Paris – On August 25, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unexpected visit to Moscow, where he met with several senior Russian military officials and intelligence chiefs. The reason for the visit remained unclear, and speculation circulated on social media, but it was largely speculative.

BY Huda Al-Husseini*

Eleven days after Ratcliffe’s visit, Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkopf visited Moscow, announced as envoys of the US president to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine. The American side held a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which Yuri Ushakov, the president’s aide, stated that the talks were clear and frank, and that Putin said his country’s non-negotiable conditions were:

First: Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO. Second: The reduction of Ukraine’s military capabilities. Third: The final annexation of the captured territories to Russia. Finally: The restructuring of European security arrangements to better serve Russian interests.

The two American envoys returned without any tangible results, or even an agreement on a roadmap to end the Ukrainian war. Subsequently, NATO countries held a meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 18, and the alliance spokesperson announced several decisions, including raising military readiness for deterrence and collective defense, and strengthening intelligence and technological cooperation, particularly to counter highly likely cyberattacks.

The visit of the American envoys to Moscow may be an attempt by the US president to halt the war in Ukraine, thus securing an achievement on the eve of the US midterm elections. However, the American voter will not be swayed by such an achievement, which raises questions about the motives behind this American initiative that surprised the world, especially the Europeans, who are wary of Putin’s intentions.

A former US military official says that Putin’s conditions for ending the Ukrainian war indicate he is not interested in reaching an agreement, but rather wants Ukraine’s complete surrender before he will sit down at the negotiating table. While Putin does not desire a confrontation with the United States, he believes it is bogged down in a futile war in the Middle East that has consumed vast amounts of money and resources, and that any confrontation with Russia would be extremely costly, both militarily and economically. As for the other NATO member states, particularly the European ones, the Russian president makes no secret of his condescending view of them, and he is well aware of their dire economic situations and the widespread political and social turmoil they are experiencing.

From this perspective, the source believes there is a serious possibility that President Putin will undertake a “major” action to end his war with Ukraine and solidify his country’s position in Europe as an indispensable regional power. When asked what he meant by a “major” action, he stated that the limited use of nuclear weapons is within Russia’s capabilities, a fact known in military circles in Washington and other NATO capitals. In his view, this was the primary reason for Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow, during which he delivered a direct warning that undertaking such a “major” action, or attacking any NATO member state, would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the United States. The Russian response, which was defiant, came after the visit of Kushner and Wojtkov.

Europe is experiencing a level of anxiety today not seen since the 1940s, when World War II broke out. Observers are well aware that this continent was the epicenter of two world wars during the last century. The rise of far-right parties to power in Hungary, Italy, and Finland, the significant gains made by the Alternative for Germany party, and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party in France—all of which evoke memories of the rise of the Nazis and Fascists in the 1930s—does not help to alleviate this tension.

The Latvian president warned that Europe and NATO are unprepared to keep pace with the rapid development of drone and missile warfare, and that many countries might be unable to repel a limited Russian attack due to weak air defenses and a shortage of Patriot missiles. He anticipates that Moscow will not launch a full-scale war, but rather sporadic missile and drone strikes, which it may portray as accidental incidents, to test NATO’s cohesion and Article 5, and to deter Europeans from continuing their support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, defensive measures are expanding across Europe. Finland has raised the military reserve age to 65 and is aiming to build a force of nearly one million personnel. It has also withdrawn, along with Latvia and Lithuania, from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. The Baltic states are constructing fortifications and anti-tank barriers along their borders with Russia and Belarus as part of the “Baltic Defense Line.” Poland is working to establish an army and reserve force of approximately 500,000 personnel and is developing the “Eastern Shield,” equipped with surveillance systems and drone defenses.

In Germany, suitable shelters for approximately one million people are being identified, and plans are being drawn up to redeploy NATO forces eastward in the event of a large-scale conflict. Sweden has distributed a guide to its citizens on dealing with crises and air raids, while Denmark has expanded conscription to include women and increased the service period from four to eleven months. France has also prepared guidelines for stockpiling essential supplies and radiation protection.

Britain, meanwhile, is reactivating its emergency plans, known as “war books,” bolstering the protection of its energy, water, communications, and undersea cables, and preparing for cyberattacks and supply disruptions. It is also making it easier for former military personnel to be recalled and increasing production of weapons, drones, and ammunition.

The European Union advises its approximately 450 million residents to keep food, water, medicine and money for 72 hours, and to build up reserves to cope with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.

While the actual deployment of nuclear weapons in Finland, Estonia, and Poland has not been confirmed, these countries have left the door open to this possibility. European governments say the measures are aimed at deterrence and preparedness, but the expansion of military conscription, the construction of shelters, the redeployment of landmines, and discussions about hosting nuclear weapons raise a pressing question: What do European governments know, or fear, that they are not fully disclosing to their citizens?

*Huda al-Husseini is a Lebanese journalist and political writer working for the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. She previously worked for several newspapers and magazines, including Al-Anwar in Beirut, An-Nahar Al-Arabi Wal-Dawli and Al-Watan Al-Arabi in Paris, and Al-Hawadith and As-Sayyad in London. She covered the Mujahideen War in Afghanistan, the Iranian Revolution, the Libyan-Chadian War, the Falasha operation in Sudan and Ethiopia, and the First Gulf War. She interviewed numerous Arab and foreign leaders, including Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (whom she accompanied on the plane from Paris to Tehran), King Hassan II, King Hussein, and Presidents Anwar Sadat, Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, Jaafar Nimeiri, and Idi Amin .

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MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT (WW3) HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA TO BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

RESTORE THE RIGHTS OF THE RUSSIAN SPEAKING PEOPLE OF "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

RESTITUTE THE ORTHODOX CHURCH PROPERTIES AND RIGHTS

RELEASE THE OPPOSITION MEMBERS FROM PRISON

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE EU.....

EASY.

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