Reactions to Putin’s decision to deploy troops in eastern Ukraine

After Putin’s declaration, which recognized as independent the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, openly pro-Russian and therefore formally removed from the sovereignty of Kiev, Ukraine requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which for a a curious coincidence was presided over by Russia. Most members of the Council condemned both the recognition and the subsequent decision to deploy troops in the area, which constitutes the first step in the invasion of Ukrainian territory, although it is the one disputed between Moscow and Kiev. From Putin’s point of view, official recognition authorizes the support of the Russian military for pro-Russian insurgents and their militias, but from the point of view of international law it constitutes an evident violation, which, moreover, is not the first made by the Kremlin. The fact that Moscow defines its soldiers as peacekeepers aggravates the judgment on Russia, which clumsily hides behind hypocritical definitions that go beyond ambiguity and good taste. The following Washington declaration opens to an unprecedented series of sanctions, which will involve all US allies and whose consequences are expected to be very serious for the world economy and general equilibrium. In the immediate future, Putin’s will is to secure a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine, to avoid having the Atlantic Alliance presence on the immediate Russian border, even if the entry of Kiev has been repeatedly denied. from Brussels, however, the acceleration of the Kremlin could change the situation: until now the Atlantic Alliance has denied having any plans to accept the Ukrainian country among its members, but this evolution opens up to any possible development. Putin’s gamble, however, threatens the economic consistency of the Russian country, which could hardly resist the foreseen sanctions, opening scenarios that could consist of a drastic decline in its popularity in Russia. The positions of the allies of the United States are quite predictable, agreeing on the concrete possibility that the conditions are being created for an almost global conflict; almost all of them expressed condemnation on the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and for the violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter. The representative of Russia to the United Nations, on the contrary, supported Moscow’s decision to protect the Russian ethnicity of the recognized territories and how the recognition had long been considered and urged the Western powers not to abandon the diplomatic solution. Ukraine, on its part, has reaffirmed its sovereignty over its territories and has practically challenged Russia, in a clash that it does not seem capable of sustaining. China’s position is much more attenuated, which despite its repeatedly expressed closeness to Russia, does not derogate from its principles in foreign policy, choosing a sort of equidistance and recommending to the parties involved the utmost prudence and the intensification of diplomatic action. Beyond the aversion to the United States and the approval of Russian politics, Beijing shows that it is more afraid of the repercussions of a global economic crisis, which could endanger Chinese growth; however, the choice not to play a leading role, above all to increase a pacifying action, by Beijing, reveals how China is still far from becoming that great power on a global level, which it says it wants to become. The opportunity to play a leading role, without being at the side of one of the two parties, but only in favor of peace, could constitute a test viewed with favor from all angles, even in the case of failure, vice versa this fearful attitude reveals all the inexperience and lack of risk capacity of the Beijing government, which remains too tied to the economic aspects to the detriment of those of international politics. President Biden has expressly ordered to ban all types of financing, investments and commercial transactions with the areas invaded by Russia and this certainly represents the first solution that will precede the much heavier sanctions already threatened and foreseen for the decisive attitude. from Russia. What can happen below is difficult to predict.