There have been conflicts in the region after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Insecurity and the availability of weapons transformed disputes over territory into wars in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorny Karabakh. Even after decades of negotiations, peace settlements are a distant prospect. (Conciliation Resources). Now there is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This paper discusses France, Germany, the US, and the UK’s play in Ukraine-Russia tensions. France and Germany prefer to find a diplomatic solution to Ukraine-Russia tensions. However, The US and the UK appear to have a meddling role in achieving their particular interests.
Role of Germany
Germany seems to have a mediating role in tackling Ukraine-Russia tensions. As it says in New York Times, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany said it was the “damned duty” of world leaders to avert war in Europe. He appealed for continued diplomatic efforts in the standoff with Russia over Ukraine. German Chancellor Pushes for Diplomacy after meeting Mr Putin.
Role of France
Like Germany, France is trying to deal with Ukraine-Russia tensions through diplomacy. According to the New York Times, France pushes for a meeting between President Biden and Putin. Last-minute diplomacy by French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to give some new hope for a peaceful resolution over Ukraine. White House officials said President Biden would be willing to consider direct talks with his Russian counterpart if Russia does not invade Ukraine. The possibility of another diplomatic overture came after Mr Macron spoke by telephone with Mr Putin and later called Mr Biden.
Similarly, ALJAZEERA says on 20 February 2022 that Mr Macron and Mr Putin talked about a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. In a phone call, the French President and Russian President agreed to a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Moreover, the two countries foreign ministers are set to meet in the coming days.
Role of the US and the UK
According to CNBC, President Biden warned President Putin of severe economic sanctions if the Kremlin attacks Ukraine. According to the Guardian, the UK is ready to commit extra forces to NATO as Ukraine-Russia tensions deepen. Boris Johnson said the UK would send additional land, air and sea forces to support the defence of alliance nations. The decision aimed to “send a clear message to the Kremlin”, Johnson said in a statement. He said, “We will not tolerate their destabilising activity”. He added, “we will always stand with our Nato allies in the face of Russian hostility.”
According to Aljazeera, Biden says NATO has ‘no intention’ of sending forces to Ukraine.
US President has said he would consider imposing economic sanctions targeting Putin if Putin orders an attack on Ukraine. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged European allies to have sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine.
Russia’s view
Russia seems to be worried about the interfering role of the US and the UK in Ukraine-Russia tensions. According to BBC, President Putin has said the US is trying to draw Russia into a war in Ukraine. He said America’s goal was to use a confrontation as a pretext to impose more sanctions on Russia. Mr Putin also said the US was ignoring Russia’s concerns about the expansion of NATO. Ukraine is seeking to join this Western military alliance.
According to hacker noon, “in his first significant comments about the crisis in several weeks, Mr Putin expressed his concerns. He accused the US of ignoring Russia’s concerns about NATO alliance forces in Europe. He believes that if Ukraine joins NATO, it can drag the other members into a war with Russia.
According to Daily Observer, Mr Putin talked with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. After the talk, Mr Putin made some comments. “It seems that the United States is not so much concerned about the security of Ukraine”. He added, “its main task is to contain Russia’s development. In this sense, Ukraine itself is just a tool to reach this goal.” He suggested that if Ukraine joined NATO, it could drag the other members into a war with Russia.
Concluding remark
Macron and Putin agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should implement the so-called Minsk protocol. This protocol in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. This shows that France and Germany seem to play a mediating role. However, the British prime minister and the American president are playing an interfering role.
What matters to the US and the UK is the dominance of NATO in the region. The issue of Ukraine-Russia tensions is just a pretext. The US and the UK are planning for Ukraine to join NATO. This makes it possible for NATO to have access to the whole region. The US and the UK are not worried about security in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are planning for their presence and dominance in the area. The Ukrainian government should not simply trust the UK and the US.
