The west’s cautious approach seeks to avoid escalation in Ukraine. It may have opposite effect | Andriy Zagorodnyuk
www.theguardian.com
Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:00:29 +0300
Putin will not stop unless he is forced to.
Its time to change the way we think about nuclear deterrence, and commit to securing victoryThe western strategy towards supporting Ukraine is dominated by concerns about potential nuclear escalation and the possibility that Russias invasion could trigger a third world war.
It is clear that no democratic state, including Ukraine, wants to see such an outcome.
However, overcautious preventive measures that allow Russia to prevail in its aggression could themselves become escalatory.
Excessive apprehension may inadvertently provoke the very outcome the west seeks to avoid.A current topic of global discussion is whether President Joe Biden will approve Ukrainian strikes on military targets within Russian territory using USsupplied weapons.
The UK government is waiting for Washingtons decision before taking further action.
Yet the length of this debate points to a deeper issue the absence of a unified strategy between Ukraine and its allies for achieving victory and ending the war.
The western coalition, led by the US, continues to prioritise avoiding escalation, even if this slows down Ukraines defence efforts.Andriy Zagorodnyuk is a former Ukrainian defence minister and chair of thinktank the Centre for Defense Strategies in Kyiv Continue reading...
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