Meeting in Nusa Dua, Indonesia on the Island of Bali, 59-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his time for invective against 72-year-old Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Instead of building rapport, Blinken spent his time trying to turn the G20 meeting into a mob against the Russian Federation for its Feb. 24 Ukraine War. Everyone knows, certainly the White House, there are differences between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. But if Blinken can’t stop this vitriol from pouring out to start the fence-mending process, he should resign as Secretary of State. What good is it for U.S. national security, if the Secretary of State keeps beating a dead horse? Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, asked 79-year-old President Joe Biden for months before the Feb. 24 invasion to stop sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. Biden told Putin his ideas were all “non-starters.”
So now the Ukraine War nears five months, decimating Ukraine, seizing over 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, all with U.S. and NATO weapons designed to halt the Kemlin’s advance. Blinken had a golden opportunity to sit with Lavrov, find common ground for the betterment of both countries, and work toward a future. But, no, Blinken had to used the G20 to get more countries to sign up in his anti-Russian campaign. Discussing for security and energy in Bali, Blinken antagonized Lavrov to the point he walked out of the meeting. Screaming a the Russia Foreign Minister won’t accomplish its intended goal of getting Russia to comply with Western sanctions or demands to end the Ukraine War. Putin said yesterday that Ukraine must accept his ceasefire conditions or face more mayhem. Clearly, Blinken can’t mediate the dispute because of anti-Putin bias.
Lavrov was greeted in Bali with shouts of “When will you stop the war and “Why don’t you stop the war,” while greeting Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. “Aggressors, invaders, occupiers—we heard a lot of things today,” Lavrov told reporters, knowing that his presence at the meeting was not hospitable. Lavrov sees Western states and their media friends as anti-Russian, refusing to see the Russian side of the conflict. Putin and Lavrov explained it many times that the Kremlin would not accept the U.S. setting up a puppet regime on the Russian border. No one at the G20, other that Beijing, showed much sympathy to the Russian cause of dealing with the U.S. supplying unlimited lethal weapons to Ukraine. “This was not a warm bath for Lavrov,” said a Western officials, admitting the very forceful remarks against the Kremlin led by Blinken and others.
Five months into the Ukraine War, what’s the solution of Western nations, simply to denounce Putin and the Russian Federation? Blinken had a real chance to part the vitriol at the door and try to find common ground to eventually end the conflict. But as Blinken has showed in the past, he’s not interested in settling the conflict, only beating the Russian arm on the battlefield. When 69-year-old Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin clarified the U.S. aim in Ukraine April 26 in Ramstein, Germany, he told the world the U.S. aims to degrade the Russian army to the point it can no longer wage war. If that’s no a declaration of war against the Kremlin, then what is? No one at the G20 questions the U.S. war goals in Ukraine as stated by Biden and Austin. Everyone wants the war to stop, allowing Ukrainian grain shipments, but they’re not willing to take a mediator’s role of seeing both sides.
As long as the U.S. states it’s goal in Ukraine is to degrade the Russian military, the Kremlin is forced to fight back with ferocity. No longer does the Kremlin see itself at war with Ukraine but at war with the United States. Blinken had every chance at the G20 to push beyond the worn out talking points to get to the brass tacks to what it will take to end the conflict. Putin gave Ukraine a way out over three months ago, telling Ukraine’s 45-year-old Pesident Volodymer Zelensky that he wants Kiev to accept Donetsk and Luhansk as indpedendent and recognize Crime as sovereign Russian territory. Zelensky has zero control of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crime before the conflict, but concluded he must fight for every inch of Ukrainian territory. Four months later, Zelensky has lost over 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory but, more importantly, lost the entire Black Sea coast to Kremlin control.
Showing the degree of anti-Russian bias at the meeting, Ukraine’s 40-year-old Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who’s not part of the G20, used the meeting to denounce the Kremlin on video link. “We have no right to allow Russia to further blackmail through high energy prices, hunger, and security threats,” Kuleba told the G20 ministers. Kuleba knows that if Ukraine settled the issues at the Instanbul peace table, he could get back to some measure of normalcy. Putin said yesterday that that the longer the conflict goes, the less willing Russia to make concessions for a ceasefire. Putin wants Ukraine and the U.S. to admit that they’ve lost the war and settle into a ceasefire agreement and peace talks. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was not interested in creating a “new Cold War.” China would like to see both parties end the conflict and work on a mutually acceptable peace deal.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
Meeting in Nusa Dua, Indonesia on the Island of Bali, 59-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his time for invective against 72-year-old Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Instead of building rapport, Blinken spent his time trying to turn the G20 meeting into a mob against the Russian Federation for its Feb. 24 Ukraine War. Everyone knows, certainly the White House, there are differences between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. But if Blinken can’t stop this vitriol from pouring out to start the fence-mending process, he should resign as Secretary of State. What good is it for U.S. national security, if the Secretary of State keeps beating a dead horse? Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, asked 79-year-old President Joe Biden for months before the Feb. 24 invasion to stop sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. Biden told Putin his ideas were all “non-starters.”
So now the Ukraine War nears five months, decimating Ukraine, seizing over 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, all with U.S. and NATO weapons designed to halt the Kemlin’s advance. Blinken had a golden opportunity to sit with Lavrov, find common ground for the betterment of both countries, and work toward a future. But, no, Blinken had to used the G20 to get more countries to sign up in his anti-Russian campaign. Discussing for security and energy in Bali, Blinken antagonized Lavrov to the point he walked out of the meeting. Screaming a the Russia Foreign Minister won’t accomplish its intended goal of getting Russia to comply with Western sanctions or demands to end the Ukraine War. Putin said yesterday that Ukraine must accept his ceasefire conditions or face more mayhem. Clearly, Blinken can’t mediate the dispute because of anti-Putin bias.
Lavrov was greeted in Bali with shouts of “When will you stop the war and “Why don’t you stop the war,” while greeting Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. “Aggressors, invaders, occupiers—we heard a lot of things today,” Lavrov told reporters, knowing that his presence at the meeting was not hospitable. Lavrov sees Western states and their media friends as anti-Russian, refusing to see the Russian side of the conflict. Putin and Lavrov explained it many times that the Kremlin would not accept the U.S. setting up a puppet regime on the Russian border. No one at the G20, other that Beijing, showed much sympathy to the Russian cause of dealing with the U.S. supplying unlimited lethal weapons to Ukraine. “This was not a warm bath for Lavrov,” said a Western officials, admitting the very forceful remarks against the Kremlin led by Blinken and others.
Five months into the Ukraine War, what’s the solution of Western nations, simply to denounce Putin and the Russian Federation? Blinken had a real chance to part the vitriol at the door and try to find common ground to eventually end the conflict. But as Blinken has showed in the past, he’s not interested in settling the conflict, only beating the Russian arm on the battlefield. When 69-year-old Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin clarified the U.S. aim in Ukraine April 26 in Ramstein, Germany, he told the world the U.S. aims to degrade the Russian army to the point it can no longer wage war. If that’s no a declaration of war against the Kremlin, then what is? No one at the G20 questions the U.S. war goals in Ukraine as stated by Biden and Austin. Everyone wants the war to stop, allowing Ukrainian grain shipments, but they’re not willing to take a mediator’s role of seeing both sides.
As long as the U.S. states it’s goal in Ukraine is to degrade the Russian military, the Kremlin is forced to fight back with ferocity. No longer does the Kremlin see itself at war with Ukraine but at war with the United States. Blinken had every chance at the G20 to push beyond the worn out talking points to get to the brass tacks to what it will take to end the conflict. Putin gave Ukraine a way out over three months ago, telling Ukraine’s 45-year-old Pesident Volodymer Zelensky that he wants Kiev to accept Donetsk and Luhansk as indpedendent and recognize Crime as sovereign Russian territory. Zelensky has zero control of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crime before the conflict, but concluded he must fight for every inch of Ukrainian territory. Four months later, Zelensky has lost over 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory but, more importantly, lost the entire Black Sea coast to Kremlin control.
Showing the degree of anti-Russian bias at the meeting, Ukraine’s 40-year-old Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who’s not part of the G20, used the meeting to denounce the Kremlin on video link. “We have no right to allow Russia to further blackmail through high energy prices, hunger, and security threats,” Kuleba told the G20 ministers. Kuleba knows that if Ukraine settled the issues at the Instanbul peace table, he could get back to some measure of normalcy. Putin said yesterday that that the longer the conflict goes, the less willing Russia to make concessions for a ceasefire. Putin wants Ukraine and the U.S. to admit that they’ve lost the war and settle into a ceasefire agreement and peace talks. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was not interested in creating a “new Cold War.” China would like to see both parties end the conflict and work on a mutually acceptable peace deal.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
