Warning Russia is triggering tensions that ‘echo start of World War I and invasion could destabilize global order’
RUSSIA is triggering tensions that “echo the start of World War I” and an invasion of Ukraine could “destabilize” the global political order, an expert warns.
The threat of a Russian invasion remains present as more than 100,000 troops have been stationed near Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders for weeks, and the US will send forces to Eastern Europe this week.
Geopolitical expert Brandon J Weichert believes Washington is “unprepared” for what may develop as the crisis continues.
He told The Sun: “We are, I fear, witnessing the birth of a World War 1 scenario in which all sides are mobilizing forces.
“The push to war is now all but inevitable. No one will back down, everyone is matched against each other, and sheer bloody devastation is about to befall first Eastern Ukraine then Europe, and then possibly the world – just like The Guns of August 1914.”
Taras Kuzio, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, disputes Weichert’s claims.
He said: “I don’t think the analogy is correct as then there were no nukes.
“A Russian-Ukrainian war in Ukraine would be a repeat of the 1980s USSR-US competition where the US in the event of a Russian occupation would be covertly supporting the Ukrainians (as with the Afghan Mujahideen).
“Such an eventuality could slide unintentionally into World War 3.”
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Republican Senator Ted Cruz slammed Biden for his handling of the crisis.
He told Fox News: “Ukraine – and indeed the region, the world, and America – find ourselves in this crisis because of President Biden’s weakness, appeasement, and surrender to Putin over the last year.”
Weichert believes the West has “little” to gain should a war over Ukraine break out.
He said: “This is very, very dangerous and could risk destabilizing the world order and sending us into a world war that might go nuclear.”
Diplomatic efforts are being ramped up across Europe as world leaders desperately try to avoid conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Moscow on Monday and Kyiv on Tuesday.
And, new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kyiv and Moscow on February 14 and 15.
It comes as US intelligence revealed Putin’s henchmen were planning to release footage of a staged Ukrainian attack on Russia or Russian speakers.
Officials said Russian forces plan propaganda operations “several weeks” before launching an invasion, Axios reported.
Actors were believed to have been used in the shocking ruse, posing as troops and corpses.
Sources said Russia wanted to use the video to accuse Ukraine of genocide — and the resulting outrage to justify an all-out attack.
But it was intercepted before it could go viral.
Russia has strongly denied the US claims of a video featuring staged explosions and corpses, as well as actors, in a stunt to provide an excuse for invasion.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “They have said suchlike previously. But nothing of the sort happened.”
PROPAGANDA OPERATIONS
State Department spokesman Ned Price hit back at Moscow, saying disinformation campaigns are a “favorite tactic” of Russia’s.
Price said: “We told you a few weeks ago we have information indicating Russia has also already pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct a false flag operation in Eastern Ukraine.”
And, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: “We’ve discussed this idea of false flags by the Russians before, we’ve made no secret of that.
“We do have information that the Russians are likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasion, which again, is right out of their playbook.”
British intelligence experts helped verify the false flag plot.
Earlier this week, President Biden instructed troops to be deployed to Eastern Europe and reports say that 2,000 soldiers will be sent to Poland and Germany.
The US’ commitment was welcomed by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Kuzio said: “This is an indication the US believes that Russia is poised to undertake some form of military attack against Ukraine, whether that be a full-scale invasion or a military incursion in the coming days or week.”
Amid the crisis in Eastern Europe, Putin met Chinese president Xi, and reports say the talks were intended to help strengthen Moscow’s relations with Beijing.
Putin previously ruled out a formal military alliance but Moscow has sought to expand its ties with Beijing after relations with the US deteriorated over the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Isabel Sawkins, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said: “If you end up having those two countries collaborating and working together against the West, it’s catastrophic – not just in the short term but also in the long-term.”
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