Political science professor at Loughborough University in London and expert on Russian affairs, Cristian Nițoiu explains, in an interview for “Adevărul”, why the risk of a confrontation between NATO and Russia is increasing day by day and what the most plausible scenarios of a military intervention in Ukraine would be.
Between promises of peace and the specter of war, hope is receding and diplomacy is proving powerless in the face of pragmatic transactions. Tensions between Ukraine’s European allies and Russia are reaching new heights, and the risk of escalation is increasing day by day. On Tuesday, December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an unprecedented threat and said his country is ready if Europeans want a war. “If Europe starts a war, we will have no one to negotiate with,” said the Moscow leader, just before Donald Trump’s emissary, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Russia for further discussions.
Moreover, Russia has rejected the latest peace plan conceived by the American and Ukrainian delegations in Geneva, Switzerland. At the same time, the Americans continue their gradual disengagement from the confrontation in Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, emphasized that the U.S. is a facilitator, rather than a direct participant. “This is not our war. We are not fighting it; there are no American soldiers on the ground. It’s on another continent. We are involved because we are the only ones who can do it,” he said.
Political science professor at Loughborough University in London and expert on Russian affairs, Cristian Nițoiu explains, in an interview for “Adevărul”, what could happen in the medium and long term and why the risk of a confrontation between NATO and Russia is ever increasing.
Peace in Ukraine is very far away, the expert believes. Although Donald Trump is still making some efforts, neither Russia nor Ukraine want an agreement at this time.
“At this moment we are no closer to peace than we were 2-3 months ago. Despite the Trump administration’s attempts to use diplomacy. This is because the positions of Ukraine and Russia are totally opposed. There is no space for both sides to make compromises. So any negotiation at this moment can hardly bring results. The Russians and Ukrainians have accepted these discussions only to not blatantly reject Trump. The battles are not going very well for the Ukrainians, and Ukraine no longer has the same number of soldiers and human resources to recruit soldiers in the next year. The Russians believe they have accepted the initial peace plan, the one with 28 points that the Europeans and Ukrainians have refused, and that it was a very big concession for the United States. From this perspective, it is very hard to believe that Russia will accept the new plan”, says Nițoiu.
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