UNITED States President Joe Biden has permitted Ukraine to deploy and use the US-supplied long-distance Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles inside Russia. This is a serious mistake that may have serious repercussions. It will only escalate the Russia-Ukraine war.

Biden is handing over his job to Donald Trump in a few weeks. He should have refrained from taking any decision that might aggravate the situation. The world could be pushed towards a major conflagration by such hasty moves. Global leaders need to be cautious when there is so much at stake.

The Western countries are over-anxious about Russian designs. Quite simply, President Vladimir Putin does not want Ukraine to join the European Union or Nato becasue this would bring Nato troops on Russia’s borders.

As such, the leaders in the West must understand the Russian concerns. There is no rocket science involved here. Putin is not Adolf Hitler trying to conquer Europe or the world. Ambiguity about Putin’s intentions has created a fear psychosis among European countries.

As things stand, the West needs to have a blunt and frank talk with Putin, as boycotting Russia will not solve any problem. It will aggravate the situation.

Unfortunately, many Western leaders as well as analysts are not assessing the situation objectively. Instead of vehemently and constantly criticising Russia, they need to explore ways to resolve the crisis.

Rajendra Anej
Mumbai, India

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024