As Ukraine is not interested in getting what it can get, Russia has decided to launch an overnight bombing campaign. The missile and drone attacks killed 12 people and injured another 90 people in Kiev, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Moscow launched airstrikes after Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelensky rejected a peace proposal that reportedly included acceptance of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Zelensky stated the following about the proposal: “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There is nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
Whether or not they recognize it, Russia ruled Crimea, which was for ten years. Furthermore, three years after invading it, Russia controls the eastern border region of Ukraine. And given the Ukrainian talent problem and its dependence on the US and Western European countries for everything except the aforementioned declined talent, Russia smells blood in the water.
President Donald Trump responds to the strike by disciplining Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media, asking him a lot to stop. He wrote about the true society:
I am not satisfied with Russia's strike against Kiev. Not necessary, very bad timing. Vladimir, stop! 5,000 soldiers are almost dying per week. Let's complete the peace deal!
The United States must propose a peace agreement that will allow Russia to maintain most of its territory since February 2022, and Ukraine must abandon its desire to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Ukrainian Parliament passed the law in 2019 to codify the pursuit of NATO membership. However, Russia sees NATO as a hostile military alliance and has for many years made it clear that it will not accept Ukrainian entrance to NATO. American foreign policy experts, including Jeffrey Sachs, who wrote the Soviet Union's containment policy in 1947, and US diplomat George Kennan, warned that NATO issues could lead to major issues. For more information, please click here.
A general view of the West is that Ukraine is being asked to make all the concessions. When a reporter asked Trump during a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gaal, the concessions Putin made said, “We're stopping the war, stopping the entire country from taking away the country, and making a pretty big concession.”
After the strike, Russia broadcasted new threats through state-run organ RT. On Thursday, RT published an article entitled “Western Aggression May Cause Russia's Nuclear Response – Security Chief.” Russian National Security Council Chief Sergei Shoyg said Moscow reserves the right to launch nuclear power in response to military attacks in the West. The threat was a response to “discussions in Western Europe about the possibility of military deployment into Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal, as well as the EU's plan to rearm the BLOC.” Shoigu said Moscow “is closely monitoring EU countries' military preparations” and that nuclear weapons could be used “in the case of invasion” against Russia or Belarus. Furthermore, Russia's National Security Council Secretary warned about the war between Russia and NATO.
…The presence of foreign troops in Ukraine could lead to a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, which could escalate into a nuclear war.
European leaders spoke about stationing peacekeeping forces in Ukraine to prevent future Russian invasions. And now, the countries on the continent are already beginning to arm themselves, as the United States no longer promotes the security of Europe. Earlier this month, Ukraine's European allies pledged $24 billion in new military support. In March, 27 European leaders signed plans to increase defence spending. The plan would invest around 150 billion euros on military purchases from the European Union's unused funds. Germany has also vowed to lift fiscal restrictions as part of its efforts to Reim. And the collection of Scandinavian countries has pooled their resources to strengthen their capabilities to stem potential attacks from Russia.
In February, Denmark decided to increase military spending by 70% over the next two years. Its special forces deploy decades of experience in parts of Afghanistan and Iraq. Denmark combines its power with Sweden, Finland and Norway to build a regional security coalition. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Sweden has an advanced defense industry that makes submarines, combat tanks and supersonic jet fighter jets. Norway brings maritime surveillance and combat capabilities to the Arctic. Finland has one of the largest resident and artillery forces per capita in Europe.
From where the Russians stand, this transforms Europe into a “global source of risk.” Timofey Bordachev wrote in RT:
Today, facing a dead end of its own development, Western Europe has once again gone outwards in search of scapegoats. The preferred solution this time is militarization, and perhaps “to counter… aging populations, welfare system failures, and uncontrolled migration” is to steal nationalist sentiment and drive the elite to a more radical attitude. Finland, once neutral and practical, is now leaning towards anti-Russian rhetoric, hiding its growing internal mal laziness.
