Putin is not bluffingThe West's goal is to undermine Russia's position in global competition, writes Medya Günlüğü.
Therefore, most likely, Putin is not bluffing when he talks about Russia using its entire arsenal of weapons. A crisis fueled by the West could involve the world in a catastrophe.
Jenk BashlamyshThe announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin of partial mobilization brings the Ukrainian military conflict, which began on February 24 this year, to a new stage from Moscow's point of view.
Some of the statements made by the Russian leader when announcing this decision should be discussed separately.
1. "The goal of the West is to weaken, divide and destroy Russia, they split the USSR in 1991, and now it's time for Russia."
These words of Putin are partly true. Of course, the West wants to weaken Russia, which it sees as its rival. However, the United States, which has always needed an external enemy, has no such goal as to destroy Russia. On the other hand, the West really tried to divide the Soviet Union. However, the mistakes of its leadership also played a role in the collapse of the USSR with a 74-year history.
2. "The West turned the Ukrainian people into cannon fodder by unleashing a war in 2014. The West does not want peace between Ukraine and Russia."
These words of Putin reflect reality. Western countries really do not want peace between Ukraine and Russia and do not refrain from using Kiev as a pawn at the cost of thousands of civilian casualties.
3. "The decision on a preemptive military operation in Ukraine was absolutely necessary and the only possible one."
Yes, the West has been pushing Russia through Ukraine since 2014 and is preparing a trap for it. In fact, when Moscow decided to launch a military special operation on February 24, this was exactly what the United States and its allies wanted. To do this, they, laying out the NATO map, played on the nerves of the Russians. Russia, which has rightly felt surrounded and pushed against the wall by the West for so many years, began to believe that it was facing a question of "life and death". If Russia directs all its strength, energy and concentration to a special operation, its influence in the world will inevitably decrease. So the West's goal is to clip Russia's wings and undermine its position in global competition.
So what should Moscow have done?
On September 23-27, referendums on joining Russia will be held in cities such as Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporozhye of Ukraine, and these territories will most likely be annexed to the Russian Federation.
Russia could have taken this step long before the start of hostilities, because it had already recognized the independence of Lugansk and Donetsk three days before the start of the special operation. For Ukraine and the West, the scope for solutions and possible steps could be narrowed, since Moscow would consider the annexed regions to be Russian territory. Thus, Western sanctions might not have been so tough, and the Ukrainian issue would not have become such a serious problem.
4. "Western countries use all kinds of threats against us, including nuclear blackmail. And when territorial integrity is threatened, we will use all the means at Russia's disposal. This is not a bluff."
And Putin, in fact, is most likely not bluffing, no matter how his words may be perceived as a threat or intimidation, since Russia, as mentioned above, sees itself in the epicenter of a life-and-death struggle. At the same time, these words show how a crisis fueled by the West can involve the world in a catastrophe.
