“Zelenskiy made a ‘fatal mistake’ by trusting NATO” (Part 1)

“Zelenskiy made a ‘fatal mistake’ by trusting NATO” (Part 1)

By R Paneir Selvam




It’s always the same with these conferences…The Great Men don’t know what they’re talking about, and have to be educated.

- Sir Alexander Cadogan, Yalta, 6 February 1945

GREAT leaders are sometimes unable to grasp the true nature of a problem. What is going on in Ukraine right now is devastating. In any conflict, ordinary people, particularly women and children, are the primary victims.

More than two million Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced from their homes and have now become refugees. Families have been split from fathers, brothers and husbands. It is unclear whether they will be reunited with their families anytime soon.

Ukrainian authorities have instructed able-bodied men to remain to defend the country from the Russian aggression. According to reports in the media, Ukrainian military have stopped some of their citizens at railway stations and border checkpoints, urging them to protect their motherland.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported 1,424 civilian deaths in Ukraine as of March 8.

OHCHR claimed that explosive weapons with a huge effect area, such as heavy artillery shelling and multi-launch rocket systems, as well as missile and air strikes, are to blame for the majority of civilian deaths.

The actual figures, according to the OHCHR, are far higher, particularly in Government-controlled area and in recent days, because information from several locations where significant battles have been taking place has been delayed. This includes, for example, the cities of Volnovakha, Mariupol and Izium, where hundreds of civilians are said to have died.

When I observe the current crisis in Ukraine, I have a few things in mind.

To begin with, what is expected of a country’s leader when a crisis looms? Whether it is to protect the people and the country’s borders, or to face a formidable foe with the knowledge that “friends” will come to his help and he or she will do whatever it takes.

Sun Tzu wrote in his book, The Art of War, that if you know your adversary and yourself, you will not be afraid of the outcome of a hundred wars. If you know yourself but not your opponent, every victory will be followed by a defeat.

And you will lose every war if you do not recognise the adversary or yourself.

This phrase perfectly describes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s stance to the country’s dispute with Russia.

Even though the indicators are evident, Zelenskiy was nonchalant of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intention to “invade” Ukraine. He also believed too much in the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders’ assurances, particularly those from the US and the UK, that they would stand behind him in the event of a confrontation with Russia.
😁😂😂😂😅

When he was requesting military assistance from other countries, I am also curious as to why he invited his own people and foreign fighters to fight against the powerful Russian army.




Putin undeterred by sanctions

Per the apnews.com, Poland’s Border Guard said that 22,000 people from all over Europe crossed into Ukraine to defend Ukraine. Zelenskiy has made it illegal for men between the ages of 18 and 60 to leave the nation. Foreign volunteers are also being sought to fight to defend Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.

History has shown that some self-proclaimed “great leaders” endanger the very people they lead, putting their country and its people in wars they cannot win.

Ukraine is an example of that. People died as a result of a leader’s gaffe. Again, please do not mistake me for a Putin admirer; rather, I am examining this matter objectively.

When windows of opportunity appeared to find a peaceful settlement rather than start a war, Zelenskiy squandered on the opportunity.

The issue here is, Putin does not want Ukraine to join NATO, which was explicitly rejected by Zelenskyy, resulting in the current war.

Ukraine is a sovereign country. It has the option of joining whichever organisation it wishes. However, Ukraine has a long history of close ties with Russia, and any move to ignore the historical ties will enrage Russia.

Zelenskiy should have considered the ramifications of going against Russia. The EU and NATO’s “false assertions” led him to feel he had the required support to combat Russia, which backfired spectacularly. Instead of listening to those with vested interests against Russia, Zelenskiy should have considered the interests of the Ukrainian people as a whole.

In the wake of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, Zelenskiy declared a few days ago that he had simmered down about Ukraine’s quest to join NATO. He also stated that the alliance is wary of difficult issues and conflict with Russia. He also did not want to be a country that was pleading for help on its knees. He was willing to talk about the control of Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, which may pave the way for peace talks with Moscow.

Before Russia began an attack on his country, Zelenskiy should have comprehended this. The current trajectory indicates that Putin intends to utterly overrun Ukraine. The West’s unwillingness to participate in this conflict, particularly NATO, as well as continuous economic sanctions against individuals deemed close to Putin, propels the Russian strongman to go all-out to win it.

History has shown on several occasions that when windows of opportunity to resolve conflicts are lost, a humanitarian crisis will emerge. That is precisely what is happening in Ukraine at the moment. – March 13, 2022.



R Paneir Selvam is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd (ARRESCON), a think tank specialising on strategic national and geo-political matters.