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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended the post-Cold War transatlantic order. European countries were forced to reconsider the principles of security and generally reassess the system built after the end of World War II and after the Cold Wars. Putin’s new war against Ukraine has forced both the United States and Britain to rethink their roles in both Europe and Asia. How to understand this new geopolitical landscape is being discussed for two days in London, at a conference of the analytical center Chatham House (“Chatham House”), where journalists from the FREEDOM TV channel work.
“We saw that Russia was not able to do what it hoped for – they could not suppress the air defense of Ukraine. I say with all confidence: the Russians did not defeat the Ukrainian air defense. If you remember what the allies did during Operation Desert Storm with air defenses – then the tactics of destroying air defenses allowed the allied forces to destroy the enemy and take control of the skies over Baghdad and Iraq. And then we defeated the Iraqi army. We thought that Russia would be able to achieve air supremacy over Ukraine, but they did not come close to anything like that!” – Philip Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (2013-2016) said.
Ukraine is the focus of all discussions at the event. But not on its own, but as part of a new global security system that is being formed on the battlefields of Donbass and the south.
So far from here, from Britain, but it is clear from the tone and depth of discussions in London that every detail is known here, all the weaknesses of the Putin regime and his army have been calculated, says Oleksiy Matsuka, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian foreign broadcasting channel FREEDOM.
Top analysts and visiting diplomats discuss how to stop Putin’s aggression and reflect on the conflicts of the 21st century – how to prevent new wars in our century, especially when technology is advancing so rapidly.
“Just a month ago, Ukraine was fighting on a 1,300-kilometer front. I think that now this figure has been reduced to about a thousand kilometers due to the reconquest of land in the northeast. But Ukraine and Russia are fighting on a front of a thousand kilometers… Is NATO ready to fight on a front of a thousand kilometers? It’s a big question,” – Breedlove emphasizes.
He also emphasizes that the Ukrainian defenders have done a great job and are constantly showing that they can quickly master Western technologies and use them in combat.
“First of all, I want to say how proud I am of the Ukrainian military, because they did an excellent job and faced serious problems when all this began. And, frankly, they prove over and over again that they are technically capable of quickly mastering Western technologies and using them in combat, and in some cases they generally teach us the best ways to use our own weapons, up to achieving NATO standards in tactics, techniques and procedures. Of course, there is still much to be done, but Ukraine has already come a long way. And I have to say that right now the Ukrainian army would be a very appropriate and powerful force for NATO,” – said General Philip Breedlove.
The participants in the discussions state: Putin has put the Europeans in a very dangerous position. First, it is about whether the US is ready to fight two battles simultaneously against China and Russia, and what this means for Europe.
“Is China ready to fight? Are we ready to participate in two wars at the same time? No, because none of us integrated defense systems, changed defense plans, and did not assume two simultaneous wars … The short answer is no, ” – says the CEO of the American military-industrial corporation Lockheed Martin.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Przydacz is sure that another problem that requires careful attention is the role of the Russian Federation in the Western Balkans.
“We see more and more close cooperation between Russia and Iran. Iran is also isolated by many governments in the Western community, while they are trying to improve relations with Russia. We also need to consider Russia’s role in the Western Balkans, in the heart of Europe. This will be a problem for the next couple of months and years as the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina changes,” – he says.
The war in Ukraine affects the whole world. It has exacerbated old problems in the countries of the Southern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Western Balkans. It is no longer possible to delay – it is time for Western governments to take not just a political and diplomatic position, but begin to eliminate the risks emanating from both Russia and China.
“There is still time – there is no need to be afraid of Putin, Ukrainians have already shown an example to the whole world that authoritarianism, colonialism and dictatorship can be stopped! And it is necessary! ”, – summed up Matsuka.
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