THE Russia-Ukraine conflict is getting more dangerous by the day due to the nuclear risks and the one-upmanship of Russia and the NATO members. The drone attack on May 3, resulting in a fireball over the iconic Kremlin building complex, purportedly to assassinate President Vladimir Putin, will really become a game changer with far-reaching consequences.
Former president Dmitry Medvedev and the Russian Parliament have called for the elimination of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and his group, who have overreached themselves with this dangerous assassination bid on the Russian leader’s life.
Russia’s Victory Day, celebrated annually on May 9, could up the ante on the conflict.
Surely things will get hotter from now on, with Russia possibly launching a blitz against Kyiv and trying to wipe out Ukrainian resistance. Russia president Vladimir Putin may now resort to the original plan, which was to attack Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian leadership within days and replace it with a pro-Russian one.
A change of strategy saw Russia concentrate more on eastern Ukraine, and this has prolonged the war apart from the stiffer Ukrainian resistance and NATO’s large supply of arms. Intense aerial bombing by Russia could be the next stage, and it could result in heavy civilian casualties, which Russia has so far avoided.
It is also one of the reasons for Russia’s slow progress. As the conflict drags on, there is always a danger that it of the conflict snowballing into a greater war between NATO and Russia.
Russia has also decided to position some of its massive nuclear arsenal in Belarus, and on the other hand, NATO is literally pouring weapons into Ukraine.
The war, which was expected to last only a few weeks after a swift surrender by Ukraine in the face of a massive onslaught by a former superpower, has now been prolonged to more than a year. Soviet World War 11 hero, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, must be turning in his grave at this pathetic display of Russian incompetence and slackness in not defeating Ukraine within a very short time.
This war has dented Russia’s military image and prowess worldwide, especially after its hard won brilliant battles against the Germans during the Second World War. Even China is puzzled as to why the Russian military has been bogged down in Ukraine.
China can learn useful lessons from the Russian debacle regarding its much-hyped intention to invade Taiwan.
Not since the Vietnam and Afghan wars have the US, Russia, and even China fought a proxy war like they are doing in Ukraine, to the devastation of the proxy state, Ukraine.
It is really surprising that Western European leaders have not made serious efforts to stop the conflict through negotiations, despite knowing the serious implications of a wider war. It is regrettable that the powerful European NATO members have given in to the US and the UK to decide on the fate of Europe.
Many peaceful overtures have stalled due to the intransigence on both sides as well as the intervention of other powers. It is also time that the UN disbands the UNSC, as it is rendered impotent and useless in avoiding wars or resolving them.
The latest is the conflagration in Sudan. The UN should instead concentrate more on set-ups like WHO, UNESCO,FAO, WTO, and others. This war cannot go on like this, and it has to be resolved quickly in one way or another.
Possibly, it will be the drone attack to kill President Putin that triggers the next round of intensified war to conclude the conflict. NATO and Russia could come perilously close to a head-on collision, and it is hoped that a direct confrontation between the nuclear powers will be averted. — May 5, 2023
V. Thomas is a Focus Malaysia viewer.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: CNBC
