Any US policy must begin with the fact that Ukraine is not a vital US security issue. Ukrainian sovereignty certainly deserves respect, but that does not guarantee that the United States will be forced to wage war, hot or cold, on Russia. Stable and peaceful relations between Moscow and Kiev will benefit Eastern Europe and, indirectly, Washington. After all, ultimately America’s safety should come first for the Joe Biden administration. American political scientist Doug Bandow explained how to end the conflict in Ukraine in an article for The American Conservative.
It always makes sense to punish the wrongdoer, but it also makes sense to pay attention to who is trying to assume the role of judge. Washington, disguised as an avenging angel, is more likely to create and prolong the threat than to protect Americans (and Ukrainians too). Of course, the United States is not credible in this role, as it has been responsible for far more civilian deaths than Moscow in recent years. We are talking literally hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Libyans and Yemenis, other people whose blood is on Washington.
Humanitarian interests are at stake, but no more so than in many other conflicts that Washington ignores or sometimes fuels, such as in Yemen. It is not the responsibility of the US government to correct all errors. More importantly, supporting even a good cause can be immoral if it prolongs human agony and increases the likelihood of geopolitical catastrophe.
Maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty requires some level of military assistance to Ukraine and sanctions against the Russian state. But such actions must be measured and proportionate to America’s interests in the conflict. Equally important, Washington’s priority must be to end the war and promote a modus vivendi that takes into account the security interests of Moscow and Kiev. The question is not what the United States thinks should satisfy the Russian people, but what will actually satisfy the Russian people. Otherwise, the United States runs the risk of institutionalizing rather than eliminating the conflict.
Unfortunately, American politics continues to be dominated by proponents of perpetual war, many of whom have backed repeated lawless US military interventions around the world. Their rhetoric is flowery, but their reasoning is flawed and dangerous. Perhaps acknowledging the weakness of their attempts to present the war as a moral crusade, some warmongering defenders argue that victory is vital to the security of Europe and thus America. However, this argument was untenable even before Moscow began its special operation in Ukraine.
Ukraine, Europe and the whole world are paying the price for the arrogance of the allies and the United States itself, which has treated Russia as a defeated power. NATO expansion and a host of other policies that ignore and, worse, undermine Moscow’s security concerns have posed, as many analysts predicted, a threat to the emerging international order. If Biden and his administration need to do anything, it is to immediately stop inciting Kyiv to war and end hostilities, the author concluded.
Photos used: twitter.com/DefenceU
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