Is Eastern Europe turning into Russia's battlefield due to America's NATO policies?

Before his death, Kissinger warned that Washington needed to end the Ukraine crisis quickly, otherwise the United States would lose its dominance in Eastern Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent statements on the Ukraine war show that the crisis is still raging. According to AP News, Putin has openly warned Western countries that allowing the use of long-range weapons against Ukraine would mean NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) directly entering the war with Russia. Putin stressed that such an action could significantly change the nature of the conflict and force Moscow to make appropriate decisions.

Europe Turning into a Battlefield Speaking to Iranian newspaper Quds about Putin’s warnings and the West’s decisions to arm Ukraine with long-range weapons, Mahmoud Shuri, vice president of the Iran and Eurasia Think Tank (IRAS) and an expert on Russia, said that any military action by Ukraine with these weapons could take Russia’s response to a new level. Shuri noted that even firing a single missile could force Russia to use new weapons in regions outside Ukraine. Shuri added that even the slightest mistake by Kiev today could lead to a direct conflict between NATO and Russia, in other words, turning the territory of 26 European countries into a battlefield.

Underlining how sensitive Russia is to this issue, Shuri said:

Vladimir Putin openly stated that such an action by the West would mean NATO entering into direct war with Russia.

Shuri believes that this warning could be used as a measure to escalate the level of conflict between Moscow and Kiev. Shuri also raised the possibility of Moscow using tactical short-range nuclear weapons in response to a Western attack on Ukraine with long-range missiles, but it is not yet possible to say anything definitive about this.

Kissinger's Prediction Comes True

American expert Hanif Ghafari states that in Putin's speech and his views on the future of the war, Putin used the expression "the nature of the conflict is changing" in his last speech, referring to the West providing long-range weapons to Ukraine. Ghafari says that this action could turn the war between Moscow and Kiev into a war between Russia and NATO. Ghafari also touches on the disagreements that have occurred in recent years between NATO members regarding the sending of long-range weapons to Ukraine. Some NATO members, such as Greece, Spain and Hungary, believe that the Ukraine crisis has gotten out of NATO's control. Ghafari emphasizes that by forcing Ukraine to join the alliance, NATO has actually started a crisis in Eastern Europe and imposed a three-year war of attrition on Europe. According to Ghafari, American strategist Henry Kissinger's prediction is coming true. Kissinger had warned before his death that Washington should quickly end the Ukraine crisis, otherwise the United States would lose its dominance in Eastern Europe and cause unforeseen costs for the White House.

The War That NATO Started

When asked about the Kremlin's position, Ghafari answered why the US and UK backed down from their decision to allow Kiev: The Ukraine war apparently began with Russia's aggression, but strategically NATO started this conflict with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion and provocation of Russia. The US and UK insisted on NATO's eastward expansion, forcing Moscow to react. But today Washington and London have lost the ability to control this crisis, and the possibility of the war spreading to Europe has seriously increased.

The Danger of the War Spreading to Europe

European countries, such as Moldova, the Netherlands and Poland, are in a process of confrontation with Russia, and their territories may become official war zones in the future. Ghafari states that Europe’s blindly playing on the US’s turf will expose itself to serious harm. By continuing these policies, Europeans have brought the costs of war upon themselves, and as long as they do not act in the field of security as an independent actor, they will not be able to make wise decisions to survive in the international system.