American linguist and political scientist Noam Chomsky, one of the most respected and cited analysts of the 21st century, warned that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could fail if the US does not join them.
In an interview published on March 14 on the Truthout portal, Chomsky stressed that the only way to prevent the conflict from leading to a “total devastation of Ukraine and an unimaginable catastrophe beyond that” is “a negotiated agreement.” “Negotiations can make or break. The only way to find out is to try. Of course, the negotiations will go nowhere if the US persists in its adamant refusal to join, backed by the virtually united commissariat […]”, he opined.
Commenting on the position of the Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, on Russia’s demands (neutral status of the country, recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, as well as the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, among other points), the thinker He referred to the issue of Ukraine’s accession to NATO and Zelensky’s recent statement, in which he confessed to having “cooled off” about plans to join the Alliance.
In particular, the linguist emphasized that the incorporation of kyiv to the Atlantic Alliance would be equivalent to the adhesion of Mexico to a bloc led by China, with joint military exercises and weapons “directed towards Washington.” “Insisting on Mexico’s sovereign right to do so would go beyond idiocy,” he stressed. The political scientist added that the US insistence that the decision on joining NATO is a sovereign right of kyiv “is even worse, since it establishes an insurmountable barrier for the peaceful resolution” of the current situation.
Strengthen Atlanticism?
On the other hand, Chomsky considered that the US could be “satisfied” with the course of the conflict, since this allows it to reinforce “the Atlanticist model” for Europe under the domination of Washington and NATO, thus cutting off the possibilities for creation of “an independent common European house”, capable of acting as a “third force” in the international arena.
In parallel, he did not rule out that both the US and the UK are interested in continuing the conflict, hoping that this would lead to “regime change” in Russia. “If so, it is as criminal as it is reckless. Criminal because it perpetuates vicious warfare and cuts off hope of ending its horrors; reckless because it is quite likely that if Putin is toppled, someone even worse will take power,” he said.
