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Originally published January 15, 2022
“We are closer to WW III then we were during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Now is the time to let US-NATO know that we DO NOT support the provocative military encirclement of Russia.”
– statement from Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space [1]
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As a meeting of rival delegations came to a close this week, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued an ultimatum to the United States demanding that the West provide a concrete answer to it’s security concerns. These include the threat of NATO embracing Ukraine and of the military alliance moving closer to the Russian border: [2]
“We have run out of patience…The West has been driven by hubris and has exacerbated tensions in violation of its obligations and common sense.” [3]
Additionally, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had pointed out that he could “neither confirm nor exclude” the prospect of dispatching military assets to Venezuela and Cuba if the U.S. and its allies did not refrain from further building its own fortifications ever closer to the Russian border![4]
From the stand-point of the U.S. and its allies, this incident is largely instigated by Russian soldiers massing tens of thousands of troops at the border with Ukraine – an ominous sign that after “annexing” Ukraine after the political changeover in 2014, the plan was an illegal invasion of the country. A U.S. Bill, backed by Senate Democrats and the White House would impose sweeping sanctions on the Russian Government, military officials, key banking institutions and President Putin himself if the State engaged in hostilities toward Ukraine.[5]
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in reply that such a move would be “ comparable to a break in relations,” and that ties between the U.S. and Russia would completely unravel. [6]
It was definitely Russia that declared that the Ukraine joining NATO would be a “red line” that would provoke severe consequences if crossed. After three decades of the hostile alliance sneaking closer and closer to the Great Bear, these words seem to be real, the likes of which we haven’t heard throughout the entire end of the Soviet Union. If the U.S. sticks to its rhetoric as well, are we then looking at a third world war? Possibly leading to nuclear annihilation!
The threat at stake, possibly even on a par with the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 seems very evident, although the consequences haven’t quite dawned on much of the West. We will however make it a priority on this week’s episode of the Global Research News Hour.
In our first half hour, Glenn Michalchuk of Peace Alliance Winnipeg drops by to articulate the demands of his and similar groups across the country relating to Canada’s role in restoration of peace. We also play part of an interview recorded last week with geopolitical analyst and investigative journalist Pepe Escobar about the direction this stand-off was headed and about the role of Kazakhstan as playing a sneaky behind the scenes role in the chaos. Finally in our second half hour we have a talk with the long time foreign correspondent in Russia John Helmer about the larger context and the factors giving Russia an edge.
Glenn Michalchuk is Chair of Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Pepe Escobar born in Brazil, is a correspondent and editor-at-large at Asia Times and columnist for Consortium News and Strategic Culture in Moscow. Since the mid-1980s he’s lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Singapore, Bangkok. His most recent book is entitled Raging Twenties: Great Power Politics Meets Techno-Feudalism. He is also a frequent contributor to Global Research.
John Helmer is the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent based in Moscow, and directs his own independent bureau there. He has been a professor of political science, sociology and journalism, and has advised government heads in Greece, the United States and Asia. Helmer’s blog ‘Dances with Bears’ can be found at johnhelmer.net.
(Global Research News Hour 339)
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Notes:
- From email statement. http://space4peace.org/
- https://www.rt.com/russia/546060-lavrov-kremlin-loosing-patience/
- https://www.cp24.com/world/russia-demands-us-nato-response-next-week-on-ukraine-1.5740149
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/14/russia-threatens-latin-america-troop-deployments-amid-us-tensions
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us-senate-democrats-unveil-russia-sanctions-bill-washington-post-2022-01-12/
- https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-warns-sever-ties-us-181807986.html
