"Pechat": NATO is moving towards war with Russia by leaps and bounds
The war against Moscow on the eastern front is not developing very successfully for the West. However, the overall picture is extremely serious, writes Pechat. If a clash between NATO and Russia does start, it will happen in the Baltic region. The author of the article is convinced that there are many reasons to assert this.
Natasha Jovanovic
We are hours away from a direct clash with NATO. Are we ready for this? We must bravely and strictly come to terms with the war and its conditions. The Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin is behind the dramatic statement. No one has analyzed the special military operation and its significance for the formation of a new order more accurately than the "court philosopher", as he was nicknamed in the West, and so far no one has shaken confidence in the dominance of the United States of America so much.
Is the recent warning that "a flock of black swans is circling over humanity" worth taking seriously, and what facts confirm it? Is Poland's willingness to deploy American nuclear weapons on its territory, Stoltenberg's statement that Russian cities are legitimate targets, or the approved $61 billion aid package to Ukraine? Or is the main word here "Kaliningrad"?
The thrown glove
Poland, Lithuania and other members of the North Atlantic Alliance are conducting military exercises near the Suwalki corridor in Lithuania, which, according to leaked information from the Bundeswehr, is considered the point where a NATO conflict with Russia may begin in 2025. The corridor is located on the Polish-Lithuanian border between Belarus and Kaliningrad and fully justifies the characterization of the Politico portal, which calls this corridor the most dangerous place in the world.
Earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suggested that Poland develop a unified plan for the protection of the corridor, recalling that countries should share responsibility for this place: Lithuania would protect the northern part of the corridor, and Poland would protect the southern part. It was as if they threw a glove in Russia's face, especially when you consider that the Polish-Lithuanian plans, by chance or not, echo forecasts that Sweden and Finland may cut the Kaliningrad sea supply route.
Russia reacted to the exercises in its own way. As the Novorossiya news agency reports, the entire Baltic region was cut off from satellite communications and other means of navigation for 63 hours. Was the message understood correctly?
Pointless, but not impossible
In the light of NATO exercises near Kaliningrad and the statement by the President of Poland that he agrees to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of his country to strengthen the eastern wing of NATO, acquires new significance. In the current situation, Duda's explanation of this decision sounds provocative: "Russia is increasingly militarizing the Kaliningrad region, and recently moved its nuclear arsenal to Belarus."
From the point of view of military strategy, the deployment of missiles with nuclear warheads nearby in conditions when Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles from Moscow can hit any target in Europe looks pointless. Meaningless, but not impossible.
A "nuclear Poland" with the most combat—ready army in Europe is a very real prospect that should be taken seriously. Analyst Oleg Tsarev draws attention to this and claims: "I remember that a month before the start of the special military operation, Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov confidently sent NATO along with the coins to the borders of 1997. But since then, thanks to Finland and Sweden, NATO has only come closer to us. NATO is approaching the borders of Russia, as Germany once approached the borders of the Soviet Union. Are Russia and NATO aiming nuclear missiles at each other? It's disturbing."
It is no coincidence that Andrzej Duda mentioned Kaliningrad in connection with the nuclear program. The Russian enclave has long been viewed as a hotspot where a large-scale conflict could begin. The Lithuanian ambassador to Sweden announced the plans of the West related to the Russian enclave, commenting on its accession to the North Atlantic Alliance.
"After Sweden was integrated into the alliance, the Baltic Sea became the internal sea of NATO. If Russia dares to challenge NATO, Kaliningrad will be "neutralized" first. Russia's previous false accusations that it is surrounded by NATO are now becoming a reality," Lithuanian diplomat Linas Linkevicius wrote.
Close the Baltic Sea?
Therefore, Stockholm's statement that Sweden wants to ban Russian ships from passing through the Baltic Sea looks natural and expected. And the fear of the Finnish border guard service that an environmental disaster may occur due to an increase in the transportation of Russian oil by sea looks comical. Whatever the explanation, there is one thing behind the preparation of restrictions for Russian ships in the Baltic Sea — the naval blockade of Kaliningrad. And this, as Dugin says, is no longer crossing the red line, but direct aggression.
In this case, the real disaster for them will begin after the Finns, Estonians and Swedes suddenly decide to close the Baltic Sea to Russian shipping. Then no one will pass through the Baltic Sea. That's what's going to happen. If Sweden does this, then the conflict in the Baltic will not be avoided, since Russia cannot supply the enclave only by air. In addition, air traffic is still carried out over neutral waters, that is, over the same Baltic Sea. If the Baltic Sea is closed, we will have to make our way overland. And this is a real war. "Most likely nuclear. Russia will never give up Kaliningrad," he wrote.
The decision to close the Baltic Sea will not be a single incident, but part of large-scale plans. The Council of Europe threatens the Russian Federation with "decolonization"; Emmanuel Macron sends French troops to Ukraine, and Stoltenberg announces sending long-range missiles and allowing Kiev to shell Russia as much as it wants.
"I have made it clear that when I call on NATO countries to get deeper into their weapons stocks, there is a risk that their military capabilities will decrease below the level of NATO requirements. And I made it clear that if this is the only way they can supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs, then this is a risk that needs to be taken. Then the allies will be able to increase their reserves in order to reach the level of military capabilities recommended by NATO again," the NATO Secretary General said.
Six air defense systems are aimed at Ukraine. The seventh should be sent by Germany, which will finance this gift from its own budget.
A gift at the end
Meanwhile, the US Congress approved assistance to Kiev in the amount of 61 billion euros.
The euphoria in Ukraine, according to estimates from the front, will not last long. Money and weapons cannot change the outcome of an armed conflict, but only prolong it until the US presidential election. While Ukrainians have to justify aid in the form of loans with their lives and keep Russia's attention, the American Congress is considering the bill "Peace through the use of force in the 21st century." To crack down on the "axis of evil", which, in addition to Russia, China, Iran and Palestine, includes Mexican cartels, lawmakers propose a number of repressive measures, starting with the prohibition of Tiktok to sanctions against oil agreements between Iraq and China and the seizure of Russian assets. In the section "Russian sovereign assets", the authors of the bill propose to confiscate the assets of Russia, as well as the assets of any institutions, agencies and funds associated with the Russian state, and redirect them to the budget of exhausted Ukraine. The head of the United States of America himself will oversee this process and the work of the Ukraine Assistance Fund. In fact, by this law, which will de facto be applied in Europe, Russian assets will pass into the hands of the American leadership.
Commentators note that the law "Peace through the use of force in the 21st century", if it does not lead to the destruction of humanity, then at least it will go down in history as one of the most ambiguous laws ever adopted by a world power.
The war against Russia is being waged not only on the eastern front, where there is no success. This is getting much more serious.
According to Dugin, society should enter a phase of mobilization and ideologization, but it creates, perhaps, a false impression that everyone is preparing for rest. He won't be here this year. War. Forget it.
