New Delhi: The attempt by the US-led Western bloc to shut down Russia’s economy and sanction President Vladimir Putin and his advisers, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, would normally constitute “an act of war”, former Indian ambassador to Russia D.B. Venkatesh Varma has said.
In an exclusive interview to ThePrint Consulting Editor Jyoti Malhotra, Varma said the invasion of Ukraine and the bombing of innocent civilians by Russian forces was totally unjustified, but cautioned that it was important to look at the manner in which Ukrainian forces have been strengthened by the West to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) levels.
“This is no longer a war between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the US,” Varma said.
Elaborating on the wide-ranging economic sanctions on Russia, he described these actions as the “weaponisation of finance” by the US and the European Union (EU). Sanctions against the Russian president, foreign minister, Russian central bank, closing European airspace to Russia, and blocking its banks from the SWIFT system “are escalatory steps that could not have been even imagined 10 days ago”, added Varma.
[embedded content]
Also read: Russia-Ukraine information warfare is following century-old playbook, dating back to WW1
‘US reasserting its leadership’
Varma spoke of a set of “miscalculations” inherent to Russia and the West’s understanding of the situation.
“There were miscalculations on every side. The West miscalculated Russia’s weakness and Russia miscalculated the West’s willingness to stay and fight. The power asymmetries that existed between NATO and Russia over the past three decades have now come to nought,” he said.
In his assessment, Russia did not anticipate such a “unified response by the EU and US”, and “the resolve shown by Brussels and Washington has left Moscow perplexed”.
“The US is reasserting its leadership after two to three decades of neglect in Europe,” Varma said, seeking to explain the reasons behind such a united response from the EU and the US.
Assessing the scale of the conflict, he said that “we are in a process of escalation, both sides are negotiating very hard, Russia is not giving up its core demands”. “There is little space for manoeuvrability,” he added.
However, the “silver lining remains that communication lines between all sides remain open — not only Ukraine and Russia, but Russia and Europe and the US as well”, Varma said.
The stiff resistance on display by Ukraine is also a result of “the weapons systems provided to them from NATO, over the last 4-5 years”, the former envoy said.
“India has displayed a perfect blend of realism, pragmatism, and tactical flexibility. India’s abstention at the UNSC ensures diplomatic manoeuvrability,” he added.
What’s the direction this conflict could go in?
Analysing the direction this conflict could take, Varma argued that “old-type wars will be fought alongside [the] new type of wars. Physical, information and financial warfare will occur simultaneously”.
He said the security architecture of Europe was being shredded, largely because of the West’s inability to imagine a continent in which Russia would be integrated and play a harmonious role.
“What started in Europe, will not remain in Europe. While Ukraine and Russia are negotiating, the final solution will be taken by the US and Russia,” Varma said.
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
Also read: The thermobaric and cluster bombs that Russia is ‘showering’ on Ukraine
Source: The Print
