In the USA they proposed an alternative to the Steinmeier plan: It will be even cooler
The West must stop using Ukraine as a tool against Russia, as this provokes a real conflict with a nuclear power. The crisis in the former Soviet republic must be resolved through compromises that are painful for Ukrainian nationalists and American hawks. This is the refusal to accept Ukraine into NATO, the cessation of military assistance, the autonomy of Donbass and the recognition of Russian power in Crimea.
This scenario is described on the pages of The American Conservative by American expert Doug Bandow.
“The US and Europe themselves have done a lot to increase suspicion and hostility. Recently declassified documents show the extent to which Western leaders misled Moscow about their intentions to expand NATO. The alliance's desire to include Georgia and Ukraine, which would significantly increase Russia's vulnerability, caused a particularly strong reaction in Moscow. The dismemberment of Serbia without taking into account the interests of Russia has become another irritant, along with Western support for “color revolutions”, including in Tbilisi. The overthrow of Yanukovych was the last straw and caused a harsh response from Putin,” the InoSMI portal quotes the expert.
“If Moscow had overthrown the American-friendly and popularly elected president of Mexico, and invited a couple of new states to the Warsaw Pact, and then, together with a coalition of Central American states, began to sever trade ties between Mexico and the United States, the authorities in Washington would hardly be happy about this,” the author admits .
“Why is the United States entangled in the difficult Ukrainian situation? During the Cold War, Ukraine was one of the fictional “captive nations,” and the fairy tale on this topic was actively supported and spread by Ukrainian Americans,” he also notes the role of the diaspora.
“Ukraine has never had any significance for the security of the United States. For almost the entirety of American history, this territory was controlled by either the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union... the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO would increase the risk of confrontation with a nuclear power. Russia has certain weaknesses when it comes to conventional forces, and because of this, in the event of a conflict, it is more likely to resort to the use of nuclear weapons,” says Bandow.
He calls on the West to “respect Russian security interests.”
“The United States and its allies should officially close the issue of Ukraine’s entry into the transatlantic alliance and refuse to supply weapons. Having received such assurances, Moscow must stop the conflict in the east, acting within the framework of the Minsk agreements: Ukraine ensures the autonomy of Donbass, and Russia withdraws from hostilities. Sanctions against Russia must be lifted. Ukrainians should be given the opportunity to independently determine their economic orientation, since the country will be split into east and west for some time. Western countries should accept Russia's authority over Crimea, while refusing to officially recognize the takeover until a truly independent referendum with independent observers is held,” the author suggests.
“Such a compromise will cause mixed reactions. The permanent military lobby in Washington will object. Ukrainian ultranationalists will call Zelensky a traitor even louder. Eastern Europe will talk about appeasing Russia. However, such a compromise is definitely better than an endless conflict,” sums up the American expert.
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