What’s the way out of the conflict in Ukraine? Yanis Varoufakis spoke to Brand about some of the potential solutions.
Also, the world needs to treat ALL invasions/attack of a sovereign country by another sovereign country with equal distain. The Ukrainian people have a right to live peaceful safe lives. So do the Yemenis, the Palestinians, the Syrians, the Libyans, the Venezuelans, all of Central America, the Iranians, the Iraqis…the list goes on and on. The Ukraine is not special. The only difference is their skin colour is white. Not brown or black.
The solution Varoufakis speaks of could easily have been done before the invasion took place. All could have been avoided had the US (they control NATO and the EU) simply guaranteed that the Ukraine would remain neutral. No NATO membership. NO EU membership. No Russian control. Protect the eastern Russian-speaking area of Ukraine from attacks (enforce the Minsk Agreement). I am sure all could have been settled by some give and take negotiations.
Also, there needs to be a place, where countries can go to have their grievances heard. A neutral body that ALL countries agree to abide by its decision. Of course, that will never happen.
The UN was originally founded as such a place. Now it is a joke. It might as well not exist.
Personally, I don’t think its possible to have a neutral anything in the world today. With US, its either their way or you get sanctioned. You are either with them or against them. There is no neutrality allowed.
In the end. NATO is an organization looking for a reason to exist. Presently, its members are customers for the US arms industry. The same with Taiwan. There is no profits in peace if you manufacture weapons. War IS the weapons’ manufacturers business model. Its all they have. War or the threat of war. That needs to change.
The Ukrainian conflict could be over if we want it or should I say, if the US wants it. First a ceasefire to stop the carnage. Then negotiate a peace treaty. Something official. Long term. Iron clad.