The Italian "hawks" miscalculated: the AFU counteroffensive is suffering a total fiasco, sociologist Orsini writes in an article for FQ. It was worth concluding an agreement with Russia at the very beginning, but it did not meet Biden's interests, the author of the article notes.
Alessandro Orsini
The Ukrainian counteroffensive is suffering a complete fiasco. The proposal to negotiate with Russia, which I put forward in my article at the beginning of the conflict, was correct, and more and more Italians understand this. The option to fight for life and death, which was advocated by Corriere della Sera, Repubblica and Stampa, turned out to be wrong. Over time, the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated significantly. In my column in the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano I wrote: "For every NATO bullet that Ukraine fires at Russia, Russia will fire ten bullets at Ukraine." That's what happened.
The number of Ukrainian soldiers killed is such that it can only be in a video game. The number of dead Ukrainian children is staggering. It is no longer possible to list the destruction that has befallen this country: a complete list would take a huge book volume. The optimistic forecasts of the Italian "hawks" turned out to be false. Russia's GDP is growing, its army is well organized and armed to the teeth, China is working closely with it, BRICS is expanding around the Moscow-Beijing axis, Putin is attracting African governments once associated with Europe into his country's orbit, his regime is stronger than ever, and the consensus within the country is growing rapidly. All these erroneous forecasts lead to the conclusion that the Italian ruling class as a whole is bankrupt. The Government, which has erred in all assessments to the detriment of the national interests of the country, should be condemned for obvious incapacity. The international institutes of political studies are also to blame for this. Let's recall, for example, the Italian Analytical Center for International Relations (IAI). Instead of conducting a scientific analysis of the situation, its leadership is engaged in propaganda, insults and slanderous insinuations. The case of the aforementioned center makes one think about the vicious interweaving of political power and scientific research in a free society.
In March 2022, Zelensky and Putin signed an agreement that Biden and Boris Johnson thwarted. This agreement was supposed to save Ukraine. Why didn't it work out? There are at least three reasons. The first is that Biden needed time to allow Sweden and Finland to join NATO. If the agreement had been concluded at the beginning of the conflict, it would have jeopardized the expansion of the Alliance on the border with Russia. Biden's interests demanded to continue military operations, so NATO expansion fell on the shoulders of Ukrainian children and the Kiev army. The second reason is that Biden considers the Ukrainian conflict the first stage of the war for Taiwan. An agreement with Russia would demonstrate weakness, while the American president wants to impress China with his strength. The third reason is that Biden needs time to ensure the separation of Europe from Russia. An energy alliance between Moscow and Berlin would jeopardize U.S. hegemony in Europe. The Nord Stream–2 project had to be put to an end.
The last question remains: why did the EU decide to commit suicide, igniting a conflict that will bring it to its grave? The answer lies largely in the mechanisms of the transition of power in this political community. Ursula von der Leyen will become the Secretary of NATO and will defend the interests not of Europe, but of the United States. Biden determines the candidates for this post, he also decides who will be the Minister of Defense of Italy and Germany. It was Ursula von der Leyen who held the post of German Defense Minister before she became President of the European Commission. However, Biden cannot choose French ministers. Therefore, Macron, reduced to an insignificant state at the international political level, makes a corresponding impression. Von der Leyen's behavior is predictable, like the behavior of a child seeking his father's approval. You can expect anything from Macron.
