine conflict through their military support. French President Macron’s recent statement about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine has also increased the menace of an imminent nuclear war. The recent leaked details of high-level German military officials, in which the officials were discussing a possible military invasion of Russia by NATO, also demonstrate the warmongering of the European nations.
The military ambitions of the United States and its Western allies are costing colossal loss of human lives around the world. Despite Russia’s obvious military supremacy, the West’s backing of Ukraine is costing the latter huge economic and human losses. Similarly, the United States and its European allies, the self-proclaimed champions of human rights, are also responsible for the Israeli genocide in Gaza. In October 2023, the Biden administration sought approval of $106 billion cumulative aid for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel from Congress. Biden has also sought the approval of a $61 billion weapons package for Ukraine in his 2024 State of the Union speech. Israel is the largest recipient of US aid since World War 2 which has resulted in the killing of hundreds of Palestinians over the decades. The United States military madness has pitted the West against the East. Most of the global south is now siding with Russia and China.
Incessant conflicts around the world have increased the chances of a nuclear conflict or World War 3 between the East and the West. The United States is playing a pivotal role in most of the persistent conflicts around the world. Threats of a possible nuclear war between China and the United States in the South China Sea cannot be overruled. The United States has ramped up its support for Taiwan. Many Western moves hint towards the attempts to support the independence of Taiwan. The visits of high-level US officials to Taiwan have infuriated China. Moreover, the invitation of the Taiwanese Digital Minister Audrey Tang to the Third Summit for Democracy was highly opposed by Chinese officials. China has hardened its rhetoric towards Taiwan after the recent 2024 presidential elections on the island, which resulted in the election of a pro-West President. The South China Sea has turned into a potential flash point due to the increased military exercises and presence of the US and Chinese army.
Tension in the Korean peninsula is also simmering. North Korea has also overruled the possibility of unification of North Korea and South Korea. South Korea and Japan have strengthened their military. Meanwhile, Russian and North Korean cooperation is also strengthening. The situation is most likely to lead to a nuclear war or a third world war. Moreover, the situation in the Middle East can also engulf the countries beyond the region. The US and UK’s attacks on Yemen’s Houthis have already made the situation in the Middle East direr. Recent, terrorist attacks in Moscow have further exacerbated the situation in the Asian region. Although ISIS (is banned in Russia) has claimed responsibility for these attacks, the involvement of the US or European nations behind these attacks cannot be overruled, considering the anxiety of the West over the re-election of President Putin. Many analysts and leaders around the world have blamed the United States for the creation of ISIS (is banned in Russia). In the past, the United States even sponsored the Afghan Taliban, whom it later called terrorists, against the Soviet Union. It is expected that the West will attempt to erode Russia’s strength through terrorist attacks or by sending troops to Ukraine. However, the result of this move will be beyond the apprehension of the Western leaders. Therefore, all European leaders and the US should take prudent steps to protect humanity from imminent apocalypse.
Abbas Hashemite – is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist, exclusively for “New Eastern Outlook”.