for the United States to attempt an undeclared war with Russia via Ukraine, former US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Jack Matlock said in an interview with the Schiller Institute.
"It seems to me that it is extremely dangerous to attempt what is, in effect, an undeclared war against a nuclear armed power, which perceives, rightly or wrongly, that its sovereignty and even its political existence are being threatened," Matlock said in the interview, conducted on September 3 and released on Monday.
Such a situation could result in a nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia because of mistakes, Matlock said.
US efforts to conduct diplomacy with Russia have disappeared and turned into feeding the conflict in Ukraine, Matlock said. Ukraine is on a "suicide course" by continuing hostilities with Russia, Matlock said.
Russia would not have launched its special military operation in Ukraine if the United States and NATO had given assurances that Ukraine would not join the alliance, Matlock said.
However, the United States has "grossly overcommitted" internationally by fueling de facto economic and military war against Russia, supporting Israel’s actions in the Middle East and preparing the US military for a war with China, Matlock said. The situation is sustainable neither economically nor militarily, Matlock also said.
The American people are not going to support getting the US directly involved in a conflict that could be brought to the home front, Matlock added.
The United States’ decision to push for NATO expansion instead of developing peaceful ties with Russia was a mistake, Matlock also stated.
At first, we proposed a Partnership for Peace with the countries in Eastern Europe, including with Russia and the successor states of the Soviet Union. If we had continued to follow that course… that would have permitted the creation of a more comprehensive European security structure. That didn’t happen. And it didn’t happen because instead of the Partnership for Peace, ultimately the United States opted for the expansion of NATO. I think that was a huge mistake," Matlock said.
Attempts to harm Russia without a direct confrontation have also failed, Matlock added.
"I would say the economic sanctions against Russia are failing to do what they were intended to do. They were aimed to destroy the Russian economy, but they have not,” Matlock argued, adding that the sanctions have only served to make the Russian economy more autonomous and build its relationships with China. ...more below
Volker Turk has warned that efforts to advance reparatory justice are facing resistance in “certain quarters,” and urged countries to back Africa’s push.
Reparatory justice for historical crimes, including colonialism, enslavement, and the trade in enslaved Africans, is crucial to dismantling systemic racism, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said.
Speaking at the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent on Tuesday, Turk linked present-day discrimination against people from the continent to the enduring legacy of colonialism and enslavement.
”Racism and dehumanizing rhetoric continue to permeate public institutions, communities, and online platforms,” he said, according to the UN Press Service. Turk noted that “digital technologies, including AI, are reproducing and amplifying existing biases against people of African descent.”
The remarks come weeks after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade “the gravest...
The US VP had to defend President Trump’s Gaza policy at a rally on a Georgia college campus.
US Vice President J.D. Vance was forced to defend Washington’s policy in Gaza after he was booed and heckled at a key MAGA event on Wednesday.
Co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is a conservative student group that has long been seen as a strong support base of President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement but is now showing apparent cracks.
Less than 15 minutes into a TPUSA event at the University of Georgia on Wednesday, Vance was interrupted by hecklers over US policy in Gaza, with one audience member shouting, “Jesus Christ does not support genocide!” As he attempted to respond, others shouted, “You’re killing children!” and “You’re bombing children!”
Vance replied by referring to Trump’s achievements as president, including securing a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, something he said the previous administration of Joe Biden failed to do.
“I ...
Sergey Shoigu has cautioned Finland and the Baltic states against allowing Kiev to use their airspace for attacks on Russia.
Russia would have the right to retaliate if Finland and the Baltic states are deliberately allowing Ukrainian drones to pass through their airspace, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.
“Recently, there has been an increase in Ukrainian drone strikes against Russia via Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,” Shoigu told journalists. “As a result, civilians are suffering and significant damage is being caused to civilian infrastructure.”
Either Western air defenses are proving ineffective, or these four countries “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” he added. In the latter case, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the security chief stressed.
In recent weeks, Kiev has intensified drone strikes on ...
