My Take | Macron and Kissinger are right about Ukraine
- Ukraine is not Taiwan; nor is it Afghanistan, which defeated Soviet Russia and then the United States. The fatal and foolish fantasy of many Western politicians, especially those in the US, is to think that it is both
Belligerence and self-righteousness are a deadly combination to bring to a geopolitical conflict. But that is precisely what the West has brought to the war in Ukraine. After the initial orgy of self-congratulation and celebration of unity and moral purpose, though, many are now predictably having second thoughts. Only in March, victory was all about deposing Vladimir Putin, bringing Russia to its knees, and restoring all of Ukraine’s territories and then some. Now, not losing counts as winning.
Consider some random news headlines lately: “After a unified start, are cracks showing in the West’s support for Ukraine?”, from ABC News; “Divisions in the west threaten Ukraine”, from the Financial Times; and “‘The war in Ukraine awakens different wounds and approaches among European countries”, from Le Monde. Addressing an audience at Davos, Volodymyr Zelensky complained that the West lacks “unity” over the Ukraine war, and that it must step up its support.
Unfortunately, along the successive stages of grief, Brussels and Washington are still stuck at denial and anger. They have some way to go before reaching bargaining and acceptance.
Just witness the recent humiliating public treatment of Emmanuel Macron and Henry Kissinger effectively being booed and shouted down. In fact, both men have merely spelled out the most likely outcome in Ukraine. The basis of a realistic peace process can start now to limit further bloodshed. Or it can be reached much later when enough blood is shed; unfortunately, most likely the latter.
Kissinger: Status quo or status quo ante?
The nonagenarian statesman was perhaps speaking from bitter experience, via weblink at Davos. As a Harvard professor before joining Richard Nixon’s White House, he made a brief tour of Vietnam. Afterwards, he filed a highly accurate memo pointing out all the mistakes the United States had made and what needed to be done to bring an end to the war. Once he joined Nixon, the pair repeated the same mistakes and even added to them. They could have achieved peace at the start of the presidency rather than in 1975, in much more humiliating circumstances and with many more body bags.