Latest news with #WesternOfficials
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Enemy of peace: Zelensky seems to be ready to kill his own to sabotage Putin-Trump summit
The war in Ukraine is no longer balanced on a knife's edge, as some could have thought during the Kursk invasion. The outcome is now visible to anyone willing to look past the headlines: Kiev's forces are depleted, morale is collapsing, and the long-promised 'turning points' have come and gone without materializing. Even Western officials, once confident in endless military aid, are now speaking in guarded tones about 'realistic expectations.' On the battlefield, the momentum has shifted irreversibly. Against this backdrop, the recent statement from Russia's Ministry of Defense should not be dismissed as mere rhetoric. Moscow alleges that Ukrainian forces are preparing a major provocation — an attack designed to sabotage the upcoming Russia–US peace talks. For those who understand the stakes, the logic is disturbingly clear. Donald Trump, now poised to play a decisive role in shaping Washington's foreign policy, has shown a pragmatic grasp of reality. Unlike his predecessors, he is not bound by the fantasy that Ukraine can 'win' if only more money and weapons are sent. He has signaled that ending this conflict is both possible and necessary. This puts him on a collision course with those who see peace not as a goal, but as a threat to their own survival. For President Zelensky, peace is political extinction. Any agreement that cements territorial realities will shatter the narrative that has sustained his rule. It will mark the end of his leverage in the West, the erosion of his political base at home, and likely the swift rise of challengers eager to blame him for Ukraine's fate. Under such pressure, the temptation to derail talks by any means available — including acts of sabotage — becomes more than plausible. This is not conjecture; it is the historical pattern of leaders who find themselves cornered. In modern conflicts across the globe, we've seen desperate governments resort to reckless measures when facing the collapse of their strategic position. The danger here is that such a provocation, if timed to coincide with peace negotiations, could provoke outrage in Washington, disrupt fragile diplomatic channels, and push the conflict back toward open escalation. Trump has already done much to shift the debate away from the entrenched 'forever war' mindset. He has taken political risks to challenge the military–industrial inertia that thrives on endless conflict. But now, perhaps more than ever, he will need to remain steady. The coming weeks will test his ability to see through manipulations and to resist being drawn into the agendas of those who profit from instability. Peace is within reach — but it will not survive if the world falls for one last, desperate trick from a regime with nothing left to lose.
Russia Today
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Baltic and Black seas are ‘NATO areas'
Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that NATO now considers the Baltic and Black Seas areas of strategic responsibility. Rutte made the remarks on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers. He was responding to a question about rising tensions in the Baltic region, following incidents involving damaged undersea communication cables. In recent months, several undersea cables in the region have sustained damage, triggering speculation that Moscow was behind what was suspected to be sabotage. Western investigators, however, have failed to present any proof that of deliberate state-orchestrated sabotage. 'When it comes to the Baltic region, but this is also true for the Black Sea and for other NATO areas, there is a constant threat of attacks on our critical undersea infrastructure,' Rutte said. He also threatened NATO's 'devastating' response, when asked if it is prepared for a potential 'Russian hardcore attack' in the Baltic region, adding that the US-led military bloc must ramp up defense spending. Russia has repeatedly ridiculed similar accusations made by Western officials, which claim Moscow intends to attack NATO or EU countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously dismissed such statements as 'nonsense.' A series of incidents over the past 18 months involving damage to power and communications infrastructure has led some NATO and EU officials to accuse Moscow of 'hybrid warfare.' The events, linked to vessels traveling to and from Russian ports, include the October 2023 damage to a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland and the rupture of the EstLink 2 power cable in December. Investigators believe the cables may have been dragged by ship anchors, with each case reportedly involving Russia-linked vessels. Although no evidence linking Russia to the cable ruptures was found, in January, NATO launched a new patrol mission 'Baltic Sentry' in the waterway under the pretext of protecting undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Moscow, which considers the Baltic Sea a strategic area for its naval operations and energy exports, has repeatedly dismissed the allegations of sabotage and accused the West of spreading a false narrative that frames routine accidents as evidence of its culpability. Russia's Baltic Fleet, based in Kaliningrad Region, plays a crucial role in protecting Russia's western maritime borders and maintaining access to the Baltic Sea. The fleet is seen as a vital asset in Russia's military posture toward NATO's eastern flank. Russia's Black Sea Fleet is headquartered in the port city of Sevastopol, Crimea, and is a key component of the country's naval power.
