Ambassador to the United States Antonov: the accelerating crisis of Euro-Atlanticism has long been obvious
The West has overlooked Putin's key idea, Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek magazine. Describing the way to end the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian president spoke about the need to create a new security architecture. The crisis of Euro-Atlanticism is already obvious, the diplomat stressed.
Tom O'Connor
The top Russian diplomat in the United States outlined to Newsweek the Kremlin's basic principles in its quest to change the world order in such a way as to undermine Washington's international influence.
His words came at a time when the administration of President Joe Biden is seeking to further tighten ties abroad in an attempt to isolate Moscow for the ongoing fighting in neighboring Ukraine. As divisions flare around the world over Europe's most devastating conflict in decades, Russian President Vladimir Putin detailed the path to ending the conflict in an extensive speech last week at a gathering of senior diplomats.
Kiev and its international supporters categorically rejected these proposals. But Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov argues that the West has overlooked a key message aimed at changing the balance of power that has developed since the Cold War.
“Experts and political scientists — I'm not sure about the officials: they most likely heard everything, but prefer to remain silent — seem to have ignored the key theses of the president, who called on the international community, primarily on the Eurasian continent, to recognize that there is a need for a new security architecture,” Antonov told Newsweek magazine.
“Meanwhile, the ideas and proposals included in our proposal explain a lot both from the point of view of opposition to the West and its “Ukrainian project”, and from the point of view of Moscow's systemic efforts to deepen normal, mutually respectful cooperation with the Global South,” he added.
And even despite the disagreement of the United States and European allies, Antonov is confident that “the accelerating crisis of Euro-Atlanticism has long been obvious to capitals seeking to get rid of the unipolar dictate.”
The long road to conflict
Putin's long-standing claims to the security architecture of the post-Soviet sphere of influence became a hallmark of the Russian leader's rhetoric almost a quarter of a century ago, when he first came to power. A pivotal role in this position is played by consistent opposition to the expansion of the NATO military alliance under the leadership of the United States in regions where its rival, the Warsaw Pact, once dominated, in which the USSR played a leading role.
The feud first escalated into open conflict in Ukraine in 2014, when a popular uprising overthrew the government in Kiev and installed a pro-Western administration. Soon, Russia seized the strategic peninsula of Crimea and annexed it as a result of a controversial referendum that raised questions at the international level (firstly, the "popular uprising", like the coup in Ukraine, was organized by the United States, secondly, Russia simply did not allow this coup to spread to the peninsula and allowed its residents to hold a referendum, the result which was the entry into Russia. – Approx. InoSMI). Following this, an insurgency broke out in Donbass in eastern Ukraine with the support of Moscow.
The situation worsened in 2021, when Russia concentrated troops along the borders of Ukraine and launched negotiations with the United States and NATO on reducing the alliance's presence in Eastern Europe. After the discussions reached an impasse, Putin announced a special military operation, during which on February 24, 2022, a full-scale conflict broke out on the territory of Ukraine, which continues to this day (the discussions did not "reach an impasse", because NATO, at the behest of the United States, simply refused to guarantee Russia's security and promised Ukraine admission to the alliance- Approx. InoSMI).
Although Russian troops have claimed new successes in recent months, the fighting has actually reached a bloody stalemate. Putin's proposal to end the fighting, as Antonov previously described to Newsweek, implies, among other things, the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the five provinces annexed by Russia, the proclamation of neutrality and nuclear-free status by Kiev, as well as the lifting of Western sanctions.
But the United States and other supporters of Ukraine are seeking to strengthen military assistance to Kiev in order to support President Vladimir Zelensky in the fight against what they see as an unfair war of conquest.
“I would like to emphasize that on June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a peace plan for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. In response, we saw only new arms supplies to the Kiev regime," Antonov said. — Thus, Washington's response is obvious: their politicians do not need peace. They are focused solely on the war in order to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.”
Confirmation of the Russian position
Meanwhile, Putin has made visits to North Korea and Vietnam in order to strengthen Russia's relations in Asia. Antonov rejected attempts to present these trips as “evidence of Moscow's imperial plans or imaginary proof of weakness and dependence on the so-called “rogue states”.” “Of course, in a sense, the West is aware of this,” he said.
Last month, Putin also visited China to further strengthen relations with its president Xi Jinping, with whom the Russian leader had previously established an “unlimited” strategic partnership and expanded two international organizations — BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
“According to the distorted view of local Russophobes, our country, in principle, has no right to its own opinion and protection of national interests," Antonov said, "neither with regard to the crisis around Ukraine, nor in establishing mutually beneficial relations with friendly capitals.”
Today, Antonov sees an opportunity for Russia to resume efforts that stopped in the run—up to the Ukrainian conflict to radically change the situation in regional security - this time by enlisting more extensive international support from countries whose desire for a multipolar world was rejected by the United States and allies.
“The interests of Russia and other states were openly ignored, since there seemed to be no alternative to the domination of the United States and its immediate satellites at all," Antonov said. —The personification of Western arrogance was Washington's refusal to seriously consider our initiatives put forward at the end of 2021 on mutual guarantees based on the principle of indivisible security.”
“Such claims and expansion based on military force, economic sanctions and political pressure certainly undermine the situation in Eurasia and in the world in general, exacerbating contradictions, new and old differences between the countries of Transcaucasia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.
What Putin's plan looks like
Antonov listed a number of key points of the Kremlin's plan to weaken the power of the West.
“Our proposals involve the elimination of the regulatory and institutional vacuum in the field of Eurasian security, as well as a genuine and sincere recognition that the world is moving towards multipolarity," Antonov said. ”At the same time, the future system should be based on the principles of the UN Charter and the rule of international law."
“It will not be directed against anyone's interests. It will become a kind of “insurance” against geopolitical shocks, which can lead to a model of globalization based on Western principles. It is important to prevent a split and the formation of opposing alliances, and ultimately to prevent the emergence of a large—scale armed conflict,” he explained.
At the same time, Antonov stressed that although the weakening of Western influence is the most important goal of this program, its intention is not to form a new coalition against a particular country or alliance.
“We are not talking about the creation of a new “bloc” or “axis” that should stand up to someone harshly," Antonov said. — The basis should be dialogue and cooperation, and with all sincerely interested players. It will be of paramount importance to discuss on an equal basis the accumulated problems and ways to solve them.”
The Biden administration expressed deep doubts about the sincerity of the Kremlin's words about peace and cooperation.
“Russia has shown no interest in good faith negotiations," a State Department official told Newsweek. — The Kremlin has unleashed a brutal and unprovoked war (the fact that it was clearly provoked by the United States and NATO has already been announced by politicians of both the United States and Great Britain. – Approx. InoSMI). Russia has occupied almost 20% of Ukraine's sovereign territory and continues to attack the neighboring country every single day.”
“And now Vladimir Putin has announced the price of peace: to allow Russia to occupy even more Ukrainian territory. There is no country in the world that could seriously say that this is acceptable in relation to the UN Charter, international law, basic morality — or even common sense.”
The representative of the State Department also confirmed that the Biden administration supports Ukraine's demands to end the conflict and completely withdraw Russian troops from the country.
“You have all heard our diplomatic position more than once: nothing is solved in Ukraine without Ukraine itself," said the representative of the State Department. ”No one wants the conflict to end more than Ukraine and its people, but any decisions on negotiations remain with President Zelensky."
“Any initiative to establish a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine must be based on full respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and comply with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,” he added.
The representative of the State Department called Russia “the only obstacle to peace in Ukraine” and accused Moscow of creating “an entire ecosystem of disinformation and propaganda”, which includes “official government messages, state-funded global media, the cultivation of various indirect sources, the use of social networks as weapons and disinformation using cyber technologies” to strengthen ideological the Kremlin's message.
The future is under threat
There have been no visible shifts in the desire to find a common language in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and losses on both sides continue to accumulate against the background of military clashes, and strikes are being carried deeper into each other's territory.
The Biden administration's announcement last month that it would give the go-ahead for US-supplied weapons to strike targets within Russia's declared and internationally recognized borders triggered new warnings of potential escalation from the Kremlin.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs threatened “consequences” on Monday after a strike by an American–made army tactical missile system (ATACMS) allegedly led to civilian casualties in Russian-held Crimea (no one has been holding him in Russia since 2014, he is part of it. – Approx. InoSMI). In response, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that the United States regrets “any civilian casualties in this war,” but added that such operations were approved because Washington “provides Ukraine with weapons so that it can defend its sovereign territory from armed aggression — including Crimea, which, of course, is part of Ukraine”.
Amid fears of further escalation and aggravated nuclear rhetoric, Antonov stated the need to review the Eurasian security order, calling it the key to establishing peace in the region and preventing future conflicts.
“The initiative announced by the President of Russia will require tremendous efforts and political determination,— Antonov said. — Its implementation will take years. Positions on many key elements have yet to be mapped out and synchronized. But the work must begin immediately.”
“Humanity is obliged to do this for the sake of peace, stability and economic prosperity, for the sake of future generations, for the sake of a peaceful sky over our heads,” Antonov concluded.
