Victoria Nuland, a prominent figure in American foreign policy, has never shied away from controversial truths. In a recent interview with exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, she candidly addressed the pivotal moments leading up to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. As a key architect of US policy in Europe during the Obama administration, Nuland's insights shed light on a critical juncture in early 2022 when a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was within reach. However, under pressure from Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the opportunity for peace evaporated, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Her revelations spark urgent questions about the priorities of Western powers and the true cost of geopolitical strategies.
ZH: There's never a dull moment when former high-ranking State Department official Victoria Nuland goes on the record for a new tell-all. She's certainly never shy about broadcasting her role in anti-Moscow covert maneuvering and machinations.
Indeed, many already know her as Victoria-'Fuck the EU'-Nuland and for essentially running foreign policy in Europe stretching back through the Obama years as then Assistant Secretary of State for Europe, where many of the problems which sparked the disastrous and tragic Russia-Ukraine war were first set in motion.
Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar recently sat down with her for a new interview published to YouTube earlier this month. The most interesting part of the interview was when he pressed Nuland on widespread reports saying that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson actively encouraged President Zelensky to back out of a potential peace deal with Moscow early after the Feb.2022 Russian invasion. There was a possible chance to end the war and perhaps avoid hundreds of thousands of deaths. But the West apparently convinced Zelensky to fight it out.
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| Stillframe via CNN |
But a deal was on the table, and Russia was demanding a full commitment to Ukrainian neutrality regarding NATO. Nuland laid out that it was "relatively late in the game" when Kiev started seeking guidance on the peace deal from Washington and its allies. Zygar said there were statements from foreign leaders privy to the negotiations saying both sides were "really close" to achieving a deal.
"The Ukrainians began asking for advice on where this thing was going, and it became clear to us, clear to us and the Brits, clear to others, that Putin’s main condition was buried in an annex to this document that they were working on. And it included limits on the precise kinds of weapons systems that Ukraine could have after the deal," Nuland introduced in response.
She went on to describe that Washington didn't like that the end result of the deal would leave Ukraine "neutered" as a military force while at the same time the same limits weren't imposed on the Russian military. "People inside Ukraine and people outside Ukraine started asking questions about whether this was a good deal, and it was at that point that it fell apart," Nuland admitted.
Watch this section of the interview below:
Here's what she described as her and the Biden administration's main problem with what was on the table...
By contrast, "there were no similar constraints on Russia," Nuland said. "Russia wasn’t required to pull back, Russia wasn’t required to have a buffer zone from the Ukrainian border, wasn’t required to have the same constraints on its military facing Ukraine."
This constitutes significant confirmation that ultimately the US' prime concern was not for the Ukrainian people, or for achieving peace any way possible. Instead, Washington and NATO's ultimate goal was to ensure a weakened Russia. What Nuland is essentially saying is that if a deal didn't ensure a weakened or limited Russian military, then they were willing to crumple it up and go home, while watching Ukraine go up in flames, which is sadly exactly what has happened.
It was Foreign Affairs which first exposed details of the peace deal, tentatively agreed upon in April 2022, which had as its focus "a permanently neutral, nonnuclear state. Ukraine would renounce any intention to join military alliances or allow foreign military bases or troops on its soil."
Wow! Nuland basically admits that Ukraine-Russia peace deal, which was close to being finalized in spring 2022, “fell apart” because US, UK & other Western governments “advised” Zelensky government that it was not “good deal” even though even members of Ukrainian delegation… pic.twitter.com/HPsrpOzQNf
— Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) September 8, 2024
But no, it was too important for US Empire to pursue the NATOization of Ukraine, and the rest is the bloody, tragic history of the last 2+ years, with nuclear-armed confrontation looming on the horizon, and no end in sight. Another question that remains is: is the mainstream media going to cover Nuland's blunt admission?
По материалам: http://www.planet-today.com/2024/09/nulands-revelations-missed-chance-for.html