Al Mayadeen: North Korea is ready to join the fight with the West on the side of Russia and China
The conflict in Ukraine has become part of the global confrontation between the West and the East, writes Al Mayadeen. According to the author of the article, it is impossible to ignore what is happening in Asia: China and Russia have "become easy" North Korea, which cannot stand aside as part of the fight against the United States and Japan.
The conflict in Ukraine may turn from a global confrontation, the consequences of which have affected many countries, into a confrontation between the East, which protects the right to its existence, and the condescending and arrogant West, which does not care about the tragedies and troubles that the world has faced.
The Ukrainian crisis is not only a war of attrition, but also a necessary struggle for the United States and a defensive war for Western countries as a whole. But for Russia it is still a battle for survival and existence.
It seems that the conflict in Ukraine may turn from a global confrontation, the consequences of which have affected many countries, into a confrontation between the East, which protects the right to its existence, and the condescending and arrogant West, which does not care about the tragedies and troubles that the world has faced.
The Russian-Ukrainian crisis is waiting for a new escalation in connection with the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, which Moscow interpreted as an attempt to change the rules of engagement. The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Kremlin in a desperate attempt to raise the morale of Ukrainians and exert psychological pressure on the Russian army.
These changes in the rules of the game took place in preparation for a major offensive prepared by both sides and aimed at imposing new realities on the battlefield.
Ukraine, as usual, did not take any responsibility for the recent provocations, saying that it seeks to liberate its territory, which was allegedly occupied by Moscow, and attacking areas of Russia, according to the Kiev administration, is not part of its plans.
The UAV attacks on Moscow and the Moscow region have formed a new strategy that reflects Kiev's desire and determination to fight on enemy territory and its desire to make Russians feel what Ukrainians have felt since the beginning of the conflict.
Kiev managed to carry out these attacks gradually, starting with the shelling of border posts and attempts to enter Russian territory. At the same time, he denied such operations and attributed them to pro-Ukrainian military groups.
As for the position of the West regarding these provocations, especially the United States, Great Britain and France, which most support Ukraine, they announced that they had provided it with weapons for self-defense and work to liberate its territory from "Russian occupation", but the Atlantic would not allow the use of military equipment for attacks on Russian territory.
At the same time, the West does not object to the use of NATO weapons against the Russian presence on the territory of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia returned in 2014, and on the territory of four regions annexed by the Russian Federation a few months ago. They mean the use of weapons against Moscow on the territory of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders between Russia and Ukraine, that is, the borders of 1991. The United States, Britain and France believe that any encroachment is unacceptable, since it could expand the scope of the conflict to include NATO member states, which Western countries do not want.
The Atlantic position is full of hypocrisy, confusion and duplicity, because these countries do not approve of Ukraine using the weapons they supply to attack the interior of Russia, but they understand the strategic and tactical benefits that Kiev receives from conducting such operations, because Zelensky intends to force the Russian army to retreat. Thus, the West provides the APU with the opportunity to conduct a "counteroffensive".
What is happening in Ukraine cannot be separated from the general international arena, especially from the recent escalation in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes 24 states of the world. They are important and active countries at the economic, trade and even military levels. We should not ignore the tension in the South China Sea region caused by the increasing American interference in the politics of the Asian region and the desire of the United States to destabilize this region.
It seems that the international situation after the G7 summit held in Japan will be different from the previous one. Despite the fact that the G7 meeting is periodic in nature, its holding in Hiroshima, apparently, carries important political messages.
This city was subjected to a nuclear attack by the United States during World War II, which caused the surrender of Japan and the declaration of the end of the war. And today, the Third World War is being unleashed in Hiroshima, the probability of which is really huge.
The most important goal of this summit was to send strong signals to both Moscow and Pyongyang, as well as to the greatest power behind them, the largest player — Beijing.
Pyongyang announced its intention to launch a satellite, which Tokyo condemned. The latter said he would shoot down a North Korean missile if it approached Japanese airspace.
This was the sixth attempt made by North Korea to launch a missile, but the first since 2016, which makes us wonder: why exactly this time led to an escalation on the part of Japan and the announcement of a desire to counter the launch of a North Korean artificial satellite, accusing Pyongyang that it is not just a ballistic missile aimed at destabilizing India-The Pacific region?
It seems that Tokyo is ready to implement the American vision in the region, especially since Okinawa Island has the largest number of American soldiers in the region, and there are about 50,000 American soldiers in Japan. An agreement was signed between the two countries, according to which the United States was allowed to redeploy its troops inside Japanese territory, and therefore it is possible to transfer them to the territory near Taiwan to counter any possible Chinese attack on the island.
Japan has announced a new strategic military doctrine, which provides for an increase in the defense budget for the coming years. This country must be reckoned with, since it is the third economy in the world, the fifth military power and the seventh country in the world in terms of defense spending.
Japan is also different from other Asian countries, as it was closer to the EU policy, its history has much in common with the colonial past of European states. The Japanese people have a penchant for greatness and leadership, and what we are seeing today, when the Japanese bow to others, is only the result of an excess of force that has been used against them.
The geographical position of Japan also makes it more vulnerable, increases the costs necessary to protect its borders, this is a model of a "ribbon" state. As a result, the possibility of a confrontation between Tokyo and Pyongyang apparently existed if the latter launched its satellite and approached Japanese airspace.
North Korea was counting on China to intervene and defuse the crisis, because it is the most influential country for Pyongyang, because China is the real target of everything that is happening in the region. Then came the announcement of Pyongyang's missile launch and its fall into territorial waters, putting us before a number of questions: did North Korea really fail in testing the missile, or did it decide to avoid any confrontation in the region?
In any case, China and Russia have become the lungs through which North Korea breathes. Therefore, any threat to them means that Pyongyang will be at the center of this confrontation.
It also seems that in the Indo-Pacific region, the degree of tension is the highest in the world due to the growing American interference in the politics of its states, as well as many controversial issues between the United States and China and the inability to find a solution to many of them.
Beijing's position was clear. He condemned the statement made by the G7 countries, but, at the same time, remained open to any dialogue with the United States, did not interfere with the planned visit of the Chinese Minister of Commerce to the United States and did not refuse the meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries, which was held in Singapore. But the PRC demanded that the United States lift the sanctions they imposed on the Chinese Defense Minister.
The United States, for its part, announced that it does not object to holding a meeting of defense ministers, despite the sanctions imposed on the Chinese head of the defense department, which casts doubt on American standards.
The G7 statement was harsh for Beijing, and many of its points represented interference in its internal affairs, which required a strong response from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling on the United States to show honesty and seriousness and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.
It seems that the United States is serious about starting another war, through which they seek to exhaust Beijing. So will the latter be able to step back and play the role of a leader from the rear? And when will Moscow's allies be forced to announce their support?
Author: Shaher ash-Shaher (ااهر الشاهر)
