And, the war drags on... This hideous war in Ukraine seems destined to go on and on. The worst part is that there seems to be interests in the “West”, meaning NATO, who are happy for the war to continue. It is also increasingly obvious that this war was a deliberate provocation to Putin’s Russia by NATO. This in no way excuses Putin’s violent attack, but it does explain it. Contrary to multiple promises made by the United States, NATO expanded rapidly between 1999 and 2005, and its actions in Kosovo and elsewhere prove it is more than a defensive alliance.

It is also evident now that a settlement of the conflict was in reach only three months into the conflict. A deal was brokered by Turkey, a NATO member by the way, but the US and Boris Johnson personally intervened with Zelensky to scotch this settlement. Our leaders and those people mindlessly supporting victory for Ukraine have blood on their hands. Unfortunately, we live in an age when no-one is held accountable for what they do. Everyone has an excuse for everything.

It is frankly disturbing to find oneself agreeing with Donald Trump, but his flat statement that he wants the war to end without “victory” for either side is a sound position. How Russia got hold of the Crimea was unpleasant, but not unreasonable. It was traditionally part of Russia not Ukraine. All both sides have to do is ensure the rights of all residents in their respective areas are respected. Exactly where the little red lines on the map are drawn is less important than protecting the human rights of everyone within those borders regardless of ethnic identity or political persuasion.

NATO provoked this war because a converging set of interests wanted it to happen. It is boom time for the armaments and petrochemical industries, thanks to this terrible conflict. “There is a war on” has become a catchphrase and excuse for anything that goes wrong or gets expensive. This war is simply part of the massive project of transferring wealth from the many to the few that has been underway since the days of Reagan and Thatcher.

James Derieg

Kemble