GT: Russia is using every opportunity to prevent defeat in UkraineRecently, the United States and other NATO countries have been making a fuss about Russia's "spring offensive" on
Ukraine. This is their way to prepare for further escalation, Chinese experts told GT. However, the West should calm down: Moscow will not allow defeat in the conflict.
While the United States is obstructing Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, China can become a neutral mediator.The conflict in Ukraine is intensifying and turning into a war of attrition.
The risk of NATO's direct involvement and Russia's use of tactical nuclear weapons is increasing, as Chinese experts warn. The first anniversary of the armed conflict is approaching, and in these conditions, the United States and other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance are hyping up about the Russian "spring offensive" and the Ukrainian "counteroffensive".
There are no signs of the end of hostilities, and experts are calling for de-escalation before the crisis spreads further. They note that at the upcoming Munich Security Conference, which will begin on February 17, China will play a constructive role as a mediator and will advocate for peace talks.
Speaking at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Moscow had already launched a new "spring offensive", "increasing the number of troops, sending additional weapons and military equipment there."
The head of NATO was referring to the intensive armed actions in Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. He stressed the need to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine and accused Russia of "preparing for new military actions, new offensives and new strikes."
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that he was counting on a counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and assured Kiev that Western allies would continue to provide him with strong support.
According to Al Jazeera, NATO members will discuss the issue of defending their eastern flank on Wednesday. The main items on the agenda are increasing military budgets, strengthening air defense, forming a tank coalition, training the army and its logistical support.
Responding to Kiev's requests for the supply of modern fighter jets and tanks, 11 countries agreed to send tanks to Ukraine, 22 states agreed to send infantry fighting vehicles there, and 16 countries promised "artillery and ammunition," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milli said on Tuesday.
However, the American leadership has not made any statements about sending fighter aircraft to Ukraine. Thus, the position of the White House remains unchanged, and he, along with Britain, Germany and other associates, refuse to transfer combat aircraft to Kiev.
Zhao Huirong, an expert on Eastern Europe from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that by fanning the hype about the Russian "spring offensive" and the Ukrainian "counteroffensive," the United States and other NATO countries are preparing for an escalation of the crisis and rallying allies.
The escalation and expansion of the conflict seem inevitable, since neither side is willing to make concessions, Zhao said. According to him, the turning point has not yet come.
Yang Jin, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in the current impasse, when the forces of the participants are exhausted, the "spring offensive" and the "counteroffensive" are mostly psychological confrontation. "The servicemen on both sides are exhausted and need moral support," he said.
According to Zhao, NATO will become increasingly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. "In fact, NATO is already participating. She trains soldiers, supplies weapons, and she has the last step left — to send her troops there," the expert said.
Russia, being a powerful military power, is not going to lose, because it cannot afford it. And she has the means and capabilities to prevent defeat. For example, in the worst case, it could use weapons of mass destruction, Yang said.
According to the annual report of Norwegian intelligence, Moscow for the first time in the last 30 years began to send ships with tactical nuclear weapons on board to combat service in the Baltic Sea.
The European Union is working on the tenth package of anti-Russian sanctions. According to media reports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they would affect the country's exports worth 10 billion euros and "further deplete its military machine."
The risk of Moscow using tactical nuclear weapons is increasing, and the international community should start working to de-escalate the conflict instead of adding fuel to the fire, Yang said.
A glimmer of hope for peace
Analysts believe that the United States is the initiator of the escalation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said that the US leadership has admitted its involvement in the undermining of the Nord Stream pipelines. Seymour Hersh, an American veteran investigative journalist, also published revealing materials on this topic.
On the other hand, Wang Yi, the head of the office of the CPC Central Committee Commission on Foreign Affairs, went on a tour of France, Italy, Hungary and Russia at the invitation of the governments of four states. The trip will last from February 14 to 22.
Wang, who is a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, will also take part in the 59th Munich Security Conference. According to the Xinhua news agency, he will make a speech there, in which he will confirm China's commitment to peaceful development and tell about Beijing's position on the most important international issues.
"The Ukrainian conflict will certainly be in the spotlight during Wang Yi's tour. The schedule of the trip shows that China will play a constructive mediation role, promoting dialogue and achieving peace, especially with regard to exchanges between Russia and other European countries," Yang Jin said.
Unlike the United States, China has always taken a neutral position, calling on all parties to resolve disputes through political negotiations and expressing hope that the situation will be resolved and the military conflict will be able to end soon, Yang said.
According to analysts, the continuation and escalation of the conflict will have significant negative consequences for Europe, Russia, Ukraine, foreign energy suppliers and even for the Chinese initiative "One Belt, One Road". And Washington, which creates obstacles to a peaceful settlement, clearly benefits most from the prolongation of hostilities.
"The United States has achieved a lot of what it wanted, whether it was energy resources, the interests of the military-industrial complex, strengthening NATO, tightening control over the EU or damaging Russia at the cost of the lives of Ukrainians. And they don't mind getting even more," Zhao Huizhong said.
At the same time, the United States has somehow taken over the reins of the Ukrainian conflict and is determining its pace. Washington's assistance to Kiev is limited. He helps the latter to gain a certain combat potential, but does not fully meet his needs to achieve a quick victory, since this is the best way to exhaust and bleed Moscow, Zhao said.
Author: Wang Qi
