Maroc - EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 21/Jul 00:28

Is President Elect Trump NATO’s Biggest Enemy? – OpEd

NATO the first and continuing “enabler” as well as catalyst of the war in Ukraine in trouble Western media predictably went to town following NATO’s summit meeting in Wash DC marking the organisation’s 75th anniversary when it released a communique accusing China of being a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Taking up the US attempt to disrupt China’s trade and larger relationship with Russia and to further blacken China’s international image, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stolengerg said that this was “the strongest message NATO allies have ever sent on China’s contributions to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.” No evidence was provided of any weapons or military assistance provided by China to Russia in its Ukraine war to back up this accusation. Neither were there details provided of how China’s trade with Russia may be considered to be “illegal” or different from the rest of the world. Significantly, this accusation on 15 July came after Indian Prime Minister Modi visit to Russia on 8-9 July in which he called Putin his “dear friend”, engaged in a much publicised bear hug, enthused that “[e]very Indian considers Russia to be India’s friend in good and bad times”’, and told the world that “[t]he commitment of our relationship has been tested multiple times and its has emerged very strong each time”. It is no secret that Russia has been India’s largest weapons provider for decades and that Russia’s ability to continue the war in Ukraine has in large part been due to the reluctance and failure of countries led by India and China to participate in the West’s economic sanctions against Russia. Russia’s imports from India include electronic, engineering, industrial and other products that fall into the dual use supplies that China has been accused of being a villain but this NATO is apparently oblivious of, or is unable to join the dots on. NATO’s Imagined and Other Enemies The unprecedented NATO communique drew a sharp response from China. "On the Ukraine crisis, NATO hyped up China's responsibility. It makes no sense and comes with malicious intent," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing. “We urge NATO to reflect on the root cause of the crisis and what it has done, and take concrete action to de-escalate rather than shift blame." Others less charitable would have gone further to point out that NATO is the first and continuing “enabler” as well as catalyst of the war in Ukraine. They would have also reminded NATO of its bloodied hands in conflicts and wars not only in Europe but also around the world such as in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. In the appalling Ukraine bloodshed, it is necessary to note that a key causative factor was NATO’s efforts at further undermining Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union; and its promotion of issues and incursion into territory regarded by Russian leaders as critical to Russia’s security and interests. The undeniable fact is that Russian leaders and some Western policy experts warned more than two decades ago that NATO expansion would produce a new cold war with Russia at best, and a hot one at worst. According to a report by Cato Institute - a US libertarian think tank organisation which cannot be considered a supporter of Putin in any way - George Kennan, the intellectual architect of America’s containment policy during the Cold War, had warned in a May 2, 1998 New York Times interview what NATO’s move eastward would set in motion. “I think it is the beginning of a new cold war,” he stated. “I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. See, “The U.S. and NATO Helped Trigger the Ukraine War. It’s Not ‘Siding With Putin’ to Admit It” in https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-nato-helped-trigger-ukraine-war-its-not-siding-putin-admit-it. Is Trump NATO’s Biggest Enemy Although NATO is bent on a continuation of the war in Ukraine and even to expanding it beyond Europe to take on what some observers describe as an “imagined China enemy” by its latest provocative moves in the Indo Pacific and Asian regions, it may well be that it will be in conflict with Trump who wants to go down in history as the peacemaker in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Trump on several occasions in the past has boasted that he can end the war in one day after he becomes President. Now that his win in the November presidential election is inevitable, it is not only Europe but much of the rest of the world which will be watching to see whether he will be able to live up to his word and mediate to realise the elusive peace agreement. The leadership of NATO is probably having nightmares with the prospect of Trump's imminent election not only for what it may mean for Ukraine. They are fully aware that Trump has disparagingly called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of all time” for his efforts to secure billions of dollars in military, economic and humanitarian aid from Washington. They will also be fearful that Trump’s administration - in contrast to Biden’s - may see an erosion of American support for NATO and its war mongering activities. If so, Trump may well become NATO’s biggest enemy to take down.