Secretary of State Blinken is back in Brussels, where he was just three weeks ago, to discuss countermeasures with NATO allies. Last time it was to unite allies to deal with the threat of China, this time it is to deal with Russia. The Biden administration has already faced two geopolitical adversaries, China and Russia, in less than three months in office. There may be a third, fourth, or even more adversaries in the future, just as Kim Chan Rong expects.
Russia’s recent military build-up on the Ukrainian border and the Crimean Peninsula
Clashes between Ukrainian troops and separatists backed by the Russian government have heated up in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, undermining a cease-fire that was brokered last year. Russia has amassed troops on the border with Ukraine, raising fears that the conflict in eastern Ukraine could escalate into a major crisis.
It’s good to be back in Brussels,” tweeted Blinken on Monday (April 12). The U.S. is committed to rebuilding U.S. alliances, especially with our NATO allies” and “We remain steadfast in our support of NATO as a vital forum for transatlantic security.” While Blinken’s words were easy, the reality was bone-chilling. After a conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday about the situation in Ukraine, he said: both sides agreed that Russia must end its dangerous military build-up and ongoing aggression against Ukraine’s borders. For his part, Stoltenberg stressed that “Russia’s massive military build-up is irrational, inexplicable and deeply worrying.” “Russia must end its military build-up in and around Ukraine, stop provocations and de-escalate the situation immediately.”
Blinken’s agenda for Tuesday (April 13) included an evening meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Before the meeting, Kuleba said that Ukraine “does not want war” but rather “is committed to resolving the conflict through diplomatic and political means. But he also noted that “if Russia makes any reckless moves or starts a new escalation of violence, it will be costly in every sense of the word.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin also traveled to Brussels with Blinken, albeit reportedly to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
The message coming out of Russia carries a strong firehose, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu saying on the 13th that Russia is taking measures such as operational readiness checks and troop exercises in response to threatening military action by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Shoigu reasoned that NATO is planning to deploy 40,000 troops and 15,000 military equipment units near Russian territory, so the Russian government has sent troops to the western border to conduct “training exercises” in response to NATO’s threatening actions. The Russian Defense Minister admitted that two army units and three airborne units have been successfully deployed to the western border of the Russian Federation for combat training exercises over the past three weeks.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also directed criticism at the U.S. and other NATO countries, saying they are deliberately turning Ukraine into a powder keg and that they are stepping up arms supplies to the country. He threatened: If there is any deterioration in the situation, we will do everything we can to ensure the safety of ourselves and our citizens, wherever they are. But Kiev and its Western allies will take full responsibility for the consequences of a hypothetical worsening of the situation.
He also said in response to the planned deployment of U.S. warships to the Black Sea in the near future: “We warn the United States that it would be better to stay away from the Crimean Peninsula and our Black Sea coast. This is for their own good. The United States is our adversary, doing everything possible to undermine Russia’s position on the world stage.
The Kremlin spokesman insisted just a few days ago that the Ukrainian armed forces were preparing to attack the eastern regions occupied by rebel forces, a claim denied by the Ukrainian military leadership.
Following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists have been fighting in the eastern part of the country since, killing more than 14,000 people and halting talks to resolve the conflict in the east through political means. While former U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO allies have been publicly quarreling over budget sharing and other issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been careful not to dare to take on the United States through the Ukraine issue.
Biden’s presidency has brought China and Russia together subjectively and objectively, and the two countries will embrace the warmth and cooperate with each other to help each other get what they need.
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