Soon we’ll be remembering this – the 32nd G8, as having been the “Good Old Days”.
This morning, I just heard an American G8 (now G7) spokesman say that “Until Russia stops upsetting all the work the G8 has done in stabilising the world since the Cold War, we don’t need to talk to it any more…”
Excuse me, but isn’t this when you really MUST be talking to Russia?
Russia has been telling its G8 colleagues things they don’t want to hear. It’s like they’re stuffing fingers in their ears while chanting “We’ll make you pay…”
Now this has escalated to Russia not being allowed to be in the G8 gang. This would pretty upsetting if you’re aged 10 and not allowed to go home for lunch; but no big deal if you’re the President of Russia.
The continuing G7 fulminations about Russia invading the rest of Ukraine is encouraging Ukraine’s anti-Russian communities as never before. This will almost certainly ensure that the elections will be violent.
These elections are vital, to replace the current unelected government that the G7 are so vocal in supporting. Ukraine is notoriously corrupt in every way, so whether these elections can be conducted fairly remains to be seen.
A result that endangers the remaining Russian enclaves in the Ukraine will give Putin another excuse to intervene as he has done in Crimea. It should therefore be the G7’s task to ensure (if it can) that the elections are fair, and talk to Putin about maintaining security in Ukraine.
BUt the USA’s harsh but empty threats have made it impossible for Putin to tolerate talk of putting in Nato peacekeeping troops. So it looks as though the G7 et al – in predicting something that was not originally very likely, are creating an inevitability that Russia will have to take measures to ensure Ukraine doesn’t descend into civil war.
Russia does not want this. Putin has already said so.
Those who have an ideological disinclination to listen to anything he says ought to reflect on the price Russia paid for the Chechnya troubles. The last thing Russia wants is a Ukraine that’s incubating terrorism for export north-east into its heartland.
This is irresponsible meddling by the West led by Cold War ideologues in Washington. Their meddling has already devastated Afghanistan and Iraq, then Libya and now Syria.
It’s notable that Obama on his current 6-day world tour is finishing up in Saudi Arabia, which is deeply concerned at the mess the USA has created in the arab world. I can’t see Putin allowing this in his own backyard – just as I can’t see Obama or his successor allowing anything similar in the Caribbean, or Central or South America.