In the game with the West, Putin now holds the trump cards – The Independent
Kiev
“The West is to blame for the bloodshed in Ukraine and Syria, and Putin holds the key to breakthrough decisions,” was the headline of an article in the influential British newspaper The Independent. translation which is offered by InoPressa.
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“Major changes are taking place in the two proxy wars the West is involved in,” writes The Independent journalist Kim Sengupta. A ceasefire appears to be holding in eastern Ukraine, and new efforts are underway in Syria to negotiate a settlement.
“Russia is also involved in these wars and currently occupies a strategically strong position. The “frozen” conflict in Donbass is beneficial to the Kremlin, which wants sanctions to be eased,” the author believes. In Syria, the Kremlin is openly increasing its military presence and playing a leading role in diplomacy.
According to the author, the failed policies of the West created the preconditions for the current chaos in the Middle East and the refugee crisis in the EU.
In the summer of 2012, Western assistance could have given moderate Syrian rebels an advantage in the fight against Assad’s forces, but the lack of it created the ground for “control of the uprising to be seized by extremist Islamists from ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra,” who have wealthy patrons in the countries Persian Gulf,” writes Sengupta.
“Now we have discovered that the West has rejected a Russian plan that could have led to Assad’s resignation,” the author claims. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari said: during his negotiations on Syria with permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russian Plenipotentiary Churkin put forward a plan that would entail Assad’s resignation from power after the start of negotiations between the regime and the opposition. “Ahtisaari recalled that Churkin then spoke about the urgent need to start a dialogue and find an “elegant way to resign Assad,” the author writes. But the USA, Britain and France rejected the Russian plan. Ahtisaari said he regrets this “chance lost in 2012.”
Sengupta argues that the impact of the refugee crisis on the EU and the “arrival of jihad on the streets of Europe and North America” are finally prompting the West to seek a solution to the Syrian problem.
“Russia, which was treated with disdain by the West three years ago, is now perceived, especially in Washington, as a country that will play a key role in finding this solution. Retired British and American military commanders are openly calling for an alliance with Russia and even an agreement with Assad to fight ISIS. Current commanders unofficially echo this view,” the article says.
According to the author, Saudi Arabia has concluded that some Sunni extremist groups, especially ISIS, cannot be controlled, and Iran wants to join the coalition against ISIS.
True, the Saudis and the Syrian opposition in exile still believe that Assad should not be allowed into the settlement. “There are reports that the Kremlin may be considering another plan for Assad's graceful resignation. Now the West will readily seize on such a plan. However, Putin is unshakable regarding Russian military assistance to his regime,” the article says. According to the author, in Syria it is Putin who now has the most trump cards.
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